Confessions of a Crap Artist
Jack Isidore (of Seville, Calif.), a chronicle of verified scientific fact, 1945-1959
by Philip K. Dick, Peter Berkrot · first published 1975
29% recommend57% neutral14% critical
Confessions of a Crap Artist is one of Philip K. Dick's weirdest and most accomplished novels. Jack Isidore is a crap artist -- a collector of crackpot ideas (among other things, he believes that the earth is hallow and that sunlight has weight) and worthless objects, a man so grossly unequipped for real life that his sister and brother-in-law feel compelled to rescue him from it. But seen through Jack's murderously innocent gaze, Charlie and Juddy Hume prove to be just as sealed off from reality, in thrall to obsessions that are slightly more acceptable than Jack's, but a great deal uglier.Fr
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…reality, and the above books are a decent primer in his way of thinking. The list is by no means complete, just what trips out of my head as “Good PKD”. His non-sf works, like Mary and the Giant and Confessions of a Crap Artist, I did not understand in the slightest as a younger man. Now I read them, and their realities are palpable, sordid, tawdry, and utterly real.
on “Philip K. Dick: A Visionary Among the Charlatans (1975)” ↗Don’t know if you ever read any of his non-SF stuff, but it’s worth a pop - Confessions of a Crap Artist and Mary and the Giant stand out as the most interesting to me. Both follow the same vein as his SF work, insofar as he takes a reasonable premise (mid-century America in this case), strips it to its…
on “How to Build a Universe That Doesn't Fall Apart Two Days Later, Philip K. Dick” ↗At age 57, it's easier for me to point to books, and I think there's three main inflection points for me. When I was about 15 I read Philip K. Dick's "Confessions of a Crap Artist", which really opened my eyes to how we each live in our own subjective version of reality. At age 17, I read Ram Dass's "Be Here Now", which exposed me to eastern spiritual traditions (I'm an atheist,…
on “Ask HN: What's the most life-changing blog post you've ever read?” ↗…therapised by them. Shit, it’s my money. VALIS and the Exegesis are a good look at his end state, but some of his non-sf work also gives a pretty clear insight into the man - “Mary and the Giant” and “Confessions of a Crap Artist” spring to mind. Actually so do “The Broken Bubble” and “In Milton Lumkey Territory”. They’re all deeply uncomfortable and utterly palpable works - there’s real pain and anguish and alienation graved…
on “Passing for Human: Philip K. Dick in Vancouver (2018)” ↗I tried reading Confessions of a Crap Artist, but had the exact same reaction as I did to The Transmigration of Timothy Archer... boredom. Couldn't finish it. I just didn't think it was good. I couldn't see what you saw in it. Someday maybe…
on “How to Build a Universe That Doesn't Fall Apart Two Days Later, Philip K. Dick” ↗…flavor of Philip K Dick and show you how innovative and interesting he was as a writer. If you don't enjoy that one I think you will probably not enjoy most of his other novels. If you started with "Confessions of a Crap artist" or even the acclaimed "The man in the high castle" for example you might not have the best first experience with his work. "Ubik" (also mentioned in this thread) is another good choice to start with.
on “Philip K. Dick, Sci-Fi Philosopher, Part 2” ↗He's sort of like punk rock or Van Gogh. He's definitely not about the polish. Interesting biographical note. He wanted to be a serious novelist, and wrote an unreadable Tome I think called Confessions of a crap artist. Meanwhile, the science fiction novels he dashed off to make a little money were becoming popular. When he was in dire straits financially, he would agree to write another book for a few thousand dollars…
on “Ask HN: Great fiction books that have had a positive impact on your life?” ↗…Thanks for the PKD tip!! (EDIT: this is the only dried bark PKD in my possession, which suggests that while PKD admired the schizos he might have selfdiagnosed as OCD?) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confessions_of_a_Crap_Artist)
on “Tritone Substitutions” ↗…bound in. My friends are made out of water, too: all of them. The problem for us is that not only do we have to walk around without being absorbed by the ground but we also have to earn our livings." -- Confessions of a Crap Artist, PKD
on “Ask HN: What's Holding You Back?” ↗