American Writers (One Hundred Pages at a Time)

In "Nanny", Philip K Dick explores child rearing and automation. What will the robotics revolution mean for raising children? Can robots do a better job than distracted and flawed adults?

And now the conclusion to James Fenimore Cooper's "The Deerslayer."

What is the relationship between war and consumerism? What was the impact on children of the Cold War-era brinkmanship? To what degree is totalitarianism defined by our freedom of choice to buy or not buy products? These are some of the questions exposed in Dick's story "Foster You're Dead"

In this section of my review of "The Deerslayer", I discuss torture and the morality of denying marriage. As the Deerslayer is on "furlough" from his captivity,all of the characters must make important decisions and their solidarity is put to variosu tests.  

In this episode, we dive deeper into James Fenimore Cooper's novel "The Deerslayer": a ransom, a rescue, and a kidnapping.

The Philip K. Dick Book Club moves onto 1955. In "War Veteran" Dick plays with time travel and conspiracies and the ongoing conflict between Earth and the colonies.

And now for a story I really do not like, "Strange Eden". "Strange Eden" is a story of ancient alien explorers mixed with some mighty strange sexual politics.

In this episode I look at chapters 7 through 12 of James Fenimore Cooper's novel, "The Deerslayer." In this section, the Deerslayer, Natty Bummpo, makes his first kill and the mystery of the box of pirate treasure is examined.

In this episode of the Philip K. Dick Book Club, we look at the short story "The Father-Thing". It is a story about who children see the emotional instability of their parents. It is also (it seems) a story of childish imagination and adventure in a suburban environment.

Time to insanely charge into the Leatherstocking Tales. We will begin with the first in the series (although the last one published), "The Deerslayer." So, let's meet Natty Bummpo and his friends as they arrive at Glimmerglass.

In "The Turning Wheel", Philip K. Dick explores Eastern religions and the broader realtionship between the technocratic life and the religious life. It is one of his strongest early stories dealing with technology.

Our final episode in this series on Louisa May Alcott. In the second half of "Jo's Boys" our major heroes face adult challanges and even life and death choices.

In this episode, I look at Philip K. Dick's story "Progeny." How much power should we give to those we raise and educate our children? Can the posthuman (transhuman?) be achieved simply through education?

It is ten years after the events of "Little Men" and we check in on the adulthood of the graduates of Plumfield. In this episode, we look at Alcott's final novel "Jo's Boys".

The finale of my series on Louisa May Alcott's "Little Men."

In this episode we look at Dick's sole tale looking specifically at anarchism. While anarchist themes run throughout his works, he only examined the concept directly in this sci-fi tale, "The Last of the Masters." And through this tale, Dick explores the germ of the state and the relationships between automation and freedom and government.

Part 2 of my thoughts on Louisa May Alcott's "Little Men," which includes my ideas on the central chapter of the novel "Damon and Pythias". 

"You! You're not Silvia. You are one of the Kung Fu Creatures on the Ramage 2" "Upon the Dull Earth" is a story by Philip K. Dick. A little help?

We continue our look into the "Little Women" trilogy with "Little Men". How are Jo's students and family doing at her school in Plumfield? What does Alcott have to tell us in this novel about education, family, second chances, and growing up?

In "Shell Game", a preview of his great novel "Clans of the Alphane Moon", Dick explores the military, paranoia, and mental illness. Are our delusions products of our environment and training?

In this episode we come to the end of Alcott's novel "Little Women," but we have a lot more Alcott to discuss as we explore the sequals.  

Once again Philip K. Dick takes us to the frontier and evaluates empire, cultural homogenity, technology, and work in his brilliant story "Souvenir". In this story, Dick expands his ideas on crafting, human-scaled technology, and the meaning of work. He will fully develop these ideas in "Galactic Pot-Healer" a decade later.

Opps. I guess I messed up the order of episodes. "Prize Ship" by Philip K. Dick is a story that exploress the consequences of time travel and an expanding universe, war, and the frontier.

We are reaching the climax of Louisa May Alcott's "Little Women." In the second half of the novel the story moves to focus on Amy and Jo and their futures in relationships and art.

One of Philip K. Dick's masterpieces, "A World of Talent" explores posthumanism,  the frontier, war, and governmental conspiracies. This story brings to a capstone many of Dick's early ideas and themes.