Phillip K. Dick’s Minority Report
photo taken from wikipedia.org
Phillip K. Dick was one of the most prominent writers in the science-fiction since H.G. Wells and Jules Verne. With dozens of short stories under his belt, Dick tackled many extraordinary theories of life. Most of his works focused on the idea between what is real and not. Many are familiar with his novel-to-film adaptations Total Recall, Blade Runner, and A Scanner Darkly.
One of his most famous short stories told of a future in which police are able to see who will commit a crime before it happens. The story addresses the theme of free will versus predetermination. This disturbing idea is an excellent idea for a story, but what if it were true? Can you imagine people being arresting for not even doing anything? We would be without true freedom and it takes away the idea that humans are free to do as we choose.
In 2002, Minority Report was made into successful film by none other than Steven Spielberg. The film was a financial and critical success. Although deviating from the original story, the film stayed true to the essential themes and concepts brought up by Dick. I highly recommend the film and story to people. It’s a great piece of fiction that stimulates thought and discussion.
