Finally a book that deals with PKD's interest in psychology, philosophy, and religion. Kucukalic does a great job of analyzing PKD's interest in these topics, and showing how much they matter to the larger structure of his work. From my reading, I'd say the author proves the point she makes in the book's title, that is, that PKD's writing is important (canonical) for American Literature in general, and not just from the SF point of view. There's also a great biographical chapter and pretty good notes that refer to other works of this sort and of course the works that PKD himself was interested in. ( )

Avoids sensationalism and unsupported claims about Dick, which it criticizes. Instead, careful, close analysis of major works and Dick's importance as a thinker. "At the center of Dick's creative process is always the consideration of ways in which human beings can and do survive in modern conditions, a humanistic gesture in the age of machines." ( )