December 10, 2003
An Open Letter To Our Father's Fans
(from Laura, Isa and Chris)
We have already received some very valuable feedback about this new site, and we greatly appreciate it! In addition to some words of praise, we think that our father would expect no less from his fans than to receive some well-articulated criticism. Thank you for that as well. This is a great opportunity for us to share some additional information with you, and also clear-up a few misconceptions that may exist.
This project is a labor of love for us. Although the new site has a more polished look than the old, it was actually done with a very modest budget, and conceived and constructed by us. Our goals for the site mirror the overall goals we have had for the past 20 years since his passing: to be good stewards of his work today and for posterity. Additionally, we are using this as a vehicle to share further insights about Philip K Dick through letters, stories, photographs, and other more personal items. Although we three lead busy lives outside of Philip K. Dick matters, we endeavor to do the very best job possible with this site. It may not please everyone, all of the time, but we hope it will touch some -most of the time in a positive way.
The official site is not commercial. You will find no advertising, links to other commercial sites, or even the selling of his books, directly or indirectly. We have never asked for fees for photo requests, and have no future plans to do so. We will continue to provide free information for the sheer enjoyment of his fans.
The issue of adaptations of his work is a controversial one. There will always be those who are entertained by the adaptations, and others who feel passionately opposed to them. We respect all views on this issue. We recognize that the full richness of Philip K. Dick's writing may never be adequately captured in the movies or other adaptations. They can however, bring new readers to his work. There are a significant numbers of readers currently who have come to know his work through the movies; many of whom have since become enthusiastic fans. This is the greatest reward. We also want to you to know that we have made conscious choices over the years to turn down lucrative offers for the novelization of the short story adaptations because we feel it could cheapen his legacy. (Actually, the only short story that was novelized - Total Recall - was a result of a deal that was made by him.)
This new official site exists as a resource for information and facts about the writings of Philip K. Dick, and will include news about publishing deals, media sightings, and interviews with people who have known and loved him. As such, it will not include outside analysis of his work or essays that are not written by him, nor will it include opinion or speculation on the world as it relates to his writings. These are terrific items for Philip K. Dick fan sites. In particular, we encourage you to visit Jason Koornick's amazing site at PhilipKDickFans.com. Based on some of the feedback we've received, we will make changes to the new official site in the near future, in order to create a more visible link between the two sites.
Thank you again for your feedback, and until next time-
Laura, Isa and Chris
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