American writer (1928-1982) known for his works of science fiction, including The Man in the High Castle, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, Ubik, and A Scanner Darkly; acclaimed film adaptations of his works include Blade Runner, Total Recall, and Minority Report. Uncommon pair of TLSs, each signed “Phil,” one page, 8.5 x 11, November 6-7, 1979. Both to Professor Patricia S. Warrick. The first, in part; "Thank you for the issue of Extrapolation with your article; I appreciate it. Also, I am excited that the Highcastle essay will be appearing in SF Studies; it's an excellent article. the reviews of it are right on. Right now I am in the process of buying my apartment. They are really fixing up this building—turning it from a prison into a garden…My cardiologist made me stop working for the time being, so I haven't written anything except a short story that appeared (is appearing right now) in a new publication called Rolling Stone College Papers. They paid me well and did a half million print-run. The story is handsome in its art work—a two page illo. I am sending you under separate cover the bound page proofs of a story collection of mine that will appear next year. You're mentioned in the story notes at the end…I particularly want to know what you think of the introduction, which is quite extensive and of which I am terribly, terribly proud. It has been published separately in the U.K. in Foundation."
The second, in part: "I've now read over your article in Extrapolation again (that is, I read it originally in typescript) and I wanted to tell you that I am really impressed by it. Certainly it is a superb article…There is also another matter—I never thanked you for the big book on reincarnation that you sent me months ago. I was truly fascinated by it…This heart condition of mine is traumatic to me because three of my role models died prematurely of heart conditions: (1) My stepfather. (2). My boss when I was in high school and in my early twenties; he was only forty-eight—effort syndrome. (3) My best friend Will Cook the Western writer; he dropped dead in his late forties—again, effort syndrome. In other words, in terms of Script Analysis, I am programmed to die of heart trouble due to effort syndrome. In 1974 while I had my little boy Christopher at the doctor for a checkup the nurse took my blood pressure and it was 278 over 173. They hospitalized me immediately. My bp went down and in a week they released me, but they never found the cause for such a massive elevation. The doctor accused me of taking uppers, which I wasn't. Right now I'm on all sorts of medication. I spend a lot of time resting." In fine condition. In these foreboding letters, Dick accurately predicts his early death—just three years later, at the age of 53, he would pass away from a stroke.
