These Were Sci-Fi Writer Philip K. Dick's Warnings To The World

Philip Kindred Dick was born in Chicago, Illinois, on December 16, 1928. He specialized in science fiction literature, which often centered on characters as they were seemingly stuck in illusory environments while navigating various psychological struggles (via Britannica).

The mind of Philip K. Dick, too, can be considered revolutionary, as he predicted many technological advancements in the 1960s and '70s, many of which are being realized today — like cloning, artificial intelligence, and even global warming. The author successfully foreshadowed these advancements in the pages of his books, which paved the way for scientists and manufacturers to realize the capabilities of humans, even considering the possible devastating repercussions.

Among the numerous things being realized, decades before their time, according to Ranker, include eight hot topics, but three stand out. He believed artificial intelligence would take over, and he even took to the podium in 1972 to state humans and A.I. would eventually suffer from identity crises (via Boing Boing). 

Also, don't forget the possibilities of virtual reality. Companies like Oculus have begun allowing for humans to essentially lose themselves in virtual worlds, thus spawning the inability to differentiate what is reality and what is an immersive landscape. Lastly, scientists have already created an embryo, sans egg or sperm, which suggests that human cloning and DNA alteration could both be on the horizon (via New Scientist).

There have been plenty of adaptations from the pages of Philip K. Dick's books, whether directly, like "The Minority Report" and "Total Recall," or indirectly, like "Terminator" and "Blade Runner," the latter of which was actually derived from his book, "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?"

"Blade Runner" speaks to his potential takeover by artificial intelligence, because it shows what A.I. is capable of in mimicking humanity, but also in possessing consciousness, forcing it to believe it is indeed human and not being able to distinguish itself as a non-organic being (via Ranker).

PKD wrote a lot about trippy experiences and hallucinations. In fact, much of his science fiction was regarding virtual reality and being unable to delegate what indeed was real and fake, like in "The Scanner Darkly." Here, an undercover detective is stationed within a group of addicts and sellers while being tasked with stopping the flow of illegal drugs. While on the mission, he slowly becomes confused as to whether he is his actual self or his undercover self, further complicating the situation.

Science now teeters on sci-fi levels and, whether we are comfortable with it or not, the notion of cloning and laboratory-created embryos is definitely a thing we could be capable of. In his "The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch," for instance, people signed up for genetic procedures in hopes of extending life, but also in enhancing evolution and possibly rendering a 'backup' of yourself.