The chromium fence

Philip K. Dick is awesome, seriously one of my favorite authors. Do androids dream of electric sheep and the man in the high tower are must reads. His style in general is really interesting; he really sets the scene with some strong imagery. He describes the small things like a man lighting a cigarette or the interaction between a husband and wife. He makes the world seem so believable, so ordinary in some ways that it allows the reader to easily accept and be sucked in by the sci-fi/ fantastic elements. It’s clear that Dick was captivated and interested in the future of technology, but he does express his reservations. Are we giving up more than we are gaining with societal progress? Does the virtual world take away from the physical reality, or is it a new reality in its own rite. In the chromium fence he depicts this struggle, between holding on to the past and completely sprinting towards the future, represented by the naturalists and the purists. The main character is stuck in the middle of the debate, and thinks that each man should be able to decide himself how integrated he wants to be. This also is an example of how Dick opposed dichotomous thinking.  This way of debate, an all or nothing approach, will lead to violence, and the loss of individuality.