Gather Yourselves Together

Gather Yourselves Together

infobox Book |
name = Gather Yourselves Together
title_orig =
translator =


image_caption = Cover of first edition (hardcover)
author = Philip K. Dick
illustrator =
cover_artist =
country = United States
language = English
series =
genre = Novel
publisher = WCS Books
release_date = 1994
english_release_date =
media_type = Print (Hardcover)
pages = 292 pp
isbn = ISBN 1-878914-05-7
preceded_by =
followed_by = Voices from the Street

"Gather Yourselves Together" is an early novel by the late science fiction author Philip K. Dick, written around 1948-1950, and published posthumously by WCS Books in 1994. As with many of his early books which were considered unsuitable for publication when they were first submitted as manuscripts, this was not science fiction at all, but rather a work of straight literary fiction. The manuscript was 481 pages in length. At the time it was published, it was one of only two Dick novels for which the manuscript was known to exist which remained unpublished. The other, "Voices from the Street", was published in 2007.

Dwight Brown wrote Afterword.

Plot summary

After the final victory of Mao Zedong's Chinese Communists in 1949, an American company prepares to abandon their Chinese operations, leaving three people behind to oversee transitional affairs- Carl Fitter, Vernon Tildon and Barbara Mahler. Vernon and Barbara were previously involved with one another back in the United States, in 1945, when she lost her virginity to him. They have sex again, but Barbara has matured, and becomes more interested in Carl, who is younger than she is. Carl is more interested in reading his handwritten volume of personal philosophy to her, but Barbara does succeed in seducing him, shortly before the arrival of the Chinese.

Biographical Aspects of "Gather Yourselves Together"

Despite being an early, non-science fiction work, the book prefigures several staples of Phil's writing.
*Carl keeps a notebooks much like Phil's own 1970s "Exegesis"
*A "dead-cat-as-indictment-for-being" story that is very similar to the one later used in "Valis".
*The first "Dark Haired Girl" in any of Phil's novels appears in one of Carl's flashbacks.
*"Teddy", one of Verne's past conquests, is likely a version of Phil's own imaginary sister of the same name.
*The conclusion of the novel draws tenuous parallels between America and the late Roman Empire, and between the early Christians and communist Chinese.

Bibliography

*Bibliography of Philip K. Dick

External links

* [http://www.philipkdickfans.com/pkdweb/GATHER%20YOURSELVES%20TOGETHER.htm An overview]


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно сделать НИР?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Lord's Day — See also: Sabbath in Christianity Contents 1 Textual tradition 1.1 Ambiguous references 1.2 U …   Wikipedia

  • Eucharist — For Eucharistic liturgies, see Christian liturgy. Most Precious Blood redirects here. For other uses, see Most Precious Blood (disambiguation). For other uses, see Eucharist (disambiguation). The institution of the Eucharist has been a key theme… …   Wikipedia

  • Genesis 49 — 1 And Jacob called unto his sons, and said, Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days. 2 Gather yourselves together, and hear, ye sons of Jacob; and hearken unto Israel your father. 3 Reuben,… …   The King James version of the Bible

  • List of works published posthumously — The following is a list of works that were published, performed or distributed posthumously (after the parties involved in its creation died). Contents 1 Drama 2 Films 2.1 Films whose director died before the release …   Wikipedia

  • Joel 3 — 1 For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem, 2 I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people …   The King James version of the Bible

  • Sabbath in Christianity — For other uses, see Biblical Sabbath, seventh day Sabbath, Jewish Sabbath, High Sabbath, and Sabbath year. A Ten Commandments monument which includes the command to Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy …   Wikipedia

  • Zephaniah 2 — 1 Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together, O nation not desired; 2 Before the decree bring forth, before the day pass as the chaff, before the fierce anger of the LORD come upon you, before the day of the LORD s anger come upon you. 3… …   The King James version of the Bible

  • Clans of the Alphane Moon —   First edition cover …   Wikipedia

  • The Man in the High Castle —   …   Wikipedia

  • A Scanner Darkly — For the 2006 film adaptation, see A Scanner Darkly (film). A Scanner Darkly   …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”