Maze of Death by Philip K. Dick.
Inception seems to owe more than a little to Philip K. Dick’s reality-bending sci-fi yarns. In Maze of Death, which takes place in a world in which god seems to be an objectively real entity, several down-and-out misfits are assigned to work on a harsh, mostly uninhabited planet. But after losing radio contact with their employer they find themselves stranded without even knowing what their assignment is.
Japanese author Haruki Murakami is a master of writing surreal, dream-like novels. Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World revolves around a “calcutec,” who uses his brain as a type of encrypted storage. Companies hire him to store securely store trade secrets. Until, of course, something goes wrong.
Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World by Haruki Murakami
Neuromancer by William Gibson.
I thought of Inception initially as a Dickian film, but my friend Ian pointed out it’s actually more of a Gibsonian film. Neuromancer, Gibson’s first novel, is a heist story taking place in virtual reality. Inception fans should feel right at home.
July 31, 2010 at 5:36 am
Inception fans should feel right at hom.
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July 31, 2010 at 3:07 pm
There’s also Tsutsui’s Paprika (recently made into an anime by Shitoshi Kon), about psychotherapists who enter people’s dreams and must keep the technology to do so out of the wrong hands before the dream bleeds through into the real world.
August 3, 2012 at 5:31 pm
I have just seen it by chance, and it reminded me of Inception so much!
July 31, 2010 at 6:59 pm
Thanks Trevor!
August 2, 2010 at 1:03 am
I didn’t think inception was that great and there are other films that portray the dream state much more accurately (without inventing its own science).
8 and a half does dreams the best in my opinion.
August 2, 2010 at 3:26 am
Gamers should definitely check out Lacuna Part I.
http://memento-mori.com/online-store/lacuna-part-i/
Take Dark City, eXistenZ and the Cell and toss them into a blender.
– J
August 2, 2010 at 11:04 am
Paprika by Yasutaka Tsutsui (in Japanese, so watch the anime adapted by Satoshi Kon).
Also, watch Until The End Of The World by Wim Wenders.
August 2, 2010 at 12:51 pm
Also of note is “The Bridge” by Iain Banks.
August 2, 2010 at 2:31 pm
As many commentators have also noted, the work of Jorge Luis Borges is clearly a major — if not the major — influence on the film.
August 2, 2010 at 5:09 pm
You liked Inception ? You’ll love Ink !
August 2, 2010 at 6:37 pm
Agree with the satement about Ink.
Suprisingly good little indy film with some decent effects.
August 3, 2010 at 12:29 am
Existe t il une version francaise du livre deMurakami?Merci
August 3, 2010 at 12:53 am
Marc: La Fin des Temps http://www.geocities.jp/yoshio_osakabe/Haruki/Translation-French-E.html
August 4, 2010 at 5:26 pm
Uncle $crooge in “The Dream of a Lifetime”: http://disneycomics.free.fr/Ducks/Rosa/show.php?num=1&loc=D2002-033&s=date
August 5, 2010 at 3:04 pm
The two that come to mind for me is Baby Leg by Brian Evenson and Arabian Nightmare by Robert Irwin.
August 12, 2010 at 3:59 am
Ubik came to mind for me:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ubik
August 17, 2010 at 5:57 pm
“Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World revolves around a “calcutec,” who uses his brain as a type of encrypted storage. Companies hire him to store securely store trade secrets. Until, of course, something goes wrong.”
…Is it me or does this synopsis looks ALOT (identical?) like William Gibson’s short story (and later remade into a movie) “Johnny Mnemonic”!!!???
January 23, 2011 at 7:27 pm
I agree with Leif-“Ubik” is closer in plot and feel.
May 31, 2011 at 10:25 pm
2525775 beers on the wall.
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October 11, 2011 at 2:27 pm
Thanks for sharing your knowledge. I am definitely going to check the novels out the next time I am in a bookshop.