"If You Find This World Bad, You Should See Some of the Others", also known as the "Metz speech", is a 1977 speech and essay by science fiction writer Philip K. Dick. He delivered it as the guest of honor on September 24, 1977, at the Second Metz International Science Fiction Festival in Metz, France. Dick prepared his first version of the speech by May of that year, but was asked to deliver a shorter version due to time constraints. The Metz speech, in its shorter form, was recorded on video and was translated to the French audience by an interpreter. Dick's speech lays out his characteristic, yet arcane thoughts on the philosophy of space and time and the concept of alternate universes within a hypothetical multiverse. The speech also discusses Dick's strange and unusual visions from 1974, his interpretation of Christian gnosticism, and the role of alternate history in his published work.
The speech was not well received. Dick spoke in a monotone voice, the interpreter's transcript differed from Dick's speech due to a last minute rewrite, and the audience was left confused and bewildered. At the time, nobody knew exactly what to make of the speech, as it defied conventional wisdom. Some accused Dick of being under the influence, which may have been true, or even of trying to start his own religion, which was a misunderstanding. Later, some critics argued that Dick had gone insane while writing Valis, which he talks about working on in the speech itself, but this conclusion was heavily debated with no clear resolution one way or the other. Dick himself admitted in the speech that what he was saying was neither provable nor rational. Several years later, he admitted that the speech "made no sense whatever". The speech was subsequently published in print form as an edited essay in French, English, German, and Italian, from 1978 to 1991. The audio portion was first broadcast on the radio in 1978, and again in 1982.
Background Biographer Paul Williams describes Dick as a "reluctant convention-goer", who would often cancel at the last minute due to illness when he was supposed to appear in public.Williams, Paul (1986). Only Apparently Real: The World of Philip K. Dick. New York: Arbor House. pp. 10, 14-18, 49-50, 147. . . Dick was living in the East Bay when the 22nd World Science Fiction Convention came to Oakland in 1964. He attended, giving rise to many rumors and legends about his life. Biographer Brian J. Robb notes that "Dick's reputation as a mad, drug-fueled SF prophet emerged almost fully formed from the 1964 WorldCon, and persisted beyond his death."Robb, Brian J. (2006). Counterfeit Worlds: Philip K. Dick on Film. London: Titan. p. 30. . . Williams himself met Dick for the first time in Berkeley at the 26th World Science Fiction Convention in 1968. In correspondence with Andrew I. Porter, Dick spoke about having attended the 30th World Science Fiction Convention in Los Angeles in September 1972, expressing disappointment with his experience.Williams, Paul (Ed.) (1991). The Selected Letters of Philip K. Dick. Underwood Books. p. 237. . .
His home in Santa Venetia, near San Rafael, California, was burglarized in November 1971, leading him to temporarily leave the U.S. for Canada. With a recommendation from Ursula Le Guin,Dick, Philip K.; Rickman, Gregg (1988)[October 21, 1981]. "The Lathe of Heaven and Ubik". In Rickman, Greg (ed.). Philip K. Dick: In His Own Words. (2nd ed.). Long Beach: Fragments West/Valentine Press. p. 103. . . Dick attended the Vancouver Science Fiction Convention as the guest of honor from February 18–19, 1972, delivering the speech "The Android and the Human". Staying in Canada for an extended period, by March he was despondent and attempted suicide, which he survived, enrolling into a rehabilitation program for a month, and then returning to California. His experience at rehab in Canada later provided material for his novel A Scanner Darkly (1978). In 1974, Dick was asked to attend the West Coast Science Fantasy Conference as the guest of honor, but declined due to health issues. That same year, he was also asked to be the guest of honor for the future 35th World Science Fiction Convention in 1977, but also declined. In 1975, Dick was scheduled to give the speech "Man, Android and Machine" at the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London, but never made it due to illness. In his absence, it was published as an essay in Science Fiction at Large (1976).Dick, Philip K. (1976). "Man, Android and Machine". In Nicholls, Peter (Ed.) Science Fiction at Large: A Collection of Essays, by Various Hands, About the Interface Between Science Fiction and Reality. London: Gollancz. . .
By the summer of 1977, Dick was suffering from depression due to the lingering effects of his hallucinations from three years prior, the famous February–March 1974 vision, also known as "2-3-74". Dick struggled to adapt the strange experience into a novel, as he still had a Bantam contract to meet, which contributed to additional stress.Sutin, Lawrence (1989). Divine Invasions: A Life of Philip K. Dick. 1st ed. New York: Harmony Books. pp. 250-252. . . Several years later, his book A Scanner Darkly was awarded the Graouilly d'Or for Best Novel at the Metz festival when it was published in France in 1979. Dick was invited to attend the International Festival of Science Fiction at Metz for a second time as guest of honor in June 1982, but he died unexpectedly from a stroke in March of that year at the age of 53.Warrick, Patricia (July 1982). "In Memory of Philip K. Dick". Science Fiction Studies. 9 (2): 227-228. Up to that point, Dick had been writing for 30 years, having released 48 novels, more than 100 short stories, and several essays and speeches. At the time of his death, Dick was mostly unknown in the U.S. outside of niche academic and literature communities, but was widely read in Australia, Europe, and Japan.
Invitation and preparation The first Metz International Science Fiction Festival (Festival International de la Science-Fiction de Metz) took place from May 24–30, 1976, founded by Philippe Hupp, a book reviewer and French translator of Time out of Joint (1959), as well as a columnist for the French version of Galaxy Science Fiction. Building on the momentum from the success of the first festival, Hupp invited Dick on February 23, 1977, to attend the second festival as the guest of honor.Hupp, Philippe; Buchanan, Nick (February 2017). "Mes Excuses". PKD Otaku. 35. pp. 4-6. Dick accepted on March 17, and responded to Hupp with a brief description of his planned speech. Even though Dick had accepted the invitation, his reputation for not showing up to conferences was well known. Hupp flew to the United States to make the case to Dick in person. They met for lunch at an Italian restaurant near his apartment in Santa Ana, California. Hupp sold him on the festival, explaining exactly how it would work and how Dick would be taken care of during his time in France. At the meeting, Dick gave Hupp an audio cassette of the speech he had already prepared (dated May 21), and they enjoyed a meal over two bottles of red wine. Hupp made note of the fact that Dick appeared to be happy. Acting also as photographer, Hupp captured several notable images of Dick after lunch, including one of him holding his cat and another where he is seen wearing a large, ornate crucifix. On June 27, Dick wrote a letter to Ralph Vicinanza, his New York literary agent, sending him a copy of his planned Metz speech, with the note, "I hope you enjoy the speech; I hope they do, too. Fortunately for me the French make no clear distinction between genius and madness."Dick, Philip K; Herron, Don (Ed.). (1993). The Selected Letters of Philip K. Dick: 1977-1979. Novato: Underwood-Miller. pp. 83-84; 101-103. . .
Metz International Science Fiction Festival
The second Metz festival took place on September 19–25, 1977. Dick and Joan Simpson flew out to the festival together as a couple. It was one of only three times Dick had left the country. Before leaving for the trip, Dick acquired methamphetamine, one of the last known times he would use hard drugs. Hupp picked them up at the airport in Luxembourg and Dick and Simpson checked into the Sofitel hotel. Dick delivered his speech on September 24 at city hall on the Place d'Armes. The speech was titled "If You Find This World Bad, You Should See Some of the Others".Abrash, Merritt (1995). "'Man Everywhere in Chains': Dick, Rousseau, and The Penultimate Truth". In Umland, Samuel J. (ed.). Philip K. Dick: Contemporary Critical Interpretations. Westport: Greenwood Press. pp. 165, 167. . .
Writers Harlan Ellison, Roger Zelazny, John Brunner, Harry Harrison, Robert Sheckley, and Fritz Leiber were all in attendance at Metz. Also invited was film producer Gary Kurtz, who was promoting his film Star Wars (1977) in Europe. The film had just been released in May, and it was screened at the festival, although it was in English as the French version had not yet been made. Dick became a huge fan of the film and later claimed that George Lucas was drawing on the same ideas as he was. German musical duo Cluster, just coming off their Cluster & Eno sessions in June, performed live at Metz, with their performance memorialized in the 22-minute recording titled "Festival International de la Science-Fiction, Metz 1977" (2017).Heller, Jason. (2018). Strange Stars: David Bowie, Pop Music, and the Decade Sci-Fi Exploded. London: Melville House. p. 149. . . Dick remembered his experience in France fondly, describing the 1977 Metz festival as the greatest time of his life. "I think that there at Metz I was really happy for the first time", he recalled, believing that he had finally come home to his people.Dick, Philip K. (1995). "Introduction to The Golden Man". In Sutin, Lawrence (Ed.) The Shifting Reality of Philip K. Dick: Selected Literary and Philosophical Writings. pp. 84-95. Pantheon Books. . .
Synopsis Dick proposes that novelists have a lot of ideas to work with, but most of these are meaningless and of no value. And yet, try as they might, over their entire career, a novelist may only come across a few great ideas. Dick argues that the novelist does not find or create these ideas on their own, rather these ideas are like living entities that seek out the novelist to make themselves manifest to the larger world, to history itself. To support this argument, Dick cites the pre-Socratic philosophers, who proposed the cosmos was a thinking entity, as well as theistic ideas found in works related to Indian Vedanta, Spinoza, and Alfred North Whitehead. Dick points to the existence of a hidden, gnostic, God-like figure, citing the Sufi poet Rumi to make his point: "The workman is invisible within the workshop". From this, Dick places these ideas within a continuum of multiple, parallel universes in a lateral axis of time, independent of linear progression, which he admits is absurd and nonsensical, and undermines his own belief in pantheistic monism. More importantly, Dick asks, what kind of changes would people experience if these realities were to be altered? Dick concludes that most people would not notice at all as their memories would adapt to the updated timelines.Dick, Philip K. (1995). "If You Find This World Bad, You Should See Some of the Others". In Sutin, Lawrence (Ed.) The Shifting Reality of Philip K. Dick: Selected Literary and Philosophical Writings. Pantheon Books. pp. 233-258. . .