How Philip K. Dick Used the Unreliable Narrator to Transport Unwitting Acolytes

Authors

• Michael Barros, National UniversityFollow
• Jordi Smith, Roosevelt UniversityFollow

Document Type

Article

Abstract

This essay examines the use of the unreliable narrator to transport the reader into narrative worlds, specifically in Philip K. Dick's fiction. By exploring the phenomenon of narrative transportation and the role of emotions in engagement with fiction, we argue that Dick's use of the unreliable narrator significantly engages and transports readers into his narrative worlds. Subsequently, we contend that his belief in the fundamental reality of those worlds is effectively positioning himself as a gatekeeper and mediator between the narrative world and the real world, which sets him, in his mind, as a prophet, using fiction as a tool of indoctrination to transmit his personal views of reality to the reader. Drawing on examples from Dick’s works, we hope to demonstrate how and why he can use the unreliable narrator to transport readers into his narrative worlds, worlds which he believed to be more fact than fiction.

Recommended Citation

Barros, Michael and Smith, Jordi (2026) "How Philip K. Dick Used the Unreliable Narrator to Transport Unwitting Acolytes," Dialogue: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Popular Culture and Pedagogy: Vol. 13: Iss. 1, Article 5.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dialogue/vol13/iss1/5