"The Empire Never Ended – But It Did Get a Makeover" is a presentation prepared by Don Dulchinos for the PKD Festival in Fort Morgan, Colorado, in Summer 2024. Subtitled "Gnostic impressions," the piece examines one of Dick's most famous recurring ideas: the concept that the Roman Empire never truly ended.
Dulchinos connects Dick's premise in VALIS and the Exegesis to Thomas Pynchon's similar exploration in Gravity's Rainbow (written ten years after The Man in the High Castle), where World War II is treated as an ongoing condition rather than a historical event with a definitive conclusion. The presentation explores how Dick's Gnostic vision of hidden imperial power structures persisting beneath the surface of apparent historical change has been updated and reinterpreted in contemporary contexts.
This document represents the intersection of Dick's philosophical ideas with contemporary political and cultural analysis, showing how his concept of concealed power structures continues to resonate with audiences decades after his death. The PKD Festival setting indicates an audience of engaged Dick scholars and enthusiasts.