Philip K. Dick - the novels

[D_Davis]

I see a general topic for short stories, but not for novels. If I am mistaken, please combine.

I read a lot of Dick, and write a lot of reviews for his stuff.

Here is the latest.


The Cosmic Puppets - Philip K. Dick

The Cosmic Puppets is one of the most straightforward, purely entertaining books I've yet to read by Philip K. Dick. It is super short, to the point, and zips along like a bat out of hell. While reading it, I was constantly reminded of Stephen King (oh, if only King could write shorter novels!), H.P. Lovecraft, The Twilight Zone, Tales From the Dark Side, and other “Astonishing Tales.” This is an example of driving plot, and exists only to convey an engaging read.

Even though the premise is purely Dickian, The Cosmic Puppets has more in common with strange horror than it does science fiction. It tells the story of a small town's unwilling participation in the timeless struggle between the very forces of Good and Evil. While on vacation with his wife, Ted Barton finds himself compelled to visit the town of his birth, Millgate, Virginia. Nestled in a secluded valley, Millgate is a town stuck in time, a living anachronism, rarely visited, hardly noticed. But in typical Dick fashion, things are never as simple as they seem.

Barton reluctantly discovers that too much has changed since his exodus nearly eighteen-year ago. For one, nothing is how he remembers it: the streets all have different names, the stores have all been changed, and no one seems to be the wiser. Secondly, Barton discovers that he actually died as a young child! From here, things just get more and more strange. Soon, Ted finds himself caught in the middle of a struggle between two giant gods (think Lovecraft's Elders), Ahriman, the Lord of Evil and Chaos, and Ormazd, the Lord of Order and Truth (both of these gods feature prominently in Zoroastrianism).

While the two gods fight for control in the hyperspace around the Earth, in Millgate a smaller battle is being waged. The spiritual war has cast a field of distortion around the town, and has changed things considerably; it has caused a strange juxtaposition between the real world and another, alien one. Leading the forces in Millgate is Peter, an evil little boy, and Mary, a benevolent little girl. Peter is able to control an army of tiny clay golems, spiders and snakes to do his bidding, while Mary uses bees, moths, and the Wanderers, apparitions from the real pre-changed world who have partially crossed over. As the tension escalates and the battle becomes more ferocious, the two sides clash in melee of magic and fisticuffs.

While the narrative does deal with themes common to Dick, those of identity, reality, and spirituality, the execution of the themes is all together different and lighter. It reminds me of a Dick story translated into an alien language and filtered through the mind of a more horror-orientated author before being committed to the page. That is, it's familiar and I recognize Dick's touch, but it is also strangely alien. It is a slight work, more fluffy than I am used to from good old Phil. It doesn't dive into the cracked psyches of its characters, or examine their depression in light of the absurd situations surrounding them, but, instead, it is far more heroic in nature.

Although The Cosmic Puppets is not on the same level as Dick's great novels, far from it really, I can't help but be compelled to recommend it. It's just too much fun. I tore through it in a matter of hours, and thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. It is a very cinematic book, and if you enjoy envisioning great genre fiction in your mind, The Cosmic Puppets makes for an amazing “theatrical” experience. Just don't expect any of Dick's more subtle explorations of humanity, and don't think that the book represents the author as a whole. As far as a diversion into the realms of pure entertainment goes, it doesn't get much better. It is simple, concise, and heck of a lot of fun.

 

[Sai Baba]

I read few of his novels and it always seems that when I hear people reading his novels that I even haven't heard of them.

But it's interesting that there are two movies in production based on his life: Radio Free Albemuth (2008) that is based on his semi autobiographical never finished novel and The Owl in Daylight (2009) in which he is played by Paul Giamatti.

 

[D_Davis]

I can't wait for the Giamatti film. It sounds really high concept. It is going to be a biography utilizing bits and pieces of The Owl in Daylight.

I have a feeling that Giamatti will really nail the performance. I have an audio book of a Scanner Darkly read by him.



I almost forgot about this thread...let's post a review!




Vulcan's Hammer

Typically, I tend to gravitate more towards Philip K. Dick's mind-altering, thought-provoking, theological-based science fiction, but sometimes I am in the mood for a well-written, rambunctious, action-packed adventure - and Vulcan's Hammer totally delivers on this. Comparatively, this book has more in common with Harry Harrison's Stainless Steel Rat series than it does most of PKD's post-1964 offerings; it wouldn't be hard to imagine Slippery Jim Di Griz and his lusty-lady, Angelina, making a cameo in Dick's high-flying pulp-story.

Vulcan's Hammer is part 2001, part Dr. Strangelove, and part Terminator, all spun through the brilliant mind of PKD, and built with his concrete and concise prose. Coming in at well under 200 pages, the narrative simply flies by, and like a good action flick it begs to be devoured in a single gulp. The final third of the story is practically a non-stop series of gun fights, double-crosses, and tightly paced suspense. I never knew that Dick had this kind of story in him, and he is surprisingly adept at crafting tense, easy-to-follow action. Whether the characters are firing heat-beams from pencil-sized blasters, running from swarms of vicious hammer-shaped, killer, sentient robots, or dealing with the messed up mind of a supercomputer with a dangerous god-complex, Dick handles the action like a master pulp-smith.

While the narrative itself is not nearly as original as some of Dick's work, it still crackles with the author's unique perspective and characterizations. It also contains one of Dick's coolest characters, Barris, who also happens to share the name with another awesome character found in A Scanner Darkly. Barris is one of eleven directors in the global governmental body called Unity. Although these directors are treated like movie stars, and do have a great deal of perceived authority, they are really nothing but the puppets strung along by Vulcan 3, a logic-based supercomputer designed to secretly rule the world without pesky emotions and fuzzy-thinking.

Plotting against Vulcan 3 is a religious group, branded by the government as dangerous fanatics, called The Healers. Also trying to stop Vulcan 3 is its second iteration, Vulcan 2. Through the painstakingly careful process of data mining and complex data entry, Vulcan 3 learns of these threats and does the only logical thing: in order to maintain its own safety, and the safety of the world, it must totally destroy the competition. To a totally logical mind, self-preservation is of the utmost importance. So while Vulcan's Hammer is far more of a traditional science fiction tale, it still touches upon Dick's signature themes of religion and the authenticity of human emotions when faced with those of a simulacrum. It just approaches these ideas in a far more pulpy manner.

While I wouldn't place Vulcan's Hammer in the upper tier of Dick's work, it is definitely a solid B-level effort. It is exciting, action packed, and brimming with suspense and terse plotting. Although it lacks a bit of old Phil's more outlandish explorations, Vulcan's Hammer is a premier example of classic science fiction. It is a story of ideas, filtered through a future-pointing lens, and tightly wrapped up in pulp-colored print.

 

[D_Davis]

I just finished Dr. Bloodmoney...

If you've ever wondered what kind of stories Garrison Keillor might write if he were a drugged-out, paranoid, new wave science fiction author living in Berkley, California, well I reckon old Phil Dick's Dr. Bloodmoney is a close approximation.

It's a post-apocalyptic home companion.

A slice of this post-nuclear American life.

It's among Dick's richest books in terms of character, but it lacks a driving plot. This isn't a bad thing, but it does take a little time to really get going. The first half is okay, and the second half is as brilliant as anything I've ever read. It is very literary in the way it deals with its characters and the drama.

The first half does have some problems though - namely chapter 4. It's almost as if my book is broken, because this chapter does not belong at this point in the narrative. It's either a flash forward or a premonition, but it is never made clear and it makes no sense at all. None. I am still flabbergasted at its inclusion. I reread it dozens of times trying to place it within the time line of the narrative, but I could not. It is extremely puzzling, and I suggest skipping it to anyone picking this book. Read it between chapters 7 and 8.

There are also a couple of points in the book that should include a line spacing to suggest the passage of time...

I don't know if this is due to a printing error, or an editing error, but it makes for a couple of confusing transitions.

However, even with these little problems, Dr. Bloodmoney is a great read. Truly a fascinating example of Dick's imagination. It captures his dim optimism for humanity and exemplifies his ability to create memorable situations built around memorable characters. There are more than a few moments from this book that I will never forget; namely those involving Hoppy Harrington, Edie, and Bill.

 

[D_Davis]

I just got a book called, On Philip K. Dick: 40 Articles From Science-Fiction Studies.

SFS is a journal that has been published 3 times a year since 1978 I believe, and in this book they collect all of the articles on PKD.

It looks very good and comprehensive.

 

[Connavar]

Heh i would love to have that.



Also gotta say Giamatti is a perfect casting for PKD he looks somewhat like the pics i have seen of PKD and he is a good actor.

 

[D_Davis]

Dr. Bloodmoney


If you've ever wondered what kind of stories Garrison Keillor might write if he were a drugged-out, paranoid new-wave science fiction author living in Berkley, California, during the 1960s, well I reckon old Phil Dick's Dr. Bloodmoney is a close approximation.

It's a post-apocalyptic home companion.

A slice of this post-nuclear American life.

It has a pastoral feel to it, bringing to mind the works of William Saroyan and John Steinbeck, if, of course, these authors wrote about deformed characters with powerful mental abilities, mutant animals, botched space flight, and nuclear war.

It's among Dick's richest books in terms of character; it is quite “literary” in the way it deals with the drama. This book is not driven by a thrilling plot or any kind of strong SF impetus beyond the end of the world scenario and some mutant-like things born from the destruction. Instead, Dr. Bloodmoney is entirely character driven, and each character, out of a very large cast, is given the time and room to grow.

Dr. Bloodmoney is a post-apocalyptic novel, although one that is as different from Mad Max and other more mainstream examples as is Walter M. Miller Jr.'s A Canticle for Liebowitz. It is most definitely a product of its time; the fear of the Cold War hangs heavy over Dick's narrative, and the constant threat and promise of nuclear devastation is demonstrated expertly. Dick creates a frightening sense of chaos and destruction once the bombs start dropping, and then he illustrates his post-apocalyptic society with an equal amount of skill.

While Dick's version of the scenario is bleak and rife with turmoil, he does not predict a total breakdown of human society or our capacity to live with one another. Instead, he takes a decidedly optimistic approach to the tragedy of a nuclear-war torn world. Dick presents a group of survivors who retain their humanity towards one another even when faced with outlandish and dire circumstances. Not all of the characters are as eager to get along as the best of them, but enough are that I would place the book among Dick's more hopeful and positive works. There is actually a gleam of hope in the book, one that rings with strong emotional truth.

Many of Dick's more important works (which this is) deal with God, religious mysticism, and Gnosticism. I find it strange that here, in his only truly post-apocalyptic offering, Dick seems to skirt the subjects all together - he focuses only on humanity, not offering any kind of divine intervention. It is as if in Dick's mind, the destruction of the world has divorced his characters from any kind of Godly influence - the characters never even mention God; out of sight, out of mind. The characters in this novel seem to be in some kind of purgatory, one where only their physical selves have survived.

The closest thing we get to a God-like figure is Walt Dangerfield, an astronaut stranded in high-atmosphere orbit who witnesses the near destruction of the planet. Walt represents a God-like presence even if he does not posses any divine powers. He is “out there” looking down on humanity, and he speaks to the characters through a disembodied voice via radio waves (the God-in-a-satellite motif was something important to Dick: see VALIS and Radio Free Albemuth). As a cosmic deejay, Walt reads books and plays records and broadcasts the audio down to the Earth's survivors; he becomes an important link to humanity's past.

Hoppy Harrington, a phocomelus (a “flipper-baby,” born with no arms and legs) with telekinetic powers, and the novel's true antagonist, tries to usurp control of Walt's satellite and use it for his own selfish desires. Here Dick illustrates how mankind tries to co-opt God and religion, and has thus used these good and benevolent forces for our own selfish and unrighteous desires. This is as close as Dick gets to any kind of religious or spiritual metaphor.

Dr. Bloodmoney is an anomalous book. It doesn't neatly fit in with any of Dick's other books. It's not about drugs or personal paranoia; it is not about technology run amok; it is not about depression or mental disorders; and it does not deal with simulacra or the authenticity of human emotion. Most of Dick's work can be categorized into different periods, each with its own central theme. Dr. Bloodmoney is a unique book from an author with a unique body of work. It is a powerful work of character-driven science fiction that demands to be read.

 

[Connavar]

A post apocalyptic PKD only that is enough to make me drool


It's among Dick's richest books in terms of character; it is quite “literary” in the way it deals with the drama. This book is not driven by a thrilling plot or any kind of strong SF impetus beyond the end of the world scenario and some mutant-like things born from the destruction.

?

I thought that was what PKD is about. The 3 novels i have read so far has been exactly that. Very character,drama driven.

 

[D_Davis]

A post apocalyptic PKD only that is enough to make me drool


It's among Dick's richest books in terms of character; it is quite “literary” in the way it deals with the drama. This book is not driven by a thrilling plot or any kind of strong SF impetus beyond the end of the world scenario and some mutant-like things born from the destruction.

?

I thought that was what PKD is about. The 3 novels i have read so far has been exactly that. Very character,drama driven.

Dr. Bloodmoney is even more so.

I've read close to 30 of PKD's books, and this seems the most character driven, and the least plot-driven. It really feels like a slice of life.

It's totally unlike anything I've read by him.

 

[Quokka]

Heh i would love to have that.



Also gotta say Giamatti is a perfect casting for PKD he looks somewhat like the pics i have seen of PKD and he is a good actor.

Good Choice, I wonder if his performance in American Splendor (biography about American comic book writer Harvey Pekar) contributed to him being considered. He was brilliant in that in what may be a bit of a similar role and like you said a good actor all round.

 

[D_Davis]

Good Choice, I wonder if his performance in American Splendor (biography about American comic book writer Harvey Pekar) contributed to him being considered. He was brilliant in that in what may be a bit of a similar role and like you said a good actor all round.

I think Giamatti is actually producing the film, or at least he has some kind of creative input.

 

[Quokka]

You're right, seems like he's a fan of SF and PKD. Love the name of his new company .

...being produced by his newly formed Touchy Feely Films...

 

[Connavar]

Dr. Bloodmoney is even more so.

I've read close to 30 of PKD's books, and this seems the most character driven, and the least plot-driven. It really feels like a slice of life.

It's totally unlike anything I've read by him.

Good to know. I was just thinking which PKD books to get next and couldnt decide which book to get along with The Man in The High Castle.

 

[D_Davis]

Clans of the Alphane Moon

Recall, if you will, the late 1970s, a time when Ronald Reagan was the Governor of California. In an effort to cut taxes, ends be damned, Reagan systematically began closing the state's mental hospitals, thus expelling the patients - the mentally ill and handicapped, the troubled and the dangerous - onto the streets of California's cities.

Now, imagine if these sick people - some psychotic, some simply on a never ending trip to La-La Land - moved to some distant island, and began to live with one another in a sort of clan-driven, makeshift society governed by a congress of men and woman with broken psyches. If this is an idea that sounds interesting to you, you may want to turn to Philip K. Dick's novel, Clans of the Alphane Moon.

Written in 1964, it perfectly extrapolates upon an idea similar to the fictitious scenario presented above, and then, in accordance with Dick's style, it piles on the absurd, the tragic, and the humorous, and ends with an explosion of twisted ideas, wild action, and a subtle examination of humanity's mental facilities. Mental health issues have always been an important subject in the realm of science fiction, and to Dick these notions were the benefactors of an attention almost undivided.

Dick spent a large portion of his career examining, dissecting, and pouring over characters and situations governed by questionable and deteriorating mental health. His stories often question the authenticity of human emotion, of human thought, and of human behavior, usually amidst a backdrop of some wild and delusional cosmic happening.

With Clans of the Alphane Moon, Dick eschews allegory and metaphor, and approaches the subject literally. His psychotic and troubled characters are not disguised or hidden behind a clever and mysterious veil; Dick presents everything out in the open. Five major psychosis are represented within these pages. The Heebs suffer from hebephrenia, the Pares suffer from paranoid schizophrenia, the Deps from clinical depression, the Manses are manics, and the Skitzes suffer from good old fashioned schizophrenia.

Each of these groups lives in an specific commune, and they rarely have interaction with one another. However, each group has a chosen emissary, who, when a crises presents itself, convene together in a semi-orderly fashion to solve the mutual problem. This itself poses an interesting question about their so-called “mental disorders;” if they can live together in a semi-functioning society, are they really so disturbed?

In typical Phildickian fashion, the above description only covers the small tip of a very large ice berg. As dickheads will attest, good old Phil loved to pile on the ideas, plots, sub-plots, and characters, sometimes to the detriment of his narratives. While the hodgepodge of stuff doesn't necessarily hinder this particular story, it does feel as if Dick was coasting just a bit.

There are simply a ton of ideas presented in Clans, more ideas than some authors would attempt to tackle in as many books, but none of them feel fully explored. The “main” story arc follows the failing marriage of Chuck and Marry Rittersdorf. Chuck is a CIA operative who programs and writes scripts for government simulacra. He is also encouraged, by a sentient slime mold named Lord Running Clam and a girl who can reverse time for up to five minutes, to become a screenwriter for Bunny Hentman, an uber-famous television personality. Marry Rittersdorf is a marriage counselor and psychiatrist who is sent to the Alphane moon to gather information for a possible military coup.

So we've got issues dealing with divorce, the media, androids, aliens, and covert military operations, all set against a backdrop teeming with questionable realities and extreme mental health issues; all in less than 250 pages! I didn't even mention the crazy sci-fi, laser-and-tank-infused action, or the theological twist Dick throws in as well. Phew, it's no wonder that a few of these ideas and characters are less than fully fleshed out.

While it delivers on its premise more than Solar Lottery or Maze of Death, things don't quite come together as good as they do in The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch or Martian Time Slip. It's a shame, too, because this really is a fun read, and it would have been simply amazing had Dick spent a little more time with the characters and the central concepts. The writing is solid, the ideas are fascinating, the narrative is peppered with humor and action, and it is incredibly entertaining. Clans of the Alphane Moon is a solid B-level Philip K. Dick book, and, like I've said before, B-level Dick is better than the best from a lot of other genre authors.

 

[D_Davis]

Eye in the Sky

I would bet virtual dollars to spacetime donuts that Rudy Rucker is a fan of Philip K. Dick's Eye in the Sky. While Dick's book is not quite as gonzo or packed-to-the-gills with off-the-wall humor as Rucker's fiction, it is, none-the-less, a highly entertaining, action-packed romp through a twisted wonderland of theology, paranoia, and bigotry. What's more, Dick never even attempts to explain the “science” or much of the logic behind any of it. He just lets it rip and packs his pages with one outlandish moment after another.

It all starts at the Belmont Bevatron, a simple Macguffin, a SF device to get the plot rolling. It's some kind of super-particle accelerator, deflector, proton-collider, thingamajig, that malfunctions and sends Jack Hamilton, Marsha, his wife, and a handful of other hapless victims off into a twisting world spiraling out of control. But whose world is it? Just who is in charge of this preposterous place? As the clues begin to reveal themselves, and the walls of unreality phase in an out of existence, the gang finds out that things can quickly go from bad to worse, and they must stay alert if they ever hope to return to the normal world.

Eye in the Sky is clearly an earlier Dick novel; it has more in common with something like The Cosmic Puppets than it does A Scanner Darkly or VALIS. It's what you might call a pot-boiler, probably a story Phil quickly wrote to pay some bills. Dick was known to write a novel in a matter of days, and I wouldn't be surprised to find that this is one of those. However, it's not bad, nor is it lazy. On the contrary, it is actually incredibly entertaining and competently written. It has the markings of a hastily constructed narrative, but one that benefits from this scatter shot, shoot-from-the-hip method.

I've never read a boring Dick book, but I wouldn't call many of his novels action packed; this one is though. It moves along at a breakneck pace. The world the characters find themselves in is actually a series of worlds, increasingly becoming more dangerous and strange. One world is controlled by the power of religion and superstition. In this world, people don't work for a salary, they work for the chance to pray for a certain amount of money, and once prayed for, the money falls from the sky! It's a world of real miracles. In another world the characters find themselves trapped in a demonic house that comes to life and tries to eat them - a literal domestic horror story. And yet another world finds itself victim to the whims of a woman who seems to hate everything, and with each passing thought she wishes all of existence away. Just imagine a world in which the most close minded, bigoted person around could make things vanish.

Eye in the Sky is practically a fantasy, especially when compared to the majority of Dick's fiction. However, it is not completely devoid of subtext or social commentary. As a matter of fact, it is blatantly commentating on the great SF theme of its day: the red scare. In many ways, I am thankful that communism existed as it did during the 1950s and throughout the cold war; the political ideology has given us genrehounds a plethora of great stories. Paranoia was often a driving factor behind Dick's narratives, and here he elevates it to an absurd and fantastic level.

It's always a pleasure to crack open a new Philip K. Dick novel. I really don't know how I am going to feel when there are no more new books of his for me to read - an event that is quickly approaching. There just isn't another SF author - dead, or alive - that offers the same kind of experience, or one that is even remotely close to it. Eye in the Sky is a great read; it's fun, exciting, thrilling, and darkly comic. While it may not be as mature or nuanced as his best work, it is definitely a solid B-level book, and I wholeheartedly recommend it.

 

[D_Davis]

Our Friends From Frolix 8


Our Friends From Frolix 8. Such a strange little title. It reminds me of a Dr. Seuss book, or some Saturday morning kids' cartoon complete with loud and garishly drawn characters.

“LOOK OUT KIDS!!! Woo-hoo-hoo-hooo!!! I'm Froopy, your friend from Frolix 8! Ready to have some fun?”

It's stranger still when thought of in context to the story it titles. The title conjures images of an old-fashioned science fiction story, perhaps one a little light-hearted and playful. It definitely doesn't describe the kind of story old Phil Dick presents here: a fast-paced political thriller.

Yeah that's right, this is, for lack of a better term, a political thriller. Of course it's one filtered through Dick's elaborate and creative imagination, but a rose by any other name...

In typical phildickian fashion, the book is brimming with ideas and fascinating characters.

A partial list:

In the distant future, the Earth's political parties are defined by a set of physical traits, or mutations. There are three major parties (re: classes): the New Men, the Unusuals, and the Old Men/Regulars.

The New Men possesses vastly superior cognitive powers. Their minds are highly evolved and they are capable of incredibly complex thoughts. The New Men are at the top of the political ladder.

The Unusuals possesses telekinetic powers, namely telepathy and precognition. They work in tandem with the New Men and together these highly evolved humans have created a world thick with bureaucracy and political corruption.

The Old Men/Regulars are just that: old-school humans. These poor guys don't have any special powers or abilities and are thus relegated to menial tasks such as tire re-treading, the job of the novel's protagonist, Nick Appleton.

There is also another group, a subversive group known as the Under Men. The Under Men are Old Men revolutionaries hell-bent on overthrowing the corrupt power of the New Men and Unusuals. The Under Men distribute tracts and literature in hopes of spreading the gospel of their number-one super-delegate, Thors Provoni.

Unfortunately, Provoni has been away from the Earth for many years. He left in hopes of discovering something strong enough to combat the New Men and the Unusuals. The Under Men have begun to lose hope in their savior. However, just when the hour is darkest, a message is received from the deep regions of outer space, a message ringing with hope! Thors Provoni is returning, and with him, a friend, a friend from Frolix 8! The audacity of hope!

I love these kinds of stories. I'm not really sure what to call them, but I'm sure they have a name. This is a “count-down story.” Like the films Strange Days, or Southland Tales, or Donny Darko for example. In these stories, we know that a super-cool, uber-event is going to happen at the narrative's climax, and half the fun is anticipating the event's outcome and watching as everything unravels and gets revealed in light of this event.

In Friends, we know that Thors Provoni is returning to the Earth, and we know that he is bringing with him an alien entity capable of destroying the current regime. But how? Why? What do our new friends from Frolix 8 want in return? And what is going to happen when he finally gets here? What will happen to Nick Appleton and his arch enemy, the Unusual Willis Gram? And just who in the hell is that freak Amos Ild, a New Man with a cranium so massive he needs head stilts to keep it from toppling over?

So many questions...

So many fascinating characters...

So many outlandish situations...

And what is most incredible is the way in which Dick keeps everything tied together; he fashions all of these ideas, situations, and characters into a tightly knit, cohesive narrative that moves with a well-paced purpose and rhythm. Dick was a master of the Big Idea, but he was also a master at composing entertaining and thoughtful narratives; he rarely sacrificed one for the other.

Our Friends From Frolix 8 is top tier Dick. The way he examines modern political events through outlandish notions is absurd and poignant, and the trials and tribulations he puts his characters through are timely and thought provoking. This book is especially revealing now, in the midst of this 2008 election season. During these times that try our patience, these times that can make even the most optimistic man a grumbling a cynic, it is good to turn to PKD to see the humor and humanity in these seemingly out-of-our-control situations.

 

[Connavar]

Eye in the Sky

I would bet virtual dollars to spacetime donuts that Rudy Rucker is a fan of Philip K. Dick's Eye in the Sky. While Dick's book is not quite as gonzo or packed-to-the-gills with off-the-wall humor as Rucker's fiction, it is, none-the-less, a highly entertaining, action-packed romp through a twisted wonderland of theology, paranoia, and bigotry. What's more, Dick never even attempts to explain the “science” or much of the logic behind any of it. He just lets it rip and packs his pages with one outlandish moment after another.

It all starts at the Belmont Bevatron, a simple Macguffin, a SF device to get the plot rolling. It's some kind of super-particle accelerator, deflector, proton-collider, thingamajig, that malfunctions and sends Jack Hamilton, Marsha, his wife, and a handful of other hapless victims off into a twisting world spiraling out of control. But whose world is it? Just who is in charge of this preposterous place? As the clues begin to reveal themselves, and the walls of unreality phase in an out of existence, the gang finds out that things can quickly go from bad to worse, and they must stay alert if they ever hope to return to the normal world.

Eye in the Sky is clearly an earlier Dick novel; it has more in common with something like The Cosmic Puppets than it does A Scanner Darkly or VALIS. It's what you might call a pot-boiler, probably a story Phil quickly wrote to pay some bills. Dick was known to write a novel in a matter of days, and I wouldn't be surprised to find that this is one of those. However, it's not bad, nor is it lazy. On the contrary, it is actually incredibly entertaining and competently written. It has the markings of a hastily constructed narrative, but one that benefits from this scatter shot, shoot-from-the-hip method.

I've never read a boring Dick book, but I wouldn't call many of his novels action packed; this one is though. It moves along at a breakneck pace. The world the characters find themselves in is actually a series of worlds, increasingly becoming more dangerous and strange. One world is controlled by the power of religion and superstition. In this world, people don't work for a salary, they work for the chance to pray for a certain amount of money, and once prayed for, the money falls from the sky! It's a world of real miracles. In another world the characters find themselves trapped in a demonic house that comes to life and tries to eat them - a literal domestic horror story. And yet another world finds itself victim to the whims of a woman who seems to hate everything, and with each passing thought she wishes all of existence away. Just imagine a world in which the most close minded, bigoted person around could make things vanish.

Eye in the Sky is practically a fantasy, especially when compared to the majority of Dick's fiction. However, it is not completely devoid of subtext or social commentary. As a matter of fact, it is blatantly commentating on the great SF theme of its day: the red scare. In many ways, I am thankful that communism existed as it did during the 1950s and throughout the cold war; the political ideology has given us genrehounds a plethora of great stories. Paranoia was often a driving factor behind Dick's narratives, and here he elevates it to an absurd and fantastic level.

It's always a pleasure to crack open a new Philip K. Dick novel. I really don't know how I am going to feel when there are no more new books of his for me to read - an event that is quickly approaching. There just isn't another SF author - dead, or alive - that offers the same kind of experience, or one that is even remotely close to it. Eye in the Sky is a great read; it's fun, exciting, thrilling, and darkly comic. While it may not be as mature or nuanced as his best work, it is definitely a solid B-level book, and I wholeheartedly recommend it.

Action packed PKD, thats so weird !

Usually his ideas,dialouge,character are what entertain me not his action.


I have to get this just to see how it is.

 

[Fried Egg]

At Waterstones right now: 3 for 2 on all PKD novels...

 

[Connavar]

Which waterstones ? I checked the site and see only price check whatever that is and 30 % off on some PKD books.

 

[Fried Egg]

Erm...I have no idea how widespread it is actually. I just saw it in my local branch (Exeter, Devon) and assumed it would be widespread. They've also got 3 for 2 on Pratchet, Brooks, Feist and Gemmel.

In my store they had all PKD's SF masterworks entries plus a few others in the offer. Mind you, 30% off works out nearly as good value...