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zivan's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
An unreliable naraiter in an unreliable universe, in Valis P.K.D perforates the boundaries between reality, fantasy, hallucination and mental illness. Breaking the wall between the author and the protagonist, between the imagined and the real.
Seeking the truth, he ventures into madness, conspiracy theory, technobabble, religion and mysticism.
As a skeptic, I've encountered many a theory intended to explain unusual phenomena, with motivated reasoning, cherry picking, anomaly hunting, religious overtones and a good dose of mental instability to boot.
It is interesting to see the building blocks of this type of thinking so familiar to me in the 2000nds thriving in P.K.D's mind in the 1970s.
You can see his characters looking for clues in 1970s media as todays conspiracy nuts parous the internet for clues of the machinations of the illuminati.
Reading Valis was a very interesting experience.
exxtheria's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
camp_chase's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
destrier's review against another edition
1.0
THIS is the guy whose ideas led to Blade Runner, Minority Report, and Total Recall? I'm not tempted to ever pick up another book by him again.
badcanadian's review against another edition
4.0
This book is just CRAZY! Actually, I found it to be very readable - it really pulled me along. The ending was a bit disappointing - I suppose I should try the next book.
mescalero_at_bat's review against another edition
5.0
maybe this is the most mature of the novels yet - in terms of just about everything: original narrative, structure, language systems, delivery system ...
dang.
dang.
michaelclorah's review against another edition
4.0
Wild, vivid, hallucinatory - Dick is searching for the Answer To It All here, working out thoughts and theories and imaginings for everyone to see. It's a credit to his talent and craft that such a great self-indulgence is an eminently readable, compelling quest into the heart and soul of the eternally-seeking Horselover Fat.