example of auto-fiction that takes readers on a wild ride through the author's mind, exploring the power of ideas and what they can do to those who take them seriously. 

 

The novel is based on real-life events that occurred on February 20, 1974, when Dick received a home delivery of Darvon from a young woman while recovering from the effects of sodium pentothal administered for the extraction of an impacted wisdom tooth. The woman wore a golden necklace with a fish-shaped design, which she explained was a sign used by early Christians. This event led Dick to believe in a transcendentally rational mind that invaded his consciousness, imparted wisdom and clairvoyance, and was intelligent. 

 

Valis is essentially a fictional retelling of these events, with Dick adding sidekick characters such as Horselover Fats, who may or may not be an alternate personality of Dick's, and Hollywood celebrities who believe they have birthed the messiah and use their films to beam secret messages to the public. The novel is a debate over these ideas, with questions about whether Fat (or Dick) is crazy, and whether the filmmakers are part of a secret society or just nuts. 

 

What sets Valis apart from other novels is Dick's deadpan depiction of life in California and the long, drawn-out conversations between people on the margins who are otherwise messed up. Like A Scanner Darkly, with which Valis shares many plot points and motifs, Dick captures the zeitgeist of the times in a way that "greater" novelists like Pynchon could only dream of. 

 

Valis is a novel of ideas, containing many passages from Dick's own exegesis, but it puts readers in the position of someone (Dick) who is struggling with the ideas presented. Is Dick insane? But if the world is wrong, then insanity is the only sane option. 

 

The ideas presented in Valis are a master class on synthesizing various mysticisms. The novel suggests that the world as we know it is false, imperfect, and flawed, and that the good can send a representative to help us transcend this false reality. There are elements of Gnosticism, Platonism, Zoroastrianism, and more. The novel captures the ultimate battle of good and evil in Zoroastrianism and the idea that the world we know is captured in a black iron prison, with the empire never ending. But the good can reach through, whether as pure information (Valis) or gods (Jesus). 

In conclusion, Valis is a thought-provoking novel that challenges readers to question their reality and their beliefs. Dick's ability to synthesize various ideas and present them in a compelling and entertaining way is a testament to his skill as a writer. The novel is a must-read for fans of science fiction and those interested in exploring the power of ideas.