Review: A Maze of Death

A Maze of Death by Philip K. Dick

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Having read Valis and getting totally lost in that story, I was going to write A Maze of Death off as being another PKD tale that I just didn't get. And through a large way through, that assumption was coming true. This was a far cry from Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, which I felt was a straight-forward narrative that I could actually enjoy. But the more I heard about PKD, the more I heard about how obfuscating and infuriating his work could be. A Maze of Death could have been that. But then, it wasn't, and it's all because of how the book ended.

I hear that a lot of his work has a similar theme and direction, but I wouldn't know because this is only the third book that I've ever read by him. That could detract from the ending, which I thought was a original and (way) ahead of its time. But when I finished the book, and it all made sense. A whole new meaning came to me about both the title and the plot. It makes all the difference in the world.

Now, I wouldn't recommend this book to everyone. There are some very hard sci-fi moments in here that aren't really for the casual reader like say, a Bradbury or an Asimov story would be. Some elements of it left me confused and gave me a muddled picture in my head. But if you like winding stories with mysteries at every turn, then this is a grand, albeit, short tale, and you'll probably love it.

The Unteleported Man is next for me. I bought a whole bunch of PKD books at a sci-fi convention, a after A Maze of Death, I won't be so wary of reading it. This book was great.



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Review: VALIS

VALIS by Philip K. Dick

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


What did I just read? VALIS is such a strange book (By the strange author, Philip K. Dick, I might add) that I'm not sure how I really feel about it. What was real, what was fiction, and is it possible that they were one in the same in this book, or least in PHK's frayed mind?

It's well-known that PKD did go on a spiritual journey throughout his life, but it's hard to sum up if it was because of drugs (Which is very possible), or if it was a real religious experience (Which is questionable). VALIS is like the channel to learn what PHK endured, and in the end, I'm not sure what I really believe. Again, it's a strange book, possibly the strangest I've ever read, and I'm undecided on how I feel about it. If you're interested in PHK's life during his more trying years, then this is required reading. But if you just want to read a sci-fi tale, I suggest you read some of his more popular works, like "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" You'll definitely have an opinion on something like that. With VALIS, I'm not so sure.



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