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But the new drug Chew-Z promises more than thateternal life itself. But it a world where everyone is tripping, no promises can be taken at face value. When those promises come from Palmer Eldritch, who may be human, alien, or god, they can be trusted even less.
Over a writing career that spanned three decades, Philip K. Dick (1928-1982) published 36 science fiction novels and 121 short stories in which he explored the essence of what makes man human and the dangers of centralized power. Toward the end of his life, his work turned toward deeply personal, metaphysical questions concerning the nature of God. Eleven novels and short stories have been adapted to film; notably: Blade Runner (based on Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?), Total Recall, Minority Report, and A Scanner Darkly. The recipient of critical acclaim and numerous awards throughout his career, Dick was inducted into the SF Hall of Fame in 2005, and in 2007 the Library of America published a selection of his novels in three volumes. His work has been translated into 25 languages. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
66 of 75 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A head trip at times, but worth the effort,
This review is from: The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch (Paperback)
Sporting one of the neatest titles in all of literature, SF or otherwise, this novel is considered one of Dick's handful of absolute masterpieces, written during his peak in the sixties. People who saw Blade Runner, went and read "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" and liked it enough to want to explore Dick further and came here (remove the seeing Blade Runner part and that's me) may find this book a decidely odd experience. Not outwardly psychedelic in nature but certainly dealing with altered states of conscious and the nature of reality versus our perception of it . . . if you find yourself reading it and think you're missing something, trust me you aren't alone. Probably no one other than Dick knew exactly everything that is going on in here but for the rest of us it's an interesting dilemma trying to discern his exact meaning, or our best interpretation. In the future, the earth is unbearably warm, people are being drafted to be sent to dreary colonies and Can-D is the drug of the moment, a substance which allows people to "translate" into layouts based on a doll called Perky Pat and basically experience a life that isn't theirs. Then Palmer Eldrich returns from outside the solar system with his new drug Chew-D which he claims will deliver immortality and show the nature of God . . . and then things get funny. Dick's vision of a future world is absolutely fascinating and for us low brow folks who don't get all the wacky symbolism, makes the book worth it simply for his depiction of an overheated earth, the boring spiritual desolation of the Mars colonies, the pre-cogs who determine the latest fashions, it all feels bleak and despairing but there's a sense of humor lurking in the wings and a vague feeling that something larger is going on. It starts to lose coherency toward the end as the reader begins to question reality, especially what is the nature of Palmer Eldrich (great name, by the way) and eventually you find your head starting to hurt just a bit. And it's not that bad a feeling, as it turns out. PKD books are more experienced than described and nothing here is going to really be able to convey the texture of his novels, you just have to read it for yourself. It's not perfect but it's both thought provoking and entertaining on vastly different levels and so in that sense comes highly recommended.
13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Moments of brilliance, moments of tedium.,
By Dimesocket "No" (MS, USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch (Paperback)
I simply could not get into this book as much as others PKD wrote. His prose style in 3SoPE reads a bit clunky at times, and his descriptions of some places fall short of giving you the feeling of what's going on (while others, like when Leo was in Eldritch's world, are written brilliantly). I found myself wishing he'd hurry along the descriptions of the Maritan colonists you meet early in the novel.This is one of his novels where the perception of reality takes center stage, this time centered around a drug (chew-z) that is supposed to create a world entirely for you, in an instant. PKD explores this perception, not just from an objective standpoint (is this world any less real than the reality you live in?), but what effect it has on people as well. One of the aspects of PKDs fiction that I admire greatly is his unwavering devotion to displaying the full range of human emotion and experience when faced with the unknowable (or the just plain weird- Leo's actions when faced with the loss of his company were suprising, yet believable). No other science-fiction author I can think of was as concerned with the human soul/experience as PKD, even if he does fall short at times of displaying the concept with his words. Still a recommended book.
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Quintessential Dick,
By
This review is from: The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch (Paperback)
One of Dick's classics with virtually all his famous motifs and themes: multiple realities, chatty robots, a scheming woman, desperate colonists on Mars, gnosticism, the machine as an emblem of death, corporate and political intrigue, time travel, and pre-cognition.
Industrialist and drug smuggler Leo Bulero has a problem. Mutilated cyborg Palmer Eldritch has returned unexpectedly after a ten year absence in space. Now he's threatening to undercut Bulero's business: providing a sort of commodified communion for colonists on Mars. With the elaborate playsets built around his Perky Pat dolls and with the aid of the narcotic Can-D, Bulero offers groups a pharmacological return to the Earth they've been exiled from and that is now burning up for unknown reasons. But Eldritch's Chew-Z offers a different, longer lasting trip, and one more solipistically seductive. But is Eldritch a man or the spearhead of an alien invasion? As with some of Dick's best work, the story feels oddly up to date whether it's the climatically changed Earth, the obsession with spotting commerical trends via pre-cognitives, a corrupt UN, or the talking suitcase that also happens to be a psychotherapist. Even if you're not quite sure what to make of the ending, this is one of Dick's very best novels.
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