Valis

Valis, Book 1

By: Philip K. Dick

Narrated by: Phil Gigante

Length: 8 hrs and 59 mins

Publisher's summary

What is VALIS? This question is at the heart of Philip K. Dick's groundbreaking novel, the first book in his defining trilogy. When a beam of pink light begins giving a schizophrenic man named Horselover Fat (who just might also be known as Philip K. Dick) visions of an alternate Earth where the Roman Empire still reigns, he must decide whether he is crazy or whether a godlike entity is showing him the true nature of the world.

VALIS is essential listening for any true Philip K. Dick fan, a novel that Roberto Bolaño called "more disturbing than any novel by [Carson] McCullers." By the end, like Dick himself, you will be left wondering what is real, what is fiction, and just what the price is for divine inspiration.

©1981 Philip K. Dick (P)2015 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.

PKD’s strangest and perhaps best book

Valis is a total trip. It tells the story of Horse Lover Fat, a mentally unwell man who is trying to get in touch with a higher life form. From there it just gets crazier and crazier, partly a piece of meta fiction, partly philosophical ramblings. Overall a masterpiece. Enjoy!

Fun

The central Roman Empire ended around 475 AD, so I'm removing a star for historical inaccuracy. Otherwise, it was a fun read.

Definitely not for those who are new to PKD

I’m really shocked that anyone who hasn’t read a few PKD books would start with this one...it’s definitely a great book and it’s not like you can’t understand it at all without having read his other books, however, you will have a much easier time discerning what’s fact and what’s fiction if you know the author better and have read some of his other books. Some of the ideas in this book are scattered through out his other books, the Tibetan book of the dead is a big theme in Ubik, seeing god then becoming depressed to the point of suicide was also a theme in Scanner Darkly, the clay pots and young girl theme comes up in Three Stigmata. When you read into the author, you find out these are based on real life experiences. So much of the first half of this book is based on his real life experiences, actually. It helps to have those novels to connect some of these ideas to.

I was obsessed with the first half of this book, and it wasn’t until the last 2 chapters or so that I felt myself being slightly uninterested. In usual PKD fashion, the ending was sort of a flop. However, the book in its entirety was so good it didn’t totally ruin it for me at all. And there are two more to this series. Looking forward to them.

all true

the writer was channeling the will of God.

the LSD plague was brought about by MK Ultra, so was Synannon. varis is a real thing it was that asteroid that just passed by us

PKD is a trip

How can anyone NOT be a fan of PKD?

His short stories are some of the best I’ve ever read — and I mean that.

Hollywood steals his themes and his worlds.

He puts you in a time and place, and then rips the carpet out from under your feet.

But all those worlds started to get to him, I think. 2-3-74 happened, and things really started to get weird.

VALIS is a trip. It’s intriguing, silly, and at times confusing. Punch the ticket and take the ride.

Life changing

This is exactly the kind of story I need to hear. If you are dealing with depression or you feel alone and confused about the Universe, I would highly recommend this book. It maybe baffling at times, but that just makes me feel more connected with the characters (especially Dick himself). It won't make you less crazy, but you might feel less alone. You may even find a spark of faith you never thought you had.

Nothing is True everything is permitted

reality is a hologram and Valis tells you why.
hard to read and comprehend but once you find the flow it all falls together. P.K.D writes an interesting tale of messiahs and gods.

profoundly succinct

As a longtime PKD fan and aspiring SF writer, this book is without a doubt one of if not the single most stimulating and influential novels of all time. Autodidactally expert in its supporting evidence and dictation, Valis acheives what is in my opinion the highest echelon in Dickian philosophical and even religious transliteration of the esoteric to the approachably mudane. Within these pages and words are located the absolute and undeniable truths of man, his quest and thirst for understanding, as well the answers and means the reach them.

Uh....

Don't go into this expecting to be spoon fed a fun and easy story. Or do...and be disappointed and confused. If I knew someone who I felt was incapable of glimpsing any distance at all beyond the illusory confines of consensual reality I would not recommend they read Philip K. Dick. Some might insist Dick's work is the product of a highly delusional mind. And it probably is. But it's also brilliant, imaginative, and endlessly fascinating. I'd rather listen to someone like that than say one who believes that all one is capable of sensing or all one has ever been instructed to believe is all that there could ever possibly be. I'd say if the latter describes you maybe don't try the PKD. Maybe stick to worrying about your lawn. Actually, maybe that's not a nice or helpful thing for me to say. Try the PKD and maybe it'll turn something on inside your mind. I don't know. I don't write reviews for a reason. This will be my only one. I don't feel it went very well. But I will submit it anyway.

Fantastic Reading of a Strangely Told, Odd Story

The reader, who I previously enjoyed as the Stainless Steel Rat, outdoes himself in narrating this story. The multiple characters, in more way than one, pose an interesting challenge, and they were all rendered perfectly.
The story itself took some repetitions to even begin to make some sense, but it was enjoyable even when I didn't have the any idea of what was going on. This is a book that felt like a romp around in the fascinatingly strange mind of the author, with a strange feeling of autobiography by an unreliable narrator.
There is not likely another book like it, but it has positive similarities to Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. I quite enjoyed the philosophical ramblings as well.