zachbrumaire's review against another edition
2.0
pros: the slime mold, the holy triumvirate, the post hospital society (Madness and Civilization anyone?) the incompetent cia guys
cons: its PKD so of course there are some pretty noxious r/menwritingwomen moments. some of the world building gets short shafted by the lazy 1 to 1 with the Indian caste system. the last 10 percent or so was weak tea, you can really see how he struggles with conclusions on these rushed books.
somewhere around 2.2 stars i think
cons: its PKD so of course there are some pretty noxious r/menwritingwomen moments. some of the world building gets short shafted by the lazy 1 to 1 with the Indian caste system. the last 10 percent or so was weak tea, you can really see how he struggles with conclusions on these rushed books.
somewhere around 2.2 stars i think
aluflower's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
wynter's review against another edition
3.0
A great premise that would have been even more impactful if I didn't read the blurb first. The way PKD invisioned a society of the Alphane moon and its subclasses was really creative. I almost wish we, as readers, spent more time on this moon, rather than Terra, where a majority of the story takes place.
What some people might find problematic are some mysogenistic descriptions and rather outdated explanations of mental illness, but there are also a few instances where the author flips these notions upside down. I mean, there is a scene where a potential rapist is quite savagely violated himself, in a scene that is both darkly humorous and grotesque. Other questionable moments include a comment on the size and shape of boobs on every female character as she enters the scene. What is this society, where the pinnacle of sexism is surgical nipple dilation? That's downright hilarious. Who can possibly take this serious enough to get offended? Not me.
The finale is when things became a bit shaky for me. I couldn't quite get on board with the logic behind the trail of events or the characters' motivations. It kind of sucks when an author resorts to letting all of the revelations be explained by an all-knowing character, rather than gradually allowing the reader to learn them through action. It sort of creates a sense of rashly tying all the loose ends because the said author got bored. I am yet to see if that's something PKD does out of habit, but I am not letting an underperforming ending ruin my overall enjoyment of this novel.
What some people might find problematic are some mysogenistic descriptions and rather outdated explanations of mental illness, but there are also a few instances where the author flips these notions upside down. I mean, there is a scene where a potential rapist is quite savagely violated himself, in a scene that is both darkly humorous and grotesque. Other questionable moments include a comment on the size and shape of boobs on every female character as she enters the scene. What is this society, where the pinnacle of sexism is surgical nipple dilation? That's downright hilarious. Who can possibly take this serious enough to get offended? Not me.
The finale is when things became a bit shaky for me. I couldn't quite get on board with the logic behind the trail of events or the characters' motivations. It kind of sucks when an author resorts to letting all of the revelations be explained by an all-knowing character, rather than gradually allowing the reader to learn them through action. It sort of creates a sense of rashly tying all the loose ends because the said author got bored. I am yet to see if that's something PKD does out of habit, but I am not letting an underperforming ending ruin my overall enjoyment of this novel.
david_agranoff's review against another edition
3.0
I loved so much about this one, but it had a major flaw in the structure. Too much of the story focused on the wrong character in my opinion. I love the concept even if it is a bit outdated way to look at mental illness. This should make a fun episode of the Dickheads podcast.
Welcome to the Alphane Moon, a disputed territory currently held by the human race. A place where an individual can live in relative peace with like-minded individuals. And by 'like-minded' I mean 'share a psychosis.'
The boys disagree on a lot of parts of PKD's 14th published novel of divorce and mental illness costarring a psychic blob, a Hollywood showman/intergalactic spy, and a sadsack divorcee who writes propaganda speeches for the C.I.A. Plus: The intergalactic pitfalls of confusing Gannymedians and Alphanes. Everything is worse with Rob Schneider in it. And imagining J.G. Ballard's version of the novel.
https://soundcloud.com/dickheadspodcast/episode-23-clans-of-the-alphane-moon
Welcome to the Alphane Moon, a disputed territory currently held by the human race. A place where an individual can live in relative peace with like-minded individuals. And by 'like-minded' I mean 'share a psychosis.'
The boys disagree on a lot of parts of PKD's 14th published novel of divorce and mental illness costarring a psychic blob, a Hollywood showman/intergalactic spy, and a sadsack divorcee who writes propaganda speeches for the C.I.A. Plus: The intergalactic pitfalls of confusing Gannymedians and Alphanes. Everything is worse with Rob Schneider in it. And imagining J.G. Ballard's version of the novel.
https://soundcloud.com/dickheadspodcast/episode-23-clans-of-the-alphane-moon
piecesofquiet's review against another edition
2.0
There was some potential with the different societies based on mental illness, but pkd chose to focus on hid problem with women and divorce instead.
enantiodromia's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
quizkidpatrick's review against another edition
5.0
By far my favorite Philip K. Dick novel. As opposed to all of the other characters he has written I actually felt I could moderately relate to the main character. Plus, the idea of factions of people that all have the same mental disorders makes for some fascinating reading (and some interesting comedy).
msaari's review against another edition
3.0
As usual, this book seems to explore outer space, but leaves a feeling that it actually mostly explored inner space. The plot is pleasantly twisty, particularly before the action moves to the Alphane Moon.