Reviews

Our Friends from Frolix 8 by Philip K. Dick

jppristas's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

jflux's review against another edition

2.0

i love pkd, but this book runs around at the height of his "wives are horrible, pathetic shrews; the only other women are vibrant pixie sex monkeys" bullshit.

the end is awesome, though.

but he forgot to tell us that these "new men" have big heads until halfway through, which is kinda bullshit.

monumentalfolly's review against another edition

3.0

I've recently enjoyed a read-tour through some of PKD's early and mid-period books -- all the ones I didn't read decades ago. His well-known theme (are you real?) was largely absent, but the intense paranoia, government control, and deadened consumerism all were. Some of the books are really funny: having a continuous strain of dark humor (Galactic Pot-Healer). I was surprised to see that ideas about religion and personal religious experience permeate the early books (I'd always imagined that his intense interest in religious transformation developed only after he'd went through such an experience himself).

Many of the early books, written for serialization or perhaps under time pressure, have a loose and unfinished feel. Frolix 8 combines some standard science-fiction tropes (alien invasion, dystopia, "advanced" human races ruling normal people). Its resolution, after lots of buildup, is extremely minor-keyed. The book includes depictions of male sexuality that were, to me, unexpected...

sociotom's review

3.0

This book felt like two or three different stories stitched together. There's the lust triangle story, the political dystopia story, and the alien intervention story. They do not meld very well, and the result is a book that feels disjointed for most of the read. Mix in the language used by some of the characters and narration, and you have a book that is honestly skippable.

I don't feel worse for having read it, but there are better books of Philip K. Dick out there.

wordmaster's review against another edition

3.0

For those who like their class warfare with a side of jet cars, this is the story of the conniving 1% vs. a giant psuedopodial slimebag come to save us from ourselves.

3 stars. It's a wild ride that ends too soon.

skyu's review against another edition

1.0

It was quite a chore to get through this - I couldn't get past how awful every character was, and not in an interesting way? Kind of put me off Philip K Dick a bit, I'll have to reread some of his more well known books to see if it's just me or this book.

dataphyte's review against another edition

4.0

Dick has the classic Asimov 1950's feel in his laser guns and flying cars, but the plot has truly mature and interesting twists, and there are lots of them.

trilbynorton's review against another edition

challenging reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

1.0

Quite possibly my least favourite PKD book. The writing is particularly blunt and unimaginative, even for a writer never known for his effervescent prose, and he consistently fails to explore his central ideas of class and authority.

fishface's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

Not as piercing as usual. I enjoyed the bit about having found the corpse of god and how this was referenced back in the end section. In contrast I found main charcter Nick very vapid, and love interest Charley incredibly boring. The politician Gram was most interesting but the idea of having a telepath as a leader wasn't explored beyond surface level of he can tell whe  an assassin wants to kill him ... 

tinyweasel's review against another edition

slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

I love Dick but this has very few of his usual crazy ideas.