Reviews

The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch by Philip K. Dick

godofwar's review against another edition

3.0

I was hesitant to believe the hype around PKD, but I've only read one book of his and I'm ready to believe the hype. for his era, he was definitely a visionary, with intriguing mythology and effortless worldbuilding - I hardly struggled to understand the history and terminology, which is typically where hard scifi tends to suffer. there's definitely some problematic elements re: racism and misogyny that's hard to overlook, which is why I'd given it a 3 instead of 4, but it wasn't unexpected (it's just sad that so many decades later scifi still embodies the same problematic elements of a book written in the 60s). beyond that, there's little I have to complain about. and finally knowing the source to which del Toro paid homage in The Strain really makes me appreciate The Strain even more

indium's review against another edition

4.0

Very interesting ideas discussed in lots of depth, but a little chaotic at times verging on incoherent. Intense and engaging, particularly in the second half.

trammy's review against another edition

dark reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

angie_dutton's review against another edition

5.0

Phillip K Dick is the gift that just keeps on giving.

I was pretty disappointed with the VALIS books I've read so far, not because they are bad but because people say they are soooo crazy and insane... but to me they weren't, they were just political literature with a spiritual bent. I'd still not read any truly "crazy and insane" Phillip K Dick books... I'd not felt warped yet... but after Palmer Eldritch I finally felt warped, the last quarter or so of this book is unputdownable. It's like Being John Malkovitch meets Independence Day. Highly recommend this one to really see how complex and odd Dick can be.

daines's review against another edition

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

4.0

idiosigil's review against another edition

challenging dark medium-paced

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

4.25

sj_books's review against another edition

4.0

Really interesting yet trippy

urikastov's review against another edition

adventurous challenging mysterious reflective slow-paced

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

4.0

jeffcass's review against another edition

4.0

Oh my, this was a weird one. Philosophical fiction at its best. Not one for the faint-hearted. This novel left me feeling utterly defeated, but is nonetheless unique and a must read for the genre.

erickibler4's review against another edition

5.0

An instant all time favorite.

In the future, residents of an overheated earth are engaged in colonizing other planets in the solar system. Humans can evolve, for a price. And there are precognitives who, hired by corporations, can predict the future business success of new products.

But all that is merely backdrop. The plot of the book involves a business war between corporations hawking two products: the psychedelic drugs Can-D and Chew-Z, each of which has different effects.

If you've ever had the experience of waking from one dream layer into another, you may just love this book as I did, since it imparts that same feeling at times. This book is quite trippy, yet it has a plot you can follow and it asks some probing questions about identity and God.

Highly recommended. The more I read Philip K. Dick the more he becomes one of my all time favorite writers.