In my review of Rumble Fish I said that I had no intention of reading The Outsiders… and here we are not having had a full year pass and I've read TheIn my review of Rumble Fish I said that I had no intention of reading The Outsiders… and here we are not having had a full year pass and I've read The Outsiders. How did this happen? Well, for one thing I saw the film The Outsiders for the first time and was shocked by how much I enjoyed it. Second I stumbled upon this in a buy two get one free book deal and decided that for free I'd give it a shot.
Fine then, I'll read it but I probably won't like it!
...
Okay, I liked it.
Had I not known Rumble Fish was the later work, I would have assumed this was. It's a much more confident and skillfully crafted work. The other was more experimental at times (which I for one applaud) but it felt like occasionally the author didn't know where things were going to go. This is far from the case here. This one feels carefully put together, with a clear intention of start, finish and everything in between. There's a couple of really clever bits of foreshadowing in some of the early lines and a lot of beautifully described scenes. The voice here is confident and appealing.
This is even more shocking to me because apparently Hinton started writing this book when she was only 15. The book was published when she was 18. While it is not the greatest written piece of literature in the world, I can imagine very few authors pulling off such a work at such a young age. Especially capturing this much depth in her characters.
I won't say I have no intention of reading any more of Hinton's books in the future, at this point it would just be tempting fate to prove me wrong, but for now I am satisfied. 4/5 stars.
"For a star, being seen is everything. But the powers that be are well aware that being seen is no more than a symptom of the gaze. They know that the"For a star, being seen is everything. But the powers that be are well aware that being seen is no more than a symptom of the gaze. They know that the reality everyone thinks they see and feel draws from the spring of artifice that you and I are guarding. To keep the public pacified, the spring must always be shielded from the world of masks. And these masks are worn by stars.
But the real world is always waiting for its stars to die. If you never cycle out the masks, you run the risk of poisoning the well. The demand for new masks is insatiable."
This is an absolutely fascinating shorter work from Mishima. It follows a young actor who is filming a yakuza film. There's not much of a plot, more like an examination of what it means to be a celebrity, how people view him/how he views others and how the film industry worked in Japan at the time. This is all the more fascinating as Mishima himself wrote it right after acting in a film titled "Afraid to Die" in which he played, you guessed it, a yakuza. It makes for an interesting parallel with his own life and several of the topics that seemed to dominate it.
This may be an unpopular opinion, but I think this may be my favorite book by Mishima. I said in my review of The Sailor Who Fell From the Grace of the Sea a few months back that it was my current favorite, I will now revise that opinion to the best written of his books that I've read. I do believe the other is a "better" book, but there's something about Star that really worked for me. As I said, there's little in terms of plot, and it's extremely short, but there's an urgency to it… as if he needs to express something and can't quite put it to words that I find fascinating. A rare 5/5 stars...more
Given the publishing industry's recent obsession with YA, I can't help but wonder how this book would be marketed if published today. Would they hype Given the publishing industry's recent obsession with YA, I can't help but wonder how this book would be marketed if published today. Would they hype up the teenager angle? Would it be advertised as "Lord of the Flies" meets "The Hunger Games" even though there is nothing Hunger Games like about it really, but advertisers do love a good buzz title.
Speaking of titles, this one may have my favorite title ever: The Sailor Who Fell From Grace With the Sea. I remember first seeing this title as a kid in a video rental shop and seeing a VHS of the film adaptation. I've never seen the movie, but man, that title stuck with me. Even as a kid it sent my mind wandering… perhaps fitting given that the title seems to be from the point of view of one of our teenage characters in the book.
The plot is simple: Noboru is a teenager. He belongs to something of a club of fellow like-minded nihilistic teenagers, who take your usual teenage angst and dreams of better things (while knowing that the world sucks and probably isn't worth it… come on, you remember being a teenager, right?) and ramp it up to eleven as they decide to act on their philosophies and ignore the rules of society (bit of a warning here, those who can’t stand to read about anything bad happening to animals, may want to give this one a skip).
One night his mother brings home a sailor. At first Noboru is enamored with him. He is after all everything Noboru dreams of being. He's your classic "man's man," separating himself away from society and living on the sea. He goes where the ship takes him, he works, he dreams of glory.
He's also tired. Very, very tired. It's about time for him to settle down… but will this betrayal of all that Noboru's beliefs stand?
Nay.
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Alright, so, this is not a cheery book. Just a heads up, it is depressing as hell… and it is wonderful.
This is a book that really seems so simple when you're reading it, but there's just so many things to unpack (far more than I'll even attempt to tackle in this review). This is a book about post-American occupation of Japan, this is a book about looking back at what Japan lost with WWII, this about the atrocities people commit and justify, this is about moral codes… and what happens when you force those codes upon others. The book is only 182 pages and yet it packs so much into everything.
I noticed when looking on here that the majority of my friends don't care for it too much ( a lot of three stars or lower), though of course some do love it. I understand both points of view. In some ways I think this is a very hard book to like. It's… mean and unpleasant. Honestly though? I loved it. I debated about the star rating for some time. On one hand I knew it was easily my favorite Mishima book I've read thus far… but was it really deserving of five stars? The more I thought about it, the more I realized that yes, to me it is.
Years ago I read a little book called Pulp by Charles Bukowski in which he tried to write an absurdist comedic noir. There were aspects of it that I rYears ago I read a little book called Pulp by Charles Bukowski in which he tried to write an absurdist comedic noir. There were aspects of it that I really enjoyed, but a lot that I felt was flawed. Now it's Mishima's turn to do the exact same thing.
The plot: Hanio Yamada wants to die. After a botched suicide attempt, he comes up with a new idea. He will put an ad out in the newspaper, putting his life for sale. Someone will pay and have him die in a way that will at least aid someone else. What follows is a series of misadventures in which each time he somehow manages to survive his client's seemingly deadly task.
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Well... this is as absurd as noir gets. I can not stress this enough: this is one of the most bizarre books I have ever read. Tell me, what other book can you find botched suicide attempts, gangsters, conspiracies, a dinner conversation with a plush mouse, a vampire and carrots used in an espionage scheme? Oh, and I'm not even covering half of the batshit insane things in this novel... Each client's task becomes increasingly absurd, to such and extent that one can't help laugh.
Written at the same time as his most literary ambitious project, his Sea of Fertility series, and serialized in the magazine Weekly Playboy... this was obviously a commercial project written for the money. Yet, especially when one considers the depth of his other project at the time, it also seems like he wrote it for a break. This book is ridiculous. This is Mishima, well, having fun. It's silly, intentionally so (CARROTS), and I imagine after a while he had to be sitting there shaking his head in amazement that they were paying him to write this.
Is it a good book? Not really. It's an extremely fun send up of pulp noir but it's extremely flawed. A few plot lines are left dangling (one actually frustrating as it seemed to be something set up for later and disregarded). I honestly would say that many fans of Mishima will be incredibly disappointed reading it as he very clearly is not aiming at making a grand statement about the world (and when he does insert what could be a grand statement it comes off comedic as it's hard to take anything seriously here). I can't really recommend the book for everyone, but...
...
To hell with it, 4/5 stars, because honestly it's that damn fun....more
This is my sixth Philip K. Dick experience... except, well, it's not. You see, I always call each of his books an experience because that is what theyThis is my sixth Philip K. Dick experience... except, well, it's not. You see, I always call each of his books an experience because that is what they are, or at least that is what they should be. He packs so much into such short books (I don't think he wrote a single book over 280 pages, but I could be wrong there) that it's frankly a bit mind boggling. Even his lesser books stay with me for a long time, because even when he fails, he still packs so many fascinating and philosophical ideas that I will remember them.
Not so here. This novel is pure pulp science fiction. I have nothing against pulp sci-fi and indeed spent quite a bit of time in my college years defending it, but that is not what I've come to expect from Dick. This is a book with shootouts, evil robots, and corrupt officials that the hero needs to take down. Here the plot is straight forward, the drug use is minimal (tranquilizers are about it) and while there is paranoia, given the circumstances, it is pretty much entirely justified... okay, mostly justified... ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT, they're absolutely paranoid, but not anywhere near the usual Dick standard. In other words, it doesn't really feel like Dick wrote it. This feels like the sort of book a publisher contacts a writer with and says "ROBOTS, LASERS AND COMPUTERS! GO!" and then the author churns it out for a quick buck. It is the very thing that is the farthest I can imagine when reading Dick; it's generic.
Now, complaints aside, the novel is fairly entertaining and pretty short. It's fast paced and never boring. It's completely serviceable and if all you want is pulp sci-fi, there are certainly far worse places to turn.
This may mean I am unfairly judging the book, but I didn't pick up a Philip K. Dick book for those reasons, so yes, the book is a disappointment. In terms of the six books I have read by him, this is by far my least favorite. It is a better written and constructed book than The Crack in Space, but at least that book had something interesting to say despite its failures.
This one is moderately entertaining, but absolutely forgettable. 2/5 stars....more
This is my fifth Philip K. Dick experience, and it is also my first bad experience with him. Bad, I guess, may be a strong word. Disappointing is moreThis is my fifth Philip K. Dick experience, and it is also my first bad experience with him. Bad, I guess, may be a strong word. Disappointing is more accurate. I will say this is a book with a lot of great ideas... I just wish Dick would have taken the time to actually examine them properly rather than jumping around all over the place. I mean he always has a love of borderline incoherent plots that spin around in all directions, but this one is completely unsatisfying.
The plot this time follows the first black man running for president of the United States in 2080 (a little bit off on your guess there Dick, but I forgive you), it also deals with Earth being overpopulated, a satellite brothel, a doctor and his wife's divorce, a hidden mistress, a gateway to an alternate Earth and a private detective investigating all these things (but he's only a side character). In other words, there's enough plot points to fill out several novels and Dick tries to juggle them all in only 188 pages.
It is a mess. Not a fun mess like some of his other books... just a mess.
Good points: Dick actually managed to tackle some interesting subject matter here. Its a dark mirror if ever there was one, and it may actually make you question what year it was written at a few points. For example, there's an organization hellbent on keeping our presidential candidate out with the slogan "Keep the White House white." Caucasian characters voice fears that people of other races may... *GASP* take their jobs.
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It's clumsy and with a touch of naive racism by today's standards, but Dick should be applauded for what he was trying to do. He was examining race in a thoughtful way before most science fiction authors would have dared to.
Sadly, despite this unfortunately timeless commentary, the book just doesn't work. There's too much going on and none of it executed well enough. The best moments are when he plays some of this off comedically (like when another race is found on the other Earth and a political advisor worries that they could influence the election as potential voters), but it's too rushed and nowhere near as well executed as any of his other books I read.
Sadly I cannot recommend this one to anyone but competitions of Dick's works. 2/5 stars. ...more
This is my fourth Philip K. Dick experience... and this one was a trip.
How the hell do I review this book? How is it eve"Choosy Chewers Choose Chew-Z"
This is my fourth Philip K. Dick experience... and this one was a trip.
How the hell do I review this book? How is it even possible to get across the feeling this book gives? This book frankly seems like a dark downward spiral into insanity... and yet inside that it offers both hope and despair.
I'll start this off bluntly. I don't fully get the novel. I don't think it is possible to fully get the novel. If you claim to fully get the novel, I question both your perception of reality and honesty.
This book, much like Dune, operates well on two different levels. As a science fiction novel and as a philosophical piece. Unlike Dune, I can't fully grasp the plot or fully the philosophy behind it.
From what I can tell you, the plot follows a world where global warming is certainly one of the biggest problems. In fact its getting so hot that Earth is drafting people to immigrate to Mars to help set up new colonies. The colonies are... unpleasant to say the least, and the only source of entertainment seems to be a combination of a doll named Perky Pat (which comes off very Barbie-like) and a drug called Can-D which allows the users to, for a time, enter the bodies of Perky Pat or her boyfriend.
Enter Palmer Eldritch who has returned after a long trip to the far reaches of space. What did he find and what did he return with? He's returned with Chew-Z, a new drug that does what Can-D can't. In his own words:
"I did not find God in the Prox system. But I found something better. God promises eternal life. I can do better; I can deliver it."
This is a book that I probably should not give 5 stars. From a structural point of view there are too many characters and too many sub-plots, some of which seemingly get abandoned at the half way point. Yet, despite its flaws, it all somehow comes together. Mostly because Dick doesn't really allow the reader to grasp the plot all the way.
“It takes a certain amount of courage, he thought, to face yourself and say with candor, I'm rotten. I've done evil and I will again. It was no accident; it emanated from the true, authentic me.”
This is not a story of good vs. evil. This is a story where it's hard to say what "good" truly is, and it's rather impossible to say if there is a hero or a villain. Palmer Eldritch is certainly a frighting figure (and some of the imagery involving him is grotesque to levels many horror authors can only dream of), but to me he came off as less evil and more unknowable... which I believe is Dick's point.
Are the visions achieved by Eldritch's Chew-Z illusion? Are they part time travel? Does it really matter? Reality is always to be questioned in this book... perhaps Eldritch just showed our characters that.
I've little more to say. This book is... unknowable as Eldritch itself. Instead of trying to make sense of the book, I will instead give you advice.
Don't fight the book. The plot will not make sense, but it IS a mostly coherent plot. Just take it easy and ride it out.
I said in my review of Dune that one of the things I really appreciated was that it could be “viewed on so many different levels, from political, philI said in my review of Dune that one of the things I really appreciated was that it could be “viewed on so many different levels, from political, philosophical, scientific, or simply as a fantastic adventure novel... and it works so well, no matter which angle you look at it from, because Herbert treats each of them as equally important.” While writing the sequel, I think Herbert must have considered it and said something along the lines of, “Yeah, that was great… now let’s pretty much ignore everything that wasn’t philosophy.”
I exaggerate of course. Elements of those other aspects are still in place, but the story this time around is from people sitting at tables and discussing the existence of fate and ways to avoid prophesy rather than overthrowing evil barons. In fact, there are times where I felt that it hardly seems like a full novel, and more like a series of short scenes Herbert wrote, pat himself on the back over how clever they were and then decided to try to tie them all together.
Now some of you may be sitting there going, oh, I guess that means you didn’t like it then Tim? HA I say! The philosophy was what appealed to me the most of those aspects mentioned in Dune! I can read about people sitting at tables and talking for hours!
…
But yeah, I’d be lying if I said there weren’t a few parts where it got a bit old, and I wished for the descriptions of the desert, the plots within plots within plots… but by the end, I was satisfied as they were there all along, you just have to look closer to see them in play. In fact, by the end I realized that it was an extremely well developed novel, and that it was I who was at fault for not seeing the intricacies at play. Herbert demands your full attention to see what’s going on all around.
Which brings me to the thing Herbert does best in this novel; one of the big aspects of the Dune series thus far is that he gives you every main character’ thought process. There is no main POV character in each chapter, he will give you the thoughts of everyone, thus showing who thinks they are fooling who and who is actually fooled. He does this and he plays it fair the entire time, yet still manages to hide plot points in plain sight, and it is extremely well played.
The first book was a masterpiece in terms of world building, here that takes a backseat to prophesies and philosophy, but Herbert does manage to introduce at least one fascinating new aspect to his universe. The Face Dancers are introduced as assassins and shape shifters. One can walk into the room a pudgy male guard and leave as a small servant girl. They take contracts, but with a sense of honor and a condition; they must always leave the would be victim with an opportunity to escape. They need to know they are in danger and must be presented with an out. I find this new aspect fascinating and would have loved to see a bit more of a focus on them.
I want to close this review by briefly describing my favorite scene in the entire book; it is one of the scenes where people sit and talk at tables. An older Fremen discusses why he joined up in Paul’s campaign. It wasn’t glory or the spoils of war… it was because some of his friends described the sea, and he couldn’t believe it. He felt it must be a prank. He then goes on to describe it to a character who has been to many worlds and obviously seen the sea many times, but the character finds himself absorbed in the Fremen’s words and realizes that he’s experiencing this description in an unusual way, lost in the story and seeing it with new eyes… I couldn’t help but smile, as Herbert made me feel the same way. For a brief moment I forgot I was reading, and could hear this old voice telling me about the sea…
A well earned 4/5 stars, but with the notation for those who fell in love with the first novel that this is not a sweeping epic. This is a small chamber piece… just, you know, with giant sand worms. ...more
Ichiro Honda, like many people, keeps a journal. Like many of those people, he would be quite embarrassed if anyone actually read his journal. Unlike Ichiro Honda, like many people, keeps a journal. Like many of those people, he would be quite embarrassed if anyone actually read his journal. Unlike some people though, his “Hunter’s Journal” is really just a list of sexual conquests. You see he lives in Tokyo, flying to Osaka only on the weekends to visit his wife. Every night in Tokyo he reinvents himself; he becomes a reporter, or someone who works in film, or a foreigner who barely speaks Japanese, whatever will get him close enough to his new target. He is the lady killer of the title.
Or is he? As one night after his latest victory, he hears that the previous girl has been found murdered. Then it happens again, and again. It seems like far worse things could come from his journal being found…
This was a solid little noir. I can’t say that is was great, but it was an enjoyable enough read. I never felt like putting it down at any point. It shines best in my opinion when it deals with the nature of guilt, and I don’t mean a guilty conscience. It discusses the nature of guilt in terms of a court of law and guilt of morals... and how one’s perspective of the second can influence the first.
My main complains against the book mostly come in during the second half, as we get a drastic shift in the focus of the story. The second half is far more investigation, which while interesting, follows a very repetitive pattern, that I felt wore out its welcome after a bit. Again, not enough to ever really make me want to quit, but enough that I wished we would move on a bit.
I must also say that honestly this is a very “modern” feeling book, with its frank depictions of sexuality (in multiple fashions) and the way it flows. If it wasn’t for the lack of smart phones and various other gadgets, one might be quite surprised to hear that it’s over 50 years old.
In closing: I feel like this is way too short of a review, but I honestly just don’t have much to say. The book is entertaining, but not really that noteworthy in my mind. It succeeded in what it sets out to do, but it feels like there was more potential to it that it never quite reaches. 3/5 stars and a recommendation to fans of Japanese pulp just looking for a fun time killer. ...more
I recently discovered unbound world's top 100 fantasy novels list, and while reading through them I discovered several novels that I had not read thatI recently discovered unbound world's top 100 fantasy novels list, and while reading through them I discovered several novels that I had not read that I feel I really missed out on. A Wizard of Earthsea was the first on the list that I decided to cross off… and my results are mixed.
This is a well-loved novel, and I know that going into this review. I’m sad to say I was disappointed, as I honestly didn’t particularly like the book very much. This is one of those books written in an almost… textbook fashion. Not in terms of complicated writing, but in that it keeps the reader always at a distance. Never once did I feel a part of the story, but always as an observer who was never allowed to be too close to the situation. It’s borderline impersonal (which is odd to say, as I think that you’re are supposed to walk away feeling enlightened by its concepts). This style works in some novels, but I’m never personally a fan, and this one wasn’t good enough to ever win me over.
I also didn’t care for the ending. Halfway through the novel, I knew exactly how the situation would be resolved, and when it happened I almost gave an eye roll. One of my friends reviewed this book negatively saying that it felt preachy. I wouldn’t go that far, but the ending came dangerously close (and was also resolved so quickly that I did laugh at how abruptly everything ends after the confrontation). Realistically if I rated purely on enjoyment, I’d probably give this a 2/5.
So, what made it gain an extra star? Two things. First off Le Guin does something very clever. She plays with our expectations and knowledge of the genre. She sets up a fantasy world, and doesn’t describe any of her characters for quite some time. The first description we do get is of a barbarian like tribe that is attacking the main character’s hometown. With her description of these “strange pale” people, she starts spinning how many readers (myself included) immediately went with the classic European fantasy look in their head for these characters, and I had to change it all after 30 or so pages. This is to be applauded in my opinion, especially considering that it was published in the 1960s.
Second thing is that this is a fantasy novel with no war. Do not get me wrong, I love military fantasy, but it is so refreshing to see fantasy being simply for adventure’s sake. As a personal aside, I always preferred Tolkien’s “Hobbit” to the “Lord of the Rings” novels, as the idea of adventure was always more appealing than the epic quest. This novel reminded me of that, and sent me through a wave of pleasant nostalgia.
This is one of those books that I respect more than I like. I appreciate it for what it is and its place in the genre, but I can’t honestly say it was a particularly enjoyable read. With that said, I do plan on at least giving the second book a shot somewhere down the line. Hopefully, that one will be more to my liking, but I’ll go into it with lowered expectations, but still a desire for a simple adventure. ...more
Well… It’s not as bad as The Big Four at least! Yeah, that’s about the most in terms of praise I can personally give this one. Now don’t get me wrong,Well… It’s not as bad as The Big Four at least! Yeah, that’s about the most in terms of praise I can personally give this one. Now don’t get me wrong, Christie wrote so many books that I am in no way upset when I read a “bad” one, but it is a little disappointing that I say this is my second to least favorite in the series.
There are so many issues with this one. For a good portion of the novel there isn’t an actual case to be solved, just Poirot going “Hmm… it feels like there should be a case here.” It isn’t very engaging for a mystery to really be without an actual mystery for a good portion of the read. Yet nonetheless, Poirot will sit there and recap every clue he's found for multiple pages (there is seriously one chapter which is just Poirot going, "Nope, still can't find a mystery, but here's everything I've learned just in case it is important").
Christie also tries to update the book to the 60s, which rather humorously makes it feel more dated than any of her other books. The books from the 20s, 30s, 40s, and 50s that I’ve read all feel rather timeless. They all fit their period, but you could read them in any order without really feeling the passage of time. So, what does this 60s update bring us? Essentially it’s Christie singing Kids! I don't know what's wrong with these kids today! Kids! Who can understand anything they say? Kids! They are so ridiculous and immature!
... for 270 some odd pages.
The book also feels rather inconsistent, with at least one side-plot being brought up, never fully explained and dismissed in two lines, which is rather frustrating given how brilliantly Christie planned out so many of her other mysteries.
In closing: This one all around just feels like a disappointment. The case takes too long in arriving, and isn't particularly stunning when it arrives. The time change really feels like a reason for Christie to shout at kids to get off her lawn and no, not even name dropping the Beatles could make this one hip. 2/5...more
This is a simplistic and sentimental review... and that's the only way I could possibly write one for this novel.
Every time I read a Kurt Vonnegut novThis is a simplistic and sentimental review... and that's the only way I could possibly write one for this novel.
Every time I read a Kurt Vonnegut novel, I feel like I learned a lesson about the world. It's not always a lesson I want to learn, but Vonnegut always manages to make it a lesson worth learning, with humor and sly wink.
In Cat's Cradle, Vonnegut manages to be the most gentle pessimist I've ever read. He presents us with a world that mankind is bound to destroy with our own stupidity, and nods sadly, telling us that he likes us anyway and hopes we'll be happy. It's an angry book, it's a sad book... it's also a very loving one.
Written in a style that seems more like free form poetry than a structured novel (with 127 chapters in 287 pages) he gives us little snippets, that tell the story as a whole. Any time it seems to ramble on, something happens, either through action or dialogue, which makes the reader realize how connected everything is. There is no structure, and yet it's perfectly structured, down to the magnificent final lines.
This is not a book I can suggest for everyone. It's certainly not the place I would recommend for people to start with Vonnegut... yet it certainly fights to be my personal favorite of his books. It's a magnificent 5 out of 5....more
This is my second experience with Philip K. Dick's writing. I started with "Clans of the Alphane Moon" (I have a tendency to start with lesser known wThis is my second experience with Philip K. Dick's writing. I started with "Clans of the Alphane Moon" (I have a tendency to start with lesser known works by authors for some reason) and I enjoyed that one quite a bit. I knew for the second I had to pick Dick's most famous novel, as I already have something of a history with it.
Let's get this out of the way. My favorite film is Blade Runner. I've seen it at least a dozen times and could happily watch it a couple dozen more times. This actually made me more hesitant to read the book rather than less so, as reading the book often changes my outlook on the film. In my experience, I can think of only a few movies that surpassed the books they are based on, and often upon rewatching the film I'll compare it to the book. While adaptations should always be viewed as their own thing, I often feel it is hard to fully separate them.
I need not have had any fear of that here. Not because I felt the movie handled the story better, but rather because they are two completely different stories with some shared ideas and names. On the back of this book, it says that it "inspired" Blade Runner, and that's a good way of putting it. They are not the same story, but inspiration was certainly there. "Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep?" is a much more personal story. There is less action, but more questioning of human nature here. While the film sided with the androids, the book is very clearly with the humans. The film tried to make us question if characters were human, the book wants us to question what it means to be a human.
There's a scene where a character buys a goat. It last multiple pages and feels as if it grinds the plot to a bit of a halt. It also shows us a very human and flawed character dealing with the horrors of his job, and trying to buy happiness and status as a way of coping. Who at some point hasn't tried to buy happiness in some way? That's one of the most wonderful, yet also sadly, human moments I've ever read in a book.
The book already is a science fiction classic, and most likely if you intended to read the book you were going to without reading my words here, but if you are in doubt, go ahead and pick it up. It may not be the greatest science fiction novel and it is not without its flaws (it seems like Dick has some pacing problems from the two books of his I've read, but this one feels much more polished), but it is a wonderful book and well worth a read. ...more
This is my first experience with Philip K. Dick novel. I realize that this is not the one many would say to start with, but after reading the plot desThis is my first experience with Philip K. Dick novel. I realize that this is not the one many would say to start with, but after reading the plot description, I found myself amused enough to pick it up… and I’m glad that I did.
The novel follows the aftermath of war between Earth and insectoid-dominated Alpha III. We are not shown any of the actual events or battles, but in the aftermath there is a very cold war sort of "peace." The government is paranoid that the people of Alpha III could be trying to undermine earth from the entertainment industry (specifically a popular human comedian) and the protagonist of the novel is Chuck, a CIA agent who programs simulacrum with anti-communist propaganda.
But wait... that's not the plot of the novel, just part of the setting. You see our "hero" is getting a divorce, and his wife (a respected psychiatrist) is going to the Alphane moon of the title, to help Earth secure the colony as it's something of a political middle ground between Earth and Alpha III. Chuck intends to use one of the CIA simulacrum to kill his wife rather than finish up the messy divorce process.
Hold on, we're not done yet! The moon (never refer to it as a planet, or it could prove madness) was originally intended as a global psychiatric institution, so with it being left on its own for so long, the various clans of patients (each named after their mental illness) have taken over and created their own society and political ideals.
Let's see is there more to the plot? Did I forget anything? I did mention the psychic Ganymedean slime mold named Lord Running Clam didn't I? It’s really hard to forget that detail.
As you may have noticed, there's enough ideas in this one to fill out several novels, yet Dick contains all of this in a brief 240 some odd pages. It is like a freeform jazz sci-fi novel, where anything goes. Rules that one usually holds to in a story (such as blatant foreshadowing actually coming about) are disregarded in favor of the lunacy (pun most certainly intended) that Dick seems to be waltzing through. Somehow... it all works.
So, for a first time reader of Philip K. Dick, would I continue? Absolutely. I'm looking forward to checking out his more famous works, as well as more obscure gems such as this. I wouldn't necessarily recommend it to all science fiction readers, but for the select few would say it is something of a wonder....more