Valis
(Philip K. Dick)
Valis(vast active living intelligence system)is a novel that truly stands out on its own.God,politics,drugs and insanity all mixed into one transcendant concoction.At times Dicks book seems to hypnotize.The novels premise is simple-Dick in real life undergoes an epiphany.He claims God had contacted him in the form of a pink laser,emanating from an all powerful information system-called Valis.From there Dick tells his tale from the first person perspective while adressing himself,Horselover Fat/his alter ego, as a completely seperate entity.This in itself adds to the already heavy surrealistic feel of the book.Dicks two good female friends die,which sets off Dick/Fat on a personal slide into divinitys abyss.There is a strong Gnostic outlook on things-with Dicks opinion on God going back and forth.What Dick does especially well-is make us think-and thinking is a dying specialty in todays technological nightmare.Technology and nightmare scenarios were running themes during Dicks writing career.
Dick manages to skillfully take himself apart with no holds barred objectivity.There is also a certain point where he disregards Fat completely.A recurring theme in the novel is a line from Dicks work the exegesis,"the Empire never ended".Behind that quote is another epic story.God has never been so "grounded" as he has been in Valis.Valis is extrordinary-and there is no category to throw it in,except maybe biblical.
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