In Pursuit of Valis: Selections from the Exegesis

Rating:
Summary: Unforgettable, albeit confusing in parts.
Review: From the author responsible for "Bladerunner" and "Total Recall" comes this very personal record of schizophrenia, conspiracy and hallucinatory mysticism. The bulk of "Valis" deals with Dick's attempts to understand the teachings of the ancient gnostic Christians - a quest which took on new urgency as Dick came to believe that the Roman Empire was using technology supplied by evil aliens to keep time frozen at 70 A.D. Unforgettable, albeit confusing in parts.

Rating:
Summary: Unforgettable, albeit confusing in parts.
Review: From the author responsible for "Bladerunner" and "Total Recall" comes this very personal record of schizophrenia, conspiracy and hallucinatory mysticism. The bulk of "Valis" deals with Dick's attempts to understand the teachings of the ancient gnostic Christians - a quest which took on new urgency as Dick came to believe that the Roman Empire was using technology supplied by evil aliens to keep time frozen at 70 A.D. Unforgettable, albeit confusing in parts.

Rating:
Summary: Reveals a brilliant mind.
Review: Ignore the unfair, flippant comments... Not only is the editor's introduction well-written, but, more importantly, this selection of Dick's Exegesis is absolutely VITAL for anyone who wants a more thorough understanding of his imagination and metaphysical musings. It is not that the book is poorly edited. It is simply that this was never intended for publication. That does not mean that Sutin and the others are a bunch of avaricious oppurtunists... They are not interested in "getting their cut"; they simply want the speculations of an important twentieth-century philosopher to be made available to the reading public. Find some way to get this book...

Rating:
Summary: Reveals a brilliant mind.
Review: Ignore the unfair, flippant comments... Not only is the editor's introduction well-written, but, more importantly, this selection of Dick's Exegesis is absolutely VITAL for anyone who wants a more thorough understanding of his imagination and metaphysical musings. It is not that the book is poorly edited. It is simply that this was never intended for publication. That does not mean that Sutin and the others are a bunch of avaricious oppurtunists... They are not interested in "getting their cut"; they simply want the speculations of an important twentieth-century philosopher to be made available to the reading public. Find some way to get this book...

Rating:
Summary: Poorly Edited
Review: Philip K. Dick was a brilliant man who, like many brilliant men, has been posthumously mishandled by editors, biographers, etc. In Pursuit of Valis, I believe, is a further example of this. The editor's introduction is poorly written and riddled with assumptions and errors. The material in the book is choppy and poorly edited. Phil Dick never intended this material to be sold, he never will see any profits on the sale of this book, so who profits from its sale? The editor? His estate? His fans? I don't know. I am sure Sutin is getting his cut. Some of us wish that he would leave Phil Dick alone. But, that aside, if you are going to publish works not written for public consumption, at least do it properly. Surely, the volume could have been edited so as to make the material easier to comprehend? And what of the sloppy printing? Fans of PKD will buy this and enjoy it as they should, because at least we get a glimpse of the man. But at what cost?