Rating: 
Summary: An amazing unusual book
Review: This book definately is not for everyone. Dick considered himself a fictionalizing philosopher and this book really epitomizes that statement. If you're a fan of bland easy to read scifi than this book is not for you, but if you like things with a little more substance (but possibly less structure) this book is great. I just finished it and already I already miss the characters. Dick had a talent for making characters that were archetypal and yet entirely human at the same time.
Rating:
Summary: Dick at his best
Review: This is by far the best of Philip K. Dick. His amalgamation of religions is incredible and eerie. Definitely worth the time in reading.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely brilliant.
Review: This is Dick at his best. This book is one of the most incredible novels I have ever read. I couldn't even read too much of it at one sitting because the concepts fried my brain so much, but I couldn't stop either. Only someone who was as insane as Philip K Dick was toward the end of his life could come up with insights and concepts as brilliant and moving as those presented here. The theology was incredible and the way he dissected God's mind blew me away. A must read for anyone. I have and will continue to praise this novel and recommend it to anyone interested.
Rating: 
Summary: Strange and creative!
Review: This novel is very, very strange... I'm not really sure what to make of it; it is not "regular" science fiction. There were some many different ideas from various different sources being pulled together here. The setting is somewhere in the future. Earth is governed by two global organizations; the Christian (Roman Catholic)-Islamic Church and the Scientific Prelate (Communists). I must say I was very much intrigued by the idea of the Christian-Islamic Church; theoretically speaking, that would be the most powerful organization conceivable. The two largest missionary religions united... In addition to Earth, there are some colonies outside of the Sol System (i.e. outside of Earth's solar system). The story is basically that of redemption on a cosmic scale. There are many references to Judaism (quotations from the Old Testament/Tanakh), references to Jewish mysticism, and some references to Jesus Christ. There is still a Fall which cursed all of creation and, in this scenario, fragmented God's being. However, in this scenario, Christ failed... As a result, God has to be incarnated again. There are some parallels to Christ; the birth from a virgin being the main one. However, after "Christ" (Emmanuel in the novel) is born, he grows up not really knowing who he is. Elijah, the great prophet of the Old Testament, is constant presence in the novel, advising the main characters. Appparently, Elijah left Earth and has constantly advised people throughout history. I quite liked the character of Elijah (his name in the novel is Elias). Emmanuel planned this prior to his birth; he eventually defeats Belial (Satan) in the end. Some of the references were unfamiliar to me but it helped to have a background in Christianity (and thereby Judaism). The God of the novel is strange; he identifies himself as Yahweh (an English version of the more accurate transliteration from the Old Testament: YHWH) yet if often seems as though he does not have some of God's essential attributes. However, the novel keeps taking different turns and one wonders what reality in the book is "real." That said, God (in the novel), often seems vulnerable and wonders whether or not he will indeed conquer evil. God's knowledge of the future is also often suspect. The book is very strange and I imagine I will read it again at some point; it is quite compact but it is very thought provoking. It contains much philosophical speculation but his analysis of God is based on a number of faulty assumptions (e.g. God makes mistakes, God is not holy, God is not omnipotent, God is not sovereign and God is not omniscient). So, there is no mistaking the pitiful God of the Divine Invasion for the majestic Holy Trinity of the Bible!
Rating:
Summary: Extremely Unique and Thought-Provoking
Review: To all the would-be literary naysayers out there who say "all possible plots have already been used" and "every book is just a different version of a previously released book", I have one piece of advice for you: read a Philip K. Dick book. Particularly his Valis trilogy is highly unique and a bit eye-opening. How many books have you read that star God as a crippled, 10-year-old amnesiac? Not very many, I would imagine, but this is such a book. Setting the novel in such an off-kilter scenario allows Dick to examine, and thereby challenge, our conventional ideas of God. This book is very dense and hard to penetrate at times... many of the references escaped me, but I still found it interesting for it's novel views on theology and the nature of God. I highly recommend this book, and Dick's entire Valis trilogy, to anyone looking for theology-expanding fiction, or simply a unique read.
Rating:
Summary: Extremely Unique and Thought-Provoking
Review: To all the would-be literary naysayers out there who say "all possible plots have already been used" and "every book is just a different version of a previously released book", I have one piece of advice for you: read a Philip K. Dick book. Particularly his Valis trilogy is highly unique and a bit eye-opening. How many books have you read that star God as a crippled, 10-year-old amnesiac? Not very many, I would imagine, but this is such a book. Setting the novel in such an off-kilter scenario allows Dick to examine, and thereby challenge, our conventional ideas of God. This book is very dense and hard to penetrate at times... many of the references escaped me, but I still found it interesting for it's novel views on theology and the nature of God. I highly recommend this book, and Dick's entire Valis trilogy, to anyone looking for theology-expanding fiction, or simply a unique read.
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