The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch (Vintage)

Media:	Paperback
Author:	Philip K. Dick
Publisher:	Vintage
Release date:	03 December, 1991
List price:	~~$12.95~~
Our price:	$10.36 that is 20% off!

The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch (Vintage)

Average rating: Stars

amazing

one of the nice things about this particular phil dick masterpiece is that the plot is so convoluted it's nearly impossible to "ruin" for a prospective reader in a review. if at any time you've browsed through mr. dick's intimidatingly large oeuvre of books on amazon, you've probably stumbled across some considerate fellow who, in a paragraph a few sentences or less, reveals some integral plot detail and thus ruins the entire novel. "flow my tears" was ruined for me in such a way, as was "martian-time slip." in order to fully enjoy the full impact of his books, it's best going in knowing the absolute bare minimum. this can be a tricky gamble, as some of the information about his lesser-known (but highly underrated) books can only be gleaned from reader reviews. but i honestly can't see that being a problem here, as this particular book is almost universally acknowledged as a sci-fi masterpiece.

although i've only read ten or so of phil's books, and not all of them have been brilliant, the cream of the crop ranks as some of the most mind-warping, entertaining and enlightening stuff i've ever read. "valis" was what got me hooked on this guy - and, ironically, it's the last book i'd recommend for a newcomer. no, that distinction would have to go with this absolute gem of a novel. it has all the dickian trademarks: shifting realities, ordinary protagonists, and an almost pathetic (but hilarious) sense of irony in the face of the unfathomable and all-powerful. but on top of all this it's extremely accessible, with engaging, well-drawn characters and a plot that hops along at a brisk pace. while some of the reviews here emphasize some of the more abstract concepts of the novel, don't let it deter you, as "three stigmata" is a total blast to read; extremely entertaining, emotionally engaging, and intellectually stimulating.

if you really want a good plot summary that won't give away too much, just scope out the description on the back of the book. but to elaborate a little further: if the idea of a godlike entity that interfaces with beings through the ingestion of a reality-warping drug appeals to you in any way whatsoever, you have to buy this book. it delivers on all of it's promises, and then some. it also contains some of dick's most brilliant throwaway ideas in any of his books - the rich go to clinics to have a gland stimulated that advances biological evolution in the patient forwards hundreds of years; industry pre-cogs predict what will be the next fashion craze; evil humanoids from the star system proxima may or may not be attempting to infiltrate our own solar system... the list goes on and on. and while it all can be a bit disorienting the first time through, it's still great fun, and as long as you view the events logically you'll know what's happening. plus, the ending has to be one of the most fitting and satisfying in any sci-fi book i've ever read.

some of the concepts can be hard to wrap your brain around, but they're infinitely rewarding once you at least partially understand them. i can't claim to understand everything that goes on in this book; i think anyone who does is a liar. but there are some fascinating ideas, suggesting that human beings are all connected on a subconscious, telepathic level, and that the properties of god can be reflected in the most unexpected places. but i've barely even scraped the surface of this brilliant book.

to all you overly literate types here who call dick post-modern, i say: bah, humbug. dick was not post-modern... he was pre-whatever comes this century. this book is a classic, a landmark, and an absolute joy to read. i'd give it ten stars if i could.

The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch (Vintage) - Philip K. Dick

CREATE YOUR OWN ILLUSION

No man is an island. Loneliness kills by exposing man to his own death wish. The theme of this story is the inherent loneliness that comes attached with an individual life. This is dramatized by placing his main characters on the bleak planet Mars. In THREE STIGMATA OF PALMER ELDRITCH it became a battle over whether to ingest the drugs distributed by two competing companies, Can-D and Chew-Z. The decision facing the colonists was to use or not to use? How badly did they need the drug induced illusion? Both drugs would relieve their unbearable loneliness. The Can-D taker would shrink to inhabit a doll house size world that reminded them of their lost lives on Earth. Chew-Z use could give one the godlike ability to control hallucinated portions of their past life on Earth -- to make the bleak Martian environment disappear. But once you used Chew-Z the effects could stay with you forever.

The religious, like his character, Anne Hawthorne, were no more immune from loneliness than anyone else. Dick substituted the two drug illusions for the religious-philosophical illusions that keep the reader intact. The horror that the phantasm, Palmer Eldrich, exposed was the sin of man's desire to perpetuate himself. Dispensing his drug, Chew-Z, was Eldrich's form of reproduction.

By undergoing E therapy, the rich, who didn't mind becoming bubbleheads, could greatly increase their brain power. The artificial acceleration of human evolution was a secondary theme. Way ahead of his time, Dick foresaw the current day rush to implement gene therapy.

Philip K. Dick - The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch (Vintage)

Like reading a Dali painting

This is easily one of the weirdest books by PKD I have read - I've read 6 others and a collection of his short stories. If you've read anything by PKD, you will know this is saying a lot. Someone described this book as being the literary equivalent of a Dali painting and I agree 100%. Like most of PKD's work (and Dali's) the line between reality and irreality is extremely blurred. Also like Dali, there is a strong emphasis on the dream world, or artificial hypnogogic hallucinations. TTS starts of fairly easy to digest (for an SF novel) before becoming incredibly visionary, in a world plagued by global warming and what is probably overpopulation, with the people run by one government, the UN, who are trying to colonize the entire system. Notice I said easy to digest, not ordinary. PKD's worlds are never a utopia though, as evinced in this book by the deteriorating of life on Earth due to daily temperatures in the 180s and incredibly dreary life on colonized planets and moons. Our basis begins with the drug Can-D, which is in illegal use on the colonies, and seems to be the only thing preventing the colonists from dying of pure apathy. PKD is not one to give a direct explanation of anything, and it takes several pages to comprehend what this drug does.

Akin to most of his books in this period, PKD does not have one main character in his book. The main character is the reality he has created, and what better way to develop this character than through the use of several characters, each with a unique perspective, as opposed to the study of one particular character and life as seen through him or her. Of course, PKD isn't going to chose purely random people from his created environment, but ones that end up created a network of relationships throughout the story (think Pulp Fiction). We have a "Pre-Fash precog" working for P.P. Layouts who uses his precognitive powers to decide if a proposed manufacturers' products will become fashionable, and thus profitable to his company - Barney Mayerson. His boss, Leo Bulero, has undergone E Therapy - a vogue and elitist medical procedure that triggers the inert evolutionary capabilities of the human mind (don't tell Darwin). Mayerson's ex-wife is a potter now married to a salesman trying to sell her pots to Mayerson. There is Sam Regan, an ordinary colonist who gives the reader his first taste of Can-D, whom Mayerson encounters later in the book. There are two other women that Mayerson becomes involved with during the book; one his secretary whose precog powers threaten to outshine his own, and the other a Neo-Christian colonist who adds some theological insight to the story. And let's not forget our title character, Palmer Eldritch, an industrialist returning from the Prox system to push his new product - a legal and more powerful competition for Can-D: Chew-Z. But don't think that tells you anything about Eldritch.

What I like about PKD is that he can create these decidedly SF attributes of a society, but doesn't base his story on them. They are, in my opinion, more of an added bonus or, more commonly, a tool to develop his underlying philosophical ideas. This is what I think the best SF is made of. Of course, you will have always have your pulp SF that is really an adventure story that takes place in the future, or with aliens, or with robots. Don't read this book expecting an orthodox adventure or mystery with a completely tangible solution. A lot of PKD's book end with more of a catharsis for the characters than an ending to the storyline. Remember that the real main character is his world, or his altered reality, in many of his books, and to have a real ending would be to end with the society in a state of utopian equilibrium. PKD is generally not interested in this, although this book did seem to have a stronger "ending" than some of his others.

I think so far I've really told you more about PKD's style than his themes or philosophy. I'm really not sure how to do that, given that it is all very visceral, and it also took PKD the whole book to do so. The topics include the usual reality, plus realized heavens and hells, survival on a grand scale, and very importantly - what I can only think to describe as psychotheological thought. I won't tell you exactly what he says about these things, partly because, again, it's too visceral (he's really an artist not a scientist), and partly because this isn't SparkNotes and I'm not going to give away the whole book. For that reason I also don't want to delve into the plot, although I will say it is very fascinating, unique, and it puts your brain through a centrifuge inside your skull.

To give a starter to the plot that might entice you, I should give a vague description of what Can-D is supposed to do. P.P. Layouts makes miniature creations of what looks like an ordinary place on earth. The pre-fash precogs assist in selecting items to "min" (miniaturize) to act as accessories. What you get is some kind of replica of a part of Earth, which is legally distributed. Illegally they traffic Can-D which "translates" the characters onto the layout or really onto Earth or whatever (it's still up for debate among the characters within the book), as a convenient escape from the desolate colonies which they were forced by the UN to inhabit. Don't even ask what Chew-Z does. Try not to spend all your time understanding exactly how everything works. It's ridiculously complicated and it's really not the point anyway.

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