#43. VALIS By Philip K Dick

Published : 1981
Pages : 256
Overall Mark : 8/10

It began with a blinding light. A divine revelation from a mysterious intelligence that called itself VALIS (Vast Active Living Intelligence System). And with that, the fabric of reality was torn apart and laid bare so that anything seemed possible but nothing seemed quite right. It was madness, pure and simple. But what if it were true?

PHILIP K. DICK (1928-1982)
'One of the two or three most important figures in 20th century US SF' (The Encyclopedia Of Science Fiction). Born one of twins - his sister died in infancy - he lived most of his life in California, and wrote more than fifty books in a career of prodigious productivity and achievement. The films Blade Runner and Total Recall are both based on his stories.

VERDICT
As one of the last books Dick ever saw published, this is his usual mixture of theology and drug induced schizophrenia. What makes this so good is the fact that as the book progresses it sort of devolves into a paranoid delusion, mirroring Dick's life at the time, and giving us a further glimpse into the mind of one of Science Fictions all times great authors.