The Divine Invasion

Trippy, gnostic exploration of good/evil & God/man

Book 2 of Philip K Dick's VALIS Trilogy (Gnostic Trilogy [God Trilogy]), 'The Divine Invasion' is a funky PKDesque exploration of good and evil, God and Belial, gnostic truth, etc. In this short novel, Emmanuel (God) is smuggled back to Earth via the womb of a Jewish woman with MS. She is accompanied by Herb Asher, a DJ protagonist of sorts (Jesus as a DJ's son) who marries Rybys (read Mary) to assist getting her and her unborn God-baby smuggled safely to Earth, and Elias (Elijah) the one who prepares the way. They have to get past Cardinal Fulton Statler Harms, Chief Prelate of the Christian Islamic Church (C.I.C.) and their counterpoint - the Scientific Legate (S.L.) and all the rest of Satan's bureaucracy.

As science fiction, the Divine Invasion is so far left of funky that it isn't on the map. It is definitely NOT what your typical teenage, pimply reader would expect from pulp Sci Fi. But in many ways it is messy genius. Well, maybe genius after a psychic break, and way too much religious exploration and hit after hit after hit of LSD. IT is weird, off beat and leaves you the reader in a trippy religious, dream-like, loop.

21 of 22 people found this review helpful

so wierd

Dick is one of my favorite writers, but the divine trilogy books are so strange. The plot seems secondary to the sense of the profound. If you are a P.K. Dick fan go for it, if not, well... good luck.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

not as good as Valis

the book had a lot of good parts, w intersting characters..and it had great PKD craziness/brilliance. but I felt it finished poorly, like he was trying to wrap it up w some symbolic characterizations of Judeo symbols. It rang, stiff and preachy here and there and doubled down in the end. I'm not sure I'm going to listen to the 3rd book in this series.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Worst PKD book ever.

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

People who don't like earlier PKD stories. If you thought Horse Lover Fat should have just sucked it up and prayed harder so everything would turn out OK, then this book is for you.

What could Philip K. Dick have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

He should have left this one unpublished.

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

The narrator was OK. No complaints there.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

Not really. Which is a little sad.

Any additional comments?

I don't expect en entirely coherent plot from PKD stories. This had an easy to follow plot, so that's a big red flag right there. Too bad really. I had high hopes.

3 of 5 people found this review helpful

An extended nativity, the second time around

The Divine Invasion, Philip K Dick's 2nd book in his VALIS trilogy is a standalone tale that begins as a pure SF story, but quickly evolves to a theological escapade that recapitulates the birth of Christ complete with an immaculate conception, virgin birth, and no room at the inn. With the Joseph and Mary stand-ins coming in from a colony world to an Earth that is controlled by hostile religious tyrants, Dick explores the notions of a split godhead.

Dick's sci-fi elements are muted except at the beginning with interstellar colonization. Cryogenic storage is developed with sophisticated transplant technology, but the real focus is a religious theme with the notion of a godhead that has two distinct parts, the creator and the protector. Thrown in is the notion that for the past many centuries, Earth has been under the control of an evil entity with the return of the creator representing the divine invasion.

The narration is superb with good character distinction and solid pacing for a good flow given the extent of philosophical discussions. Overall, the story is a bit weak, but does offer a glimpse into Dick's theological thinking.

epic

I would recommend this book to Philip K Dick fans everywhere. it surprised me with a deep and complex story. Far surpassing my initial estimates of the contents.

wow

Tjis book is great and I can't wait to listen to it again. The changes in time threw me off sometimes but that is also what made it a fun book

Dick is insanely brilliant. Amazing religio-sci-fi

Great continuation of Valis. Book two ties in some additional information with brand new characters, set in a whole new future. Fantastic read. Wish the series had been finished before Dick's death. Guess I'll have to settle for Timothy Archer as the third and final installment, though I'm skeptical. If you enjoyed Valis, I think you'll enjoy this, Book 2, The Divine Invasion.

detached from reality

The narrator of this book has no clue whatsoever about the tone of this writing or even what the story is about.

2 of 5 people found this review helpful

Ugh

Would you try another book from Philip K. Dick and/or Dick Hill?

I might try another book, but it would have to be an exceptional case.

Has The Divine Invasion turned you off from other books in this genre?

No, hope springs eternal.

What didn’t you like about Dick Hill’s performance?

Overacted. Strange inflections and intonations like circus music. Creepy women and children's' voices.

2 of 8 people found this review helpful