History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)

Book Description

Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.

Customer Reviews:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03

Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.

Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19

Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.

Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09

There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.

For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.

Very Interesting.......2007-03-07

It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.

History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10

Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.

I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.

Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.

Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.

I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.

This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.

Average customer rating:

Borderline esoteric; provocative; fascinating...PM's Faust
Philip K. Dick and 'Linda Fox'
awful
Strong thematic elements, but directionless story
Divinely Superior to VALIS

The Divine Invasion
Philip K. Dick
Manufacturer: Vintage
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0679734457
Release Date: 1991-07-02

Book Description

n The Divine Invasion, Philip K. Dick asks: What if God--or a being called Yah--were alive and in exile on a distant planet? How could a second coming succeed against the high technology and finely tuned rationalized evil of the modern police state? The Divine Invasion "blends Judaism, Kabalah, Zoroastrianism, and Christianity into a fascinating fable of human existence" (West Coast Revew of Books).

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In The Divine Invasion, Philip K. Dick asks: What if God—or a being called Yah—were alive and in exile on a distant planet? How could a second coming succeed against the high technology and finely tuned rationalized evil of the modern police state? The Divine Invasion “blends Judaism, Kabalah, Zoroastrianism, and Christianity into a fascinating fable of human existence” (West Coast Revew of Books).

Customer Reviews:

Borderline esoteric; provocative; fascinating...PM's Faust.......2007-06-15

DIVINE INVASION is,in my estimate,PKD's best,most accomplished work.It requires much background and patience.But in the end...unlike Dick's magnum opus THE MAN in the HIGH CASTLE...an informed reader receives "illumination"he can accept,reject or ponder without feeling he's been taken for esoteric roller coaster ride into Nadaland abyss. Herb Asher is EVERYMAN subjected to Ultimate Quest.He reluctantly seeks God and Goodness;while GOD frantically searches for him.The plot begins with SECOND COMING of CHRIST sabotaged by the Devil & self-apotheosizing Mankind in apocalyptic battle against God's messengers(prophets & Angels)and THE LORD of HOSTS Himself. DI spirals through multi-Space/Time continuua ;and scatter-gun conceptions of Reality. Narratively,this is typical PKD. But all stops are pulled-out~If you don't buy one MYTH,he blasts you with another before you can pronounce another Cosmic Sefiroth.

Readers unfamiliar with basic Augustinian Platonism;esoteric Judaeo/
Christianity;or gnostic mythology will not enjoy DIVINE INVASION.The book will seem alogos(crazed & murky)and/or pretentious.Too bad. Philip K.Dick was a writer(still)ahead of his Time.It is The Culture of Death's embrace of PM nihilism that PKD speaks against by forcing men to have faith in something a little greater than appetites and petty(imagined)knowledge constructs.DIVINE INVASION is modern/PM FAUST;far more interesting and challenging.MEPHISTO,here,is legions more deceptive and menacing than Goethe's post-Medieval car salesman.PKD's Devil(Belial)will give your "dream" of Heaven(not GOD'S reality).When you"wake-up"in Hell,the poena damni is knowing your Mirror/Mirror/On the Wall egotism chose it."DAS EWIG-WEIBLICHE zeicht-uns hinan," declares Goethe's chorus at end of FAUST~The Eternal Feminine Lures to Salvation.Here(with a doozy named Linda Fox;and triple-ganger named Zina)is where PKD begins:Archetypal Quest comprising~Summons;Ordeal;(temptations to the max!)and Return concludes with dualimate Kierkegaardian "Leaps of Faith"in Charity and Hope.Good guys win in this(borderline)esoteric,PM myth-War.DIVINE INVASION is provocative,fascinating and worthy:if you,the readers,are ready.
(4 &1/2 sefiroth-illumined stars)

Philip K. Dick and 'Linda Fox'.......2006-07-28

I found this book an interesting re-telling of the New Testament, if different from other Philip K. Dick works.

'Linda Fox' is obviously a stand in for Linda Ronstadt, as Mr. Dick was known to be an extremely ardent fan of hers. The comparisons are quite obvious, once the reader knows this.

Robert a.

awful.......2006-07-02

I know that Philip K. Dick is one of the great classic sci-fi writers, but this book seemed dreadful to me. At many points I had a difficult time figuring out just what was happening, and when I did , it seemed to be such pretentious rubbish. For example "I see now what Plotinus saw , he realized. But , more than that, I have rejoined the sundered realms within me; I have restored the Shekhina to En Sof". Another sample, "The cosmic cycle will bring this age inevitably, it will be the next shemittah , very much like the first; the Torah will again rearrange itself out of its jumbled matrix." Some will find this very profound and delight in the obscure Hebrew references. For me, it was confusing , boring , and at times made me suspect the author was intoxicated.
More a poorly written religious fantasy than sci-fi , I must say this is one of the worst books I have read in some time.

Strong thematic elements, but directionless story.......2005-10-02

PK Dick's The Divine Invasion is the second of the so-called "Valis Trilogy," which begins with Valis. Not a true trilogy - the books are related by theme, not story - this book deals with many of the same issues as Valis; god, divinity, faith, belief, and free will.

I confess that The Divine Invasion did not at first click with me the way most of Dick's books do. It was only when what is being dealt with finally revealed itself that I found myself drawn in - yet even then, this did not rise to my list of favorites by this master writer. The gist is this: God left the Earth thousands of years ago because Jesus did not work out as He planned; He holed himself up on some far flung planet; now the Second Coming has arrived, and the new messiah is going to be birthed by a human colonist and brought to Earth. The catch? A police state has long been on the watch for his coming, hoping to prevent it.

The subject matter is fantastic, but the left turns and reality-changing (not unlike Lies, Inc., aka The Unteleported Man) were often disconcerting. That's usually fine if you're reading over the course of just a few days, but since I stretched this one out over more than a week, keeping my head in Dick's shifting realities and whirling viewpoints was at times more a chore than a joy. That's more a reflection of how I read the book (and how long it took me) rather than the book itself, however, because the ideas are very strong. I'm confident that if given a fresh read over a shorter span a better novel will reveal itself. Whether "better" means "great", of course, is debatable.

This book was written in Dick's last years, which were very introspective and wrapped up in religion and philosophy. The Divine Invasion is no different in that regard. If that's the PKD angle you're looking for, well, here it is.

Divinely Superior to VALIS.......2005-06-30

Not since I saw Spiderman 2 did I believe sequels could revitalize the series as Dick did in The Divine Invasion. Each of the characters seem to be a parody of biblical figures. Imagine God appearing in a burning computer console that isn't really burning and screwing up the lyrics to your favorite songs. This is probably one of the books that influenced Terry Prachett's very great Small Gods novel about a God-like god that has fallen on hard times and needs the help of humans to return it to power. But imagine the Virgin Mary to have a major attitude and be neurotic not to mention A.D.D.
Much of the fun of Dick's earlier works such as Ubik (the cryogenic dreams while listening to an unaccountagble string score in the background) as well overly polite cops in Flow My Tears The Policeman Said (one of whom pulls over the main character for speeding only to nitpick philosphy with him) shows up here. This novel is absurb and hilarious. When the character of mystery, a Linda Fox finally reveals herself, she is described as a having a figure like a pizza waitress. You can't pay for comedy like that. The deliberate anticlimaxes make The Divine Invasion great reading.

Divine Invasions: A Life of Philip K. Dick

Average customer rating:

A "Fat" Lot of Good All of His Talks with the "Divinity" Did for Dick
Very good biography of enigmatic often contradictory writer
Useful book for serious PKD readers
Philip K. Dick, Self-Devourer
Only Apparently Real

Divine Invasions: A Life of Philip K. Dick
Lawrence Sutin
Manufacturer: Citadel
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0806512288

Book Description

"Divine Invasions" is the first full-scale biography of Philip K. Dick, a brilliant writer who, working inside the science fiction field, created some of the most powerful and lasting visionary fiction of this century. This biography chronicles the story of a man whose life was truly as interesting as his own enduring work.

""Divine Invasions" is a perceptive introduction to Philip K. Dick's amazing talent. In Europe and Japan, Dick is regarded as a major American writer, without regard to genre. This new biography takes a large step toward earning Dick that same respect in his native country." -San Francisco Chronicle

"A century from now, two or three of Dick's novels are likely to be among the books by which people will understand this era and its fascination with subliminal manipulation of consciousness and the general origins and limits of consciousness... Lawrence Sutin's biography is a highly informative and fascinating attempt at establishing the fundamentals of Dick's life and work... Extremely useful... is a twenty-page chronological guide to the novels... This biography makes you like Philip K. Dick and makes you want to read his books." -Hungry Mind Review

"It is difficult to praise this book highly enough... Philip K. Dick is finally being accorded the same depth and detail as subjects far less deserving. As scholarship and research, Sutin's efforts are impeccable. As literature, the book is at once absorbing, intelligent and eminently readable... A must-read book for anyone interested in the psychology and art of this fascinating figure." -Trajectories

"An incisive, conscientious biography. Bravo." -Art Spiegelman

"The only biography I've ever read that's as exciting as a spy novel... Phil Dick's life was as weird and mysterious as any of his science fiction books." -Robert Anton Wilson

Customer Reviews:

A "Fat" Lot of Good All of His Talks with the "Divinity" Did for Dick.......2007-08-19

Philip K Dick (PKD) was one of the most prolific and seminal science fiction writers of the sixties and seventies. Though like many writers, respect didn't come until just before and after his death (in 1982), those who spent a lot of those decades reading and writing SF, knew and respected his work. He is also the mentor of many of todays SF writers who take on SF from an internal point of view. But PKD was the first to explore the two questions of PsychSF-What is Reality? What is God?.

Through four decades of writing he never gave up his quest to write the 'big' mainstream novel. Why? More for the recognition of his place in the pantheon of American writers, but for sure for the money and notoriery (which go hand in hand). Here was a many of great talent who wanted to be Nora Robb or James Patterson. PKD felt that mainstream acceptance would allow him the ability to write what he wanted, not just what he thought would sell. Dick began as a 'hack' pulp writer in the fifties and never lost that edge or need to prove his worth in the 'normal' world.

He was immensely popular in both Japan and France (but then they also love Jerry Lewis and Woody Allen) where his novels were considered classics of man's struggle against "THE SYSTEM". They were also seen as strongly socialistic and anti-fascist in nature. His 'breakthought' book "The Man in the High Castle" is his most popular and moving of the genre.

As his got older and his life evolved or devolved (depending on your per- spective) his novels became more and more his musing on 'Reality'. Anyone who has read "A Scanner Darkly" will see how he always tried to analyze a thought down to it's infinite reality. Any idea you could have could be the flip side of another, and even those would be the flip side of some other question. Think of two yin-yangs painted on mirrors facing each other, giving the feeling of an infinity of images and you have PKD's insight into life and reality.

Was PKD crazy or schizophrenic? Well he was a man who had lots of demons not to mention gods but he saw life in his own reality (don't we all) and refused to have it pushed aside by others. His five marriages all ended in divorce and he had three children (two daughters and one son) by three of them. But his writings and musings have been left to us all to ponder as we wait for our next rebirth.

Very good biography of enigmatic often contradictory writer.......2007-05-20

Phil Dick was a difficult person. Sutin's book takes great pains to point out Dick's flaws as a human being but also his strong qualities as a person and writer. Dick was amazingly prolific because he had to be to survive. During his most prolific period he wrote novels that could be both unsatisfactory but with piercing, brilliant themes. At his best Dick tackled a number of questions that had profound personal meaning (the issue of identity, how we define human, the subjective nature of our sense of reality)but were universal enough to communicate to other artists. Dick like the best genre writers struggled to be accepted as a mainstream writer. The irony is that he is more influential than ever 25 years after his death having reached an entire generation of writers (including Jonathan Lethem, K.T. Jeter among others)and achieved financial success because of the films made from his short stories and novels (the best "Minority Report", "A Scanner Darkly", "Blade Runner" and a foreign film of "Confessions of a Crap Artist"--the worst "Paycheck", "Next" of which are at least moderately entertaining).

Sutin documents Dick's personal life interweaving the themes from his novels and how the two were related throughout his life. Dick was a surviving twin. His sister Jane died in infancy and Dick's unstable family life and his own bouts of depression with mental instability. A mercurical writer and individual when he was at the top of his game, Dick later believed that he had been visited by some essence of God and struggled to fit this visitation into some sort of rational perspective. Sutin treats Dick's statements mattter of factly without passing judgement but does relate comments both from Dick's friends and doctors in discussing how this impacted his art and personal life.

Well written, Sutin interviews family, friends, former friends (Dick and Harlan Ellison had a major falling out in the 70's as did Dick and Stanislaw Lem), Dick's therapists, former lovers, wives, enemies and uses Dick's journals to get at the heart of the author himself providing a well rounded, often disturbing picture of this talented artist. Evidently Dick was not an easy person to love but those that cared for him recognized his profound importance as a writer. Sutin also goes through Dick's novels and short story collections ranking them (from 1-10 in quality and importance)and providing fans an idea of his best and worst works.

DIVINE INVASIONS does need to be updated since Dick continues to be critically reappraised and recognized for his importance as a writer outside of the science fiction/fantasy genre. It would also allow Sutin to examine the films made from Dick's novels comparing the themes in both. Still, this is a thoughtful, comprehensive and intelligent biography. Phil Dick deserved nothing less.

A Scanner DarklyConfessions of a Crap ArtistValisFlow My Tears, the Policeman SaidThe Transmigration of Timothy ArcherBest of Philip K DickDr. BloodmoneyPhilip K. Dick: Four Novels of the 1960s: The Man in the High Castle / The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch / Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? / Ubik

Useful book for serious PKD readers.......2002-09-09

Sutin's sometimes sarcastic style might surprise the reader at first, but this is a very insightful look at the life and work of Philip K. Dick - it's also the most substantial book of its kind we have yet. Sutin does a good job of inserting his comments about the works while sharing with us their genesis at the same time; the analysis aspect of `Divine Invasions' is fairly limited, but since it's not a scholarly book, it doesn't disappoint. It reads somewhat like PKD's own novels and short stories, with Dick himself as the central character. The extracts from the Exegesis show PKD at his speculative best and made me want to read more. One more note: in the last section, Sutin offers a `guide' in which he rates PKD's books on a 1-10 internal scale, also providing capsule reviews of the works he didn't write about in the main narrative; it's sure to provoke arguments, as he thought it would. Serious PKD readers should definitely read this.

Philip K. Dick, Self-Devourer.......2002-09-05

By the time of his premature death in 1982, Philip K. Dick had shrewdly submitted and withdrawn so many hypothetical explanations for his chaotic life and unusual experiences that it made rational judgement and objective analysis impossible for those who were paying attention. Many people were paying attention, and waiting a little too passively for his every next pronouncement on the divine. What is amazing today isn't the great number of fans his science fiction work has generated globally, but the increasing deification of Dick as an illuminated cyberpunk guru and Fortean poster boy of the first order. Certainly Dick documented his experiences more thoroughly, if not more clearly, than most; but since millions of people experience paranormal or metaphysical phenomena every year, and some year after year as Dick did, exactly how and why does Dick stand out from the rest?

Lawrence Sutin's book, Divine Invasions: A Life of Philip K. Dick, doesn't attempt to answer this question, taking for granted as it does that Dick was a unique case and a genius; but it does given the general reader a broader overview of Dick's life than has thus far been available. Sutin states that he has respectfully declined to psychoanalyze or diagnose Dick; fair enough; but, considering the events of Dick's life, why not have given the finished text to a reputable psychiatrist for an opinion? Because Sutin, obviously an admirer of his subject, 'wants to believe,' as Dick did. Clearly, Dick, who believed his traumas at the hands of others began while still in the womb, had many legitimate physical, emotional and mental problems of a severe, documentable nature. While no psychiatrist's opinion is verity, in light of Dick's chronic drug addiction, institutionalizations, suicide attempts, and diagnoses of schizophrenia (his aunt was a catatonic schizophrenic), an objective analysis of the facts of Dick's life as it is currently understood would be helpful to fans, Forteans, and general readers alike. For those genuinely interested, separating the various facets of Dick's existence as carefully, cautiously, and sensitively as possible is a must, and the only proper route to an accurate understanding.

Dick had been paranoid, emotionally infantile, co-dependent, and narcissistic all of his adult life when he suffered his first 'Valis' ('Valid?' 'Validation?') experience in 1972. He was also too blinded by his own unconscious egotism-which was everywhere in evidence--to consider that what he-an avowed Gnostic--had experienced may simply have been a miraculous manifestation of the divine. Mystifier Dick spent the next 9 years anguishing over his experiences in private and public, often sounding like the madman he may have irregularly been and alienating friends and colleagues.

Though Dick claimed to be well-versed in Jung, he seems never to have applied himself to Jung's The Psychology of The Transference, a book which concisely offers an explanation for Dick's visionary, archetypal experiences without in the least flattening them into dusty meaninglessness (Jung states: "The unconscious manifests itself in a sudden incomprehensible invasion.") Considering the hatred Dick harbored for his parents throughout his lifetime, it's unfortunate he didn't stringently apply himself to Freud as well. For backward-looking, Oroborous-like Dick never tired of habitually swallowing his own tail. His vision of an immense evil face in the clouds-which he readily identified with his father--and his 'Valis' experiences--whatever else they may have been---point directly to both a highly charged and constellated father complex and a gaping maw of family romance. Dick consciously recognized his morbid ties to his family, but blithely moved beyond these, favoring KGB agents, CIA mind control, beams from distant planets, orbiting satellites and shadowy conspiracies as the more likely culprits. Like a 1970s Richard Shaver, Dick went out on some very long, thin, and unsupportable limbs to attempt to justify his experiences, as if Plato's allegory of the cave had never entered the historical record.

When the Christian god eventually manifests in a prolonged vision and establishes itself to Dick as the true force generating 'Valis,' Dick decides to accept this deity--for a few months anyway--but not before suggesting to 'God' that the two of them are one and equivalent. Dick completed over a million words of nonfiction speculation on the nature of these experiences, and Sutin writes that Dick's final estimation of 'Valis' was that "knowledge-not mere faith-as to the true 'hyper-structure' of the universe is possible." Funny, that's something any intelligent person knows just out of the gate. Astronomy, physics, the Neoplatonists, anyone?

Dick also seems to have conveniently failed to make the conspicuously obvious jump concerning psychic contamination. Before the 'Valis' incidents, he had written two novels (one, UBIK = 'Ubiquitous?') which dealt with strange amorphorous godlike entities who intrude unexpectedly on mortal men with devastating results. Why then didn't he draw the more reasonable conclusion that the explanation for 'Valis' could be found within his imagination and himself? Dick was not the first creative personality to experience seemingly divine inspiration; from Blake, Rilke, and Yeats to Robert Frost, Keith Richards and Tori Amos, the phenomena is universally experienced but little understood.

Clearly an ardent fan, author Sutin occasionally presents his material in too subjective a fashion. Readers may also reject Sutin's following claims: that modern science fiction does not stem from the early work of Wells, Verne, Huxley and others; that Dick was the first novelist ever to mention the I-Ching in an American work of fiction (Sutin must have read several hundred thousand books to verify this); and, perhaps mistaking a publishing house for an audience, that William Burroughs is a 'mainstream' American writer. Most glaringly, Sutin repeats the global error of stating that 'Fred' in 'A Scanner Darkly' does not realize he is also Robert Arctor, the person Fred has been assigned to surveil.

Fans of Dick's work, and especially those who share his seedy if prescient sensibilities, will find the book fascinating. With all the new information concerning Dick's life coming to light, the book is deservingly in need of a careful revision.

Only Apparently Real.......2002-04-03

This is Lawrence Sutin's best book (well, of the three that I've read). It's also the best book on Dick I've found, and it's about as engrossing as some of Dick's better novels. There's a lot of stuff in here, but I wolfed it down pretty quickly.

The various troubled relationships, paranoid experiences (and attitudes), drug experimentation, and transcendental experiences are discussed here in some detail. We get lots of stories from Dick's ex-wives and such discussing his writing habits and nervous behavior.

I found particularly helpful the bibliography (with plot summaries) at the end of the book. It's depressing how much of Dick's work is still out of print.

A great book on a great American writer. Anyone who wants to go further might look at IN SEARCH OF VALIS, also by Sutin.

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Great Help, But Only The Last 100 Pages

In Little Need of Divine Intervention: Takezaki Suenaga's Scrolls of the Mongol Invasions of Japan (Cornell East Asia, No. 113) (Cornell East Asia Series)

Manufacturer: Cornell Univ East Asia Program
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 188544513X

Product Description

In Little Need of Divine Intervention presents a fundamental revision of the thirteenth-century Mongol Invasions of Japan by revealing that the warriors of medieval Japan were capable of fighting the Mongols to a standstill without the aid of any "divine winds" or kamikaze. Conlan's interpretation of the invasions is supplemented with translations of the picture scrolls commissioned by Takezaki Suenaga, a warrior who fought against the Mongols. In addition, translations of nearly seventy administrative documents are provided, thereby enabling students of Japanese history reconstruct the invasions using contemporary sources. A rare copy of Takezaki Suenaga's Scrolls, reproduced in full, reveals hitherto unknown missing scenes. Furthermore, the scrolls' images can be now read in tandem with its narrative passages, translated in English for the first time. Please note that the entire book was intentionally printed from back to front, so that the reproduced scrolls unfold in Japanese order, from right to left. Thus the book's spine is on the right. This monograph will prove to be of great interest for students and scholars of medieval Japanese history, warrior culture, and the nature of Japan in an East Asian context.

Customer Reviews:

Great Help, But Only The Last 100 Pages.......2003-12-17

After having been given the task of researching the plausibility of the Mongol invasions of Japan, I checked out this book from the local library. The first one-third of the book is a translation of the manuscripts of a samurai after the invasions seeking rewards for his service. This was not very useful to my research but possibly the only English translation of this important work that is easily accessible. The next one-third is a translation of other works pertaining to the Mongol invasions. These works were not necessary for any mainstream analysis of these events. The final one-third consisted of the author's personal research on the counter of the popular Japanese sentiment of divine intervention. I found this to be helpful and insightful, yet too short. If more of the book had been devoted to the author's interpretations and conclusions, the book would have been a better read. From a purely reference point of view, this book is quite useful.

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THE DIVINE INVASION
DICK PHILIP K.
Manufacturer: Timescape Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000HA8PNC

THE CHURCH IN CRISIS: THE RECORD OF A DIVINE INVASION AS RECORDED IN THE FIRST TWELVE CHAPTERS OF THE BOOK OF ACTS. (SIGNED).

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THE CHURCH IN CRISIS: THE RECORD OF A DIVINE INVASION AS RECORDED IN THE FIRST TWELVE CHAPTERS OF THE BOOK OF ACTS. (SIGNED).

Manufacturer: Pickering & Inglis
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000HI84FS

The church marches in: The record of a Divine invasion as recorded in the first twelve chapters of the book of Acts

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The church marches in: The record of a Divine invasion as recorded in the first twelve chapters of the book of Acts
Tom Rees
Manufacturer: Pickering & Inglis
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0007JLV16

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Answers the difficult questions
Life Changing

Divine Invasion
Michael L. Monhollon
Manufacturer: Reflection Publishing Co.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Fiction | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0965756106

Book Description

Divine Invasion tells the gospel story in the manner of a modern realistic novel set amid the conflict between the Jewish priesthood and the Roman authorities.

Customer Reviews:

Answers the difficult questions.......2003-08-20

This book answers those nagging questions one often has pertaining to the motives of Biblical characters. It provides an easy-to-read explanation of political and cultural issues which influenced behaviors, attitudes, and actions--issues which tend to baffle us and rob us of the ability to fully understand the Bible's content. There is one fictional scene which will offend Christians who know their Bible and Savior intimately. Indeed, the author himself contradicts the fictional incident later in the book with yet more fictional verbage. It is a minor transgression considering the value of the writing as a whole. I recommend this book to all who seek the truth. You won't be able to put it down.

Life Changing.......2002-10-30

This book literally drove me to my knees - I still don't know if the author is a Christian or not - I just know it touched my broken heart and spirit. If I could force people to read it, I would. It rocked my world that much.

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The Divine Invasion
Philip K. DICK
Manufacturer: Timescape/Pocket Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000OPAOCA

Average customer rating:

Divine Invasion 1ST Edition
Philip K Dick
Manufacturer: TIMESCAPE BOOKS
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000Q5W8XG

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