In an alternate 1960s, conservative senator Ferris F. Fremont becomes president after the Johnson administration; Fremont makes sweeping changes to the United States, abrogating civil liberties and human rights in pursuit of a shadowy Communist group called “Aramchek” which has infiltrated American society. During Fremont’s rise to power, a young man named Nick Brady begins to receive Gnostic visions which he believes are from a helpful alien entity he knows as VALIS, or the Vast Active Living Intelligence System. [Radio Free Albemuth was originally titled VALISystem A, so it shares a lot of the same themes and setting elements as the later VALIS trilogy]. Nick feels himself being pushed by VALIS towards a confrontation with Fremont’s corrupt government, as America finds itself awash in paranoia…
It’s fascinating to read this alongside Dick’s Exegesis, as Radio Free Albemuth covers so much of the same ground—the girl with an Icthys-fish symbol, the religious visions, the attunement to an alien/deity and receiving its telepathic broadcasts. There’s even a few less obvious elements, like Ferris F. Fremont—with F being the sixth letter of the alphabet, it’s an allusion to 666—crafted as a stand-in for McCarthy and Nixon, making the novel Dick’s paen to the post-Watergate world. And because of that, it’s also a bit redundant, a thinly veiled autobiography that splits Dick’s experiences into the mary-sue Nick Brady character. Nick exists to allow Dick some distance between himself—the semi-fictional self in RFA—and his thoughts, allowing Dick the character to dialogue with Nick/Dick the author’s experiences. That gives it yet another metafictional layer, further confusing what is real with what is fiction.
It also makes the novel something of a grind to read; there’s an awful lot of my least favorite writing—passive (past-tense), expository infodumps—in the first section, where the fake Philip K. Dick retells FFF’s rise to power alongside Nick Brady’s emerging visions. It reads something like the draft that it is, lacking the care or polish that Dick’s best works have—the novel was published posthumously by Dick’s estate, and I think the call for more PKD works in the wake of his death played a big part in its release, as I don’t think the novel was otherwise publishable in its current state.
While Dick tries to write a character-centric drama rather than pure pulp SF escapism, it’s plagued by redundancies, and both the characters and plotlines feel a bit underdeveloped and artificial. I’m not a huge fan of the VALIS trilogy and found that a more developed and satisfying read, balancing its crazier ideas with a more polished depth. Combine VALIS with Dick’s attempts to write mainstream literature and you start to arrive at Radio Free Albemuth.
If you want to understand Dick’s Exegesis and its themes—paranoia, religious fervor, alien communications, state control—without actually reading it, then Radio Free Albemuth may be the better route. It’s Dick’s attempts to categorize the same things into a cogent novel, though it covers much of the same ground as the Exegesis’ 900+ pages of correspondence and notes. Instead, it takes most of those elements and tacks them onto a somewhat-fictionalized but heavily autobiographical novel. The problem is that the novel isn’t very good; parts of it read more like Dick’s notes, sketches to be filled in later. Other elements reappeared in VALIS, which itself has more niche appeal among SF readers compared to PKD’s earlier works. Radio Free Albemuth will be an interesting read for diehard fans of Philip K. Dick, but that’s the main group I’d recommend it to—if you are a PKD fan and can’t convince yourself to reading the Exegesis, Radio Free Albemuth will give you a a more accessible and vastly abbreviated version.
fromcouchtomoon said:
“vastly abbreviated version.” I see what you did there.
Agreed. Agreed. Agreed.
Working on my VALIS post right now, which I found much more interesting and better packaged for public consumption. It’s strange to me that family and friends and publishers saw nothing wrong with publishing this. PKD would never have approved.
The number one example that this novel is not in sound form: folk music as a revolutionary, subliminal force that sweeps mainstream America. Maybe he wasn’t on drugs, but all that classical music listening put him really out of touch with mid-70s music sensibilities. Glad he updated that in VALIS.
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admiral.ironbombs said:
Yes, that folk music part felt very artificial and kinda tacky! Very dated. Considering how much of the novel turned into the (better but I didn’t originally like it so let’s see how it goes this time around) Valis series, RFA just left meet cold.
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Cavershamragu said:
Great review Chris – I can’t consider myself a true diehard, much as I do enjoy part of his work, s0 will probably end up sticking to his ‘early funny ones’ 🙂
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admiral.ironbombs said:
Stick with the classics 🙂
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Cavershamragu said:
I did make my way through the collected short stories (the 5 or 6 volume set published in the UK) but have very few Dick novels after about 1970 on my shelves – MAN IN THE HIGH CASTLE remains my favourite probably – have you see the TV adaptation? I’m very curious about it …
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admiral.ironbombs said:
I have not yet, but I’ve heard very mixed reviews… I’m hoping to watch it over the summer.
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nikki @ book punks said:
WHY WAS THIS MY FAVORITE THING EVER WHEN I FIRST READ IT WHY WHY WHY
Nikki now shakes her head disapprovingly at Nikki then. I desperately need to get on re-reading this so I can figure out what it was that drew me in so much that first time. Because considering what you and Megan both said about it, I am not going to like it this time around.
Nicely put, all of it.
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admiral.ironbombs said:
Haha – I don’t expect everyone to dislike it, but it really didn’t grab me and it took me over a month to finish it. Now that I finished it, I’m immediately hooked on my next book… smh
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transrealfiction said:
I don’t recall it seeming as bad as you say when I read it!
I had found Transmigration a rather slow read, and then The Man Whose Teeth (the first of his mainstream books to be published after his death) was mainstream, so this was a zappier sf-ish novel more in line with his previous work…
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admiral.ironbombs said:
It probably wasn’t as bad as I make it sound 🙂 But I’d say it’s the least satisfying PKD novel I’ve read, and I’ve read almost all of them.
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transrealfiction said:
Must admit I’ve never felt the need to re-read it (or several others I barely remember). Probably still got it, though, just in case!
The only one I’ve re-read at all recently is Nick and the Glimmung! 🙂
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Richard Fahey said:
If I’m a diehard fan,it’s because even after reading a lot of his novels,he rarely dissapointed me.This was why I had to keep reading him,as it was the only way to find the best of his stuff,which was of a consistantly high standard,despite his prolific output.It is often difficult to pick out novels worthy of special praise for this reason.
RFA isn’t among his best books however,but he never got a chance to revise it.It’s probably an easier book to read than “Valis” though,despite it’s intensely visionary brilliance,which can be difficult book even for his fans.In this case,it makes sense not to plunge into the “Exegesis”,before you’ve tackled the novels.
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Guy said:
Hi
I remember enjoying it, but most reviews I read agree with you. I will look at more Dick before I reread this but I may give it another try. I have to admit I look at my Philip K shelf and see Dick’s Exegesis in all it’s massive glory and kind of shudder. Some of his Ace Doubles next for me. I did enjoy you discussion of the book and will keep your comments in mind as I read his work in the future.
Happy Reading
Guy
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admiral.ironbombs said:
Thanks for commenting Guy — I’ve really enjoyed most of Dick’s works but this one did not do anything for me. Glad you enjoyed it more, and yes, if you ever tackle the Exegesis keep Radio Free Albemuth in mind… I tried to read the Exegesis and failed 😦
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