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A Maze of Death
Delmak-O is a dangerous planet. Though there are only fourteen citizens, no one can trust anyone else and death can strike at any moment. The planet is vast an largely unexplored, populated mostly by gelatinous cube-shaped beings that give cryptic advise in the form of anagrams. Deities can be spoken to directly via a series of prayer amplifiers and transmitters, but they may not be happy about it. And the mysterious building in the distance draws all the colonists to it, but when they get there each sees a different motto on the front. The mystery of this structure and the secrets contained within drive this mind-bending novel.
190 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 1970
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About the author
Philip K. Dick
2,001 books22.3k followersPhilip Kindred Dick was a prolific American science fiction author whose work has had a lasting impact on literature, cinema, and popular culture. Known for his imaginative narratives and profound philosophical themes, Dick explored the nature of reality, the boundaries of human identity, and the impact of technology and authoritarianism on society. His stories often blurred the line between the real and the artificial, challenging readers to question their perceptions and beliefs.
Raised in California, Dick began writing professionally in the early 1950s, publishing short stories in various science fiction magazines. He quickly developed a distinctive voice within the genre, marked by a fusion of science fiction concepts with deep existential and psychological inquiry. Over his career, he authored 44 novels and more than 100 short stories, many of which have become classics in the field.
Recurring themes in Dick's work include alternate realities, simulations, corporate and government control, mental illness, and the nature of consciousness. His protagonists are frequently everyday individuals—often paranoid, uncertain, or troubled—caught in surreal and often dangerous circumstances that force them to question their environment and themselves. Works such as Ubik, The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch, and A Scanner Darkly reflect his fascination with perception and altered states of consciousness, often drawing from his own experiences with mental health struggles and drug use.
One of Dick’s most influential novels is Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, which served as the basis for Ridley Scott’s iconic film Blade Runner. The novel deals with the distinction between humans and artificial beings and asks profound questions about empathy, identity, and what it means to be alive. Other adaptations of his work include Total Recall, Minority Report, A Scanner Darkly, and The Man in the High Castle, each reflecting key elements of his storytelling—uncertain realities, oppressive systems, and the search for truth. These adaptations have introduced his complex ideas to audiences well beyond the traditional readership of science fiction.
In the 1970s, Dick underwent a series of visionary and mystical experiences that had a significant influence on his later writings. He described receiving profound knowledge from an external, possibly divine, source and documented these events extensively in what became known as The Exegesis, a massive and often fragmented journal. These experiences inspired his later novels, most notably the VALIS trilogy, which mixes autobiography, theology, and metaphysics in a narrative that defies conventional structure and genre boundaries.
Throughout his life, Dick faced financial instability, health issues, and periods of personal turmoil, yet he remained a dedicated and relentless writer. Despite limited commercial success during his lifetime, his reputation grew steadily, and he came to be regarded as one of the most original voices in speculative fiction. His work has been celebrated for its ability to fuse philosophical depth with gripping storytelling and has influenced not only science fiction writers but also philosophers, filmmakers, and futurists.
Dick’s legacy continues to thrive in both literary and cinematic spheres. The themes he explored remain urgently relevant in the modern world, particularly as technology increasingly intersects with human identity and governance. The Philip K. Dick Award, named in his honor, is presented annually to distinguished works of science fiction published in paperback original form in the United States. His writings have also inspired television series, academic studies, and countless homages across media.
Through his vivid imagination and unflinching inquiry into the nature of existence, Philip K. Dick redefined what science fiction could achieve. His work continues to challenge and inspire, offering timeless insights into the human condition a
Raised in California, Dick began writing professionally in the early 1950s, publishing short stories in various science fiction magazines. He quickly developed a distinctive voice within the genre, marked by a fusion of science fiction concepts with deep existential and psychological inquiry. Over his career, he authored 44 novels and more than 100 short stories, many of which have become classics in the field.
Recurring themes in Dick's work include alternate realities, simulations, corporate and government control, mental illness, and the nature of consciousness. His protagonists are frequently everyday individuals—often paranoid, uncertain, or troubled—caught in surreal and often dangerous circumstances that force them to question their environment and themselves. Works such as Ubik, The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch, and A Scanner Darkly reflect his fascination with perception and altered states of consciousness, often drawing from his own experiences with mental health struggles and drug use.
One of Dick’s most influential novels is Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, which served as the basis for Ridley Scott’s iconic film Blade Runner. The novel deals with the distinction between humans and artificial beings and asks profound questions about empathy, identity, and what it means to be alive. Other adaptations of his work include Total Recall, Minority Report, A Scanner Darkly, and The Man in the High Castle, each reflecting key elements of his storytelling—uncertain realities, oppressive systems, and the search for truth. These adaptations have introduced his complex ideas to audiences well beyond the traditional readership of science fiction.
In the 1970s, Dick underwent a series of visionary and mystical experiences that had a significant influence on his later writings. He described receiving profound knowledge from an external, possibly divine, source and documented these events extensively in what became known as The Exegesis, a massive and often fragmented journal. These experiences inspired his later novels, most notably the VALIS trilogy, which mixes autobiography, theology, and metaphysics in a narrative that defies conventional structure and genre boundaries.
Throughout his life, Dick faced financial instability, health issues, and periods of personal turmoil, yet he remained a dedicated and relentless writer. Despite limited commercial success during his lifetime, his reputation grew steadily, and he came to be regarded as one of the most original voices in speculative fiction. His work has been celebrated for its ability to fuse philosophical depth with gripping storytelling and has influenced not only science fiction writers but also philosophers, filmmakers, and futurists.
Dick’s legacy continues to thrive in both literary and cinematic spheres. The themes he explored remain urgently relevant in the modern world, particularly as technology increasingly intersects with human identity and governance. The Philip K. Dick Award, named in his honor, is presented annually to distinguished works of science fiction published in paperback original form in the United States. His writings have also inspired television series, academic studies, and countless homages across media.
Through his vivid imagination and unflinching inquiry into the nature of existence, Philip K. Dick redefined what science fiction could achieve. His work continues to challenge and inspire, offering timeless insights into the human condition a
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January 23, 2020
"A million stars burst into wheels of light, blistering, cold light, that drenched her. It came from behind and she felt the great weight of it crash into her. "Tony," she said, and fell into the waiting void. She thought nothing; she felt nothing. She saw only, saw the void as it absorbed her, waiting below and beneath her as she plummeted down the many miles. On her hands and knees she died. Alone on the porch. Still clutching for what did not exist.”
― Philip K. Dick, A Maze of Death
If you are a fan of PKD’s fast-paced craziness hop aboard. Here’s the setup: Over the span of two months, traveling one or two at a time in one-way rocket ships, fourteen men and women are transferred to the planet of Delmak-O to live as a small community in isolation. When the last of the colonists lands, they all anxiously huddle around a transmitter to listen to a General Treaton explain the reason for their assignment.
Unfortunately, right at the critical point when their mission's purpose is about to be explained, the transmitter goes haywire and no further communication is possible, either giving or receiving. Oh, no! No defined goals, no more contact; no more rocket ships - now they are truly isolated.
Also unfortunate is the fact not one of these men or women has a shred of community spirit; quite the contrary, they are all antisocial in the extreme. But fortunate for readers, the more unsociable and unfriendly their behavior, the more color and flair and weirdly provocative twists contained in the story, an entire cornucopia, as we follow the zigzag of their cockeyed misadventures. To share a more specific taste of this novel's uniqueness, here are nine specimens of PKD exotic fruit:
Seth Morley – A marine biologist who receives timely advice from a Walker-on-Earth to switch from his chosen noser (small one-way rocket) for flight to Delmak-O, a noser called the Morbid Chicken. Wow! To be saved by a higher life form - Seth is most grateful. Little does Seth know, once on Delmak-O, circumstances will propel him into the role of an Indiana Jones-style hero following a couple of other harrowing episodes: being sexually assaulted by the big breasted Susie Smart and shot by plastics technician Ignatz Thugg. Ah, community.
Sacred Text – For these denizens in PKD’s futuristic world, not the Bible but A.J. Specktowsky’s How I Rose From the Dead in My Spare Time and So Can You is held in reverence, a book containing such quizzical theology as: “God is not supernatural. His existence was the first and most natural mode of being to form itself.” As PKD himself states in his Forward, the theology in A Maze of Death is not like any one known religion; rather, as science fiction author, he developed his own system of religious thought predicated on the fickle assumption that God exists.
Prayer – If you were going to pray, would you need a transmitter where you could attach conduits to permanent electrodes extending from your pineal gland? Would you pray to an Intercessor or something akin to a manufacturer that’s called a Mentifacturer? This is exactly what Ben Tallchief and the other colonists consider before submitting their prayers.
Form Destroyer - The nature of this nasty, negative character is uncertain. Even Specktowsky admits his origin is unclear – impossible to determine if he is a separate entity from God or if he is created or uncreated by God. But one thing is for certain – the colonists must deal with the presence of the Form Destroyer, particularly after the spooky death of one of their number on Delmak-O.
Maggie Walsh - A theologian who has an after death experience that begins by her seeing iridescent colors mixed into light that travel like some oozing liquid forming itself into buzzsaws and pinwheels that creep upward, moving from her toes to her head. She hears a menacing voice calling her skywards. These images and sounds then morph into a bizarre sequence of stunning patterns and supernatural spectacles. In his Forward, PKD informs us how Magggie Walsh’s after death visions come from one of his own LSD trips in exact detail. One of the highlights of the novel, to be sure.
Wade Frazer - A psychologist inclined to continually analyze his fellow disgruntled colonists. At one point, Wade Frazer reports: “My preliminary testing indicates that by and large this is an inherently ego-oriented group.” Is it any surprise Wade is the least popular among those assembled on Delmak-O?
The tench – A gelatinous cube out in the wastelands of Delmak-O that mysteriously can answer questions written down on a piece of paper placed in front of it. But once, faced with a question posed by Seth Morley: “The great globular mass of protoplasmic slush undulated slightly, as if aware of him. Then, as the question was placed before it, the tench began to shudder . . . as if, Morley thought, to get away from us. It swayed back and forth, evidently in distress. Part of it began to liquefy.” Morley and the other colonists know they are in store for an extra dose of weirdness.
The Building – Looking like an eight-story factory, a cube-like building in the hinterlands of Delmak-O. From various reports, it could be anything from a mental hospital to a wine distillery. Some of the exploring colonists, wishing to get to the bottom of their mission’s purpose, think it wise to enter the building, others not.
The Last Two Chapters – Keep in mind this is PKD. What is really happening to all these colonists and why are they continually loosing numbers, either by killing one another or dying and disappearing in strange ways? Is some kind of thought experiment being conducted? Are they to mull over the implications of dilemmas like Brain in a Vat or John Searle’s Chinese Room or Robert Nozick’s Pleasure Machine? If your imagination is up for a few stirring jolts, I urge you to read this novel to find out.
"The same force that shut down the transmitter," Ignatz Thugg said. "They knew; they knew if he phrased the prayer it would go through. Even without the relay." He looked gray and frightened. All of them did, Seth Morley noticed. Their faces, in the light of the room, had a leaden, stone-like cast. Like, he thought, thousand-year-old idols.
Time, he thought, is shutting down around us. It is as if the future is gone, for all of us.”
― Philip K. Dick, A Maze of Death
January 7, 2020
Disclosure, I haven’t read much PKD. A few short stories and one other novel, I believe. I am, however, still a follower. Blade Runner is one of my favorite movies and there is no ignoring his impact and influence on the science fiction genre. I personally don’t love his writing style, but there is no denying his originality and creativity. He was also an intriguing character himself, complex, suicidal, prone to hallucinations (often drug induced), and unfortunately abusive. In his works, he explored drug uses, mental illness, and questions about the perception of reality and the nature of humanity. His work seems just as relevant today, with the recent series, “The Man in the High Castle” as well as several remakes (Blade Runner 2049 & Total Recall) as he was at his death in 1982.
“A Maze of Death” starts almost like a murder mystery by introducing fourteen, seemly random people, who find themselves on remote world, with no means of departure, and unaware of their purpose. PKD manufactures an entire religion which revolves around ‘God Worlds’ and actual manifestations of religious figures. Devotee’s send prayers to the ‘God’ through electrodes attached to their pituitary glands and magnified through electronic devices. He also shows his unique creativity through a collection of real and artificial creatures that exist on the planet creating a bizarre and deadly setting.
The twist ending was at first a disappointment to me, but as I both read the final pages, and thought more about whole of the novel, became more interesting and certainly, classic PKD. One must also remember that this was published in 1970. I also wondered if PKD constructed the whole novel around an LSD experience which he describes in the Author Foreword, and reveals that he described it, “in exact detail”. I don’t recommend this to casual sci-fi fans, but for devotes of this genre, some amount of PKD is almost required.
A bizarre, original and creative story, that evolves and takes an ending that could be cliché and instead makes it provoke as only PKD can.
“A Maze of Death” starts almost like a murder mystery by introducing fourteen, seemly random people, who find themselves on remote world, with no means of departure, and unaware of their purpose. PKD manufactures an entire religion which revolves around ‘God Worlds’ and actual manifestations of religious figures. Devotee’s send prayers to the ‘God’ through electrodes attached to their pituitary glands and magnified through electronic devices. He also shows his unique creativity through a collection of real and artificial creatures that exist on the planet creating a bizarre and deadly setting.
The twist ending was at first a disappointment to me, but as I both read the final pages, and thought more about whole of the novel, became more interesting and certainly, classic PKD. One must also remember that this was published in 1970. I also wondered if PKD constructed the whole novel around an LSD experience which he describes in the Author Foreword, and reveals that he described it, “in exact detail”. I don’t recommend this to casual sci-fi fans, but for devotes of this genre, some amount of PKD is almost required.
A bizarre, original and creative story, that evolves and takes an ending that could be cliché and instead makes it provoke as only PKD can.
August 6, 2017
Philip K. Dick was to theological science fiction as James Brown was to funky R&B music: its spiritual godfather, its benchmark practitioner and a source of influence whose ever widening ripples expanded out into other genres and our culture as a whole.
A Maze of Death, published in 1970, was one of his better novels, combining thought provoking science fiction with an introspective search for truth that was a central element in much of Dick’s later fiction.
Behind Ubik, this was his work most frequently referenced in the The Exegesis of Philip K. Dick and this is the work most akin to Ubik (published in 1969) in its otherworldly theological framework. In both books there are a group of individuals loosely connected together beneath the notice of a dispassionate, uncaring, perhaps even hostile deity.
But unlike Ubik and the earlier 1957 publication Eye in the Sky, A Maze of Death places religion at stage center, with a focused if surreal spotlight on the caricature. Personifying and exemplifying the maxim “alone in a crowd” A Maze of Death thematically describes Dick’s recurring element of individualism and isolation.
In a review for Joseph Conrad’s novel Victory I commented on how Conrad fans tended to break down into groups who favored Heart of Darkness, Lord Jim, Nostromo, or Victory.
Similarly, Philip K. Dick fans can be grouped into factions who choose as his best work one of the following: Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? , Ubik, The Man in the High Castle, A Scanner Darkly or VALIS.
I submit here that there could be a sixth group who choose as his best work A Maze of Death (even though this could potentially be a sub-group of the Ubik folks). This could be an analogy of Life itself or of a science fiction twist on a philosophic illustration.
A Maze of Death creates an isolationist scenario reminiscent of Poul Anderson’s Tau Zero. Finally, this may also have influenced the producers of The Matrix.
A Maze of Death, published in 1970, was one of his better novels, combining thought provoking science fiction with an introspective search for truth that was a central element in much of Dick’s later fiction.
Behind Ubik, this was his work most frequently referenced in the The Exegesis of Philip K. Dick and this is the work most akin to Ubik (published in 1969) in its otherworldly theological framework. In both books there are a group of individuals loosely connected together beneath the notice of a dispassionate, uncaring, perhaps even hostile deity.
But unlike Ubik and the earlier 1957 publication Eye in the Sky, A Maze of Death places religion at stage center, with a focused if surreal spotlight on the caricature. Personifying and exemplifying the maxim “alone in a crowd” A Maze of Death thematically describes Dick’s recurring element of individualism and isolation.
In a review for Joseph Conrad’s novel Victory I commented on how Conrad fans tended to break down into groups who favored Heart of Darkness, Lord Jim, Nostromo, or Victory.
Similarly, Philip K. Dick fans can be grouped into factions who choose as his best work one of the following: Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? , Ubik, The Man in the High Castle, A Scanner Darkly or VALIS.
I submit here that there could be a sixth group who choose as his best work A Maze of Death (even though this could potentially be a sub-group of the Ubik folks). This could be an analogy of Life itself or of a science fiction twist on a philosophic illustration.
A Maze of Death creates an isolationist scenario reminiscent of Poul Anderson’s Tau Zero. Finally, this may also have influenced the producers of The Matrix.
March 8, 2021
"Shall we go to bed?" Susie said.
"What?" he said.
"I'm interested in going to bed with you. I can't judge a man unless I've been in bed with him."
"What about women?"
"I can't judge them at all. What, do you think I go to bed with the women, too? That's depraved."
Honestly, who talks like that? If you never read any PKD before you would probably think that is some damned awkward dialogue, but PKD veterans are more likely to think “Good to be back in PKDland!”. A Maze of Death is, for me, classic PKD, it has all the unique PKDesque things that I love about reading his fiction; weird, funny, surprising, and never a dull moment. A Maze of Death is apparently set in a universe where the existence of God has somehow been proven. The universally accepted religion is based on a book called “How I Rose From the Dead in My Spare Time and So Can You” by A. J. Specktowsky. The book’s title is good for a giggle, but for some reason, the author’s name also amused me. So in the universe of this book prayers actually work—when they are answered—and you would need to pray through some kind of transmitter, the process requires attaching conduits to the permanent electrodes extending from one's pineal gland; so just kneeling by your bed isn’t going to cut it.
The story starts with non-protagonist Ben Tallchief praying for a transfer from his boring job. Almost immediately a transfer order comes in and he is sent to a planet called Delmak-O to join thirteen other people on an unspecified colonization mission. Unfortunately, the communication system at Delmak-O fails so nobody knows what they are supposed to be doing. Soon the colonists start dropping dead one by one, almost And Then There Were None style, but the cause of death is clearly not a single psychopath. Gradually the truth about the planet and the mission dawns on the colonists and the plot takes a bizarre turn. That is enough synopsis I think, but it is worth mentioning that Delmak-O is full of some very strange critters, one species look like a miniaturized building, another is a gelatinous thing that makes copies of objects put in front of it, and several more, including weird flies and bees, that I won’t mention.
A Maze of Death literally got me through a very tough time as I was sick as a dog last week and slept poorly but the book kept my spirits up. One online review mentions that this is one of Dick’s darkest books and I find it quite delightful so I must have a warped psyche. The idea of “empirical theology” is quite intriguing; curiously it does not seem to make the characters behave any better toward each other. The book is more action-packed than a lot of PKDs, with aerial dogfights and an apocalyptic climax. There is even a major twist at the end, I won’t spoil it but it reminds me of an episode of Red Dwarf (though this book predates the TV series). Like most of PKD’s books, things are seldom what they seem and reality can take a left turn anytime. The same can be said of the characters, you never know what they are going to do next. As mentioned earlier the dialogue is often stilted and there is little in the way of characters development. However, I read PKD not for his literary art, but for the drug-free trips.
Not top tier PKD, I suppose, but I'll high five it!
_____________________________
Note: You won't find many 5 stars rating for this book on GR, objectively it's probably not one of his finest, but subjectively I enjoyed the hell out of it. The best PKD for me remains Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, followed by Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said.
"What?" he said.
"I'm interested in going to bed with you. I can't judge a man unless I've been in bed with him."
"What about women?"
"I can't judge them at all. What, do you think I go to bed with the women, too? That's depraved."
Honestly, who talks like that? If you never read any PKD before you would probably think that is some damned awkward dialogue, but PKD veterans are more likely to think “Good to be back in PKDland!”. A Maze of Death is, for me, classic PKD, it has all the unique PKDesque things that I love about reading his fiction; weird, funny, surprising, and never a dull moment. A Maze of Death is apparently set in a universe where the existence of God has somehow been proven. The universally accepted religion is based on a book called “How I Rose From the Dead in My Spare Time and So Can You” by A. J. Specktowsky. The book’s title is good for a giggle, but for some reason, the author’s name also amused me. So in the universe of this book prayers actually work—when they are answered—and you would need to pray through some kind of transmitter, the process requires attaching conduits to the permanent electrodes extending from one's pineal gland; so just kneeling by your bed isn’t going to cut it.
The story starts with non-protagonist Ben Tallchief praying for a transfer from his boring job. Almost immediately a transfer order comes in and he is sent to a planet called Delmak-O to join thirteen other people on an unspecified colonization mission. Unfortunately, the communication system at Delmak-O fails so nobody knows what they are supposed to be doing. Soon the colonists start dropping dead one by one, almost And Then There Were None style, but the cause of death is clearly not a single psychopath. Gradually the truth about the planet and the mission dawns on the colonists and the plot takes a bizarre turn. That is enough synopsis I think, but it is worth mentioning that Delmak-O is full of some very strange critters, one species look like a miniaturized building, another is a gelatinous thing that makes copies of objects put in front of it, and several more, including weird flies and bees, that I won’t mention.
A Maze of Death literally got me through a very tough time as I was sick as a dog last week and slept poorly but the book kept my spirits up. One online review mentions that this is one of Dick’s darkest books and I find it quite delightful so I must have a warped psyche. The idea of “empirical theology” is quite intriguing; curiously it does not seem to make the characters behave any better toward each other. The book is more action-packed than a lot of PKDs, with aerial dogfights and an apocalyptic climax. There is even a major twist at the end, I won’t spoil it but it reminds me of an episode of Red Dwarf (though this book predates the TV series). Like most of PKD’s books, things are seldom what they seem and reality can take a left turn anytime. The same can be said of the characters, you never know what they are going to do next. As mentioned earlier the dialogue is often stilted and there is little in the way of characters development. However, I read PKD not for his literary art, but for the drug-free trips.
Not top tier PKD, I suppose, but I'll high five it!
_____________________________
Note: You won't find many 5 stars rating for this book on GR, objectively it's probably not one of his finest, but subjectively I enjoyed the hell out of it. The best PKD for me remains Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, followed by Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said.
October 26, 2025
On YouTube, there is an interview with William Sarill, a guy who was invited to stay at Philip K. Dick's home for a short period while PKD was writing 'A Maze of Death'. (If you watch it, I would recommend doing so after reading the novel.) What's most interesting about the discussion is that it clears up a few myths about the author - i.e., apparently Dick wasn't quite the druggie that many believe he was. ~ which is to say, yes, part of that rumor is true (esp. in terms of the Benzedrine period) but there's a large part that's not.
Sarill doesn't say a whole lot about the book's plot but he seems to point to the work as a pivotal point in Dick's "urgent concern" with things spiritual (something he may have had a back-burner interest in all along).
'AMOD' does reflect this preoccupation; it's not overt but there's an underlying thread throughout, bread crumb hints that are, at times, larger than crumbs. It hardly reads like a religious treatise, though. It reads largely as a whodunit. In space.
I'm far from the first to have recognized the novel's main component as being an homage to Agatha Christie's 'And Then There Were None' (intended as such to honor Christie?, or just because she used a hook that was too cool to not take a crack at?). But using Christie's linchpin was not PKD being lazy. There's too much more going on in the mystery he sets before us. Besides, when it comes down to it, the story is less concerned with 'Who did it?' than 'What's being done to everybody collectively?'. And, yes, spiritually.
Along those lines... one of my favorite parts of the book comes when members of the group find themselves at the entrance to a 'Building' which bears a plate with a simple motto. There aren't two people in the group who can agree on what the motto is supposed to be saying. ~ which makes one wonder what the 'Building' is supposed to represent. But that's about as much as PKD 'spells out'. The mysticism is consistently dreamy.
As well, there are 'standard' space adventure elements - generally handled in somewhat unconventional ways (since Dick has specific surprises that are true to his unique spirit). There's also significant tension, some welcome wit, at least one (shall we say) refreshing view on political strategy:
I anticipated that this was going to be one of PKD's less accessible books. But it's as quick a read as you'd like it to be, really. You can fly through it just for story. Or you can stop yourself at points and wonder 'What's PKD doing here?' Or you can give it a second read sometime - and probably catch things that flew by you the first time around.
I'll give that last option a think. But, for now, there are too many PKD novels I'd like to check out.
Sarill doesn't say a whole lot about the book's plot but he seems to point to the work as a pivotal point in Dick's "urgent concern" with things spiritual (something he may have had a back-burner interest in all along).
'AMOD' does reflect this preoccupation; it's not overt but there's an underlying thread throughout, bread crumb hints that are, at times, larger than crumbs. It hardly reads like a religious treatise, though. It reads largely as a whodunit. In space.
I'm far from the first to have recognized the novel's main component as being an homage to Agatha Christie's 'And Then There Were None' (intended as such to honor Christie?, or just because she used a hook that was too cool to not take a crack at?). But using Christie's linchpin was not PKD being lazy. There's too much more going on in the mystery he sets before us. Besides, when it comes down to it, the story is less concerned with 'Who did it?' than 'What's being done to everybody collectively?'. And, yes, spiritually.
Along those lines... one of my favorite parts of the book comes when members of the group find themselves at the entrance to a 'Building' which bears a plate with a simple motto. There aren't two people in the group who can agree on what the motto is supposed to be saying. ~ which makes one wonder what the 'Building' is supposed to represent. But that's about as much as PKD 'spells out'. The mysticism is consistently dreamy.
As well, there are 'standard' space adventure elements - generally handled in somewhat unconventional ways (since Dick has specific surprises that are true to his unique spirit). There's also significant tension, some welcome wit, at least one (shall we say) refreshing view on political strategy:
"We can vote," Betty Jo Berm said. "In a democratic way. But I think we must be careful." She struggled to express herself. "We mustn't give a leader too much power. And we should be able to recall him when and if at any time we're not satisfied with him; then we can vote him out as our leader and elect someone else. But while he is leader we should obey him--we don't want him to be too weak, either. If he's too weak we'll just be like we are now: a mere collection of individuals who can't function together, even in the face of death."~ and there's a doozy of a finale twist (which then has its own added surprises).
I anticipated that this was going to be one of PKD's less accessible books. But it's as quick a read as you'd like it to be, really. You can fly through it just for story. Or you can stop yourself at points and wonder 'What's PKD doing here?' Or you can give it a second read sometime - and probably catch things that flew by you the first time around.
I'll give that last option a think. But, for now, there are too many PKD novels I'd like to check out.
August 21, 2013
The beginning of Dick's later God novels, but still predating his 2-3-74 pink beam episode and his later VALIS Trilogy (Gnostic Trilogy [God Trilogy]), 'A Maze of Death' is a philosophical SF novel that explores the nature of God, religion, and the way we as both individuals and a society try to deal with the various levels of reality and the inevitability of death.
Reading this, it was hard not to see huge chunks of this novel that were cribbed by LOST (good tv borrows, great tv steals). The marooned crew, experiments, theological mash-ups, insanity, dream-like fugues, paranoia, etc., all float around in the same dreamy, frenzied universe as LOST. JJ Abrams you are a book thief.
Reading this, it was hard not to see huge chunks of this novel that were cribbed by LOST (good tv borrows, great tv steals). The marooned crew, experiments, theological mash-ups, insanity, dream-like fugues, paranoia, etc., all float around in the same dreamy, frenzied universe as LOST. JJ Abrams you are a book thief.
January 10, 2019
Strange, metaphysical sci-fi murder-mystery where Dick's incipient theological ideas are mashed, a little awkwardly, with his pulp-fiction sensibilities. The set-up is a bleak planet called Delmak-O, which has a population of just fourteen human colonists. None is very likeable and they don't get on with each other well; soon after their arrival, someone or something starts killing them off one by one. Meanwhile, they have odd visions of a mysterious building somewhere nearby on the planet's surface, which suggests that nothing they see around them is what it appears to be.
The ontological paranoia is classic Dick, though the ending, which takes the form of a big season-finale-style reveal, is unusually dark. In a 1987 speech, Kim Stanley Robinson made the intriguing suggestion that the killings in A Maze of Death represent Dick himself murdering the cast of stock characters he had been using in his books for the last umpteen years – and it's certainly true that after this one, we start to see a new kind of Philip K Dick character, especially after the author's religious-mania-cum-breakdown really took hold a few years later.
The religion in the background here is, I felt, a bit of a distraction, though it's interesting – based on the idea that God's existence is a matter of factual knowledge, so that sending a prayer is as mechanical a process as sending an email (though for real effectiveness, it does require some serious transmission technology).
My favourite aspect of the whole novel is the conceit of the table of contents, whose chapter titles refer to the book's characters but bear no resemblance at all to what is actually taking place. So the pages of relentless murder, suspicion and hallucination are, when you flip to the front, called things like
or
I found this hilarious; it also has interesting implications given the dénouement, which I won't spoil here. On the whole, this is, I think, a minor work – but like all of Dick's minor works, it has an atmospheric pull that's not easy to dismiss.
The ontological paranoia is classic Dick, though the ending, which takes the form of a big season-finale-style reveal, is unusually dark. In a 1987 speech, Kim Stanley Robinson made the intriguing suggestion that the killings in A Maze of Death represent Dick himself murdering the cast of stock characters he had been using in his books for the last umpteen years – and it's certainly true that after this one, we start to see a new kind of Philip K Dick character, especially after the author's religious-mania-cum-breakdown really took hold a few years later.
The religion in the background here is, I felt, a bit of a distraction, though it's interesting – based on the idea that God's existence is a matter of factual knowledge, so that sending a prayer is as mechanical a process as sending an email (though for real effectiveness, it does require some serious transmission technology).
My favourite aspect of the whole novel is the conceit of the table of contents, whose chapter titles refer to the book's characters but bear no resemblance at all to what is actually taking place. So the pages of relentless murder, suspicion and hallucination are, when you flip to the front, called things like
8 Glen Belsnor ignores the warnings of his parents and embarks on a bold sea adventure.
or
12 Roberta Rockingham's spinster aunt pays her a visit.
I found this hilarious; it also has interesting implications given the dénouement, which I won't spoil here. On the whole, this is, I think, a minor work – but like all of Dick's minor works, it has an atmospheric pull that's not easy to dismiss.
June 29, 2014
A Maze of Death is one of Phillip K. Dick's most aggravating books. It is almost unbearably dark and loaded with insensitive protagonists who often act like spoiled brats. And just as you think you figured it out, it becomes even more nihilistic and disorganized.
It is also one of Dick's best novels.
It starts out like a science fiction version of a horror novel where the characters are sure to get picked off. I kept thinking about Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None for it has a similar idea. A group of strangers end up on anisland planet not knowing the reason they are there and are put in a situation that may mean death for some or all. But this is Phillip K. Dick so nothing is as it seems. In many ways this is a transitional work in which the author's Gnostic interests start to dominate his writings. In the book, God exist as a perceived reality, prayers are sent electronically and people live by their bible titled How I Rose From the Dead in My Spare Time and So can You. It is also one of Dicks' few works that explores the idea of death in detail. Freud's Death Instinct hovers throughout this nihilistic work. Yet I found this story totally engaging as it wobbles into the end where the strange and selfish reactions of our usually dislikeable characters actually make sense. This is clearly not the Dick novel to start with. But if you already read some quality works of his like Man in the High Castle and A Scanner Darkly you just may like where this morose novel takes you. I'm rating it four and a half stars only because I feel I have to compare it to Dick's masterpieces such as the two already mentioned. As I said, it is a transitional work.
It is also one of Dick's best novels.
It starts out like a science fiction version of a horror novel where the characters are sure to get picked off. I kept thinking about Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None for it has a similar idea. A group of strangers end up on an
June 5, 2022
I don’t write reviews.
And Philip K Dick didn’t just write science fiction. A Maze of Death is multi-layered story, not including a maze, but definitely including: a rational theological model put together by Dick and his friend, answers from the organic machine tench (in the story) taken from readings of the I Ching and an character’s after-death scene built off an experience Dick had while on LSD. But this is hardly a trippy book and definitely not woo-woo for the sake of being woo-woo. It’s speculative fiction at its best. Maybe not Dick’s best, but certainly well-paced, interesting and unpredictable.
And Philip K Dick didn’t just write science fiction. A Maze of Death is multi-layered story, not including a maze, but definitely including: a rational theological model put together by Dick and his friend, answers from the organic machine tench (in the story) taken from readings of the I Ching and an character’s after-death scene built off an experience Dick had while on LSD. But this is hardly a trippy book and definitely not woo-woo for the sake of being woo-woo. It’s speculative fiction at its best. Maybe not Dick’s best, but certainly well-paced, interesting and unpredictable.
October 7, 2021
CRITIQUE:
Escape from Terra
This 1970 work is probably the most overtly metaphysical of Philip K. Dick's novels, even if it's cradled in an off-world murder mystery.
Some time in the 21st century, Terra (Earth) has been almost completely deserted, apart from the staff of some residual government and military organisations.
Fourteen people believe they have emigrated from Terra to establish a settlement on a planet called Delmak-O. Their method of transport means that they'd be unable to return to Terra, if they wanted to.
Their areas of expertise are different, but complementary: marine biology, administration, medicine, electronics, thermoplastics, sociology, linguistics, psychology, theology, geology.
However, almost immediately on their arrival, trust and cooperation cease, and disputes start to occur:
Personal rivalries emerge, and both authority and any sense of collective purpose break down. One by one, the colonists are murdered, either by one another or by some unknown force.
As far as they know, there are no other anthropoid life forms on the planet, but the colonists can see a Building which resembles one they had seen on Earth. They also encounter mechanical life forms such as bees and black wasps which carry miniature television cameras that apparently transmit footage back to a military/governmental organisation on Earth (called Interplan West [headed by General Treaton], from which the colonists obtain directions, until transmission inexplicably ceases, and they become totally isolated).
Soon, they start to believe that the Terran Government has become their enemy and is responsible for the murders. It's "as if we're rats in a maze with death; rodents confined with the ultimate adversary, to die one by one until none are left."
This could apply equally to the life on Earth that they've tried to escape.
Japanese Cover
The Big Specktowsky
The colonists purport to follow a fictionalised, unnamed monotheistic religion. It posits a trinitarian Deity (consisting of three, possibly four, Manifestations: (1) the Mentufacturer [who has created the universe], (2) the Intercessor [who, like Jesus Christ (the son of God), lifts the Curse on mankind through his own sacrifice] and (3) the Walker-on-Earth [who gives advice, comfort and solace to believers, like the Holy Spirit]), and an anti-Deity, Anti-God or Demiurge called the Form Destroyer.
They read a holy Book amusingly called "How I Rose From the Dead in My Spare Time and So Can You", ostensibly written by the "great twenty-first century Communist theologian", A. J. Specktowsky.
The Book asserts that "God is not supernatural. His existence was the first and most natural mode of being to form itself."
Specktowsky was "a prophet as well as a logician". He believed that beings of the order of God "were self-creating, and [existed] outside of time, hence outside of causality."
There is contention about the origin of the Form Destroyer:
The Mentufacturer and the Form Destroyer are in constant conflict: "The Form Destroyer would enter the universe, and hence time, and corrupt the universe that the Mentufacturer had made in his own image, so that it was no longer his image." The Mentufacturer can renew everything. He can abort a process of decay initiated by the Form Destroyer by "replacing the decaying object with a new one, one whose form is perfect. And then that decays. The Form Destroyer gets hold of it - and presently the Mentufacturer replaces that..."
Dick frequently embraces aspects of Kant's philosophy:
Religion doesn't necessarily mean that we will perceive and understand the real world within which we live. It remains to be seen as to whether it might actually deceive us altogether.
A Real Airtight and Logical Theology
In the timeframe of the novel, religious believers accept that the existence of God has been proven beyond any doubt. Religion, freed of scepticism, is now an ideological apparatus for managing and controlling society. It turns out that Specktowsky, the Book and the entirety of the religion were created by a computer:
Dick describes the computer as a kind of "polyencephalic mind", an almost Jungian collective unconscious, if not a collective consciousness.
One of the colonists comments, "I can't believe that we made up Specktowsky's theology by ourselves. It seems so real. So airtight." To which another colonist responds: "The computer did most of it; of course it's airtight."
In the author's foreword, Dick states that the theology in the novel "stems from an attempt...to develop an abstract, logical system of religious thought, based on the arbitrary postulate that God exists."
The purpose of this theology is to distract and protect the colonists from their own despair. Needless to say, this is not the only manner in which the colonists are duped by Interplan West.
SOUNDTRACK:
Escape from Terra
This 1970 work is probably the most overtly metaphysical of Philip K. Dick's novels, even if it's cradled in an off-world murder mystery.
Some time in the 21st century, Terra (Earth) has been almost completely deserted, apart from the staff of some residual government and military organisations.
Fourteen people believe they have emigrated from Terra to establish a settlement on a planet called Delmak-O. Their method of transport means that they'd be unable to return to Terra, if they wanted to.
Their areas of expertise are different, but complementary: marine biology, administration, medicine, electronics, thermoplastics, sociology, linguistics, psychology, theology, geology.
However, almost immediately on their arrival, trust and cooperation cease, and disputes start to occur:
"We're a friggin' mob...we have no common purpose. Interpersonal activity has been at a low ebb."
Personal rivalries emerge, and both authority and any sense of collective purpose break down. One by one, the colonists are murdered, either by one another or by some unknown force.
As far as they know, there are no other anthropoid life forms on the planet, but the colonists can see a Building which resembles one they had seen on Earth. They also encounter mechanical life forms such as bees and black wasps which carry miniature television cameras that apparently transmit footage back to a military/governmental organisation on Earth (called Interplan West [headed by General Treaton], from which the colonists obtain directions, until transmission inexplicably ceases, and they become totally isolated).
Soon, they start to believe that the Terran Government has become their enemy and is responsible for the murders. It's "as if we're rats in a maze with death; rodents confined with the ultimate adversary, to die one by one until none are left."
"We have one vast fear, and that is this: there is no purpose to us being here, and we'll never be able to leave...Maybe this is a prison..."
This could apply equally to the life on Earth that they've tried to escape.
Japanese Cover
The Big Specktowsky
The colonists purport to follow a fictionalised, unnamed monotheistic religion. It posits a trinitarian Deity (consisting of three, possibly four, Manifestations: (1) the Mentufacturer [who has created the universe], (2) the Intercessor [who, like Jesus Christ (the son of God), lifts the Curse on mankind through his own sacrifice] and (3) the Walker-on-Earth [who gives advice, comfort and solace to believers, like the Holy Spirit]), and an anti-Deity, Anti-God or Demiurge called the Form Destroyer.
They read a holy Book amusingly called "How I Rose From the Dead in My Spare Time and So Can You", ostensibly written by the "great twenty-first century Communist theologian", A. J. Specktowsky.
The Book asserts that "God is not supernatural. His existence was the first and most natural mode of being to form itself."
Specktowsky was "a prophet as well as a logician". He believed that beings of the order of God "were self-creating, and [existed] outside of time, hence outside of causality."
There is contention about the origin of the Form Destroyer:
"It is , for instance, not possible to declare whether (one) he was a separate entity from God from the start, uncreated by God but also self-creating, as is God, or (two) whether the Form Destroyer is an aspect of God..."
The Mentufacturer and the Form Destroyer are in constant conflict: "The Form Destroyer would enter the universe, and hence time, and corrupt the universe that the Mentufacturer had made in his own image, so that it was no longer his image." The Mentufacturer can renew everything. He can abort a process of decay initiated by the Form Destroyer by "replacing the decaying object with a new one, one whose form is perfect. And then that decays. The Form Destroyer gets hold of it - and presently the Mentufacturer replaces that..."
Dick frequently embraces aspects of Kant's philosophy:
"Specktowsky speaks about us being 'prisoners of our own preconceptions and expectations'. And that one of the conditions of the Curse is to remain mired in the quasi-reality of those proclivities. Without ever seeing reality as it actually is...Nobody sees reality as it actually is. As Kant proved. Space and time are modes of perception, for example.
"Specktowsky says that ultimately we can see reality as it is...when the Intercessor releases us from our world and condition. When the Curse is lifted from us, through him...And sometimes, even during our physical lifetime, we get momentary glimpses of it...only if the Intercessor lifts the veil for us."
Religion doesn't necessarily mean that we will perceive and understand the real world within which we live. It remains to be seen as to whether it might actually deceive us altogether.
A Real Airtight and Logical Theology
In the timeframe of the novel, religious believers accept that the existence of God has been proven beyond any doubt. Religion, freed of scepticism, is now an ideological apparatus for managing and controlling society. It turns out that Specktowsky, the Book and the entirety of the religion were created by a computer:
"Into TENCH 889B had gone elaborated information dealing with Judaism, Christianity, Mohammedanism, Zoroastrianism, Tibetan Buddhism...a complex mass, out of which TENCH 889B was to distil a composite religion, a synthesis of every factor involved. We made it up. The Intercessor, the Mentufacturer, the Walker-on-Earth - even the ferocity of the Form Destroyer. Distillate of man's total experience with God - a tremendous logical system, a comforting web deduced by the computer from the postulates given it - in particular the postulate that God existed."
Dick describes the computer as a kind of "polyencephalic mind", an almost Jungian collective unconscious, if not a collective consciousness.
One of the colonists comments, "I can't believe that we made up Specktowsky's theology by ourselves. It seems so real. So airtight." To which another colonist responds: "The computer did most of it; of course it's airtight."
In the author's foreword, Dick states that the theology in the novel "stems from an attempt...to develop an abstract, logical system of religious thought, based on the arbitrary postulate that God exists."
The purpose of this theology is to distract and protect the colonists from their own despair. Needless to say, this is not the only manner in which the colonists are duped by Interplan West.
SOUNDTRACK:
December 13, 2019
What I enjoyed the most about this one may be the theology with Specktowskty’s Bible How I Rose From the Dead in My Spare Time and So Can You, which reconstructs the christian trinity in Jung-like archetypes, in the guise of the Mentufacturer, the Form Destroyer, the Intercessor, and the Walker-on-Earth.
- Na Koja Abad, an exoplanet in Unreal II
Matching Soundtrack :
A Saucerful of Secrets - Pink Floyd
-------------------
Ce que j'ai le plus aimé dans cette histoire folle : le Livre de Specktowsky, avec une théologie à quatre têtes, quatre archétypes, à la Jung : le Psychofaçonneur, le Destructeur de Formes, l'Intercesseur et le Marcheur sur la Terre.
- Na Koja Abad, une planète alien dans Unreal II
Matching Soundtrack :
A Saucerful of Secrets - Pink Floyd
- Na Koja Abad, an exoplanet in Unreal II
Matching Soundtrack :
A Saucerful of Secrets - Pink Floyd
-------------------
Ce que j'ai le plus aimé dans cette histoire folle : le Livre de Specktowsky, avec une théologie à quatre têtes, quatre archétypes, à la Jung : le Psychofaçonneur, le Destructeur de Formes, l'Intercesseur et le Marcheur sur la Terre.
- Na Koja Abad, une planète alien dans Unreal II
Matching Soundtrack :
A Saucerful of Secrets - Pink Floyd
October 14, 2019
As the title suggests, this is a very dark and cynical PKD. In a strange future where the existence of god, or gods, has been proven real, a group of "flawed" strangers converge on a desolate alien planet to meet their fates. Paranoia and a high body count ensue, as it seems that god is busy doing other things that day. It's hard to see this as anything other than Dick poking a stick at the notion of god, or at least people's conception(s) of and faith in god, and perhaps the concomitant resignation of personal responsibility for their own abhorrent behavior and actions. Ultimately it is a story of the fraying of our humanity in the face of unbounded desolation. Things take an unexpected turn at the end, casting doubt on everything we've assumed along the way. Well played Mr. Dick!
December 23, 2016
I don't know if it was the translation, but I found the writing, the dialogues mostly, somewhat amateurish. So much so, that I thought it was one of his earlier works, until I found out it wasn't. Once more, Dick blends sci-fi with theological and sociological concerns and, although his talent in doing that is more than obvious, A Maze of Death is somewhat weaker in the details than his other novels. That said, the story flows effortlesly and the final twist serves as a starting point for thoughts.
April 21, 2018
Philip K. Dick's sci-fi take on Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None is nicely set up and has a fulfilling ending. The story is a mish-mash of various genres, science fiction, murder mystery, cyber punk, space opera, futurism and dystopia. Philip K. Dick blends in human emotions, survival instincts with a weird landscape of an unexplored world. The novel broadly progresses in dialogues and is not very vivid, except where particularly required. Physiognomy of the alien being, Tench at Delmak-O is not very well explored, but probably that is intentional. The writing is not sterling, and did not appeal to me, but on the whole the plot and the novel in its entirety is good. I doubt anybody else will ever dare to retrace Agatha Christie in a sci-fi version. I do not want to add a spoiler, but the most persistent theme of the novel is hope and how it is essential for human existence. This is my first reading of a Philip K. Dick full length novel, I had previously read his short story Beyond Lies the Wub and two of his philosophical essays in The Shifting Realities of Philip K. Dick.
May 8, 2018
Topi in gabbia
Non propriamente una tranquilla vacanza quella vissuta dai tapini in quel di Delmak-0, luogo dimenticato da Dio e sede di fenomeni non sempre ascrivibili alle confortanti dinamiche terrestri.
Interessante il gioco delle parti sostenuto dai burattini sulla scena; ancora più dirompente la corrosiva mancanza di certezze, quasi mostrate in bella vista attraverso una vetrina e poi sbriciolate di fronte ai nostri occhi.
Ottimo romanzo "minore" di Dick, senza ombra di dubbio.
Non propriamente una tranquilla vacanza quella vissuta dai tapini in quel di Delmak-0, luogo dimenticato da Dio e sede di fenomeni non sempre ascrivibili alle confortanti dinamiche terrestri.
Interessante il gioco delle parti sostenuto dai burattini sulla scena; ancora più dirompente la corrosiva mancanza di certezze, quasi mostrate in bella vista attraverso una vetrina e poi sbriciolate di fronte ai nostri occhi.
Ottimo romanzo "minore" di Dick, senza ombra di dubbio.
July 12, 2018
Οι προσευχές του Σεθ Μόρλεϊ εισακούγονται και παίρνει μετάθεση σε έναν άλλο πλανήτη μαζί με τη γυναίκα του. Εκεί θα συναντήσουν άλλα 12 άτομα, όμως κανείς απ' αυτούς δε γνωρίζει το σκοπό για τον οποίο έχουν μαζευτεί. Παρά τον κίνδυνο που διατρέχουν δυσκολεύονται να πράξουν σαν ομάδα, αντιθέτως με τις συμπεριφορές τους φέρνουν πιο γρήγορα την καταστροφή.
Φυσικά τίποτα δεν είναι αυτό που φαίνεται, αφού μιλάμε για βιβλίο του Dick. Οι ιδέες και οι συμβολισμοί του για μια ακόμα φορά είναι απαράμιλλοι! Μέσα από μια τόσο μικρή ιστορία εξετάζει ζητήματα όπως η θρησκεία και οι ψυχικές ασθένειες, τα δύο πιο αγαπημένα του θέματα, με το δικό του μοναδικό τρόπο. Για ακόμα μια φορά η φαντασία του Dick οργιάζει, αφού μεταξύ άλλων βλέπουμε ένα τεράστιο κυπρίνο - προφήτη και ένα κτίριο που είναι και δεν είναι εκεί.
Φυσικά τίποτα δεν είναι αυτό που φαίνεται, αφού μιλάμε για βιβλίο του Dick. Οι ιδέες και οι συμβολισμοί του για μια ακόμα φορά είναι απαράμιλλοι! Μέσα από μια τόσο μικρή ιστορία εξετάζει ζητήματα όπως η θρησκεία και οι ψυχικές ασθένειες, τα δύο πιο αγαπημένα του θέματα, με το δικό του μοναδικό τρόπο. Για ακόμα μια φορά η φαντασία του Dick οργιάζει, αφού μεταξύ άλλων βλέπουμε ένα τεράστιο κυπρίνο - προφήτη και ένα κτίριο που είναι και δεν είναι εκεί.
March 26, 2023
A group of people arrive separately in one way transports on the planet Delmak-O. None of them know what their jobs will be, there’s lots of mystery about the place and the people clearly are unlikely to get along all that well. And then one of them is killed…..
I really enjoyed this novel (I haven’t read a PKD novel for ages it seems!). There’s lots to ponder, from religion, reality, existence, group dynamics particularly when in an isolated situation. I’m kinda surprised it hasn’t been filmed in some way but these days the ending would probably come across as cliched.
I really enjoyed this novel (I haven’t read a PKD novel for ages it seems!). There’s lots to ponder, from religion, reality, existence, group dynamics particularly when in an isolated situation. I’m kinda surprised it hasn’t been filmed in some way but these days the ending would probably come across as cliched.
August 12, 2025
A Maze of Death [1970] – ★★★★
“People see what they want to see and what people want to see never has anything to do with the truth” [Roberto Bolaño, 2666].
“...we’re rats in a maze with death; rodents confined with the ultimate adversary, to die one by one until none are left” [Philip K. Dick, 1970: 97].
In this curious short novel, Philip K. Dick blends Agatha Christie’s infamous And Then There Were None premise with his own colourful world and perception ideas to produce an engaging story of fourteen people who find themselves on a remote and strange planet Delmark-O…and in danger – a mysterious force is also on the planet and is seemingly killing them one by one. A Maze of Death may be termed as a more straightforward story from Philip K. Dick, especially compared to some of his others, but there is still a mind-blowing twist to be found at the end. In this book, in a typical Philip K. Dick style, we get immersed into the world where reality is bent, where nothing is as it seems and where the chances of survival depend wholly on one’s clear and true perception of oneself and the world around.
In a usual for Philip K. Dick fashion, we are thrust into one strange future space-exploration world from the very first page without any preliminaries or explanations. We first follow Ben Tallchief, who is excited to receive his job transfer and is looking forward to going to a distant planet Delmark-O to begin his new work assignment as a qualified naturalist. He has been praying to a certain deity for this opportunity to present itself since there is a complex religious system in place in the universe and two opposing forces battle for supremacy – the Mentufacturer, a creative force, and a destructive force called the Form Destroyer. We then shift to Seth Morley, a marine biologist, and his wife Mary, who are also looking forward to their trip to Delmark-O. As the trio arrives to Delmark-O, there is already a group to be found there, including psychologist Wade Frazer, an elderly woman sociologist Roberta Rockingham, a clerk Suzanne Smart, and Dr Milton Babble, among others. A question emerges – who gathered all these people on the planet and what is the nature and purpose of their assignment there? Are all these people really as different to each other as they first appear? Another mystery is planet Delmark-O, which shows signs of interesting and unusual extra-terrestrial life activity, including insects of man-made origins that may have a spying purpose. Another mystery is the Building, which some people in the group only caught a glimpse of. What is the purpose of that structure and should the group try to approach it?
The uncertain nature of the group’s assignment, the presence of a deathly force, Delmark-O’s strange environment, as well as the increasing sense of isolation and claustrophobia of the group on the planet all make A Maze of Death an intriguing, fascinating read. It is really exciting to explore the planet with the characters and see the change that the strangers experience within themselves, for example, through their interaction with one another and with the planet’s mysterious forces. Then, there are many similarities between A Maze of Death and Agatha Christie’s masterpiece And Then There Were None and not only in the setting and multiple-character perspective. Similar to And Then There Were None, the characters in A Maze of Death find that much of the set-up of the planet was probably designed specifically with them in mind or their past, and they find some forces working in a way which emphasise their own mental states and desires as though some higher power on the planet knows them intimately.
Philip K. Dick also indirectly explores the free will vs. determinism issue, the possibility of one’s true destiny existing and whether one can perceive true reality, go beyond one’s usual perception of the world and reach higher levels of understanding. “Nobody sees reality as it actually is…Space and time are modes of perception” [Philip K. Dick, 1970: 102], says one of the characters in the novel.
In the final part of the book, more “action” occurs, and there are some nice twists and turns until we get to the final, satisfying, even if chaotic, revelation. Perhaps, overall, A Maze of Death may feel slightly underwhelming in comparison to the author’s other work and the book may not have aged that well because there have already been many movies made that, unfortunately, make A Maze of Death feel like an old idea. Nor can the novel awe us with its originality since it relies on the concept in Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None, especially to set the scene. In all other respects, the book is quintessentially Philip K. Dick, in all his usual delicious, hallucinatory “craziness”, thought-provoking scenes and twisty endings – a quick and enjoyable read.
“People see what they want to see and what people want to see never has anything to do with the truth” [Roberto Bolaño, 2666].
“...we’re rats in a maze with death; rodents confined with the ultimate adversary, to die one by one until none are left” [Philip K. Dick, 1970: 97].
In this curious short novel, Philip K. Dick blends Agatha Christie’s infamous And Then There Were None premise with his own colourful world and perception ideas to produce an engaging story of fourteen people who find themselves on a remote and strange planet Delmark-O…and in danger – a mysterious force is also on the planet and is seemingly killing them one by one. A Maze of Death may be termed as a more straightforward story from Philip K. Dick, especially compared to some of his others, but there is still a mind-blowing twist to be found at the end. In this book, in a typical Philip K. Dick style, we get immersed into the world where reality is bent, where nothing is as it seems and where the chances of survival depend wholly on one’s clear and true perception of oneself and the world around.
In a usual for Philip K. Dick fashion, we are thrust into one strange future space-exploration world from the very first page without any preliminaries or explanations. We first follow Ben Tallchief, who is excited to receive his job transfer and is looking forward to going to a distant planet Delmark-O to begin his new work assignment as a qualified naturalist. He has been praying to a certain deity for this opportunity to present itself since there is a complex religious system in place in the universe and two opposing forces battle for supremacy – the Mentufacturer, a creative force, and a destructive force called the Form Destroyer. We then shift to Seth Morley, a marine biologist, and his wife Mary, who are also looking forward to their trip to Delmark-O. As the trio arrives to Delmark-O, there is already a group to be found there, including psychologist Wade Frazer, an elderly woman sociologist Roberta Rockingham, a clerk Suzanne Smart, and Dr Milton Babble, among others. A question emerges – who gathered all these people on the planet and what is the nature and purpose of their assignment there? Are all these people really as different to each other as they first appear? Another mystery is planet Delmark-O, which shows signs of interesting and unusual extra-terrestrial life activity, including insects of man-made origins that may have a spying purpose. Another mystery is the Building, which some people in the group only caught a glimpse of. What is the purpose of that structure and should the group try to approach it?
The uncertain nature of the group’s assignment, the presence of a deathly force, Delmark-O’s strange environment, as well as the increasing sense of isolation and claustrophobia of the group on the planet all make A Maze of Death an intriguing, fascinating read. It is really exciting to explore the planet with the characters and see the change that the strangers experience within themselves, for example, through their interaction with one another and with the planet’s mysterious forces. Then, there are many similarities between A Maze of Death and Agatha Christie’s masterpiece And Then There Were None and not only in the setting and multiple-character perspective. Similar to And Then There Were None, the characters in A Maze of Death find that much of the set-up of the planet was probably designed specifically with them in mind or their past, and they find some forces working in a way which emphasise their own mental states and desires as though some higher power on the planet knows them intimately.
Philip K. Dick also indirectly explores the free will vs. determinism issue, the possibility of one’s true destiny existing and whether one can perceive true reality, go beyond one’s usual perception of the world and reach higher levels of understanding. “Nobody sees reality as it actually is…Space and time are modes of perception” [Philip K. Dick, 1970: 102], says one of the characters in the novel.
In the final part of the book, more “action” occurs, and there are some nice twists and turns until we get to the final, satisfying, even if chaotic, revelation. Perhaps, overall, A Maze of Death may feel slightly underwhelming in comparison to the author’s other work and the book may not have aged that well because there have already been many movies made that, unfortunately, make A Maze of Death feel like an old idea. Nor can the novel awe us with its originality since it relies on the concept in Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None, especially to set the scene. In all other respects, the book is quintessentially Philip K. Dick, in all his usual delicious, hallucinatory “craziness”, thought-provoking scenes and twisty endings – a quick and enjoyable read.
December 27, 2024
A Maze of Death is my 9th PKD novel and the one I was able to read in the shortest amount of time, partly because of its short length, but also because it is one of his more straightforward stories. Of course, "straightforward" has to be taken in the context of PKD, which means that it is still very strange, never quite in your grasp, as well as funny and definitely too much brain fuck for some readers. As a regular reader of PKD, I was already aware of this, and to be honest, this weirdness is what makes his novels so unique and fascinating.
A Maze of death stands out as a deeply immersive and unique journey into the labyrinth of human existence, making it one of my favorite reads from PKD. Even though it can be seen as a minor novel compared to classics like DADOES or Ubik, it is very hard to give this novel a lower rating as it does not fail to amaze and to draw me directly into the story.
The novel begins with a seemingly simple premise (for PKD): In a future where Earth is largely abandoned and humanity is scattered throughout the universe, a group of complete strangers arrives alone on the distant, isolated planet Delmak-O for a mission they don't know. For different reasons they wanted to quit their last job and made a "prayer", which the real existing "God" actually answered. Just the way they are chosen and transported to this planet is so good, so unique. PKD casually introduces a world where an enigmatic deity which comed in three different forms (Mentafacturer, Intercessor, Walker-on-Earth) seems to really exist as well as the devil (Form-Destroyer). This religion of course seems quite familiar, but PKD makes it completely over the top, including a holy text with the very funny title: How I rose from the dead in my spare time and so can you.
Each person has their own character, which makes them distinguishable more by what they do, how they talk, than how they look. The characters are soon caught up in a web of paranoia and unexplained deaths that leave them and me wondering what is going on. They arrived on the planet without knowing what their mission is, and they cannot communicate with the satellite above the planet. Nor can they go back, having landed on one-way ships. This dark and devastating premise leaves questions unanswered: Who is the unknown force that is killing them one by one? Is there a traitor? And very quickly, you cannot close the book...
PKD's world-building is as strange and compelling as ever. The isolated setting of Delmak-O feels very claustrophobic and unsettling, a perfect backdrop for the story's themes of alienation and despair. Throughout the story, it becomes clear that each character has their own serious flaws and oddities. The most prominent of these seems to be the strange dialogue two of them have about sex, which is also one of the more provocative parts of the story. The presence of this bizarre religious text, which some of them can recite by heart and which is omnipresent, is so typical of PKD and provides a fascinating commentary on faith and the human need for meaning. As the characters grapple with their beliefs, their interactions with this deity add a unique metaphysical layer to the story.
True to PKD's style, the characters are flawed, vulnerable, and deeply human, even as they face increasingly surreal circumstances. There is a mysterious building on the planet with a legend on it, and each character reads something completely different. It seems odd, but it fits the setting perfectly. The novel explores their individual struggles, offering glimpses into their fears, desires, and regrets. It's impossible not to empathize with their plight, even as their world collapses into chaos and there are definitely too many characters.
Coming to the ending, it is especially a masterpiece. It came so unexpectedly and so abruptly, and I really wasn't expecting that twist, it leaves you stunned, definitely. It is very devastating and one of Dick's darkest endings, but unlike other of his novels, it is a clearer ending in the sense that there is a clear path where everything would go. Only PKD could write such a powerful and thought-provoking ending.
Like much of his work, A Maze of Death is difficult to summarize in a way that does it justice. It's packed with intense, unexpected, and deeply philosophical moments that make it a standout in PKD's oeuvre. At the same time, it is marked by strangeness, odd twists, and authorial decisions to move the story forward that, to my mind, only PKD could pull off so successfully that it will stand out as a perfect novel.
A Maze of death stands out as a deeply immersive and unique journey into the labyrinth of human existence, making it one of my favorite reads from PKD. Even though it can be seen as a minor novel compared to classics like DADOES or Ubik, it is very hard to give this novel a lower rating as it does not fail to amaze and to draw me directly into the story.
The novel begins with a seemingly simple premise (for PKD): In a future where Earth is largely abandoned and humanity is scattered throughout the universe, a group of complete strangers arrives alone on the distant, isolated planet Delmak-O for a mission they don't know. For different reasons they wanted to quit their last job and made a "prayer", which the real existing "God" actually answered. Just the way they are chosen and transported to this planet is so good, so unique. PKD casually introduces a world where an enigmatic deity which comed in three different forms (Mentafacturer, Intercessor, Walker-on-Earth) seems to really exist as well as the devil (Form-Destroyer). This religion of course seems quite familiar, but PKD makes it completely over the top, including a holy text with the very funny title: How I rose from the dead in my spare time and so can you.
Each person has their own character, which makes them distinguishable more by what they do, how they talk, than how they look. The characters are soon caught up in a web of paranoia and unexplained deaths that leave them and me wondering what is going on. They arrived on the planet without knowing what their mission is, and they cannot communicate with the satellite above the planet. Nor can they go back, having landed on one-way ships. This dark and devastating premise leaves questions unanswered: Who is the unknown force that is killing them one by one? Is there a traitor? And very quickly, you cannot close the book...
PKD's world-building is as strange and compelling as ever. The isolated setting of Delmak-O feels very claustrophobic and unsettling, a perfect backdrop for the story's themes of alienation and despair. Throughout the story, it becomes clear that each character has their own serious flaws and oddities. The most prominent of these seems to be the strange dialogue two of them have about sex, which is also one of the more provocative parts of the story. The presence of this bizarre religious text, which some of them can recite by heart and which is omnipresent, is so typical of PKD and provides a fascinating commentary on faith and the human need for meaning. As the characters grapple with their beliefs, their interactions with this deity add a unique metaphysical layer to the story.
True to PKD's style, the characters are flawed, vulnerable, and deeply human, even as they face increasingly surreal circumstances. There is a mysterious building on the planet with a legend on it, and each character reads something completely different. It seems odd, but it fits the setting perfectly. The novel explores their individual struggles, offering glimpses into their fears, desires, and regrets. It's impossible not to empathize with their plight, even as their world collapses into chaos and there are definitely too many characters.
Coming to the ending, it is especially a masterpiece. It came so unexpectedly and so abruptly, and I really wasn't expecting that twist, it leaves you stunned, definitely. It is very devastating and one of Dick's darkest endings, but unlike other of his novels, it is a clearer ending in the sense that there is a clear path where everything would go. Only PKD could write such a powerful and thought-provoking ending.
Like much of his work, A Maze of Death is difficult to summarize in a way that does it justice. It's packed with intense, unexpected, and deeply philosophical moments that make it a standout in PKD's oeuvre. At the same time, it is marked by strangeness, odd twists, and authorial decisions to move the story forward that, to my mind, only PKD could pull off so successfully that it will stand out as a perfect novel.
March 8, 2024
Me pareció una historia inconsistente. El final, una fumada que no me terminó de convencer.
July 14, 2024
"A Maze of Death" by Philip K. Dick is a literary enigma that weaves a labyrinthine narrative that blurs reality and delusion. Very similar to other books he wrote, Dick's vivid worldbuilding once again explores the nature of reality, making it a thought-provoking read.
April 7, 2017
It's like PKD redesigned the game Clue while on acid.
August 6, 2020
Every work of Dick's I've read is a clear hit, with little to criticize. The thing that most impresses is how different the cosmetic structure of his novels can be, but still have the same innate concerns. These are usually religion, the perception of reality, and the authoritarian nature of the versions of reality pushed upon one, usually by some overaching force like a government.
Here Dick digs into free will, predestination and a kind of pathological, psychopathical psychology. A group of strangers arrive on a colony world after praying to a very literal God for a better career. They are slain one by one. Various reasons are put forth for this by the others plus the world they are on exhibits some very weird behaviors (philosophical gelatinous masses; buildings that assassinate).
Always fun and witty, as well as disturbing, I can't say, having read quite a few now, that Dick ever wrote a bad novel?
Here Dick digs into free will, predestination and a kind of pathological, psychopathical psychology. A group of strangers arrive on a colony world after praying to a very literal God for a better career. They are slain one by one. Various reasons are put forth for this by the others plus the world they are on exhibits some very weird behaviors (philosophical gelatinous masses; buildings that assassinate).
Always fun and witty, as well as disturbing, I can't say, having read quite a few now, that Dick ever wrote a bad novel?
October 12, 2025
PKD goes big with religion in this short novel, and it has a quite stunning finale, but the journey to get there was the problem: it all felt rather grating. This one just lacked that PKD spark that completely drew me into his world from previously read novels; the deeper layers don't really come until towards the end, and at times there was an issue with working out just who is talking to who; and then WOW! - that ending. It's been like 30 years or so since I read a lot of sci-fi, but oddly, I never got around to any of PKD's work. The last few years has made up for that, as I've rekindled my interest in this genre. While he might not be the Georges Simenon of sci-fi in terms of output, when looking further down his list of books on his author's page, he wrote way way more than I first thought. Loads still to look forward to then!
December 10, 2022
Wow! What did I just read? It is hard for me to believe that a guy could come up with such ideas 52 years ago. And I'm talking about the pre-internet era. If it doesn't indicate his genius, I don't know what does.
A Maze of Death by Phillip K. Dick is one of the most influential works of science fiction and I dare say, it is one of the best in its subgenre. PKD wrote a theological story full of twists about life, death, and our yearning for God, even if it defies all logic. A story that started as a mystery and was very reminiscent of “And Then There Were None”, but it gradually changed into something unexpected and very unique for its time. Therefore, I highly recommend it to any science fiction fan, especially those who look down on classic sci-fi.
A Maze of Death by Phillip K. Dick is one of the most influential works of science fiction and I dare say, it is one of the best in its subgenre. PKD wrote a theological story full of twists about life, death, and our yearning for God, even if it defies all logic. A story that started as a mystery and was very reminiscent of “And Then There Were None”, but it gradually changed into something unexpected and very unique for its time. Therefore, I highly recommend it to any science fiction fan, especially those who look down on classic sci-fi.
October 29, 2017
„ ‚Noch eine Frage:‘Gibt es einen Gott?‘“ Maggie schrieb, legte das Blatt auf den Boden, und alle warteten gespannt.
Die Antwort lautete: ‚Ihr würdet mir nicht glauben.‘ “
Die Antwort lautete: ‚Ihr würdet mir nicht glauben.‘ “
November 12, 2019
Un puñado de individuos desequilibrados arrojados a una colonia en un planeta misterioso para desempeñar alguna misión desconocida. ¿Qué puede fallar ahí para no acabar pasando un rato entretenidísimo?
Laberinto de muerte no es considerada una de las grandes obras de Dick (en España, de hecho, fue de las últimas en traducirse) si bien es muy querida por los amantes de la ciencia ficción. La novela pertenece a la segunda etapa del autor y explota todos los temas fetiche del Tío Phil, en esta ocasión de manera más bien desenfadada y aventurera. Se trata de una especie de Diez negritos en clave espacial, que atrapa desde el inicio, mete un bajón a la mitad y remonta bien el vuelo con un de los clásicos finales de Dick. Es muy interesante la doctrina religiosa unificada que plantea de fondo, probablemente la causa motivadora de esta obra. A diferencia de esas otras muchas veces en las que la idea central queda algo desligada de la trama, ambas encajan a la perfección en Laberinto de muerte. Esto le da una solidez que equilibra el tono palomitero y la redondea de manera convincente.
Como tengo que mantener algún criterio a la hora de valorar los libros que van cayendo en esta maratón de Dick (de lo contrario las puntuaciones acabarían todas iguales) le pongo tres estrellas porque, aunque me lo he pasado pipa leyendo, no se puede comparar con los otros que he terminado, todos muy superiores. De chaval, y tal vez leído ahora de manera aislada, le habría subido la nota con casi toda seguridad: tiene un planteamiento que atrapa, un mundo extraño y oscuro con criaturas y artilugios que ponen la imaginación en marcha, y un giro final potente marca de la casa. Muy recomendable, sobre todo, para el lector asiduo de Dick y para el neófito joven-adulto.
Laberinto de muerte no es considerada una de las grandes obras de Dick (en España, de hecho, fue de las últimas en traducirse) si bien es muy querida por los amantes de la ciencia ficción. La novela pertenece a la segunda etapa del autor y explota todos los temas fetiche del Tío Phil, en esta ocasión de manera más bien desenfadada y aventurera. Se trata de una especie de Diez negritos en clave espacial, que atrapa desde el inicio, mete un bajón a la mitad y remonta bien el vuelo con un de los clásicos finales de Dick. Es muy interesante la doctrina religiosa unificada que plantea de fondo, probablemente la causa motivadora de esta obra. A diferencia de esas otras muchas veces en las que la idea central queda algo desligada de la trama, ambas encajan a la perfección en Laberinto de muerte. Esto le da una solidez que equilibra el tono palomitero y la redondea de manera convincente.
Como tengo que mantener algún criterio a la hora de valorar los libros que van cayendo en esta maratón de Dick (de lo contrario las puntuaciones acabarían todas iguales) le pongo tres estrellas porque, aunque me lo he pasado pipa leyendo, no se puede comparar con los otros que he terminado, todos muy superiores. De chaval, y tal vez leído ahora de manera aislada, le habría subido la nota con casi toda seguridad: tiene un planteamiento que atrapa, un mundo extraño y oscuro con criaturas y artilugios que ponen la imaginación en marcha, y un giro final potente marca de la casa. Muy recomendable, sobre todo, para el lector asiduo de Dick y para el neófito joven-adulto.
March 13, 2012
This book should be called "And Then There Were Gelatinous Replicating Cubes". It's kind of a Dick take on Agatha Christie style whodunit -- a locked planet mystery, if you will. Fourteen people are reassigned to a small settlement on a planet known as Delmak-O without being told why or what their mission is. Pretty soon, they start dropping like flies. And because it's PKD, it gets a little weird after that.
This is definitely one of Dick's philosophy/religious exploration novels, so it's a bit trippy as you'd expect, but still pretty lighthearted and entertaining. I really liked it. One thing I thought was hilarious is that in the table of contents, each chapter is titled -- for instance, "8: Glen Belsnor ignores the warnings of his parents and embarks on a bold sea adventure" or "13: In an unfamiliar train station Betty Jo Berm loses a precious piece of luggage", but none of these have anything to do with the story. There aren't even any train stations or bold sea adventures in the book. And that is why I love Philip K. Dick.
Sidenote: Fairly early in the book, there is a line that made me sit up straight because it was so familiar: "One day," Babble said, "your pills are going to hatch, and some strange birds are going to emerge." I finally realized this is extremely similar to the only lyrics in the Coil song Strange Birds, which goes "One day, your eggs are going to hatch and some very strange birds are going to emerge." Coincidence or not?
This is definitely one of Dick's philosophy/religious exploration novels, so it's a bit trippy as you'd expect, but still pretty lighthearted and entertaining. I really liked it. One thing I thought was hilarious is that in the table of contents, each chapter is titled -- for instance, "8: Glen Belsnor ignores the warnings of his parents and embarks on a bold sea adventure" or "13: In an unfamiliar train station Betty Jo Berm loses a precious piece of luggage", but none of these have anything to do with the story. There aren't even any train stations or bold sea adventures in the book. And that is why I love Philip K. Dick.
Sidenote: Fairly early in the book, there is a line that made me sit up straight because it was so familiar: "One day," Babble said, "your pills are going to hatch, and some strange birds are going to emerge." I finally realized this is extremely similar to the only lyrics in the Coil song Strange Birds, which goes "One day, your eggs are going to hatch and some very strange birds are going to emerge." Coincidence or not?
January 25, 2014
Largely dialogue-driven and microcosmic in its execution, A Maze of Death is reminiscent of the more mind-flaying episodes of the The Twilight Zone. Complete with a double-twist ending, this novel highlights Dick's stubborn refusal to release the reader's mind back to a state of blissfully ignorant status quo.
The thing I like about Philip K. Dick's novels is that they grab the brain and toss it into a paranoid muck, where it can stew for a while in despair. If you have a sneaking, cynical suspicion that humanity is largely doomed due to self-regard and narcissism, then A Maze of Death contains a delightful plethora of evidence and justifications to support your belief. This is a book about a group of people who represent human qualities that we as a society would rather deny and suppress: selfishness, apathy, egoism, hubris, etc. It's also about how quickly we might break down and flee in the face of strong adversity or conflict when we don't have the need or desire to impress or protect our fellows. The characters of A Maze of Death are ostensibly insane, but it's probably an insanity you may recognize or even identify with.
There's also an interesting theology at play here, both explicit and implicit in the plot, examining the age old philosophical argument between fatalism and existentialism.
Beyond all that, A Maze of Death is a quick-moving, compelling and fun novel.
The thing I like about Philip K. Dick's novels is that they grab the brain and toss it into a paranoid muck, where it can stew for a while in despair. If you have a sneaking, cynical suspicion that humanity is largely doomed due to self-regard and narcissism, then A Maze of Death contains a delightful plethora of evidence and justifications to support your belief. This is a book about a group of people who represent human qualities that we as a society would rather deny and suppress: selfishness, apathy, egoism, hubris, etc. It's also about how quickly we might break down and flee in the face of strong adversity or conflict when we don't have the need or desire to impress or protect our fellows. The characters of A Maze of Death are ostensibly insane, but it's probably an insanity you may recognize or even identify with.
There's also an interesting theology at play here, both explicit and implicit in the plot, examining the age old philosophical argument between fatalism and existentialism.
Beyond all that, A Maze of Death is a quick-moving, compelling and fun novel.
August 20, 2018
Loved this one! Engaging throughout. A sort of intraplanetary murder mystery with a bunch of castaways on a far off planet. Some very intriguing religious elements stirred into the mix. Great character development. Delmak-O was spooky and mysterious. Strange space creatures. A past shrouded in fog. And a gut-wrenching ending. I’m putting this at the front of the stack of Dick novels I’ve read thus far.
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