"VALIS," Philip K. Dick

Do you like big words? Do you like long-winded conversations on metaphysical matters? If you answer either of these questions with 'no,' then VALIS is not for you.

"Not for me?!" you say. "I'll show you!"

Well, fine. Be that way. But don't say I didn't warn you.

VALIS is an acronym for Vast Active Living Intelligence System. I had to go look that up just now, and for anyone else that should be the blinking red light screaming, "Get out while you have the chance!" Not me, though. I do not presume to be smart, but I am dedicated to whatever I'm doing to a fault. The operative word in that sentence is 'FAULT.'

The book itself is indeed about whatever I just typed up there (I'm not doing it again, not gonna even look at it, no sir). It deals with depression, suicide, empathy, God, hippies, suffering, and some other stuff, most of it esoteric. If you like a good story I wouldn't steer you away from this book, but you have to be willing to pay attention to the details. And maybe have a rudimentary understanding of Greek and Latin and their mythologies and the religions of pretty much every culture on the planet.

But, then again, I did warn you earlier, didn't I?

- Johnny