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Book Review
Jun. 12th, 2023 09:13 pmFlow My Tears, the Policeman Said
by Philip K. Dick
This short novel is set in a near future where the Earth is now under the control of a police state, although it is perhaps not the most zealous of authoritarian regimes. Jason Taverner, singer and television host, wakes up one day in a run-down motel to find out that he has ceased to exist. Sure, he's alive, conscious, and corporeal, but he has no identification papers, there is no record of him in any government database or documentation, no evidence of his life or career, and even people he has known for years recognize neither his face nor his name. Of course, such a person attracts the attention of the authorities, and Taverner spends two days aimlessly trying to figure things out while having run-ins with the police.
The plot is a bit aimless and I found the explanation of what is going on a bit half-baked and tacked on, yet I still enjoyed this book. Taverner runs into a handful of very quirky characters and can't seem to resist indulging his desires and ego even when in a rather serious predicament. Dick does a terrific job of exploring how both the recognition and validation of both authorities and other people serve to anchor the reality of our identities.
by Philip K. Dick
This short novel is set in a near future where the Earth is now under the control of a police state, although it is perhaps not the most zealous of authoritarian regimes. Jason Taverner, singer and television host, wakes up one day in a run-down motel to find out that he has ceased to exist. Sure, he's alive, conscious, and corporeal, but he has no identification papers, there is no record of him in any government database or documentation, no evidence of his life or career, and even people he has known for years recognize neither his face nor his name. Of course, such a person attracts the attention of the authorities, and Taverner spends two days aimlessly trying to figure things out while having run-ins with the police.
The plot is a bit aimless and I found the explanation of what is going on a bit half-baked and tacked on, yet I still enjoyed this book. Taverner runs into a handful of very quirky characters and can't seem to resist indulging his desires and ego even when in a rather serious predicament. Dick does a terrific job of exploring how both the recognition and validation of both authorities and other people serve to anchor the reality of our identities.
