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The Divine Invasion Audiobook
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(3.01) - 3,539 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
God is not dead: he has merely been exiled to an extraterrestrial planet. And it is on this planet that God meets Herb Asher and persuades him to help retake Earth from the demonic Belial. Featuring virtual reality, parallel worlds, and interstellar travel, The Divine Invasion blends philosophy and adventure in a way few authors can achieve. As the middle novel of Dick’s VALIS trilogy, The Divine Invasion plays a pivotal role in answering the questions raised by the first novel, expanding that world while exploring just how much anyone can really know — even God himself.
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"There is the usual time-tripping here. Pay attention. It is like a LOST episode, and indeed probably inspired some of the concepts used in that estimable show. You need to keep track not only of where you are in space, but in time. The Divine Invasion posits a scenario in which god, Yahweh, was essentially booted off planet Earth after the unfortunate events at Masada. Now resident in an alien hill and renamed Yah, the big guy is looking to stage a comeback. All he needs is to transport himself, or a version of himself, in the person of a fetus implanted into the womb of a virgin, past the sphere of evil (personified by a critter named Belial) that surrounds Earth. All sorts of religious musing hijinks ensue, wonderings on the nature of consciousness, the Talmud, time and space and whether reality is external to the mind or a manifestation of it. I most enjoyed a conversation between Yah and a feminine counterpart that reminded me of the devil tempting Jesus in the desert. Great fun, but don’t try this unless you are reasonably alert."
— Will (4 out of 5 stars)
The Divine Invasion Listener Reviews
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" Science fiction as only someone who is nearly psychotic could write. Actually, only the setting is mildly science fictional, the story seemed to be more about religion than anything else. A clusterfuck of a novel if you think about it. "
— Bob(by), 2/9/2014 -
" In the struggle of good versus evil, good will out. "
— Donavan, 2/6/2014 -
" I think this has been my favorite P K Dick story so far. One of those books that you are sorry when it is finished. Dense, layered plot with winks and nods to everything from ancient scripture, ontology, classical music, power, religion and science. Written with a light touch, considering the subject matter, lots of clever wry humor. Who knew the devil was caged and on display at the Stanley Park Zoo in Vancouver!?!! "
— Karl, 2/6/2014 -
" Part 2 of the Trilogy. Which includes Valis & the transmigration of timothy archer. This happened to be the best part out of all of em. Kept me gripped to the book. "
— Tree, 1/30/2014 -
" Not a lot of religious citations wich makes easier to read than Valis. "
— Bernardo, 1/28/2014 -
" I expected more VALIS theolo-crazy, which I got in spades, but I didn't expect the maniacal Joyce references, the remarkably straightforward plot, and the downright lucid way this story travels through about 6 levels of reality. There's something so poignant about the way Dick confronted his theological issues at the end of his life, and this one hits me right in the heart. "
— Michael, 1/23/2014 -
" As always, PK Dick's books are interesting laced with humor and a strange twist or two (or three). That said, this was not my absolute favorite. "
— Steve, 1/13/2014 -
" This isn't really sci-fi but mixes up action with various religious theories in a way that surprisingly works. It almost felt like my favorite of all his books. "
— Frank, 1/8/2014 -
" This book makes me feel like Christian Bale's character from "The Fighter": twitchy, bug-eyed, paranoid, jumpy. Thank you Philip K. Dick for your insane headtrips such as the one contained within the delicate paper pages of this opus... "
— Julie, 1/5/2014 -
" I want to read the whole trilogy. I pulled this book off my friend's shelf while in Connecticut, and I don't actually know what happened. "
— Heather, 12/31/2013 -
" PKD on the importance of good housekeeping, among other things. The Divine Invasion relies far too heavily on Dick's (admittedly masterful) piling-on of ideas, with the uncommon result that it grows more engaging as it becomes less relatable. "
— Jesse, 12/29/2013 -
" A PDK masterpiece in my eyes, this book is half sci-fi drama and half Gnostic parable. Dick is full of confidence, and the results are breathtaking. Must read. "
— Darryl, 12/27/2013 -
" On it's own The Divine Invasion (DI) would probably be an alright book, it is really kind of odd and it could be a fun enough read. The problem with it is it is the sequel to VALIS, which was an incredible book and DI just didn't hold up. "
— Paul, 5/5/2013 -
" the middle book in dick's last trilogy of novels is the most "science fiction," but still manages to be absolutely mindblowing. "
— Brendan, 2/12/2013 -
" What if God--or a being called Yah--were alive and in exile on a distant planet? How could a second coming succeed against the high technology and finely tuned rationalized evil of the modern police state? "
— George, 8/12/2012 -
" A quick and absolutely amazing read. I devoured it. "
— Paradasia, 6/5/2012 -
" The only Dick novel I didn't want to finish. "
— Tim, 4/12/2012 -
" Wow. Philip K. Dick's take on religion was pretty intense. I wasn't super happy with how it started, but half way in, it wound up being pretty awesome. Some of the discussions are just powerful. Highly recommended. "
— Rishard, 1/15/2012 -
" What is god? Do you really want to know? "
— Sarah, 10/21/2011 -
" One of the worst books I've ever read. "
— Anita, 9/13/2011 -
" the middle book in dick's last trilogy of novels is the most "science fiction," but still manages to be absolutely mindblowing. "
— Brendan, 7/30/2011 -
" A quick and absolutely amazing read. I devoured it. "
— Paradasia, 6/28/2011 -
" Another one that is out there by Philip K. Dick, but I still liked. "
— Shane, 5/21/2011 -
" im going to go back and re-read this again but what a load of nonsense.<br/><br/>I read VALIS and was completely absorbed but i just dont think i get this or its just silly. "
— Pickle, 4/13/2011 -
" This book makes me feel like Christian Bale's character from "The Fighter": twitchy, bug-eyed, paranoid, jumpy. Thank you Philip K. Dick for your insane headtrips such as the one contained within the delicate paper pages of this opus... "
— Julie, 3/19/2011 -
" A Sci-fi Last Temptation. It is either a beautiful and moving interpretation of Judeo-Christian mythology or a brilliant parody of it. It's probably both. "
— Josh, 3/9/2011 -
" This is one of Dick's weaker works, being a hodgepodge of sorts. It is also one of his last, following his series of revelatory visions of 1974. In it he brings together some familiar themes from his earlier work with the philosophical and religious issues raised by those experiences. "
— Erik, 10/22/2010 -
" An evil talking goat, the prophet Elijia, alternate universises, and a pop singer. What more does one need? "
— Donald, 9/14/2010
About Philip K. Dick
Philip K. Dick (1928–1982) published thirty-six science fiction novels and 121 short stories in which he explored the essence of what makes man human and the dangers of centralized power. Toward the end of his life, his work turned toward deeply personal, metaphysical questions concerning the nature of God. Eleven novels and short stories have been adapted to film, notably Blade Runner (based on Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?), Total Recall, Minority Report, and A Scanner Darkly. The recipient of critical acclaim and numerous awards throughout his career, Dick was inducted into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame in 2005, and in 2007 the Library of America published a selection of his novels in three volumes. His work has been translated into more than twenty-five languages.
About Dick Hill
Laural Merlington is an audiobook narrator with over two hundred titles to her credit and a winner of multiple Earphones Awards. An Audie Award nominee, she has also directed over one hundred audiobooks. She has performed and directed for thirty years in theaters throughout the country. In addition to her extensive theater and voice-over work, she teaches college in her home state of Michigan.