"A Maze Of Death v1.0" - читать интересную книгу автора (Dick Phillip K)

A MAZE OF DEATH
by Philip K. Dick


First Vintage Books Edition, June 1994

Copyright 1970 by Philip K. Dick

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. Published in the United States by Vintage Books, a division of Random House, Inc., New York, and simultaneously in Canada by Random House of Canada Limited, Toronto. Originally published by Doubleday & Co., Inc., New York, in 1970.


ISBN 0-679-75298-6



To my two daughters, Laura and Isa





AUTHOR'S FOREWORD



The theology in this novel is not an analog of any known religion. It stems from an attempt made by William Sarill and myself to develop an abstract, logical system of religious thought, based on the arbitrary postulate that God exists. I should say, too, that the late Bishop James A. Pike, in discussions with me, brought forth a wealth of theological material for my inspection, none of which I was previously acquainted with.
In the novel, Maggie Walsh's experiences after death are based on an L.S.D. experience of my own. In exact detail.
The approach in this novel is highly subjective; by that I mean that at any given time, reality is seen--not directly-- but indirectly, i.e., through the mind of one of the characters. This viewpoint mind differs from section to section, although most of the events are seen through Seth Morley's psyche.
All material concerning Wotan and the death of the gods is based on Richard Wagner's version of _Der Ring des Nibelungen_, rather than on the original body of myths.
Answers to questions put to the tench were derived from the _I Ching_, the Chinese _Book of Changes_.
"Tekel upharsin" is Aramaic for, "He has weighed and now they divide." Aramaic was the tongue that Christ spoke. There should be more like him.




CONTENTS


1 In which Ben Tallchief wins a pet rabbit in a raffle.

2 Seth Morley finds out that his landlord has repaired that which symbolizes all Morley believes in.

3 A group of friends gather together, and Sue Smart recovers her faculties.

4 Mary Morley discovers that she is pregnant, with unforeseen results.

5 The chaos of Dr. Babble's fiscal life becomes too much for him.

6 For the first time Ignatz Thugg is up against a force beyond his capacity.