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Loading... The Zap Gun (1965)by Philip K. Dick
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Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. No current Talk conversations about this book. Cold-War paranoia fueled with Dick's intensive drive of science fiction, eccentric characters, and webs of alliances and partnerships. This book was a delightful surprise. I enjoyed the rapid pace of the plot and the way Dick maneuvers his characters with his story-line, slowly revealing more and more to entice the reader to continue the tale. Additionally, the dialogue in this book rang more true and I enjoyed all the little science fiction devices that Dick invented, and detailed, in this novel. Overall, a solid effort. 3.25 stars: worth reading. Though a serialized novel, The Zap Gun isn't as dry and long-winded as one would expect. Set in the past-future of 2004, the Cold War still rages on between the West (Wes-Bloc) and the East (Peep-East). Rather than using nuclear warfare, because it's like people hitting themselves over the head with a hammer, the weapons of the Cold War have developed with certain specializations in mind - missiles that exploded, land, and at 10pm emit loud noises for days on end, for example. The story itself follows the premier weapons designers for both sides as they come together to figure out how to stop the invasion of an unknown alien force that seems to be arriving on Earth's doorstep. What is presented is a witty, quick-flowing novel full of humor and sarcasm directed at both the Cold War and, interestingly enough, our world today. Not just a novel of war-time humor, but a look at the way our world is run, from the Cogs (governments) to pursaps (pure saps - or, the average person), and from war toys to, well, toys. no reviews | add a review
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In this biting satire, the Cold War may have ended, but the eastern and western governments never told their citizens. Instead they created an elaborate ruse wherein each side comes up with increasingly outlandish doomsday weapons -- weapons that don't work. But when aliens invade, the top designers of both sides have to come together to make a real doomsday device -- if they don't kill each other first. With its combination of romance, espionage, and alien invasion, The Zap Gun skewers the military-industrial complex in a way that's as relevant today as it was at the height of the Cold War. No library descriptions found. |
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Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)813.54Literature English (North America) American fiction 20th Century 1945-1999LC ClassificationRatingAverage:
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I mean, that shouldn't be too surprising in the middle of the sixties when his output was insanely high, when he was dragging out a novel as fast as he could to attempt to make a living... and a poor living at that.
And yet, he still manages to write something quite akin to Dr. Strangelove. Half satire, half comic book wacky. Quirky enough to encompass idiot savants, time travel, shifting mazes, and a futuristic arms race that is a setup from the get-go. Everyone's in on the plot except for the normal joes.
Sound familiar?
Well, it's pretty okay for what it is. Slapdash and quick, there's plenty of odd females to go along with the odd guys, and together they discover that the whole world is not what it seems. In that case, it's pretty classic PKD... it just didn't strike my fancy all that much.
The other novels are a lot more polished, deep, and deeply strange rather than just surface strange. So, unfortunately, I must dub this novel the worst of PKD. It's a shame, really. It's still okay. lol ( )