“The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch” Philip K. Dick — weird sci-fi

After Teatro Grottesco by Thomas Ligotti, I decided to write about another literary gem — The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch. In my opinion, Philip K. Dick is one of the most overlooked authors, when it comes to weird fiction. While usually associated with science fiction, many of his works can very often be classified as horror masterpieces. One of them, undoubtedly, is The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch. What makes this novel so unique? Let’s find out.

Peculiar vision

The action of the novel takes place in the future. The world is struggling with such problems as rapidly growing greenhouse effect, shifting of glaciers which make living on Earth almosts unbearable or eugenic program accelerating the evolution of the wealthiest citizens. Moreover, anyone can be forced to move to Mars or another planet to live in harsh conditions, while terraforming it. The only entertainment available for the colonists is a drug called Can-D. Combined with Perky Pat (Ken and Barbie-like dolls), it allows them to enter a trance and feel as if they were back on Earth. Those are conditions in which we meet the main characters of the novel — Leo Bulero, the head of corporation distributing the aforementioned hallucinogenic substance and Barney Mayerson, his employee.