VALIS is a science fiction novel written by the famous writer Philip K. Dick. This book was published in the year 1981 in the United States. The title VALIS is the acronym for "Vast Active Living Intelligence System", which is Philip K. Dick's spiritual vision of God.
VALIS is the first book in the trilogy of VALIS. The other VALIS novels which complete the trilogy are "The Divine Invasion" which was published in the year 1981, and "The Owl in Daylight" which was not finished and Philip K. Dick died when he was working on it. The Transmigration of Timothy Archer, which was published in the year 1982 is said to be the inspiration for the unfinished novel of VALIS trilogy. VALIS is considered as the major work of Philip K. Dick.
Plot
Horselover Fat is an author surrogate and he is the major character (protagonist) of the novel. The interesting fact to know about it is that "horselover" is the English word for the Greek word philippos. Similarly "Fat" is the English word for the German word "Dick". Together they represent that "Horselover Fat" and the author of the book, "Philip K. Dick" are the same.
Though the book is written in autobiographical form and in first person, the fact that Dick and Fat are the same person is not revealed for many chapters and any reader thinks that they are two different characters. The arguments and the conversations that take place between these two characters don't let any clue that they are the same person.
Most of the dialogs they speak and the arguments they make are about spirituality. Fat and Dick are obsessed with many religions and various spirituality beliefs. They believe in Christianity, Taoism, Gnosticism and some more religions and they believe that their personal wounds would be cured by their spirituality.
By the end of the book, a little girl (an incarnation of Christ), Sophia comes and cures the narrator. Sophia is a name commonly used for wisdom in many religious texts. After cured, the narrator feels surprised that Horselover Fat has disappeared all of a sudden.
At the very start of the book, the author states that he has created the character "Horselover Fat" to give himself the objectivity needed. The surprising thing one finds after reading the book is that the narrator who is the protagonist of the book is a fictional character.
It is an interesting book and for some people it is difficult to understand. Over all, it is a thought provoking book. `
