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Title: The Skull
Author: Philip K. Dick
Narrator: Phil Chenevert
Format: Unabridged
Length: 52 mins
Language: English
Release date: 07-01-14
Publisher: Spoken Realms
Ratings: 2 of 5 out of 1 votes
Genres: Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Publisher's Summary:
"The Skull" is a skilful mesh of time travel, unscrupulous governments, prisoners, and religion - with an assassin thrown in for good measure. Enjoy!
Members Reviews:
Entertaining, Thought-Provoking but the Finale Fell Short
"The Skull" is vintage PKD filled with creative concepts, thought-provoking ideas, dark images, and wonderful prose.
"Without military preparations--weapons--there could be no war. And without machinery and complex scientific technocracy there could be no weapons."
Conger, the protagonist, must travel back in time to kill a man who will preach to the masses and create hardship for those in power. He is told that he has but one chance to stop this rogue Founder of the Movement.
"The Movement preached that you couldn't stop war by planning for it. They preached that man was losing to his machinery and science, that it was getting away from him, pushing him into greater and greater wars ... the Founder was an obscure person from a small town in the American Middle West. We don't even know his name. All we know is that one day he appeared, preaching a doctrine of non-violence, non-resistance; no fighting, no paying taxes for guns, no research except for medicine. Live out your life quietly, tending your garden, staying out of public affairs; mind your own business. Be obscure, unknown, poor. Give away most of your possessions, leave the city. At least that was what developed from what he told the people."
The bottom line: once you start this one, assuming you're into sci-fi and a wacky, wild style of writing and creative thinking, you won't be able to stop. It's short enough to finish in an hour, and as of this writing available for free on Amazon. The problem I had with it wasn't the fact that I called the ending half way through. That was OK because I wanted to find out what the Founder would say. The problem was that what the Founder had to say wasn't all that special (unless, of course, I'm missing some hidden message here, which is entirely possible with PKD). For the price and time commitment, a must for PKD fans.
-Raeden Zen
Yorick Asks, "To Straighten My Teeth, or Not To Straighten My Teeth?"
I've always struggled with--back up, perhaps I should say, I've always been intrigued by--Philip K. Dick's treatment of religion in "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" It's a haunting depiction that I feel I understand better each time I read it. Dick's presentation of religion in "The Skull," by contrast, is not quite so complicated but still intriguing--and worth another read.
The writing concise and pointed--pithy, if you will. The descriptions are just enough to generate interest. Perhaps though what is of most interest is the pacing. The narrative leaps from event to event, but Dick is careful to keep the reader abreast of what has happened in the intervals. It's masterful really. I feel as though I have been mercifully spared the when's and where's and gifted with the why's and wherefores. This makes for quick and pleasurable reading.
There are so many time machine-type stories out there. (This one has a Twelve Monkeys feel to it.) Because of this, the plot--the "what happens"--isn't one that will fool sci-fi lovers, but I reckon that few--lovers or not--will walk away dissatisfied with this story.
