Wow. What a weird story full of strange characters in an
even stranger and disturbing post-nuclear-holocaust world. The novel starts
with scenes of life and society rebuilding itself after a nuclear
detonation/fallout. Societies regroup and form small local communities. The story moves at a fairly quick pace and
manages to develop very interesting characters along the way- - like the black salesman who simply
wants to live a good life, a beautiful and promiscuous woman (who indulges in
some panic sex during the second fallout), her small daughter with her own
brother growing inside her (a mutation due to the nuclear bombs going off), the
phocomelus with special abilities who wants to become world famous, the
sinister, paranoid and mad scientist with seemingly magical powers and the
elderly space traveler who was on his way to mars but is now stuck in orbit due
to the nuclear explosions and becomes a disc jockey for the survivors of the
apocalypse.
Hoppy Harrington, the phocomelus, and Bill, a homunculus
that was once a fetus in fetu living in his twin Edie are the main characters
in this book who, for me, moved the story along. Others may say Dr. Bluthgeld
(Bluthgeld translated from German to English means Bloodmoney) the mad
scientist, Walt Dangerfield the space traveler turned disc jockey, or McConchie
the salesman were just as central to the story, and they might be right, but I can
definitely say aren’t the most interesting.
Through the actions of the
characters and unusual interactions between them, Dick touches upon themes like
the corrupting nature of power, nostalgia, evil, rural life versus city life
and the human spirit. Unlike some other post-apocalyptic novels there is no
government or some kind of higher authority watching over and controlling the
people's lives in Dr. Bloodmoney. But there is self-regulation in most of the
small communities with the prominent citizens willing to commit murder to
maintain law and order.
Dick wrote this novel in 1963 and won the Nebula award for best novel in 1965.
My rating: ★★★★☆ (4 out of 5 stars)
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