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A review by darwin8u
Amnesia Moon by Jonathan Lethem
3.0
Mad Moon: Furry Road
I've read a bunch of Lethem (and a lot of Philip K Dick), so for me this novel was just a mediocre, road trip, post-apocalpytic PKD remake*. IT had obvious direct PKD references and influences: [b:Eye in the Sky|165908|Eye in the Sky|Philip K. Dick|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320505491s/165908.jpg|486298] & [b:Dr. Bloodmoney|636108|Dr. Bloodmoney|Philip K. Dick|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1355321708s/636108.jpg|880666] & [b:The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch|14185|The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch|Philip K. Dick|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1338461946s/14185.jpg|1399376]. PKD is the only one who should really try to be PKD**.
Later Lethem ([b:Motherless Brooklyn|328854|Motherless Brooklyn|Jonathan Lethem|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348254729s/328854.jpg|1971553] & [b:The Fortress of Solitude|9799|The Fortress of Solitude|Jonathan Lethem|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1418677318s/9799.jpg|1971520]) & [b:Chronic City|6085191|Chronic City|Jonathan Lethem|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348897861s/6085191.jpg|6262015]) is more confident and sings with his own voice. This one apes and apes well at times, but leaves a lot of soul out of the narrative. Still, I can't demolish 'Amnesia Moon' too hard despite the sometimes wispy narrative and repetitive set pieces because I see the latent talent in Lethem and just want more of HIS voice, more of HIS taint and HIS talent.
* And to be fair to Lethem, there are plenty of mediocre PKD novels out there too.
** Although I do appreciate how Lethem's love for PKD being is felt in his editing of [b:The Exegesis of Philip K. Dick|10887550|The Exegesis of Philip K. Dick|Philip K. Dick|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327883164s/10887550.jpg|15803284] and [b:The Philip K. Dick Collection|6362669|The Philip K. Dick Collection|Philip K. Dick|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1347353717s/6362669.jpg|6549791].
I've read a bunch of Lethem (and a lot of Philip K Dick), so for me this novel was just a mediocre, road trip, post-apocalpytic PKD remake*. IT had obvious direct PKD references and influences: [b:Eye in the Sky|165908|Eye in the Sky|Philip K. Dick|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320505491s/165908.jpg|486298] & [b:Dr. Bloodmoney|636108|Dr. Bloodmoney|Philip K. Dick|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1355321708s/636108.jpg|880666] & [b:The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch|14185|The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch|Philip K. Dick|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1338461946s/14185.jpg|1399376]. PKD is the only one who should really try to be PKD**.
Later Lethem ([b:Motherless Brooklyn|328854|Motherless Brooklyn|Jonathan Lethem|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348254729s/328854.jpg|1971553] & [b:The Fortress of Solitude|9799|The Fortress of Solitude|Jonathan Lethem|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1418677318s/9799.jpg|1971520]) & [b:Chronic City|6085191|Chronic City|Jonathan Lethem|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348897861s/6085191.jpg|6262015]) is more confident and sings with his own voice. This one apes and apes well at times, but leaves a lot of soul out of the narrative. Still, I can't demolish 'Amnesia Moon' too hard despite the sometimes wispy narrative and repetitive set pieces because I see the latent talent in Lethem and just want more of HIS voice, more of HIS taint and HIS talent.
* And to be fair to Lethem, there are plenty of mediocre PKD novels out there too.
** Although I do appreciate how Lethem's love for PKD being is felt in his editing of [b:The Exegesis of Philip K. Dick|10887550|The Exegesis of Philip K. Dick|Philip K. Dick|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327883164s/10887550.jpg|15803284] and [b:The Philip K. Dick Collection|6362669|The Philip K. Dick Collection|Philip K. Dick|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1347353717s/6362669.jpg|6549791].