The Three Stigmata Of Palmer Eldritch

A Nebula Award–nominee from the Hugo Award–winning author of The Man in the High Castle, Philip K. Dick’s The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch explores the desolation of the minds, souls, and hearts of colonists on Mars in “a psychedelic odyssey of hallucinations-within-hallucinations from which no reader emerges unscathed” (Boston Globe).

In this mind-bending sci-fi classic, the harsh climate on Mars could make any colonist turn to drugs to escape a dead-end existence. Especially when the drug is Can-D, which translates its users into the idyllic world of a Barbie-esque character named Perky Pat. When the mysterious Palmer Eldritch arrives with a new drug called Chew-Z, he offers a more addictive experience, one that might bring the user closer to God. But in a world where everyone is tripping, no promises can be taken at face value.

The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch is one of Philip K. Dick’s enduring classics, at once a deep character study, a dark mystery, and a tightrope walk of philosophical fiction along the edge of reality and illusion.

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Published Oct 18, 2011

240 pages

Average rating: 7.33

18 RATINGS

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yeehaw20001
Feb 10, 2026
8/10 stars
There’s nothing left to say about this book that hasn’t been said already. Trippy, hilarious, mind-bendingly genius. Didn’t quite hit the five-star mark for me because the writing felt very bland at times. Don’t know if this is just part of the author’s style (this is the first book I’ve ever read by him) but it’s not very appealing to me. Still, the story and characters were so damn interesting & entertaining I had to keep going. Love the Christian commentary, and I especially love that it really isn’t all that straightforward and somewhat left to the readers’ interpretation. This story stands the test of time and the old timey 1960s slang just added to the campiness and made it even more enjoyable.

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