DEUS IRAE

The false god, he repeated in rapture, since normally he was very bad at jokes, cannot survive exposure. He must always be concealed. We have lured him out and frozen his visage. And he is doomed.

Num	N	S	Writing Date	Pub. Date	Previous	Next	Notes
169	52		Began in 1964 end in 1976	Jul 1976	UBIK: The Screenplay	RADIO FREE ALBEMUTH

[Capsule: Idea originated in 1963/64. Outline and 50 sample pages written in 1964 and sent to Doubleday at that time. Sample pages sent to Ted White in 1965/66. Sample pages sent to Roger Zelazny in 1967 or early 1968. Correspondence between PKD and Zelazny late into 1968. Doubleday asks about novel in 1972. Zelazny still blocked in 1974. Didn’t finish until 1976, pub. 1976.]

In early 1964 Dick signed a contract for a novel or, possibly a series of novels, with Doubleday publishers. In a May 1968 letter Dick refers to this contract:

Roger Zelazny & I are going to collaborate on a novel. The basis of it is an outline I did back in 1964 which Doubleday bought. I was never able to actually write the actual damn book, and had Ted White take a look at the outline. He in turn, having decided (I guess) that he couldn't do it either, or didn't want to, gave it to Zelazny, with whom I was already discussing a possible collaboration. I did not remember the outline, however (it's called DEUS IRAE and deals with a future religion).

A novel that Roger Zelazny and I wrote, DEUS IRAE, took twelve years to write. I signed a contract with Doubleday in 1964, and this is 1976, right?

In a letter to James Blish in May PKD mentions the outline and having sent it to his agent.

And of the outline itself, Roger Zelazny, Dick’s ultimate collaborator on DEUS IRAE, said in a 1978 speech after DEUS IRAE was published:

Some years ago, Phil Dick, who is a very hot writer when he is on top of things, had agreed to write twelve books in a years time -- a book a month. Apparently he delivered 11 of the books. It got to be December, and the book was a thing called DEUS IRAE, for which he'd written an outline, I thought my outlines were pretty good when it came to faking the action and taking the publisher completely, but this was a masterpiece. It was much longer than those I usually manage, but it said less even. It was basically a philosophical essay, quite lovely, and then there were fifty pages of copy. At that point Phil Dick stopped. He was blocked.

I have been unable to confirm that the contract with Doubleday involved the writing of twelve novels in twelve months.

But, after writing this outline for Doubleday in 1964 for a novel with the working title of THE KNEELING, LEGLESS MAN – which would turn into DEUS IRAE, Dick, as he says above, "was never able to actually write the actual damn book" and the outline was set aside for another year.

Likely sometime during the year 1965 PKD sent off some sample pages for DEUS IRAE to Ted White to have him finish that manuscript for him. White notes:

In 1965 or 1966 he had given me the first 50 pages and the synoptic essay for DEUS IRAE and asked me to finish it for him. In other words, this was a man who professed admiration and respect for me and wanted me to collaborate with him.

One other item of interest. Roger Zelazny & I are going to collaborate on a novel. The basis of it is an outline I did back in 1964 which Doubleday bought. I was never able to actually write the actual damn book, and had Ted White take a look at the outline. He in turn, having decided (I guess) that he couldn't do it either, or didn't want to, gave it to Zelazny, with whom I was already discussing a possible collaboration. I did not remember the outline, however (it's called DEUS IRAE and deals with a future religion). But when Zelazny wrote to say he had possession of the outline and LIKED IT, I went mad with joy. You see, I think very highly of his work and evidently he thinks the same about mine. {...}

In October 1967 PKD had agreed with Roger Zelazny that they should collaborate on a novel. Details of this are minimal but it seems DEUS IRAE was not initially what the two had in mind. Paul Williams in his New Worlds Introduction references a letter from PKD to Zelazny dated Oct 26, 1967 in which he expands on this:

Larry Ashmead at Doubleday saw ‘a brief outline of the work’ (this would have been the ‘Joe Protagoras’ outline), ‘and he said he’d sign a contract on the basis of the outline except that they signed a contract on a previous outline of mine, a novel from which never emerged (true).’ This is a reference to DEUS IRAE, which Dick sold in chapter and outline form in 1964, which did in time become the project that Dick and Zelazny wrote together. At this point, however, Dick is not suggesting DEUS IRAE as their joint project.

Williams goes on to explain that what PKD had in mind was a lamination of the two outlines of ‘Joe Protagoras Is Alive And Living On Earth’ and THE NAME OF THE GAME IS DEATH. In the end, though, nothing came from these suggestions except the decision to work on DEUS IRAE. Perhaps Zelazny, his interest piqued about PKD’s mention of the forlorn 1964 outline, inquired about that and PKD started telling him and… before you know it DEUS IRAE is revived from the dead with Ted White passing on the sample pages of DEUS IRAE to Zelazny at his or PKD’s request. This most likely occurred in early 1968.

In 1968 PKD met Roger Zelazny at the Baycon SF convention in August About this meeting PKD wrote to Lawrence Ashmead his editor at Doubleday:

I attended the Baycon and met Roger Zelazny. He and I got together in an abandoned room and talked business for many hours -- e.g. our collaboration on DEUS IRAE, which he has told me he likes very much. I am reading LORD OF LIGHT by the way, and find ample reason for it winning the Hugo; it is a superb book, and the religious elements convince me -- if I wasn't already convinced -- that he can do quite right on DEUS IRAE…

Recall that Dick had signed a contract with Doubleday in 1964 for DEUS IRAE and had sent 50 sample pages to Ted White in 1965 or 1966 but White had been unable to progress with the novel and had given the sample pages to Zelazny in 1967 or 1968. Sporadic correspondence between Dick and Zelazny in the next few years had resulted in little progress. But, now, in 1968, the two actually met at the Baycon in San Francisco and a new spirit of commitment to the collaboration was kindled. In the letter to Ashmead just quoted PKD goes on to talk about this:

As to DEUS IRAE, which I know you want to know about, Roger wants to do the next fifty or so pages, and I agreed, because as you know I myself am stopped dead. However, contractual obligations have him tied up until January, but at that time he will begin on it; he will carry on where my initial fifty pages left off. I am sorry that we can't do it sooner, but I can't do it at all and Roger is committed for the remainder of the year. But consider: a novel by me and Roger Zelazny. Shouldn't that be quite something? God help us if it isn't. I know it will be good. I think that ultimately everyone will be glad that I pooped out after the first fifty pages because that gave Roger a chance to enter (I typed "end" a Freudian slip!).

I got maybe a third of it done and discovered that I didn't know anything about the subject matter, which is Christianity. I could sing a few hymns, you know, and I could cross myself, but that was about all. Anyway, I had embarked on a theological novel without knowing anything about theology. So when I ran across Zelazny in 1968, I'd been working for four years on the novel, and I said, "Zelazny, do you know anything about theology?" He said, "You better believe it, Jack," and I said, "How would you like to collaborate with me? I got one-third of this thing done, and it's all about Christianity." So he took it.

{Doubleday} very anxious about DEUS IRAE, mostly because they’d like to contract for THE NAME OF THE GAME IS DEATH as soon as possible, but cannot until they have something more on DEUS IRAE.

This letter also refers to a sum of money from Doubleday to the amount of $4500. Scott Meredith enclosed a check for $1350 ($1500 minus his commission) as part of this, explaining that the full amount had not yet come to Doubleday from NAL. What this money was payment for I do not know. I have never seen a NAL edition of any of PKD’s books, although NEL brought out several editions of MARTIAN TIME-SLIP in the 70s. Also in this letter Meredith mentions the interest of Essex House in any of PKD’s old unpublished sf novels, and of Collier Books interest in doing a collection of Dick’s stories based on one underlying theme of Dick’s choosing.

After reading LORD OF LIGHT I can see that you will have no trouble with our collaboration, DEUS IRAE. By the way -- an idea came to me about that ({...}). Maybe the viewpoint -- and locale -- could shift, at about page 55, to the God of Wrath himself. That's something that didn't occur to me until today ... and it's been four and a half years! Shifting viewpoint is a method I always use... but for some reason this never occurred to me. Any good? Yes? No? In-between?

What Zelazny thought about this suggestion is not known. But presumably he started working on DEUS IRAE in January 1969. And there, once again, we must let the novel sit until 1976 when Doubleday once again pressed for their long-contracted-for novel.

By Aug 1975 Zelazny had at last completed his part of the novel DEUS IRAE. This was done by Aug 17, 1975. When Zelazny sent the manuscript back to PKD, Dick added a final chapter and sent the manuscript to Doubleday who published it in July 1976.

DICK: I think he just -- his broad knowledge of things permitted him to pick it up. He's a very educated person, and a very skillful writer, and he was just an ideal person for those two persons. I like the parts that Roger wrote. I think he wrote some very funny parts. The pogo stick part that he wrote was the funniest part of the book. I was very pleased with what he did.

As to the amount Dick and Zelazny got for DEUS IRAE, PKD in another conversation said:

…then eight years went by, and I didn't hear from Roger until I got a postcard one time from him from the East Coast. Roger's in over his head just like me, but he's doing research. We each got four hundred dollars apiece or something like that. We'll never be able to earn back what we put into that book in the way of research and work. Now I, too, spend my time doing research before I do a book; I'm not going to get burned like that again.

In 1977 Dick would meet Zelazny again at the science fiction convention held in Metz, France that year.

In the 1980’s Carleton Lufteufel set off the bombs that half-destroyed the world; some say he was the God of Wrath. Phocomelus Tibor McMasters has been commissioned to paint his likeness on an altar and cannot work from the Polaroid provided. Tibor sets out on his cow-drawn cart to find Carleton, and encounters a homicidal computer, the Great C, and intelligent lizards, along the way. Pete Sands, who has had mystical visions, is sent along to try and sabotage the mission. They meet Jack Schuld, who promises Tibor that he will help him find Carleton, and reveals to Pete that he is in fact Carleton. Tibor kills him, and believes Pete when he locates someone willing to say he is Carleton. The completed altar is declared authentic, and Tibor is canonized after his death.

A drawn-out novel that shows the difficulty of its creation DEUS IRAE is worth ó ó ó .

OTHER ENGLISH EDITIONS. For Cover Pix Click Here:

FOREIGN EDITIONS:

The false god, he repeated in rapture, since normally he was very bad at jokes, cannot survive exposure. He must always be concealed. We have lured him out and frozen his visage. And he is doomed.

After completing FLOW MY TEARS, which he began before his previous wife had left him, he wrote A SCANNER DARKLY... At this point Doubleday & Co. politely reminded him that DEUS IRAE was overdue. Unable to finish the novel himself he had sent it to Roger Zelazny. When Roger sent it back to Phil, he added a final chapter, and sent it to Doubleday.

{On Metz 1977}: Later on, I was hanging out with Philipe Goy (French SF writer and scientist) in the bookstore where Dick was signing his books. For some reason, he had been put in a back room together with Zelazny (DEUS IRAE must have been just issued in French), and business was light. Among other things, Philipe Goy asked him if he really believed in what he had been talking about, and in God. Dick simply pointed to the cross he was wearing
{Letter from Pascal J. Thomas > PKDS}

{Letter to PKDS from Ted White, Falls Church, VA}
Now to put this in context, I must point out that I had met Phil in 1964, lived in his house, had him read the I Ching for me (a startling experience, the validity of which I believe to this day), and had been publicly described by Phil as the man who knew his work and understood it best. In 1965 or 1966 he had given me the first 50 pages and the synoptic essay for DEUS IRAE and asked me to finish it for him. In other words, this was a man who professed admiration and respect for me and wanted me to collaborate with him. (As a jape he gave Penguin a photo of me and it was printed [as a photo of the author] on the back cover of the British THE MAN IN THE HIGH CASTLE).

(JB:) I had it down that the first thing he started after the long, well, hiatus, was A Little Something For Us Tempunauts, a short story.

(TD:) Not really. He'd gotten the manuscript for FLOW MY TEARS. Doubleday was bugging him; he owed them two novels: DEUS IRAE and FLOW MY TEARS. He'd left the ms of FLOW MY TEARS with his attorney in Marin County, so he wrote for the ms to be sent down to him at Fullerton. The attorney sent it, along with a letter that said, "You'd better be in court, October 21st (1972)!" So he did show up in Court for his divorce.
{Tessa Dick to J.B.Reynolds, 1986}

[This article is condensed from a transcript of a speech given by Zelazny at Unicon, Melbourne, Australia, Easter 1978; the complete transcript was published in Science Fiction Commentary #54, under the title "A burnt-out Case."]

... I will delay for a moment and tell you how I came to know PKD. Some years ago, Phil Dick, who is a very hot writer when he is on top of things, had agreed to write twelve books in a years time -- a book a month. Apparantly he delivered 11 of the books. it got to be December, and the book was a thing called DEUS IRAE, for which he'd written an outline, I thought my outlines were pretty good when it came to faking the action and taking the publisher completely, but this was a masterpiece. It was much longer than those I usually manage, but it said less even. It was basically a philosophical essay, quite lovely, and then there were fifty pages of copy. At that point Phil Dick stopped. He was blocked.

You should have received by now the five-page piece I wrote for you yesterday. Well, I decided to send the carbon off to Germany, to Uwe Anton, who has asked me for something and to whom I'd already sent some fragments of DEUS IRAE, the new novel coming out by me and Roger Zelazny (Anton is putting together a PKD issue, you see). Today I added three more pages to go with the five, to be printed in Germany only, and then I thought, Shit. Why not send you the carbons on these pages and see if you want to add them, perhaps explaining that Phil had originally intended them for the German printing only... although I sort of say that in the pages themselves. It's up to you. In any case, here are three additional pages to the untitled piece I mailed you on May first, and you are welcome to print them or not. Okay? But on second thought it seemed sort of chickenshit for me to say stuff abroad and not here in the U.S. You'll see what I mean when you read the enclosed.
{"The Short, Happy Life Of A Science Fiction Writer", 1976}

AN INTERVIEW WITH PHILIP K. DICK CONDUCTED SEPTEMER 10, 1976 by Daniel DePrez

SFR: Then what about the collaboration between you and Roger Zelazny? How did that come about?

DICK: Well, that came about because I started DEUS IRAE, and I couldn't finish it because of my lack of knowledge of theology. And I met Roger in '68, and asked him if he would help me with the book, and he said he would, and he did, and his knowledge was adequate, and we were able to finish it, but it still took twelve years for the two of us to write the book, and it was very arduous for us to write. And we just sold that in England for a very large sum of money, so we finally will get some money out of it. I don't think we will get much in this country, but we will get something on the English sale.

DICK: Well, it's sold pretty well in this country. It's sold over 5,000 copies in the United States, so we will make some money. But the English sale was good, it was between 8,000 and 9,000 dollars, and we hope for other good foreign sales.

The only exception, say, would be the collaboration with Roger Zelazny, where I'd do a part, and Roger would do a part, and I'd do a part, and years would go by between our parts. And we lost a lot of money from having to spend so many years writing it. But, as I say, I was in difficulty, and simply didn't have the background for the book, and needed his assistance.

(Interviewer:) So you do like to write, and you used to work nonstop. Have you changed that pattern?

(Dick:) Yes. Here's what happened to me. A novel that Roger Zelazny and I wrote, DEUS IRAE, took twelve years to write. I signed a contract with Doubleday in 1964, and this is 1976, right? Well, that's how long it took the two of us to write it. I got maybe a third of it done and discovered that I didn't know anything about the subject matter, which is Christianity. I could sing a few hymns, you know, and I could cross myself, but that was about all. Anyway, I had embarked on a theological novel without knowing anything about theology. So when I ran across Zelazny in 1968, I'd been working for four years on the novel, and I said, "Zelazny, do you know anything about theology?" He said, "You better believe it, Jack," and I said, "How would you like to collaborate with me? I got one-third of this thing done, and it's all about Christianity." So he took it. And then eight years went by, and I didn't hear from Roger until I got a postcard one time from him from the East Coast. Roger's in over his head just like me, but he's doing research. We each got four hundred dollars apiece or something like that. We'll never be able to earn back what we put into that book in the way of research and work. Now I, too, spend my time doing research before I do a book; I'm not going to get burned like that again. I'm working on another theological novel called To Scare the Dead, but I've done two years of research, and when I sit down at the typewriter, I'm gonna know what I'm talking about.

{...} One other item of interest. Roger Zelazny & I are going to collaborate on a novel. The basis of it is an outline I did back in 1964 which Doubleday bought. I was never able to actually write the actual damn book, and had Ted White take a look at the outline. He in turn, having decided (I guess) that he couldn't do it either, or didn't want to, gave it to Zelazny, with whom I was already discussing a possible collaboration. I did not remember the outline, however (it's called DEUS IRAE and deals with a future religion). But when Zelazny wrote to say he had possession of the outline and LIKED IT, I went mad with joy. You see, I think very highly of his work and evidently he thinks the same about mine. {...}{PKD > Andy, May 21, 1968}

{...} I attended the Baycon and met Roger Zelazny. He and I got together in an abandoned room and talked business for many hours -- e.g. our collaboration on DEUS IRAE, which he has told me he likes very much. I am reading "Lord Of Light", by the way, and find ample reason for it winning the Hugo; it is a superb book, and the religious elements convince me -- if I wasn't already convinced -- that he can do quite right on DEUS IRAE. {...}

Cover letter accompanying check for $1350. Doubleday "very anxious about DEUS IRAE" and would like to contract for THE NAME OF THE GAME IS DEATH as soon as possible." Essex House is interested in seeing any unpublished novels and Collier Books is interested in "doing some science fiction collections from name authors'" and they've asked about Phil as one such author. {Scott Meredith > PKD, 9-30-68}

After reading LORD OF LIGHT I can see that you will have no trouble with out collaboration, DEUS IRAE. By the way -- an idea came to me about that ({...}). Maybe the viewpoint -- and locale -- could shift, at about page 55, to the God of Wrath himself. That's something that didn't occur to me until today ... and it's been four and a half years! Shifting viewpoint is a method I always use... but for some reason this never occured to me. Any good? Yes? No? In-between?

Philip K. Dick {PKD > Roger Zelazny, 11-13-68} {Thanks to Patrick Clark and the PKD Trust}

In chapter 18 of {...} DEUS IRAE, the vision of Dr. Abernathy -- which was written by PKD alone -- is that of the Palm Tree Garden {Sutin.ed}

For collectors of PKD editions, the first Doubleday edition of 1976 can be found for $75 to $100 in Fine condition although with a little searching you might get a very good copy for about $25. Surprisingly, the UK SFBC edition from Reader’s Union in 1978 can be bought for as low as $20. I’ve a feeling this one will be going up though.

Some lucky collector is the proud owner of the ultimate DEUS IRAE package; Ken Lopez Bookseller offered in 1997 the following item:

Deus Irae. (Published by Doubleday, 1976). Co-written with Roger Zelazny (author of Lord of Light, etc.). Ribbon copy typescript, 240 pages, typed on three typewriters (two of them Zelazny's), with small holograph corrections in both authors' hands, and a brief note explaining which typewriter represents which writer.

{The following is from Ken Lopez, Bookseller online catalog, May 1997. As far as I know this manuscript is still for sale}

1. Deus Irae. (Published by Doubleday, 1976). Co-written with Roger Zelazny (author of Lord of Light, etc.). Ribbon copy typescript, 240 pages, typed on three typewriters (two of them Zelazny's), with small holograph corrections in both authors' hands, and a brief note explaining which typewriter represents which writer.

Deus Irae was written between 1967 and 1975, with Zelazny and Dick collaborating mostly by mail. Zelazny had won the Hugo Award in 1967 for Lord of Light, a science fiction novel with threads of Buddhist philosophy woven through it. Dick had expressed admiration for the novel, and when his first collaborator, author Ted White, backed off the project, he began working with Zelazny. The setting is post-nuclear holocaust, and the theme is the pilgrimage of an armless and legless artist, his vision quest. The novel incorporates elements of two earlier stories by Dick, as well as bearing a resemblance to Dr. Bloodmoney. It is most notable, however, as the only collaboration between these two award-winning science fiction writers. Very good condition. $7500

Between the Covers Rare-Books, Inc.: DEUS IRAE, Doublday, hb, 1976 (1st). FINE/FINE. Usual (light) remainder spray to the bottom edge else fine in fine dustwrapper with a tiny tear. $100

Abebooks: DEUS IRAE, Doubleday, hb, 1976 (1st). FINE/NF. faint vertical glue stains on flaps. Jacket probably supplied from an ex- library copy as book is as new with no matching stains. Externally the jacket is quite attractive. $75

Phildickian: DEUS IRAE, Doubleday, hb, 527-1, 1976 (1st). NF/VG+. signed by Roger Zelazny. First Edition meeting points with code G27 on page 181, correct date and statement on copyright page. The book is clean and tight showing very light wear. The dust jacket has a short closed tear/crease to the upper edge of the front panel, is lightly rubbed, but otherwise sharp. Signed by Author. $125

Phildickian: DEUS IRAE, Doubleday, hb, 527-1, 1976 (1st). NF/VG+. very light wear, with faint remainder speckle to the bottom page edge which is common with this title. The dust jacket is crisp and free of chips rips & tears, covered with a brodart. $65

Arundel Books, Los Angeles: DEUS IRAE, Doubleday, hb, 1976 (1st). NF/VG+. Slight rubbing to dj. $90

Maxwell's Bookmark: DEUS IRAE, Doubleday, hb, 1976 (1st). VG. with dj. Remainder "splatter" on bottom edge. $45

Royal Books: DEUS IRAE, Doubleday, hb, 1976 (1st). VG/VG. Dust jacket has two small closed tears (1" and 1/2") to front panel, rubbing and chipping to spine ends and corners. $30

Phildickian: DEUS IRAE, Del, pb, 838-7, 1977. VG+. moderate reading stress. Internally clean and the binding is tight. $10

Abebooks: DEUS IRAE, Dell, pb, 838-7, 1977 (1st pb). FINE. unread book with small bump at bottom corner of front cover. $8

Worpsweder Antiquariat: DEUS IRAE, Dell, pb, 838-7, 1977 (1st pb). FAIR. Covers worn. Edges and corners bumped, rubbed and soiled. Stamp on back cover. $9

Thompson Rare Books: DEUS IRAE, Reader's Union, hb, UK SFBC, 1978. VG-NF. with dj. $20

Phildickian: DEUS IRAE, Del, pb, 838-7, 1980. VG. moderate reading stress. Internally clean and the binding is tight. $8

Phildickian: DEUS IRAE, DAW, pb, #559, 1983. VG. moderate reading stress. Internally clean and the binding is tight. $8

Phildickian: DEUS IRAE, Sphere, pb, 1988. NF. Clean bright copy showing no wear. $10

		Denoel - Presence du Futur, pb, 238, 1977, 256pp, ?, (?) {tr. into French by Francoise Cartano as DEUS IRAE} ISBN: 2-207-30238-5 SDM: 7714606
		Libra - Gli Slan, hb, 33, 1977, 258pp, Lit 4000 (Allison) {tr. into Italian by Roberta Rambelli as DEUS IRAE} Levack: Bound in green paper boards with gold lettering on the spine and front cover.
		Bruguera, ?, Nova 12, 1977, ?, ? (?) {tr. into Spanish as DEUS IRAE}
		Bruna SF, pb, 9082-6, 1978, 237pp, ?, (Karel Thole) {tr. into Dutch by Annemarie Kindt as DE GOD DER GRAMSCHAP} Levack: "A.W.Bruna: SF 84"
		Bastei Lubbe, pb, 22006, 1979, ?, DM 4.80 (?) {tr. into German by Rosemarie Hundertmarck as DER GOTT DES ZORNS}
		Hayakawa, pb, sf 3G, 1982, ?, ? (?) {tr. into Japanese}

		Ediciones B, pb, Libro Amigo 22, 1987, 358pp, ? (Jordi Tache) {tr. into Spanish as DEUS IRAE}

		Zysk i S-ka -- Poznan, ?, ?, 1996, ?, ? (?) {tr. into Polish by Pawel Kruk as DEUS IRAE}

		Denoel - Presence du Futur, pb, 238, 1997, 255pp, ? (?) {tr. into French as DEUS IRAE} ISBN: 2-207-50238-4 SDM: 9712068

Credits Navigation philipdick.com Novels Short Stories References

With Roger Zelazny

OTHER ENGLISH EDITIONS. For Cover Pix Click Here:

FOREIGN EDITIONS:

			Doubleday, hb, 04527-1, Jul 1976, 182pp, $5.95 (John Cayea) {Levack: "Bound in black paper boards with red lettering on the spine. Date code 'G 27' (27th week of 1976) appears at the lower left margin of page 181. States 'First Edition' on the copyright page. '1976' on the title page.}