A Maze of Death

"I remember a pill," he said, "that had as side effects -if you took an overdose-convulsions, coma and then death. And in the literature, right after it told about the convulsions, coma and death, it said, May Be Habit Forming. Which always struck me as an anticlimax." Again he laughed, and then pried at his nose with one hairy, dark finger. "It's a strange world," he murmured. "Very strange."
"IN A YEAR THAT HAS SEEN VERY FEW OUTSTANDING SF NOVELS, THERE IS STILL A PHILIP K. DICK AROUND TO SAVE THE DAY." -Hackensack (N.J.) Record

From the back cover of the 1977 Bantam edition

FOURTEEN EARTHLY EXILES ON AN ISLAND IN BOUNDLESS SPACE.

FOURTEEN VICTIMS OF A MURDEROUS POWER.

IS THIS NAMELESS MENACE THE PRODUCT OF THEIR OWN DARKEST IMAGININGS-OR SOME RICHLY MYSTERIOUS,INFINITELY MORE TERRIFYING OTHER?

A MAZE DF DEATH . PHILIP K. DICK

"HE HAS PRODUCED THE MOST SIGNIFICANT BODY OF WORK OF ANY . SCIENCE FICTION WRITER." -NORMAN SPINRAD, EDITOR OF MODERN SCIENCE FICTION .

From the back cover of the 1983 Daw edition

PHILIP K. DICK 1928-1982

"We rejoice to have (had) a writer of the calibre of Philip K. Dick in our midst:'

-Brian Aldiss

A MAZE OF DEATH

Fourteen people came to Delmak-O in separate one-way space carriers. Their hope-to make new beginnings away from the world where God had made Himself manifest. Their communication satellite suddenly destroyed, they found themselves each alone on an alien and hostile planet. Death and mystery and terror became their lot-until they learned the true meaning of the Walker-on-Earth, the Form Destroyer. and the Intercessor....

From the back cover of the 1994 Vintage edition

Fourteen strangers came to Delmak-O. Thirteen of them were transferred by the usual authorities. One got there by praying. But once they arrived on that planet whose very atmosphere seemed to induce paranoia and psychosis, the newcomers found that even prayer was useless. For on Delmak-O, God is either absent or intent on destroying His creations.