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As I enjoy Sheckley's prose style for itself, which is why I regard "Mindswap" as an almost perfect example of surrealist science fiction, this book is sadly, a let-down. The plot wanders around the concept of inadequate preparation. Our hero's spaceship breaks down, his security robot is not programmed for the planet he lands on in hope of repairs, and the author then treats us to a set of hallucinations, or bizarre behaviours on the part of the inhabitants and doesn't help us to see which he is describing. We then get a discussion of the difficulties of trying to create adequate narrative, how the author is endlessly trying to shape impressions and descriptions into an entertaining or usable experience. The late sixties was a period show more of tremendous mental freedom and I think Sheckley was experimenting here with creating in prose, the mental frontiers that others were exploring by the direct use of chemical hallucinogens. I'd read this before the "Mindswap" if you are possessed of both books, to see to what extent, the more famous book is a triumph over the intractability of the author's mental furniture. show less

Funny, satirical (satyrical?), insightful, essentially plotless, wildly rambling, out of control. Used a forced and stupid (and clichéd) device to bring closure - not sure why he bothered, unless the editor demanded a dénouement. A frustrating experience in spite of the wit.

Robert Sheckley is one of my favorite short story writers from the "Golden Age" of science ficton. He had stories in at least 15 different pulp publications and went on the write several novels. If you pick up an anthology of classic SF stories there is likely to be a Sheckley story in the mix. I like his short stories better then his novels.

This novel is pure farce and was not to my liking. This I partly my fault as I have mostly lost interest in farce as I have matured. I recently I read "The Star Diaries" by Stanislaw Lem and found it quite humorous.

This will not stop me from reading all other Sheckley works.

Definitely had some funny parts ("Mishkin punched a button, which took it like a man") but it was a little too unusual for me to get into. It was hard to care about what happened when there isn't much of a story, and when the entire book may have been the main character's hallucination. And because there wasn't much of a story, there wasn't much opportunity for character development either.