In Pursuit of VALIS: Selections from the Exegesis is a landmark 1991 anthology published by Underwood-Miller of Novato, California, collecting edited excerpts from Philip K. Dick's massive private philosophical journal known as the Exegesis. Edited by Lawrence Sutin, the volume features a preface by Sutin, an introduction by Jay Kinney (a shorter version of which appeared in Gnosis Magazine, issue 1, Fall 1985), and an afterword by Terence McKenna. A PKD Chronology compiled by Paul Williams is also included.
The Exegesis represents Dick's sustained attempt to interpret and understand a series of mystical and visionary experiences that began in February and March of 1974, commonly referred to among scholars as the "2-3-74" events. Over the remaining eight years of his life, Dick filled thousands of handwritten pages exploring theology, Gnostic philosophy, Neoplatonism, quantum physics, and the nature of reality in an effort to make sense of what he believed was a divine revelation.
This anthology was the first major published selection from the Exegesis and served for decades as the primary access point for scholars and readers interested in Dick's late-period metaphysical thought. The contributors represent key figures in Dick studies: Sutin authored the definitive Dick biography Divine Invasions, Williams founded the Philip K. Dick Society, Kinney edited Gnosis Magazine, and McKenna was a prominent figure in psychedelic and esoteric discourse. Published in both clothbound (ISBN 0-88733-091-6) and softcover (ISBN 0-88733-093-2) editions.