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Riders of the Purple Wage
A collection of short science fiction takes readers on a voyage through time with St. Francis, into a brutal future city where sterilization is the only cure to poverty, and to a struggle between alien beings and the IRS. Original.
224 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published April 15, 1992
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About the author
Philip José Farmer
592 books886 followersPhilip José Farmer was an American author, principally known for his science fiction and fantasy novels and short stories. He was born in Terre Haute, Indiana, but spent much of his life in Peoria, Illinois.
Farmer is best known for his Riverworld series and the earlier World of Tiers series. He is noted for his use of sexual and religious themes in his work, his fascination for and reworking of the lore of legendary pulp heroes, and occasional tongue-in-cheek pseudonymous works written as if by fictional characters.
Farmer is best known for his Riverworld series and the earlier World of Tiers series. He is noted for his use of sexual and religious themes in his work, his fascination for and reworking of the lore of legendary pulp heroes, and occasional tongue-in-cheek pseudonymous works written as if by fictional characters.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
June 5, 2020
Universal Basic Income! Joyce references! Incestuous oral sex!
March 31, 2014
I just finished the novella of this story in Dangerous Visions. This is truly and outstanding work of fiction as well as science-fiction. More social science-fiction than hard it tells the wonderful story of a welfare state taken to its logical conclusions based on technological advances well within our grasp. That this story was first published in 1967 is part of what makes it so remarkable. Many of the societal changes Farmer presents in this story are present in Stephensons The Diamond Age which debuted some twenty years later and it seems that before much longer we may indeed see some of these marvels come to pass. The story though is great and so enjoyable. The last hurrah of one of the few scoundrels left in the twenty-second century. I recommend this book to all who love speculative fiction and for those who look down their noses at it as well. You will love this book and the greatness therein.
July 26, 2021
*Read as part of the Dangerous Visions collection. (only the short story)
DNF. I couldn’t stand nor understand the writing style, I felt like a lemming throwing myself off a cliff just to flee this story. It’s a shame because I read the Wikipedia after and there are a lot of fascinating ideas presented, apparently. Personally I enjoyed the Wiki article much more than the actual story.
DNF. I couldn’t stand nor understand the writing style, I felt like a lemming throwing myself off a cliff just to flee this story. It’s a shame because I read the Wikipedia after and there are a lot of fascinating ideas presented, apparently. Personally I enjoyed the Wiki article much more than the actual story.
December 5, 2009
Mr. Farmer openly copies Joyce's 'Ulysses' spirit and style - or, better, a portion of the many 'stlyes' attempted by Joyce. And 'Riders...' makes it clear that this copying is intentional.
Having said that, 'Riders...' is infinitely more readable than 'Ulysses' by a long shot. It incorporates irony, vulgarity, and humor in equal parts blended with a small dose of conventional values.
Having said that, 'Riders...' is infinitely more readable than 'Ulysses' by a long shot. It incorporates irony, vulgarity, and humor in equal parts blended with a small dose of conventional values.
Read
June 30, 2020Currently reading Dangerous Visions, and got to this story. What utter garbage. Sophomoric language games, distracting "poetic" experiments, and no story or character worth a damn. People can sometimes be hoodwinked by difficulty for difficulty's sake, and that's the only explanation for how this trash got published, let alone won a Hugo.
June 6, 2025
If it is possible to give negative 5 stars, this story must surely deserve it! This is sentence after sentence, paragraph after paragraph of incomprehensible crap, filled with self-invented words and terms right from the very start. On top of that, it is filled with bad sentence structures. Eg "He as Simple Simon fishes in his soul as pail for the leviathan". I find this highly offensive. The accolades from the editor (I read it on the collection Dangerous Visions) is unbelievable. It is like the sycophants in the fairy tale, the emperor wore no clothes. So is this some kind of ultra modern, totally meaningless, avantgarde bundle of words that we are supposed to appreciate? Might as well a thousand monkeys go at the keyboard to churn out something. What utter offensive garbage!
March 31, 2009
A great collection of short stories from the creator of Riverworld including one titled, "St Francis Kisses His Ass Goodbye." Another one, "The Long Wet Purple Dream of Rip Van Winkle." But by far the best of this collection can be summed up in the beginning of "The Making of Revelagion Part One.
God said, "Bring me Cecil B. DeMille."
"Dead or Alive?" the angel Gabriel said.
"I want to make him an offer he can't refuse. Can even I do this to dead man?"
"Oh, I see," said Gabriel, who didn't. "It will be done."
And it was.
God said, "Bring me Cecil B. DeMille."
"Dead or Alive?" the angel Gabriel said.
"I want to make him an offer he can't refuse. Can even I do this to dead man?"
"Oh, I see," said Gabriel, who didn't. "It will be done."
And it was.
April 22, 2010
How did it take me so long to find this guy? Aside from some truly god-awful puns, his humor is hilarious. His universe building run rings around Ringworld and makes Riverworld look like a parking lot puddle.
This was a guy way too far ahead of his time.
This was a guy way too far ahead of his time.
July 19, 2011
If you read nothing else by him, read this!!
September 17, 2012
A collection of PJF's short stories, so of course, it's brilliant, weird and slightly disturbing.
One of my favorite writers. I will take bad Farmer over good nearly 90% of the SF writers out there.
One of my favorite writers. I will take bad Farmer over good nearly 90% of the SF writers out there.
February 25, 2020
Reading this dense, pun-filled novella was a tedious task, which is why I didn't give it 5 stars. On the other hand, I cannot believe it was published in 1967 and not in 2020! It is prophetic in its breadth of subject matter, and the science didn't interfere with the fiction.
Like all great works of fiction, the story concentrates (as best as it can given the fractured narratives) on Art; the creation of it, the artistic process, the artist's temperament, society's expectations, esthetic theory, etc.
I was also surprised to see so much post-modern literary theory in this work. Riders is very self-referential, leading some to call Farmer self-indulgent, but everything works. Just as the reader starts to think, "Oh, this is just a copy of Joyce's Finnegan's Wake," Farmer explicitly tells us about Finnegan's Wake. Just when you think you've seen past the critique of religion, Farmer tells us that this critique of religion must show a love and concern for religion, etc.
I won't sum up the plot, for fear of leaving something out, and having to choose one of the narratives, or write about multiple layers of meaning "like an onion" as his character says. Let's just say that Riders involves an artist trying to find meaning in a modern world overrun by technology, while trying to find love in his social strata and dysfunctional family.
If any of those themes interest you, and you like the style of writing seen in Thomas Pynchon (Crying of Lot 49) and James Joyce, then you'll love Riders.
My only regret is that I was going to spend an hour to watch Riders of the Purple Sage on Youtube after reading the novella, just to see the connection, but I'm willing to bet at this point that the title is simply a pun on the film's title. If I'm wrong, please let me know.
Although this was the first work I read by this author, I eagerly anticipate reading more of Farmer's fiction.
Like all great works of fiction, the story concentrates (as best as it can given the fractured narratives) on Art; the creation of it, the artistic process, the artist's temperament, society's expectations, esthetic theory, etc.
I was also surprised to see so much post-modern literary theory in this work. Riders is very self-referential, leading some to call Farmer self-indulgent, but everything works. Just as the reader starts to think, "Oh, this is just a copy of Joyce's Finnegan's Wake," Farmer explicitly tells us about Finnegan's Wake. Just when you think you've seen past the critique of religion, Farmer tells us that this critique of religion must show a love and concern for religion, etc.
I won't sum up the plot, for fear of leaving something out, and having to choose one of the narratives, or write about multiple layers of meaning "like an onion" as his character says. Let's just say that Riders involves an artist trying to find meaning in a modern world overrun by technology, while trying to find love in his social strata and dysfunctional family.
If any of those themes interest you, and you like the style of writing seen in Thomas Pynchon (Crying of Lot 49) and James Joyce, then you'll love Riders.
My only regret is that I was going to spend an hour to watch Riders of the Purple Sage on Youtube after reading the novella, just to see the connection, but I'm willing to bet at this point that the title is simply a pun on the film's title. If I'm wrong, please let me know.
Although this was the first work I read by this author, I eagerly anticipate reading more of Farmer's fiction.
June 14, 2024
Really tough read.
But go back! The first chapter, if you can call it that, was almost enough to stop me reading because it was so hard to follow and made zero sense.
I finished the rest, and re-read back up to the point things started making sense, and then, it all made sense! And wow, when it makes sense to you, this really was an entertaining piece of writing!...
Some crazy ideas, and they fly by so fast you can easily miss them, or miss their nuance amongst the crazy world building and other situations. But when you think about the time of this book, and the things that are going on in this world, it had a perfect place in Dangerous Visions. I'll probably listen to this again as it's only short to really get a second go at picking everything up that it has to offer.
But go back! The first chapter, if you can call it that, was almost enough to stop me reading because it was so hard to follow and made zero sense.
I finished the rest, and re-read back up to the point things started making sense, and then, it all made sense! And wow, when it makes sense to you, this really was an entertaining piece of writing!...
Some crazy ideas, and they fly by so fast you can easily miss them, or miss their nuance amongst the crazy world building and other situations. But when you think about the time of this book, and the things that are going on in this world, it had a perfect place in Dangerous Visions. I'll probably listen to this again as it's only short to really get a second go at picking everything up that it has to offer.
August 26, 2021
I've always had a problem with Farmer's books. I agree with his points more often than not, I like his turn of phrase, I like the plots, yet somehow, for me, it never seems to merge into a coherent story.
I have no idea why or how, but always with his work, I start off on a high note, but then, a few pages in, I find myself working to read, as if it's an ordeal I have to go through, and not a joy.
I have no idea why or how, but always with his work, I start off on a high note, but then, a few pages in, I find myself working to read, as if it's an ordeal I have to go through, and not a joy.
November 26, 2021
What.
I can appreciate a good sci-fi story, this isn't one of them.
In the Dangerous Visions anthology this... Amalgamation of words, run-on sentences and barely comprehensible descriptions, takes up almost 100 pages which could have been filled with something with more substance and without so much jargon.
I understand that the Farmer is a renowned sci-fi writer, but in my opinion, this work is simply not good.
I can appreciate a good sci-fi story, this isn't one of them.
In the Dangerous Visions anthology this... Amalgamation of words, run-on sentences and barely comprehensible descriptions, takes up almost 100 pages which could have been filled with something with more substance and without so much jargon.
I understand that the Farmer is a renowned sci-fi writer, but in my opinion, this work is simply not good.
January 26, 2020
The title novella of this wonderful collection is one of my all-time favorites. Forget the antiquated NINTEEN-EIGHTY FOUR and BRAVE NEW WORLD--RIDERS OF THE PURPLE SAGE should be taught in the schools! And it's a socialist utopia. Or is it a dystopia? Let the arguing--with a passion for life--begin!
February 15, 2020
Concuerdo con la palabras de Harlan Ellison sobre la “Exploración psicológica”, el “Pirotécnico estilo” y la “Riqueza del pensamiento y la excelencia de la estructura” de esta narración de Farmer. Además del complejo entramado de personajes reales, posturas filosóficas, artísticas y culturales al que hace referencia. Un relato visionario, que nos hace reflexionar sobre el futuro de la humanidad.
January 28, 2022
I loved all the short stories in this collection until the last. At that point I had it at 4 stars. The story Riders of the Purple Wage brought it down a point and it was tough to get through. At times during it I thought it was all coming together and then it fell apart again. Still worth it for the other stories and Riders of the Purple Wage did have some cool world building.
October 28, 2024
Farmer is a very capable writer, but this book is … not his finest. Of the eight short stories in here, two of them are readable if uninvolving, the rest is meandering chatter.
Again, I have a lot of respect for the author, but a bit like Ursula Le Guin, not everything they wrote was golden. Do the wordplay? Absolutely. Should it be a book? Probably not.
Again, I have a lot of respect for the author, but a bit like Ursula Le Guin, not everything they wrote was golden. Do the wordplay? Absolutely. Should it be a book? Probably not.
October 14, 2022
An excellent primer for the worst, and best of Farmer's excesses, jewelled intimacies and references to seven different authors in one character's name, this is a scream to the future on how progress can make humanity redundant. The Triple Revolution, to the mind of the author, is a wild one.
September 22, 2025
If this novella were described with the words "and now for something completely different" one might reasonably ask "different than what?" — a question to which any answer suggested would almost certainly be correct.
December 5, 2018
Science fiction erotica in the style of James Joyce.
July 14, 2021
Este cuento le leí en Dangerous Visions y me imaginé que ya es un libro a parte. Mi serial de cuentos sobre el Pez Gato está inspirado en el protagonista de este relato.
February 15, 2023
While it might be remarked that the story is prescient about the pitfalls of UBI the style was very off putting. Some might like the throwback to the 60's but it didn't work for me.
Read
January 15, 2024Unreadable.
May 16, 2024
Scratches that Joyce itch, a bit messy though
July 16, 2024
Score 7.5/10
Probably the single strangest story I've read all year. I'm working my way through Harlan Ellison's "Dangerous Visions" collection and I hit this bad boy. A Hugo winner of that year as well so I knew it should be pretty top notch, but right off the bat you're hit with vicious word play and a stream of consciousness writing style remiscent of James Joyce's "Ulysses" (which it is clearly emulating).
It took about a third of the novella but thats when it really clicked for me. The true main characters of this story is the world itself, as even though there's a main character there isn't really much of a plot. There also isn't much character development also, but I tend to judge short stories differently as there isn't the page count to facilitate that. I find that the best short stories tend to focus in on ideas and hypotheticals and exploring that with some depth, and in this regard I feel like this Novella is perfect. It's a dark comedic look at a far future of UBI lethargy, and the meaning of art and rebellion in stagnant world. When there is no cause for movement why move? Also for 1967 it's pretty wild how prophetic it is. He seems to have a pretty accurate idea of a future technocratic state because a lot of the things he talks about here are all too present in the 2020's.
It's a very disorienting novella, and I don't really think I could recommend it to anyone but I thoroughly enjoyed the ride, and Farmer's ability to emulate this style in such an absurdist setting is really unique.
Probably the single strangest story I've read all year. I'm working my way through Harlan Ellison's "Dangerous Visions" collection and I hit this bad boy. A Hugo winner of that year as well so I knew it should be pretty top notch, but right off the bat you're hit with vicious word play and a stream of consciousness writing style remiscent of James Joyce's "Ulysses" (which it is clearly emulating).
It took about a third of the novella but thats when it really clicked for me. The true main characters of this story is the world itself, as even though there's a main character there isn't really much of a plot. There also isn't much character development also, but I tend to judge short stories differently as there isn't the page count to facilitate that. I find that the best short stories tend to focus in on ideas and hypotheticals and exploring that with some depth, and in this regard I feel like this Novella is perfect. It's a dark comedic look at a far future of UBI lethargy, and the meaning of art and rebellion in stagnant world. When there is no cause for movement why move? Also for 1967 it's pretty wild how prophetic it is. He seems to have a pretty accurate idea of a future technocratic state because a lot of the things he talks about here are all too present in the 2020's.
It's a very disorienting novella, and I don't really think I could recommend it to anyone but I thoroughly enjoyed the ride, and Farmer's ability to emulate this style in such an absurdist setting is really unique.
Read
September 28, 2024DNF at page 23.
I really tried to push through, but I just couldn’t continue. The book is incredibly difficult to understand, and the writing style simply isn’t for me. The complexity of the narrative, combined with Farmer’s dense and abstract prose, made it hard to follow. I found myself constantly re-reading passages, yet still struggling to engage with the story.
I appreciate the ambition behind the work, but it just didn’t click with me. Sometimes, a writing style can be so unique that it becomes alienating, and unfortunately, that’s what happened here. I couldn’t connect with the characters or the world, and without that connection, it’s tough to stay invested.
I really tried to push through, but I just couldn’t continue. The book is incredibly difficult to understand, and the writing style simply isn’t for me. The complexity of the narrative, combined with Farmer’s dense and abstract prose, made it hard to follow. I found myself constantly re-reading passages, yet still struggling to engage with the story.
I appreciate the ambition behind the work, but it just didn’t click with me. Sometimes, a writing style can be so unique that it becomes alienating, and unfortunately, that’s what happened here. I couldn’t connect with the characters or the world, and without that connection, it’s tough to stay invested.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews