The Game-Players of Titan in Philip K Dick

Aug 17, 2012 Jack Stovold rated it really liked it · review of another edition

My Philip K. Dick Project #26

Entry #26 - The Game-Players of Titan (written May 1963, published Dec. 1963)

The Game-Players of Titan is a solid, satisfying read that nonetheless shows Dick working on a somewhat smaller scale than in his previous novels, especially Dr. Bloodmoney and Martian Time-Slip. Those two books are bona fide masterpieces of mid-era Dick, while Game-Players is simply an intriguing adventure story. In many ways, the tone of this tale reminds me of Dick’s short stories and e My Philip K. Dick Project #26

Entry #26 - The Game-Players of Titan (written May 1963, published Dec. 1963)

The Game-Players of Titan is a solid, satisfying read that nonetheless shows Dick working on a somewhat smaller scale than in his previous novels, especially Dr. Bloodmoney and Martian Time-Slip. Those two books are bona fide masterpieces of mid-era Dick, while Game-Players is simply an intriguing adventure story. In many ways, the tone of this tale reminds me of Dick’s short stories and earlier novels. However, being a big fan of both of those things, I had no problem with this story, and in fact found it to be a refreshing change of pace.
What we have here in this novel is another de-populated postwar world, this time after a destructive war with the vugs from Titan, protoplasmic silicon-based creatures with telepathic abilities. The vugs do not occupy Earth in the strict sense, but they enjoy a dominant relationship, and collude with the government and law enforcement. The vugs are obsessed with gambling, particularly a sort of card game simply called “The Game” by most of the characters. The vugs have imposed the game upon Earth, and now the movers and shakers in society are the “bindmen”, those who are lucky enough to be able to play the game. Victories and losses in the game determine one’s personal fortunes, even marriage partners, and all the land in the world (or at least the United States) is owned by the bindmen, who title deeds are the greatest prize of all.
Our main character here, Pete Garden, is a pro bindman of about 150 years of age (however medical advances at the time give most of these old characters a middle-aged physique and appearance). The book opens with Pete, who suffers from bipolar disorder and occasional suicidal impulses (mental illnesses, check.) losing his beloved Berkeley title and his current wife Freya in a particularly disastrous evening. However Pete’s problems have only begun, as he and his gaming group, Pretty Blue Fox, are implicated in the murder of Luckman, the most powerful bindman in the world and owner of New York.
Dick plays with reality again, as halfway through the book in a harrowing scene Pete has a psychotic episode in which he comes to believe nearly everyone around him is a vug in disguise. Shades of truth in this vision lead Pete and his friends closer to unraveling a conspiracy involving Titanian politics and earth’s secret corp of anti-vug psychics (here meaning telepaths, pre-cogs, and telekineticists). While there is nothing here to match the creepy schizophrenic visions in Martian Time-Slip, there is a lot of satisfyingly eerie scenes here involving the psychics. In fact, a vague feeling of dread hangs thickly over this novel, as it does in many of Dick’s books.
As always, Dick’s marriage of bizarre high concepts with the mundane details of daily life create a darkly whimsical atmosphere, complete with the humorous touches, like back-talking cars and befuddled elevators. And Dick here makes great use of his menagerie of telepaths and pre-cogs with their mind-games, who seem to show up in about half of his novels as a matter of course. Of course, this being Dick, there’s also plenty of time for record shops, discussions of classical music, marital squabbles, affairs, and beautiful, sharp-tongued women with an ax to grind. Heck, I’m pretty sure he even managed to get in a reference to Ganymede!
The finale on Titan, in which the Pretty Blue Fox faces off against the zugs with the fate of Earth in the balance is tense and exciting. And Dick finishes it off with an uncharacteristic, almost movie-like twist ending.
All in all, this isn’t one of Dick’s most cerebral books, nor one of his classics, but it is a good, entertaining adventure, filled with that unique phildickian atmosphere. Recommended for a good afternoon or two of bizarre sci-fi fun.

# I love how Dick’s aliens have names like E.B. Brown.

# The comical monopoly-like events that happen in the game on Titan are ridiculous and funny, which make it such a strange scene as Earth’s fate hangs in the balance.

My edition: Grafton Books, paperback 1991

Up next: “The Simulacra”!

September 24, 2012 ...more

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