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Ubik

by Philip K. Dick

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Rob said: " It’s Phillip K Dick so of course he gets 4+ stars. I love how this dude writes! There is an art to getting even the most obscure information across in the shortest way possible that he runs absolute masterclasses on. I don’t think anybody can do it l It’s Phillip K Dick so of course he gets 4+ stars. I love how this dude writes! There is an art to getting even the most obscure information across in the shortest way possible that he runs absolute masterclasses on. I don’t think anybody can do it like Dick. Wild ideas in short and witty sentences! The man is second to none.

That being said. Am I the only one that was kind of annoyed that the first half of the book has very little to do with the second?

Spoiler talk.

Did you like all the Physics/Pre Cogs ideas and whatever the hell Pat was supposed to be? Me too. Too bad it was all just a set up to get a bunch of people in a room and then do a whole half life thing to them. Initially there’s some rich dude buying up all the talented physics to kill his competitor. A super team is then assembled to fly to another planet and stop what’s going on… and then boom! A bomb goes off and none of that means anything anymore. Times reversing so don’t worry about Runciters war with Hollis or seeing how the Physic and pre cog dynamic works over the course of the story to deal with whatever is going on!? They really could have all been scientists, or dentists for that matter and the second half of the story would be exactly the same! Set up without payoff is annoying. Even if Philip K Dick wrote it!

Also Pat was easily one of the best characters in the story and I resent that she was really just a red herring and nothing else. I enjoyed her claiming Joe for herself and that her unique power could recreate pretty much anything that she chose. Only it turns out no she couldn’t because for some reason she didn’t reverse the bomb into not being able to explode. Her powers imply she could. Easily. But nah, she’s just as half-dead as anybody else. I’d then hoped she’d be able to help Joe out with the whole Jory situation, but that’s a big no on that one as well. Seems like she was only really in there to make you suspect her of being responsible for the whole time thing screwing up and pay to open Joes door. Massive waste to me.

But I also know it’s one of those books that you have to reread. Lots of metaphors and deeper meanings floating around about reality and subconsciousness. Ubik means Gods help. I get it, I guess. Only maybe I don’t. Don’t really understand Runciters wife/Joe being the only ones to be able to push back on Jory. Or how spraying an aerosol can of God on yourself prevents the dark ones touch. Or maybe I do get that. I’ll read it again at some point and I know that I’ll get more out it.

All in all. I always enjoy his writing and the ideas that he runs with. I was a little disappointed by the ending and lack of closure to the first part of the story that I was diving into. But it’s still good. Better second time around I’m sure. ...more "

11 hours, 28 min ago · see review