The World Jones Made Quotes

“Tik-tok went the mechanism. Tik-tok, tik-tok, tik-tok, tik-tok until”
― Philip K. Dick, The World Jones Made

“Nina gazed up at him, suffused with the melting closeness of love. “Yes,” she whispered, searching his face, trying to see into him, seeking to understand what he thought and felt. “I love you so damn much.” He said nothing. He touched his lips to the burning torrent of honey-flaming hair that spilled out onto the pillow and blankets. Again and again she clutched at him, clung mutely to him, tried to hold onto him. But he was already slipping away. He turned on his side, remained for a time, his hand on her throat, by her ear, fingers touching her. “Please,” Nina whispered fiercely. “Please don’t leave me.” But there was nothing he could do. He was slipping further and further away from her . . . and she was leaving him, too. Locked in each other’s arms, bare bodies pressed together, they were already a universe apart.”
― Philip K. Dick, The World Jones Made

“We’re not even allowed to have romantic illusions, anymore. We can’t even tell ourselves lies. If we do—” She smiled, without rancor. “Then they take us to the forced labor camps.”
― Philip K. Dick, The World Jones Made

“Do you really hate us this much?” She smiled. “Not you, us. All of us.” “Why?” “Well,” Nina said, in a remote, detached voice, brought down to reality by fantastic concentration of will, “it just seems so goddamn hopeless. Everything . . . like Max says. There’s nothing. We’re living in deadness.”
― Philip K. Dick, The World Jones Made

“An Irishman hears that the banks are failing. He runs into the bank where he keeps his money and demands every cent of it. ‘Yes sir,’ the teller says politely. ‘Do you want it in cash or in the form of a check?’ The Irishman replies: ‘Well, if you have it, I don’t want it. But if you haven’t got it, I must have it immediately.”
― Philip K. Dick, The World Jones Made

“Relativism is cynical. It surely isn’t idealistic. It’s the result of being killed and injured and made poor and working hard for empty words. It’s the outgrowth of generations of shouting slogans, marching with spades and guns, singing patriotic hymns, chanting, and saluting flags.”
― Philip K. Dick, The World Jones Made

“To me, the spectacle of demagogues sending millions of people to their deaths, wrecking the world with holy wars and bloodshed, tearing down whole nations to put over some religious or political ‘truth’ is—” He shrugged. “Obscene. Filthy. Communism, Fascism, Zionism—they’re the opinions of absolutist individuals forced on whole continents. And it has nothing to do with the sincerity of the leader. Or the followers. The fact that they believe it makes it even more obscene. The fact that they could kill each other and die voluntarily over meaningless verbalisms . . .” He broke off. “You see the reconstruction crews; you know we’ll be lucky if we ever rebuild.”
― Philip K. Dick, The World Jones Made

“Security is the lesser of two evils. I say evils. Of course, you and I know there’s no such thing as evil.”
― Philip K. Dick, The World Jones Made

“maybe they think we’re freaks. Who says who’s a freak?”
― Philip K. Dick, The World Jones Made

“That was why Hyndshaw made a good salesman. He was a good guesser.”
― Philip K. Dick, The World Jones Made

“After all, fortunetelling was ninety-nine percent showmanship and the rest shrewd guesswork”
― Philip K. Dick, The World Jones Made

“I suppose Relativism is cynical. It surely isn’t idealistic. It’s the result of being killed and injured and made poor and working hard for empty words.”
― Philip K. Dick, The World Jones Made

“Un bicchiere di birra alle sei del mattino è male. Un piatto di farinata è orribile alle otto di sera. Ai miei occhi, lo spettacolo dei demagoghi che mandano a morire milioni di persone, condannando il mondo alla deriva tra guerre sante e spargimenti di sangue, distruggendo intere nazioni in virtù di una "verità" religiosa o politica è…» scrollò le spalle. «Osceno. Schifoso. Comunismo, fascismo, sionismo opinioni di individui assolutisti inculcate a interi continenti. Senza che questo abbia niente a che fare con l'onestà del condottiero. O dei seguaci. Il fatto che ci credano rende la cosa ancor più oscena. Il fatto che possano uccidersi a vicenda o morire volontariamente per discorsi insensati…» Si interruppe. «Le vedi le squadre di ricostruzione; sai che potremo dirci fortunati se riusciremo mai a riedificare.» «Ma la polizia segreta… sembra talmente spietata e… be', cinica.» Lui annuì. «Suppongo che il Relativismo sia cinico. Sicuramente non è idealista. È il punto d'arrivo di chi è stato ucciso, ferito, ridotto in miseria e a lavorare duramente per le vuote parole. È il prodotto delle generazioni che gridavano slogan, marciavano con le vanghe e le armi, cantavano e scandivano inni patriottici, rendevano omaggio alle bandiere.» «Ma voi le sbattete in prigione. Queste persone che non sono d'accordo con voi - non permettete loro di dissentire… guarda il ministro Jones.» «Jones può benissimo dissentire. Può credere a quello che vuole; può credere che la terra è piatta, che Dio è una cipolla, che i bambini nascono nelle buste di plastica. Può avere l'opinione che preferisce; ma quando comincia a spacciarla per Verità Assoluta…» «Lo sbattete in prigione» disse Nina rigida. «No» la corresse Cussick. «Tendiamo la mano, diciamo semplicemente: dimostra o stai zitto. Conforta i fatti quello che vai dicendo. Se vuoi dire che gli ebrei sono la radice di tutti i mali - devi provarlo. Lo puoi dire, se riesci a dimostrarlo. Altrimenti, fila ai lavori forzati.»”
― Philip K. Dick, The World Jones Made