I’ve read a few PKD novels by now, and now my favorite by far is Ubik. It is a true mindfreak of a novel. It’s got all of the stuff that makes a great science fiction novel – interesting technology and culture, real philosophical questions, and plain old entertainment. I ditched my plans this weekend to read this whole thing in two days. I can’t stop thinking about it.
The story starts simply enough. Down-on-his-luck Joe Chip works as an anti-psychic. That may sound exciting, but in this world it isn’t. In the future, even the wild world of psychic powers has become mundane and commercialized. Basically, psychics are used for corporate espionage, and anti-psychics are used to combat corporate espionage. Both sides are making money in what to me seems to be a symbiotic relationship.
Chip works for a successful man named Gunciter, who is a big deal in the anti-psych world. Gunciter’s wife, Ella, is a partner in Gunciter’s business and is well-respected. She is also dead. Sort of. Mostly. A cottage industry of “half-life” keeps her in touch with Gunciter. Half-lifers are cryogenically frozen but are not quite dead. Some level of consciousness is still active in half-lifers’ brains, and they are able to communicate with the fully living via proprietary technology.
After visiting his beloved Ella, Gunciter takes on a haphazard, last-minute job on the moon. He takes along a mix of new and old crew members. One new crew member has powers that no one has encountered. Because it is an old sci-fi novel, she is also sexily available and mysterious. After the mission, Joe Chip and the gang start to get the feeling that things aren’t quite what they seem. Does it have to do with the new crew members? Were they betrayed? Are they losing their minds? Is the rest of the world? Where exactly are they?
And who or what is this titular Ubik? The reader gets some clues at the beginning of each chapter. In Fallout-like fashion, old-timey ad print for the various uses of Ubik starts each chapter.
If you are into mind-bendy science fiction like Inception, Looper, or The Player of Games, you may enjoy this.
4.5/5, rounded up.
I’m using this book for the Purple space in CBR Bingo. (Go, me!)