May 2019 Host: Megan
Ubik by Philip K. Dick
Summary
This
is truly a difficult novel to explain. While reading it, one oftentimes must
backtrack to grasp what is happening, as there are many bizarre events and
futuristic concepts. An example is amphetamine dispensing vending machines. The year is set in 1992 and the main character
is Joe Chip, a technician working for a business that employs psychics to block
precog mind infiltration. One of his
newly hired coworkers is a woman named Pat Conley, who has the ability to go
back in time and alter events. Characters can communicate with some of the dead
who are in a ‘half-life’ state through cryonic suspension. These characters, along with a group of others,
go to the moon to visit associates. When
they return to earth, strange things begin to happen, such as fresh food
becoming moldy and technology rapidly moving backward. This is where Ubik comes in. This story engages you from the beginning and
although at times is difficult to understand, it is highly recommended and one
of Time’s best 100 English language novels.