Ubik is outrageously caricaturistic – a clever projection of modern absurdity into the future… In this vibrant dystopia, the future is more ridiculous than bleak… Glorious madness…Abilities and counter-abilities… Talents and anti-talents… Opposites must be balanced…The anti-psi factor is a natural restoration of ecological balance. One insect learns to fly, so another learns to build a web to trap him.There are psionic talents possessing paranormal abilities of all sorts, and there are inertials...

"He felt all at once like an ineffectual moth, fluttering at the windowpane of reality, dimly seeing it from outside."Many Philip K. Dick fans refer to *Ubik* as his strangest novel. That's really saying something! With the constant Ubik advertisements intruding into reality (or what passes for reality in the character's world), I too found *Ubik* bizarre in a compelling and absolutely relentless way. It's somewhat nightmarish too for our protagonist as he races to understand the messages from h...

SF Masterworks #26: That cover is insane... I absolutely love it! Written back in '69, the idea of a team of psi-powered agents battling it out would've seemed totally innovative and groundbreaking. But that's just the setup. Holy mackerel, Philip K. Dick is a straight-up monster! This multi-layered, psi-powered, suspenseful mystery thriller is an absolute joy to read. It's tough to talk about the plot without dropping spoilers... but trust me, the plot in "Ubik" is delicious. Another gem from P...

The concept of a single wonder-substance, a superdrug, the holy grail, a dietary supplement to rule or enhance them all is nothing new. But it took Philip K. Dick's penchant for blending mental illness, illusion, conspiracy, shifting realities, and outright madness to make it feel fresh. So, what are my thoughts on **Ubik**?I actually enjoyed this one more than "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" The plot is incredibly dense, the ideas are ingeniously woven together, and perhaps it's because ...

“He felt all at once like an ineffectual moth, fluttering at the windowpane of reality, dimly seeing it from outside.”― Philip K. Dick, UbikTotally bonkers and brilliant, Philip K. Dick’s acclaimed 1969 sci-fi masterpiece, Ubik, kicks off in 1992. By then, humanity's colonized the Moon (aka Luna), and people with psychic powers are as common as smartphones. Some companies even hire folks (“telepaths” or “precogs”) specifically for their ability to predict the future. Naturally, other companies h...

"I am Ubik. Before the universe was, I am. I made the suns. I made the worlds. I created the lives and the places they inhabit; I move them here, I put them there. They do what I tell them, and then they do what I tell them. I am the word, and my name is never spoken, the name that no one knows. I am called Ubik, but that is not my name. I am. I always will be."Now I understand why Philip K. Dick is one of the great gods of science fiction. Ubik isn't just a book; it's a full-blown movie playing...

I started reading Philip K. Dick’s short stories and was instantly hooked. His style and imagination have left a huge mark on science fiction ever since, and his influence is unmistakable. His novels are genius, and *Ubik* might just be the best one I've read so far. Telling an inventive sci-fi story that's entertaining on the surface, it's also a theological metaphor that keeps you thinking and trying to figure out what PKD is getting at. His brilliance is compelling, and his forays into a mor...

“I am Ubik. Before the universe was, I am. Philip K. Dick, UbikI made the suns. I made the worlds. I created the lives and the places they inhabit; I move them here, I put them there. They go as I say, then do as I tell them. I am the word and my name is never spoken, the name which no one knows. I am called Ubik, but that is not my name. I am. I shall always be.” ― Philip K. Dick, UbikFriends, this wild review is 100% PKD approved. Ubik the review is only seconds away! Ubik the review is easy-t...

Philip K. Dick's *Ubik* flirts with perfection. I inhaled this novel over three days when one of my kids was sick and Christmas break was ending. I started the book on the couch during a *Mythbusters* marathon. By page fifty I wanted to shut the door and leave my kids to forage in the refrigerator for Gatorade and string cheese. And on Sunday night, when I closed the book, I felt satisfied and excited with a novel in a way that doesn't happen much. *Ubik* is fun, smart, and exhilarating. If you'...

2.5