“Ubik” by Philip K. Dick – A Backwards Race

Time is something many of us take for granted as being unalterable, a thing that always moves forward and sweeps us along its path. We are so obsessed with gaining any kind of power over it that it has taken a central role in fiction, and upon review, many such works have succeeded in creating a dent of doubt in a reality that was set in stone.

Countless works have explored the potential real-world implications of time shifting in one way or another, and Ubik by Philip K. Dick is most certainly one of the more revered ones out there.

It takes place in a future where people have developed psychic abilities, but mostly use them to spy on others. Naturally, it didn't take long for countermeasures to develop against such invasions of privacy in the form of anti-psychics.

Glen Runciter is a man who runs a business specializing in this type of protection, and it is a rather lucrative one as well. The latest mission goes terribly wrong, and the team members barely escape with their lives.

Not long after, they start noticing bizarre phenomenon occurring; most notably, time seems to be shifting backwards further and further. And so they find themselves in a rather unconventional race against time, with the only lead being that something called “Ubik” has something to do with it.

In many ways Ubik is the classic Philip K. Dick novel, containing all the elements he is known for throughout his major works. To begin with, the protagonist is a rather ordinary man with most odds stacked against his favor, vulnerable to the pitfalls we are all prone to.

There is also a decent amount of philosophy to be found here, mainly revolving around the question as to what is reality, how we define it and whether time is something different than what we believe it to be.

Though not exactly prevalent, there is a sense of humor to be found here, and in classic Dick style it has a tragic and pathetic ring to it, often coming from characters who choose laughter and nonchalance in the face of some impending doom.

The writing style itself is actually rather simple as is always the case, but the content nevertheless retains a notable complexity in terms of the thoughts conveyed, in addition to which it is very readable in the sense that it flows smoothly, allowing you to devour page after page without noticing.

Technical characteristics aside, the story, as you can imagine, is truly something unique that will keep you captivated and not even guessing as to what's coming next, but more like yearning for it. You'll find a distinct lack of cliches and unnecessary detours from the main course.

Though some people have criticized a number of other novels by the author for being somewhat slow and boring (an assessment I disagree with), Ubik certainly doesn't give way to them. Things actually move along rather quickly, and even when they slow down a bit the sheer bizarreness of what is happening keeps the feelings of unease and curiosity alive.

As far as the characters are concerned, you can bet that the main ones have engaging and complex development arcs, and you'll find yourself loving, hating, caring or weeping for them... but none will leave you indifferent.

All things considered, Ubik is most certainly one of Dick's finest works, deservedly labeled as a classic of the genre and serving as one of the prime examples of the type of perfection this author is capable of.

I wholeheartedly recommend it to all science-fiction fans, especially those who want to know what Philip K. Dick is all about.

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Philip Kindred Dick (December 16, 1928 – March 2, 1982) Philip K. Dick was a novelist, short story writer, essayist and author of American origin, who almost exclusively dealt with the science fiction genre. He is most famous for bringing gems such as Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (The movie Blade Runner was based on this) and A Scanner Darkly, based on which a movie was also made.