Ubik

By: Philip K. Dick

Narrated by: Luke Daniels

Length: 7 hrs and 56 mins

Publisher's summary

A mind-bending, classic Philip K. Dick novel about the perception of reality.

Named as one of Time's 100 best books.

Glen Runciter runs a lucrative business - deploying his teams of anti-psychics to corporate clients who want privacy and security from psychic spies. But when he and his top team are ambushed by a rival, he is gravely injured and placed in "half-life," a dreamlike state of suspended animation. Soon, though, the surviving members of the team begin experiencing some strange phenomena, such as Runciter's face appearing on coins and the world seeming to move backward in time. As consumables deteriorate and technology gets ever more primitive, the group needs to find out what is causing the shifts and what a mysterious product called Ubik has to do with it all.

©1969 Philip K. Dick (P)2014 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

"From the stuff of space opera, Dick spins a deeply unsettling existential horror story, a nightmare you'll never be sure you've woken up from." (Lev Grossman, Time)

"More brilliant than similar experiments conducted by Pynchon or DeLillo." (Roberto Bolaño)

A great performance of an SF classic

What made the experience of listening to Ubik the most enjoyable?

I first read UBIK nearly thirty years ago, and while I remembered a lot of the plot (including the final reveal), what I didn't remember (or hadn't noticed) is how well constructed the novel was. Dick took great pains to "play fair" and leave enough bread crumbs to figure out what was going on if you paid attention. I was also interested in how "dated" the technological references might seem, since UBIK takes place in a 1996 with a Lunar Colony established (and others implied); there are a few moments in which the tech references show their age, but they don't detract.

What other book might you compare Ubik to and why?

In some ways this novel seems to have been a response (or even a commentary) on Kornbluth and Pohl's "The Space Merchants," while also involving some stylistic similarities to Bester's "The Stars My Destination" and Fritz Lieber's short story "Coming Attraction." But that's probably only me; UBIK is a legit, one of a kind original.

Which scene was your favorite?

The first time that Pat uses her power to change the past with Joe Chip and his boss Runciter.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I don't have seven-hour sittings available, but it did well in big chunks of an hour or so at a time while I was driving.

Any additional comments?

Luke Daniels' narration is a real plus, and made the character of Al much more central in my listening than he was way back when I read the novel the first time. I thought he also caught the sadistic/playful nuances in the character Pat much better than I would have imagined. But, then, Luke Daniels is one of my favorite narrators.

Huh??

I really did not enjoy this story at all. The plot was odd and didn't seem to come together or flow very well

so so

I liked the beginning. the last half seems to get lost. I only listened to the end because of all the good reviews.

Thoughtful and Humorous

An otherwise already clever and entertaining story was rendered absolutely killer by the narrator. With his incredible range, it seemed more like a fully voiced audio drama than a reading of a book.

Mind-bending.

A truly original science-fiction novel, well performed by Luke Daniels. Highly recommended to anyone who enjoys mindbending fiction.

Disappointing story, doesn't age well

Ubik doesn't stack up well against the hype. It's certainly not a dull book, and night have been groundbreaking last Century, but I didn't care for it. I can't fathom why it's one of Time magazines top 100 English-language novels.

The narrator was excellent.

Always

Yet another wonderful book from one of my favourite authors. Very interesting and entertaining look at a possible future. Mr. dick certainly has a vivid imagination. Food for thought.

Such a great Sci-fi tale!

I wish I could have listened to it in one sitting. I find myself believing I knew what was happening, and then proven wrong. I couldn't guess the ending. I couldn't figure out what was happening or what was going to happen. it was a wild ride! There was one scene that made my chest so tight, and my breath so short, that I really started feeling like the character in the moment. You will know the scene when you get to it, trust me!

Strange but interesting

I can't quite decide whether or not I liked the book. Apparently I need a few more words for this review to be posted so these are them. The

Chekhov would not be pleased

While I enjoyed the story, the inordinate attention given to superfluous details and characters that had no bearing on the plot was, at times, rather distracting.