The World Jones Made

By: Philip K. Dick

Narrated by: Christopher Lane

Length: 6 hrs and 58 mins

Publisher's summary

Precognition; a world ruled by Relativism; giant alien jellyfish. The World Jones Made is a classic Philip K. Dick mash-up, taking deep philosophical musings and infusing them with wild action.

Floyd Jones has always been able to see exactly one year into his future, a gift and curse that began one year before he was even born. As a fortuneteller at a post-apocalyptic carnival, Jones is a powerful force, and may be able to free society from its paralyzing Relativism. If, that is, he can avoid the radioactively unstable government hit man on his tail.

©2012 Philip K. Dick (P)2012 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Interesting and thought-provoking

I'm a big fan of Philip K. Dick stories and novels, and this one doesn't disappoint even though it is not one of his better known works. As interesting and thought provoking as most, though perhaps a little more far-fetched.....but then, that's part of what science fiction is about.

We can't destroy Jones

"We can't destroy Jones. We can only hope there's something beyond him, something on the other side."
― Philip K. Dick, The World Jones Made

"He was a man with his eyes in the present and his body in the past."
― Philip K. Dick, The World Jones Made

An early (1956) PKD novel that brings together four semi-united threads: mutants, aliens, precognition, and a philosophic tyranny (a form of relativism to the absurd). The spore-like aliens that suddenly appear are the catalyst between Jones and the philosociety he lives in. His ability to see 1 year into the future gives him an ability to subvert the status quo and eventually move from political to religious leader. The book starts in a womb and ends in a womb and somewhere in the middle a giant egg gets pierced by a giant, interstellar gamete/spermatia/spore.

For as much as PKD packed into this novel it still remained a fairly tight novel. It wasn't as funky or messy as some and not nearly as brilliant as others, but the seeds and spores of future great novels were beginning to disperse and look for another PKD book another mind to infect and control. Some of his early ideas of government, technology, religion, freedom, individuality, etc., were starting to seed in this little hothouse of a book.

Because PKD has become such a presence in our modern SF universe (Screamers, Blade Runner, Minority Report, Total Recall, Man in the High Castle) it sometimes is worth recognizing that he was publishing this stuff the year Elvis was on Ed Sullivan and Arthur Miller was marrying Marilyn Monroe AND appearing before the House UnAmerican Activities Committee. This guy was bringing a laser gun to a knife fight and we are JUST now catching up with his game.

Another example of PKD discovery of humanity

I love Phillip K. Dick (PKD), and it books like this coming back for more. The book is about knowing the future, yet still trying to change it. Does it change or does it change you. Is it good to know what will happen or is the discovery part of life. There are a lot of other theme, but I won't spoil the book. If this it your first PKD book, go with Ubik first.

This is a lot better

This is a lot better than I thought it was the first time I listened to it.