October Book Study: Ubik

defcon6000 · Oct 5, 2011

Welcome to the F/SF Book Study. For the month of October we will be discussing Ubik by Philip K. Dick.

***Spoilers*** will be streaking naked through this thread unpredictably. You have been warned!

Here are the previous book studies (feel free to continue the discussion):

2008:
Ender's Game (August)
Lies of Locke Lamora (September)
A Deepness in the Sky (October)
A Fire in the Deep (November)
Storm Front (December)

2009:
I Am Legend (January)
The Onion Girl (February)
Lord of Light (March)
Small Gods (April)
Beggars in Spain (May)
The Once and Future King (June)
Foundation (July)
The Graveyard Book (August)
Neuromancer (September)
The Last Wish (October)
The Knife of Never Letting Go (November)
One Hundred Years of Solitude (December)

2010:
Battle Royale (January)
Jhereg (February)
Cyberabad Days (March)
Tigana (April)
Next (May)
Perdido Street Station (June/July)
Boneshaker (August)
His Majesty's Dragon (September)
Never Let Me Go (October)
The Child Thief (November)
Solaris (December)

2011:
Lirael (January)
Blindsight(February)
Lavinia (March)
Hugo nominees (April)
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms (May)
Dawn (June)
Good Omens (July)
The Hunger Games (August)
The Last Unicorn (September)

defcon6000 · Oct 6, 2011

Ubik: Salvation in a can!

Okay, I'm gonna re-read this quickly to refresh my memory (been a couple of years), and hopefully we can get a book discussion going!

nchahine · Oct 7, 2011

I've got the book, but it's still fresh in my mind. I must say, this book gave me a lot to think about, and in the end, I wasn't even sure what really happened.

defcon6000 · Oct 8, 2011

nchahine said:
I've got the book, but it's still fresh in my mind. I must say, this book gave me a lot to think about, and in the end, I wasn't even sure what really happened.

Yeah, that's what I love about Ubik, you're not really sure which leaves you wondering.

Are they dead? Are they alive? Who knows!

This reminds me a bit of Jacob's Ladder, which I watched recently, about a Vietnam vet who starts seeing demons. There's a similarity, too, playing on the idea on whether the characters are dead or not, or if they've lost their minds. You know, there are a lot of similarities I realize, lol. However, Jacob's Ladder was rather disappointing as it doesn't leave you wondering. I prefer to speculate.

(Trying to not give too much away as I want folks to read it.

)

Buffysquirrel · Oct 14, 2011

A quick re-read of Ubik sounds like an oxymoron.

defcon6000 · Oct 14, 2011

Buffysquirrel said:
A quick re-read of Ubik sounds like an oxymoron.

How so?

cathyfreeze · Oct 14, 2011

Lovelovelove Ubik! PKD's best, imho. All of his wips were about the unreliability of human understanding, tho~no one in his stories knew what was real and what imagined. PKD's major life theme, imho.

Sai · Apr 25, 2013

I'm always telling other people to feel free to revive old book studies, so I'm going to put my money where my mouth is and bring this (criminally underused) discussion thread back from the grave. Welcome to 2013, October 2011 book study!

I'm only a 1/4 of the way through, and a little bit pissed that the back summary spoils a plot point that hasn't even happened yet. Though I guess with a book like Ubik specific plot points aren't something you want to get too hung up on anyway. Who's to say any of it is even really happening?

My main impression of the book is that it is soooo 60s. Not just with the narrative, but also in the clothes and fashions the characters wear. I like it, but it's also a little distracting.

October Book Study: Ubik

defcon6000

defcon6000

nchahine

Something should go here...

defcon6000

Buffysquirrel

defcon6000

cathyfreeze

I lost my fever! I need it back!

Sai

Book lover/Spy