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Ubik by Philip K Peepee review. Mid. :marseymid:

Ubik by Philip K Peepee feels like one of Philip K Peepees more mediocre works.

There are lots of things brought up that all feel like they could have some real potential but all of them end up going out with a far weaker bang than what one would have hoped for.

Reading Ubik makes you feel like maybe it's true, maybe everybody did get smarter over 2-3 generations since that book was released, and that is why nothing in it feels impressive anymore.

The book starts off pretty solid, but the longer it goes on for the weaker it gets.

It doesn't have enough action, nor enough mystery, nor enjoyable characters.

They introduce more than 10 different characters of which maybe 3 were worth paying attention to.

The whole story can be described as," Whoa check out this really cool plothook that can shake the foundations of how this story plays out. Whoa would you look at that our protagonist doesn't know whats going on for the entirety of the book and its not because he is some genius detective on the case, and whoa would you look at that the crazy plothook is thrown away for a far weaker twist, but hold on, there is another twist referencing a Chekovs gun mentioned for one paragraph at the beginning of the story, and would you look at that, now there is a final twist that added nothing to the story and possibly took away from it altogether."

I would give the book a 7.5 out of 10 beginning.

A 5 for plot.

And a 4 for ending paras.

All together I would score the novel a 6 out of 10.

Which is one of the worst scores I have ever given to a book.

Don't waste your time reading the book. The same author has better books that are far more worth reading.

You might read this book if you want to know what B grade could have been A if it was written better and by somebody else writing feels like.

Biggest annoyance - The mentions of Ubik at the beginning of each chapter turn out to be kinda pointless and feel nonsensical even after understanding what the story is all about.

Mr. Peepee made the mistake of making both his characters and his plot devices paper thin, where there is little sense of depth to either. Where we are being told everything and shown little of meaning.

It feels like an entire novel about somebody meandering about and getting their butt saved by somebody else.

Maybe the concepts in this novel are original, but they are not used in any worthwhile way.

If you want to enjoy this book don't read beyond the first third. I think you can stop reading by the time the guy dies in the bathroom after which whatever your imagination fills the rest of the story up with would be more exciting that how the story actually turned out.

What a waste of time. I don't regret it, but I don't feel grateful for it either.

6/10.

7
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I like PKD a lot and read Ubik a few years ago and remember only thinking it was OK. The problem was that I started with the VALIS trilogy and everything becomes less schizo/interesting from there

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I have never read Valis. Maybe I shall try today. Thank you for the recommendation.

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Somewhat related, I stumbled upon this today:

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/tech-billionaires-need-to-stop-trying-to-make-the-science-fiction-they-grew-up-on-real

Science fiction, therefore, does not develop in accordance with the scientific method. It develops by popular entertainers trying to attract a bigger audience by pandering to them. The audience today includes billionaires who read science fiction in their childhood and who appear unaware of the ideological underpinnings of their youthful entertainment: elitism, “scientific” racism, eugenics, fascism and a blithe belief today in technology as the solution to societal problems.

In 2021 a meme arose based on writer and game designer Alex Blechman's tweet about this issue (which was later posted to Mastodon):

Sci-Fi Author: In my book I invented the Torment Nexus as a cautionary tale

Tech Company: At long last, we have created the Torment Nexus from classic sci-fi novel Don't Create The Torment Nexus

It's a worryingly accurate summary of the situation in Silicon Valley right now: the billionaires behind the steering wheel have mistaken cautionary tales and entertainments for a road map, and we're trapped in the passenger seat. Let's hope there isn't a cliff in front of us.

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elitism, “scientific” racism, eugenics, fascism

Buzzwords

a blithe belief today in technology as the solution to societal problems.

Technology is a great quality of life enhancer. Your potty is technololy, your toothbrush is technology, the tissues you wipe your hands with are technology. Technology does solve societal problems. It also creates new problems along the way.

Tech Company: At long last, we have created the Torment Nexus from classic sci-fi novel Don't Create The Torment Nexus

Fearmongering. Science fiction has a thousand different fictional hells. Just because one came to pass doesn't mean someone was actively planning ahead for it. Sometimes some author just did a good guess as to how a piece of tech might go wrong in the future.

On the other hand I won't put building the torture nexus outside the realm of possibility. Billionaires are outlier personalities and mindsets by definition. Who knows what wheels are spinning in their minds.

It's a worryingly accurate summary of the situation in Silicon Valley right meow: the billionaires behind the steering wheel have mistaken cautionary tales and entertainments for a road map

Man does what gives him more power.

:marseypikachu2:

and we're trapped in the passenger seat.

Stop being poor. I am not making fun of them or looking down on them but literally that's the only real solution besides hoping every other poor votes and fights in the same revolutions as you.

Let's hope there isn't a cliff in front of us.

There isn't. The species in too large in population. Too widespread. Your worst case scenario right now is going back to the industrial ages before silicon chips.

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:#marseyfluffyannoyed:

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