"You're married, too, you have a wife, and you have two children. Is your respon--" Again his tongue failed to function properly. "Where's your first loyalty? To them? Or to political action?""Toward men in general."
In the year 2135, Nick Appleton works at a lower class job, as a tire-regroover. On this future earth, your status is set by a supposedly meritocratic exam you take as a young teen. But when his boy Bobby, whom Nick knows is bright, fails the exam, Nick begins to question the whole system.
What is the system? There's a world dictator, picked by a two party system, the New Men and the Unusuals. Willis Gram, an Unusual, is the current world dictator. New Men are those that have tested brilliant; Unusuals have uncommon powers: they're precogs, telepaths, telekinetic. (Gram is a telepath.) Ordinary people are known as Old Men. There's a rebel movement, known as the Undermen. And we learn, on the fifth page of our story, that yes indeed, those supposedly meritocratic tests are rigged.
Some years ago, Thors Provoni flew off into space to find a powerful alien to help him overthrow this corrupt system and now he's on his way back. With an alien? So he claims. Should your loyalty be to your wife, child, that pretty girl you just met, your party, the corrupt but functioning system, the oppressed, the human race (maybe) under attack by aliens?
Now this novel isn't, as far as I can see, on anybody's list of best Philip K. Dick novels, and well, it shouldn't be... 😉 But I was surprised how good it was. It does come from the middle of a major period for Dick. The flawed or corrupt characters represent most of those choices about loyalty, and even the worst choices are somehow given space to feel true for a moment. It's true, though, that Dick's prose rarely rises above functional, and in this one, maybe not at all. The ending is a little rushed. Still, a pretty fun read.
 |
| Yesterday's Macanudo strip. Timely! |
Sure it may all take place in 2135, but in its heart of hearts, it's a 1970 novel. Drug dealers, souped-up cars, and is that Bob Dylan guy really any good?
Sounds confusing to me.
ReplyDeleteThat's probably my fault then. I don't think it's any more confusing than any other scifi novel... ;-)
DeleteI can imagine this on the back shelves of the SFF section in a second-hand bookstore and EXACTLY the smell of that room. I've only read a little PKD but I bet even his lesser-known stuff is interesting enough for at least a single read.
ReplyDeleteThat cover totally gives that kind of vibe, doesn't it? That wasn't actually the one I read, though--I got some reissue with a shockingly dull cover at BMV.
DeleteOh thanks, I should actually try this!
ReplyDeleteIt was a good one!
DeleteIt's such an interesting title. I'm glad to finally know what it's about. He writes some crazy stories, but they are kind of fun. :D
ReplyDeleteThey can be pretty strange, but I definitely like him when he's on.
DeleteLOL, it's not one of his novels I've heard of but it does sound entertaining, despite the flaws!!
ReplyDeleteI don't know why it's not better known--it would make a good movie--but then there are so many of them!
DeleteI'm glad someone covered this sort of book, because it wouldn't be the 1970 club without it! I've never been tempted to read any PKD and I'm not now, but that says a lot more about me than him.
ReplyDelete