Ubik

A fun ride. I wasn't really looking for more when I read it, which was foolish, since it's Philip K. Dick. The solution to the mystery definitely went to profound places. This is my schema for unpacking the central metaphor:

Jory - Devil
Joe Chip - Man
Ella - Woman / Angel
Ubik - Holy Ghost
Dr Sonderbar and Son - Father and Son

Although immediately afterwards, we have Runciter's notes being cast as scriptures -- grains of truth in a constantly shifting, deceptive world. Does that make Runciter God? Or maybe Moses? Or maybe I'm reading into things too much? Like I always do.

Very nice twist at the end, but what does it mean? I guess Dick wanted to break down the barriers between the two realities, and demonstrate that the forces working in one were present in the other. There are Jorys and Ellas in our world too. You can find Ubik everywhere, although it's quite difficult to actually get access to it.

The fact that Ubik is presented in the guise of different commercial goods at the head of each chapter is a nice final touch. It's what that society values most. Is Dick bitter about that? Or maybe he's looking at something deeper -- our scientific achievements have replaced God as the cure for all ills. We find Ubik not in religion but in a spray can.