whitebeard

Don't curse the darkness, light a candle.

Science fiction is reality fiction

The Simulacra By Philip K. Dick

Originally published in 1964

   Plot Summary:
Set in the middle of the twenty-first century, The Simulacra is the story of an America where the whole government is a fraud and the President is an android. Against this backdrop Dr. Superb, the sole remaining psychotherapist, is struggling to practice in a world full of the maladjusted. Ian Duncan is desperately in love with the first lady, Nicole Thibideaux, who he has never met. Richard Kongrosian refuses to see anyone because he is convinced his body odor is lethal. And the fascistic Bertold Goltz is trying to overthrow the government. With wonderful aplomb, Philip K. Dick brings this story to a crashing conclusion and in classic fashion shows there is always another layer of conspiracy beneath the one we see.
 

 In The Simulacra, the population is divided into two groups. The Be's are the masses who live their dull existences with blind acceptance and are brainwashed by a condescending government. The Ge's are the elite who control the population through a matriarchal "puppet" government. The power structure of the country rests on the popularity (and deep love for) Nicole Thibodeaux, the first-lady who has remained in power for more than 40 years.

The story follow a diverse group of characters whose adventures are seemingly unrelated except that they inhabit the same world. Nat Flieger is a record company executive who travels to northern California to record the greatest living musician, telepathic pianist Richard Kongrosian. The problem is Kongrosian is too much of a genius and reflects his low self-confidence and mental illness on his view of the world. Three characters, brothers Vince & Chic Strikerock and Ian Duncan are trying to get ahead in the world but can't seem to get a break. In a subplot that could only have been dreamed up by PKD, Hermann Goering is brought from the Nazi Germany of the past by first-lady Nicole (as she' affectionately known) in an attempt to influence the outcome of WWII. This is one of the more intriguing parts of The Simulacra but unfortunately is not well developed in the story.

There's also a popular leader named Bertold Goltz who is able to see beyond the government's facade and also the limitations of time due to his possession of time travel equipment. When the government facade collapses and the strict societal boundaries are broken down, the lives of all the characters are affected. They all face difficult decisions involving planetary emigration, loyalty to each other and even establishing contact with reality.

There are some radical notion of the world and the future presented in The Simulacra. Dick's portrayal of a matriarchal society draws from the deepest and most basic human emotions. Kongrosian's use of telepathy is the basis for the highest degree of creativity and artistic ability. Dick also addresses the role and need for government in people's lives. He suggests that underneath the surface, society creates a population that needs to be ignorant and apathetic in order to preserve it's own structure.

 

 

 

posted by: Whitebeard at 21:05 | link | comments |