What do you think?
Rate this book
Ubik: The Screenplay
Subterranean Press is proud to make Philip K. Dick's screenplay adaptation of one of his signature novels available for the first time in more than twenty years. Copies of the first edition of Ubik: the Screenplay now fetch more than $100 on the collector's market, when you can find them. In addition, the screenplay features an ending that differs markedly from that of the novel.
"Dick included far more parenthetical description and interpretation than can be standard for screenplays, and so we have here his considered, after-the-fact portraits of Glen Runciter, Ella Runciter, Joe Chip, Pat Conley, and Ubik itself. And too, with a facility that's scarce among novelists, he smoothly adapts his story to the wider, deeper ranges of the film medium. The Ubik 'ads' are much more effective as actual intrusions than as chapter headings, the soundtrack becomes a central element (and makes us wonder what music Dick would have chosen to complement some of his other novels), and he presents the dysfunctions in time and perception even more effectively when he imagines them enacted on a movie screen. In some ways, in fact, it almost seems as though we're getting a purer version of UBIK—something closer to the original conception than the text of the novel." -- Tim Powers, from his foreword
"Dick included far more parenthetical description and interpretation than can be standard for screenplays, and so we have here his considered, after-the-fact portraits of Glen Runciter, Ella Runciter, Joe Chip, Pat Conley, and Ubik itself. And too, with a facility that's scarce among novelists, he smoothly adapts his story to the wider, deeper ranges of the film medium. The Ubik 'ads' are much more effective as actual intrusions than as chapter headings, the soundtrack becomes a central element (and makes us wonder what music Dick would have chosen to complement some of his other novels), and he presents the dysfunctions in time and perception even more effectively when he imagines them enacted on a movie screen. In some ways, in fact, it almost seems as though we're getting a purer version of UBIK—something closer to the original conception than the text of the novel." -- Tim Powers, from his foreword
182 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1985
About the author
Philip K. Dick
1,579 books20.4k followersPhilip K. Dick was born in Chicago in 1928 and lived most of his life in California. In 1952, he began writing professionally and proceeded to write numerous novels and short-story collections. He won the Hugo Award for the best novel in 1962 for The Man in the High Castle and the John W. Campbell Memorial Award for best novel of the year in 1974 for Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said. Philip K. Dick died on March 2, 1982, in Santa Ana, California, of heart failure following a stroke.
In addition to 44 published novels, Dick wrote approximately 121 short stories, most of which appeared in science fiction magazines during his lifetime. Although Dick spent most of his career as a writer in near-poverty, ten of his stories have been adapted into popular films since his death, including Blade Runner, Total Recall, A Scanner Darkly, Minority Report, Paycheck, Next, Screamers, and The Adjustment Bureau. In 2005, Time magazine named Ubik one of the one hundred greatest English-language novels published since 1923. In 2007, Dick became the first science fiction writer to be included in The Library of America series.
In addition to 44 published novels, Dick wrote approximately 121 short stories, most of which appeared in science fiction magazines during his lifetime. Although Dick spent most of his career as a writer in near-poverty, ten of his stories have been adapted into popular films since his death, including Blade Runner, Total Recall, A Scanner Darkly, Minority Report, Paycheck, Next, Screamers, and The Adjustment Bureau. In 2005, Time magazine named Ubik one of the one hundred greatest English-language novels published since 1923. In 2007, Dick became the first science fiction writer to be included in The Library of America series.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
May 26, 2023
Un genio Dick 🖤
"Forse è davvero così. Forse si rinasce di nuovo, come dice Il libro tibetano dei Morti. È vero sul serio, Cristo, lo spero proprio. Perché in questo caso potremo incontrarci ancora tutti quanti. In un’altra parte della foresta, come in Winnie-the-Pooh, dove un bambino e il suo orsacchiotto giocheranno per sempre. Una categoria, pensò, imperitura. Come tutti noi. Finiremo tutti quanti insieme a Pooh, in un nuovo luogo più chiaro e duraturo."
"Io sono Ubik. Prima che l'universo fosse, io ero. Ho creato i soli. Ho creato i mondi. Ho creato le forme di vita e i luoghi che esse abitano; io le muovo nel luogo che più mi aggrada. Vanno dove dico io, fanno ciò che io comando. Io sono il verbo e il mio nome non è mai pronunciato, il nome che nessuno conosce. Mi chiamano Ubik, ma non è il mio nome. Io sono e sarò in eterno."
"Forse è davvero così. Forse si rinasce di nuovo, come dice Il libro tibetano dei Morti. È vero sul serio, Cristo, lo spero proprio. Perché in questo caso potremo incontrarci ancora tutti quanti. In un’altra parte della foresta, come in Winnie-the-Pooh, dove un bambino e il suo orsacchiotto giocheranno per sempre. Una categoria, pensò, imperitura. Come tutti noi. Finiremo tutti quanti insieme a Pooh, in un nuovo luogo più chiaro e duraturo."
"Io sono Ubik. Prima che l'universo fosse, io ero. Ho creato i soli. Ho creato i mondi. Ho creato le forme di vita e i luoghi che esse abitano; io le muovo nel luogo che più mi aggrada. Vanno dove dico io, fanno ciò che io comando. Io sono il verbo e il mio nome non è mai pronunciato, il nome che nessuno conosce. Mi chiamano Ubik, ma non è il mio nome. Io sono e sarò in eterno."
July 18, 2022
I don't think it's fair to compare this to the novel due to the fact the ultimate vision behind this never saw the light of day but this would've been a good movie, especially considering how "bonkers" the plot is for lack of a better word. The whole thing felt really fast, especially the first act which is what I didn't like so much about the original. Combine that with an ending that was somehow even more 'what the fuck' and this is really worth checking out if you are so interested.
Maybe it was because of what I was listening in the background but this also just felt far more tense, and the feel of the last 70 pages was pretty offputting in a really good way. The only thing I can think of that really didn't have to be there was a scene that was just an excuse for boobies but ig that's where this book shows it's age.
Maybe it was because of what I was listening in the background but this also just felt far more tense, and the feel of the last 70 pages was pretty offputting in a really good way. The only thing I can think of that really didn't have to be there was a scene that was just an excuse for boobies but ig that's where this book shows it's age.
October 9, 2016
Dieses Screenplay war Philip K. Dicks erstes und einziges Screenplay. Ich habe einmal ein Interview mit Ray Bradbury gehört, in dem er erzählte, dass seine erste Bühnenfassung von Fahrenheit 451 ganz schrecklich war, weil er einfach nur das Buch umgesetzt hat und die Dialoge übernommen hat.
Das ist genau das, was Philip K. Dick in diesem Screenplay macht. Er hat das Buch genommen, die Dialoge von Inquitformeln befreit und in Theaterform gebracht. Die Beschreibungen des Narrators als Regieanweisungen umgeformt und noch ein wenig Kameraführung hinzugefügt.
Alles ist da, wie man sich daran aus dem Roman erinnert. Es gibt 3 neue Szenen oder so, besonders am Schluss, das war es dann aber auch schon.
Ich weiß nicht, ob das als Film wirklich funktionieren würde. Es liest sich gut, flüssig, recht schnell, es spielt sich tatsächlich ein Film im Kopf ab, es wirkt aber ein wenig altbacken, irgendwie wie ein billiger B-Movie. Ob das daran liegt, dass das Screenplay aus den 1980er Jahren ist oder die Handlung sich einfach arg sklavisch an den Roman hält, kann ich nicht sagen.
Ich konnte dem Screenplay gut folgen, weil ich das Buch kenne. Aber ich weiß nicht, ob die Motivationen und dergleichen so, wie das Screenplay jetzt ist, wirklich rüberkommen würden. Irgendetwas schwer fassbares fehlt.
Da das aber auch mein erste Screenplay ist, das ich gelesen habe, kann ich nicht sagen, wo genau das Problem ist, ich habe keine wirklich positive Vergleichsmöglichkeit.
Vielleicht waren es einfach die zu langen Regieanweisungen, die explizit beschreiben, wie der Charakter drauf ist, das war wie ein normaler authoritative Narrator. Dafür gibt es kaum Kamara- oder Schnittanweisungen.
Fazit: Ja, man kann das Screenplay sicherlich mal lesen, aber es gibt keine wirklich allzu großen neuen Erkenntnisse im Vergleich zum Buch. Ja, das Ende hat noch einen leicht neuen Twist, der bringt es aber auch nicht wirklich und die Müsliszene, naja, nett. Lest lieber den Roman, obwohl... Das Screenplay hat schon mehr Tempo und schneidet subjektiv doch ein bischen besser ab, als der Roman.
Das ist genau das, was Philip K. Dick in diesem Screenplay macht. Er hat das Buch genommen, die Dialoge von Inquitformeln befreit und in Theaterform gebracht. Die Beschreibungen des Narrators als Regieanweisungen umgeformt und noch ein wenig Kameraführung hinzugefügt.
Alles ist da, wie man sich daran aus dem Roman erinnert. Es gibt 3 neue Szenen oder so, besonders am Schluss, das war es dann aber auch schon.
Ich weiß nicht, ob das als Film wirklich funktionieren würde. Es liest sich gut, flüssig, recht schnell, es spielt sich tatsächlich ein Film im Kopf ab, es wirkt aber ein wenig altbacken, irgendwie wie ein billiger B-Movie. Ob das daran liegt, dass das Screenplay aus den 1980er Jahren ist oder die Handlung sich einfach arg sklavisch an den Roman hält, kann ich nicht sagen.
Ich konnte dem Screenplay gut folgen, weil ich das Buch kenne. Aber ich weiß nicht, ob die Motivationen und dergleichen so, wie das Screenplay jetzt ist, wirklich rüberkommen würden. Irgendetwas schwer fassbares fehlt.
Da das aber auch mein erste Screenplay ist, das ich gelesen habe, kann ich nicht sagen, wo genau das Problem ist, ich habe keine wirklich positive Vergleichsmöglichkeit.
Vielleicht waren es einfach die zu langen Regieanweisungen, die explizit beschreiben, wie der Charakter drauf ist, das war wie ein normaler authoritative Narrator. Dafür gibt es kaum Kamara- oder Schnittanweisungen.
Fazit: Ja, man kann das Screenplay sicherlich mal lesen, aber es gibt keine wirklich allzu großen neuen Erkenntnisse im Vergleich zum Buch. Ja, das Ende hat noch einen leicht neuen Twist, der bringt es aber auch nicht wirklich und die Müsliszene, naja, nett. Lest lieber den Roman, obwohl... Das Screenplay hat schon mehr Tempo und schneidet subjektiv doch ein bischen besser ab, als der Roman.
December 6, 2023
PKD just *knew* this had the legs for the silver screen. After practically Hoovering this in a long evening, I’m inclined to agree! Two prior attempts have tried and failed, but maybe the third time’s the charm?
December 27, 2018
What a reality check! What is real? Adam Copnick of The New Yorker says the book is ". . . beautiful and hallucinatory". Yes. Hallucinatory. This book made me work to follow the storyline; and I still need to reread sections to try to figure out what I read.
January 29, 2018
his screenplay stays close and true to the novel. much like reading a Cliffs notes version of the novel
May 7, 2024
Far and away the best PKDick book and a fascinating adaption of his own work for screen. I gotta give it a little time now so I can reread the novel and compare differences. Someone better make this into a movie or else I’ll gather $20 million and do it myself
August 30, 2016
UBIK -- SAFE WHEN USED AS DIRECTED -- PLEASE SEE BELOW
Caution: Ubik may cause cranial implosion in those unfamiliar with the work of Philip K. Dick.
If you are new to the work of PKD I would strongly suggest that you buy the original novel version of this work rather than this screenplay. This is an interesting work for a self-confessed Dickophile such as myself but it’s debatable whether it would be of much interest to the casual reader.
Phil has written an interesting but quite unusable script. He undoubtedly understood the differences between novel and script writing, and this piece shows this awareness initially, but Phil soon forgets that he’s writing for the screen. As the piece moves on he appears to be using it as a vehicle to revisit the ideas in the original book. Many scenes are way too long and there is far too much expositional dialogue. Had this been taken up by a studio it would’ve spent an eternity in “development hell”. In fact I think this would be more successful as a radio play.
I unreservedly recommend PKD’s work, but stick to the novels and short stories. It’s in these formats that he excels. This still warrants 4 out of 5, however, because I found it fascinating.
Caution: Ubik may cause cranial implosion in those unfamiliar with the work of Philip K. Dick.
If you are new to the work of PKD I would strongly suggest that you buy the original novel version of this work rather than this screenplay. This is an interesting work for a self-confessed Dickophile such as myself but it’s debatable whether it would be of much interest to the casual reader.
Phil has written an interesting but quite unusable script. He undoubtedly understood the differences between novel and script writing, and this piece shows this awareness initially, but Phil soon forgets that he’s writing for the screen. As the piece moves on he appears to be using it as a vehicle to revisit the ideas in the original book. Many scenes are way too long and there is far too much expositional dialogue. Had this been taken up by a studio it would’ve spent an eternity in “development hell”. In fact I think this would be more successful as a radio play.
I unreservedly recommend PKD’s work, but stick to the novels and short stories. It’s in these formats that he excels. This still warrants 4 out of 5, however, because I found it fascinating.
January 10, 2009
The Ubik screenplay is what it is: an early-draft screenplay by a novelist who had never even tried to write a screenplay before. It doesn't add much to the story, and it doesn't take away much either-- in fact, most of the dialog is lifted directly from the novel. As a result it's about three times as long as a screenplay should be, and is basically unfilmable. What I *do* like about it is the added detail-- we get more description of people, places, and things that we see in the novel. It didn't change my world or anything-- but I'm *very* glad it's back in print!
February 2, 2018
Read the original book. This screenplay is for Dickheads only (and I'm a Dickhead!)
May 31, 2018
Doesn't really work as a screenplay that could ever be made into an actual film. (Unless you want to sit in a theater and read paragraph-long Ubik labels on the screen). It does work pretty well as a revised version of the novel. I've read the novel Ubik several times, and never quite got it. This version gave me the pure distilled essence of Ubik. It's still not my favorite PKD work, but the screenplay pares the story down to the point that I can keep track of all the moving parts now.
The descriptions and stage directions add a lot to the story, but true to form, Dick's dialogue is pretty bad-- it's hard to imagine actors trying to successfully deliver some of the clunky infodumps in this script. I found all the 60's style sexual harassment quite distracting as well. The sexism is always there with Dick, but I think the pared-down nature of the screenplay style really foregrounded it for me in this case.
A nice supplement to the original novel. An interesting artifact of Dick's career, but not essential.
The descriptions and stage directions add a lot to the story, but true to form, Dick's dialogue is pretty bad-- it's hard to imagine actors trying to successfully deliver some of the clunky infodumps in this script. I found all the 60's style sexual harassment quite distracting as well. The sexism is always there with Dick, but I think the pared-down nature of the screenplay style really foregrounded it for me in this case.
A nice supplement to the original novel. An interesting artifact of Dick's career, but not essential.
June 28, 2019
Abbiamo a che fare con uno scrittore delirante che durante i suoi vaneggiamenti immagina un mondo dove l'essere umano continua a comunicare, grazie ad un congelamento, dopo la morte fino a che non rinasce. Nella vita di tutti i giorni esistono diversi esseri umani con delle particolari potenzialità. Chi può controllare il pensiero, chi è premonitore e chi può cambiare il passato...Come fa Glen Ruciter, direttore di un’agenzia antitelepati, a comunicare con la moglie Ella, intrappolata in un aldilà di semi-vita? Perché Joe Chip scompare dal suo mondo del 1992 per ritrovarsi nell’America degli anni Trenta? Chip vive in una casa dove tutto è a pagamento e precipita in una regressione temporale che ha nella mutazione degli oggetti – una cucina a gas cambia in una a carbone, un’auto moderna diventa una Ford del 1929 – la sua rivelazione primaria. Tutti hanno una convinzione differente di cosa sia la realtà... fino alla scoperta di Ubik, uno spray che impedisce la regressione. Libro molto particolare. Non per tutti perchè è un tipo di scrittura che deve piacere...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 16, 2019
Would be interesting to see actually if this was made properly. The problem is, I don't think anyone has really done any Dick adaptation justice.
November 17, 2020
I need someone to discuss this with!! I loved the writing, but I need to travel back in time to one of my college Lit courses and be able to discuss this with my class. So I can truly get into it!!
Read
July 19, 2022Hope that i will see a film adaptation of this masterpeace!
Want to read
April 11, 2023to-read
August 15, 2012
It's a shame this screenplay has not been readapted or filmed, as it would definitely be one of the better adaptations of Dick's work. For the most part, it always seems to me that the best film adaptations of Philip K. Dick have been of his short stories; Blade Runner and A Scanner Darkly, while both fantastic films, fall a bit short of their source material, while films like Total Recall and Minority Report seem much closer to hitting the nail on the head. Dick's adaptation of his own work into a filmable commodity in Ubik would far outstrip anything else of his that's been filmed before.
May 14, 2013
First of all this isn't a screenplay in the ordinary sense. PKD was approached to write a screenplay for his novel Ubik, and he ended up writing a sort of revision of the novel, with a bunch of novelistic storytelling that wouldn't be there in a real screenplay. Think of this as basically a PKD novel with some screenwriting conventions tacked on.
There are plot differences between this and Ubik, significant enough that if you have read Ubik and liked it, you really, really, need to read this, and will find it a hoot.
Don't read this one first; read Ubik. It's one of the most strange and wonderful science-fiction novels in the world.
There are plot differences between this and Ubik, significant enough that if you have read Ubik and liked it, you really, really, need to read this, and will find it a hoot.
Don't read this one first; read Ubik. It's one of the most strange and wonderful science-fiction novels in the world.
May 19, 2012
This book was a re-read. I originally read it in 2008. I re-read it following re-reading the book "Ubik", by the same author.
I enjoyed both versions, although the screenplay is more polished. PKD has a way of ending some of his stories that don't settle right with me. Some books would have been better ended a chapter early, such as Ubik -- both the book and the screenplay. But, that's one of those qualities that many fans of his work crave.
It's a story well worth reading.
I enjoyed both versions, although the screenplay is more polished. PKD has a way of ending some of his stories that don't settle right with me. Some books would have been better ended a chapter early, such as Ubik -- both the book and the screenplay. But, that's one of those qualities that many fans of his work crave.
It's a story well worth reading.
June 7, 2014
This story just brought to mind too many things I disliked for me to continue trying to make it through. Since my friend pointed out to me I don't have to read what I don't like, I gave up.
While it's true you can't mature as a person without encountering dislikeable things (e.g. the GULag), I decided it's not worth pushing it.
Different people like different things. So while a different friend highly recommended this to me, I didn't take to it.
While it's true you can't mature as a person without encountering dislikeable things (e.g. the GULag), I decided it's not worth pushing it.
Different people like different things. So while a different friend highly recommended this to me, I didn't take to it.
July 7, 2014
I cannot judge this book on its quality by screenplay standards nor by how it compares to Dick's Ubik novel (I read it close to ten years ago). I can say that this screenplay feels more like the classic PKD style than any of the movies others have adapted from his works (with the exception of Linklater's A Scanner Darkly). It was a fun quick read that made me want to jump right into more PKD books. It is a shame this never got put to film.
October 11, 2008
I had the first edition of this
August 23, 2019
A futuristic sci-fi that you need to pay attention to. To understand this book, you need to read carefully because it can get confusing.
February 15, 2014
I read this immediately after reading (and loving) Ubik, and while the novel is preferable, Dick's attempt at a screenplay is a fascinating second take on the same material.
July 20, 2014
A really interesting complement to the novel; reading the directorial notes definitely gave me a different angle on some of the characters.
April 18, 2020
Quite enjoyable adaptation, with some minor differences from the novel. A lot of levity has been added.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews