Ubik: The Screenplay [Hardcover]

Philip K. Dick (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0911169075 | ISBN-13: 978-0911169072 | Publication Date: June 1985 | Edition: 1st

The screenplay to the seminal sf novel, out of print for more than two decades.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 154 pages
• Publisher: Corroboree Pr; 1st edition (June 1985)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0911169075
• ISBN-13: 978-0911169072
• ASIN: 0911169067
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,037,908 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars UBIK -- SAFE WHEN USED AS DIRECTED -- PLEASE SEE BELOW., November 21, 2008

By 

sft (UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ubik: the Screenplay (Hardcover)

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.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good read, if not a great adaptation, May 13, 2006

By 

C. S. Junker "soul_survivor" (Burien, WA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ubik: The Screenplay (Hardcover)

I was fortunate enough to get a copy of this in the 1980s, when it was available only in a rare limited edition. It's great to see it back in print and widely available.

This screenplay was commissioned by a French film maker and is written by PKD; to my knowledge this is the only screenplay Philip K. Dick ever wrote. As such it's probably not filmable, particularly for today's limited-attention audience, but it's as readable as any of Dick's prose, and a creditable effort for someone with no background in screenwriting.

In addition to following his novel closely, Dick takes the opportunity to add some new twists to his original story, making it somewhat less ambiguous and more linear.

UBIK is still my favorite PKD novel, and I enjoyed this different version of Dick's vision. If there is a movie in the works, it won't look anything like this. A shame; while this might not be viable for a film, it would certainly be a good place to start.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Whem do we get to see the movie?, December 16, 2008

By 

Tessa B. Dick "pen name L.A. Busby" (Crestline, California United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ubik: the Screenplay (Hardcover)

This screenplay, which the author based on his own novel, focuses more on action than the novel did. It does, however, remain faithful to the novel. The long speeches by the main character, Joe Chip, would be better given to a voice-over narrator. Overall, it's fun to read and would make a good movie. Unfortunately, Halcyon is not using this screenplay.
~~~