Now Wait For Last Year

One of the many things I love about reading Philip K. Dick novels - and there are a lot of things to love - is the way he constantly takes what could be pedestrian science-fiction ideas and transforms them into something profound and thought-provoking, using them not as a premise unto themselves, but merely as a jumping-off point for something far more ambitious. Take Now Wait for Last Year. At the outset, it's a novel about humanity's role in an interstellar war, a heroic figure uniting the Earth forces, and a surgeon who specializes in robotic organs who's struggling to keep that leader alive. But by the time you finish the novel, you might be hard pressed to recall that any of that was ever in the book at all. Without giving away the book's pleasures and surprises, suffice to say that Now Wait for Last Year is a book about a longing for the past, a desire to change our mistakes, and a wonder at what could have been. And all of that is tucked into a mind-bending novel that turns itself inside out more than a few times. Don't be deceived by the short length of Dick's novels; in his lean works, he manages to pack in more twists, more ideas, more philosophy, and more thoughtful writing than many authors can do in massive tomes. To be sure, the book has a couple of issues, most notably with a tough female character who ends up being uncomfortably one-dimensional and shrewish. But that's offset by the ideas at play here; if you don't end the book thinking about the nature of time and our relationships with our own pasts, well, you're not reading it right.

Written in '63 (when Dick was arguably at the peak of his powers) and published in '66, Now Wait For Last Year has everything one could ever want in a PKD novel. All of the major "Dickian" themes are here, including the nature of reality, parallel universes, and what it means to be human. Because of this, it would be a good starting point for someone new to the world of Philip K. Dick, and for those who are already fans.The plot is so convoluted, in a good way, that it's next to impossible for me to try and attempt a plot summary, but the basic gist is this: There's an interstellar war going on between Earth, along with their allies, the humanoid "Starmen," and the bug-like Reegs. The elected leader of Earth, Gino Molinari seems to have a psychosomatic illness that leaves him at various times on the verge of death. Dr. Eric Sweetscent, a surgeon and main protagonist of the story, is signed on to be Molinari's new 24/7 doctor. Meanwhile, Sweetscent's wife is addicted to a new drug called JJ-180, a massively addictive hallucinogen that appears to send the user back and forth through time uncontrollably.Got that? I didn't think so. But how these things are all tied together is an accomplishment only Dick would even attempt, let alone perfect as he does here. This is a perfect example of Dick's genius, and an under-appreciated classic that deserves more attention than it gets. This is definitely one of his most "far-out" novels, and it's sure to leave you slack-jawed and in awe for days after you've finished.

Philip K Dick's oeuvre tended to commit itself to one overarching theme: What is real? What does it mean to be a human?In the same sense that Kurt Vonnegut asked "what's the meaning of life?" in SIRENS OF TITAN (and being the crusader he was, answered it!) PKD's many novels and short stories hold not only the questions, encouraging us all to take the time to philosophize, but between the lines, he's answered it. From DO ANDROIDS DREAM OF ELECTRIC SHEEP? to NOW WAIT FOR LAST YEAR.NOW WAIT FOR LAST YEAR is another brilliant novel by the West coast thinker. Dr. Sweetscent is on the edge of hysteria. From problems with his wife, to confusion from the new designer drug that's toxically addictive, and revealing strange timelines to its users - the main characters are dealing with stressful laws, nullified constitutional rights, complex Terran leaders, and all during an interplanetary war....and talking taxicabs. Of course, there's talking taxicabs.Phil wrote these very intense situations, so that we might be better prepared when the moment comes for us all to question "what is real?" - "What does it mean to be a human?" If I had to give my interpretation: it's empathy. But, I'd still encourage you to read his works and both ask and the attempt to answer the questions as well !

As the name suggests, this deals with time travel, sort of. PDK leaves it up in the air as to whether time travel is truly possible by suggesting that perhaps other time streams would be other parallel universes. Toss into this a bit of Xenophobia, marital strife and the drive of personal responsibility and you have a lot going on in 230 pages.I am reading all the PDK novels, one a month. I am 10 months in to this three year trek. It seems, after 10 books, that PKD has an adjustment period. In the first few books I read he annoyed me. Now I'm into a groove.One note, it's interesting to see the concepts in this book played out in the longer and different works by other writers like Orson Scott Card. There's more than a smidgeon of this in the Ender series.

Captivating ideas like all of Dick's work. My favorite of his books for its compassion toward even his unlikable characters. And I love the words of wisdom from the robot taxi.

While it still gets four stars for being a trippy, wholly original and substantive work of art, the storyitself suffers from being one of his messier and unappealing offerings. Arguably the darkest thing he's ever written, it also features perhaps his most blatant misogyny of any of his works. Obviously a must-read for die-hard Dick fans (no pun intended) but not a place to start for beginners or those looking for why he's such a great writer. True unsettling, though, so bonus points for creeping me out.

Another simple idea taken to a gorgeous conclusion and beautifully written. That it's not PKD's greatest work is not in doubt but it is still better than most science fiction. He creates the personalities so deftly, I identified with them so easily, they seem to have such reasonable troubles and passions but the world that he places them in, again recognisable to me, but so imaginative. Well, that's his genius. If wanting to read some of his work there's others I would go to, The Man in the High Castle, Ubiq or Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, but we are not talking about one idea done to the nth degree, they're all completely different, so I would only go to those first.

Well I have to admit that I'm a massive Philip K Dick fan, but some of his books(only a few mind),have left me thinking, "That could've have been so much better".This was one of the times where I rejoiced at having found his books in the first place.I don't read much sci-fi, a bit of Ballard, but that's about it, but I have to say that Dick's ideas are superb and this book highlights his imagination perfectly, it's what he's all about.Great characters,good prose and such a fantastic concept. If your'e new to Phil, then this is a good representation of his best moments. Loved it!

I read a Dutch 2nd hand version of this book first. It is a rush of blood to the head what time travelling concerns. Back and forth into time. One of his best. Highly recommended and i am very curious how the movie will be.

Excellent

I hadn't read Philip K Dick for years so thought it would be nice to pick up one of his books. Enjoyable & entertaining.