4 ms·
There's a bit in Ubik that stays in my mind. Joe Chip gets into an argument with his apartment door that refuses to open for him because he owes it money. I kin
by nonrandomstring 4y ago
There's a bit in Ubik that stays in my mind. Joe Chip gets into an
argument with his apartment door that refuses to open for him because
he owes it money. I kinda got that the door was an autonomous
money-making agent that held him hostage - a conversation reminiscent
of that between Doolittle and the Bomb in Dark Star. It made me see
the ridiculous side and ultimate absurdity of micropayments leading to
world where a dollar value is put on everything so that every silly
little thing becomes a coin operated nuisance whose actual function is
replaced by squeezing a few more micro-credits out of you.
- 2Gkashmiri 4y agoYears ago I read about cloud computing as getting a free vacation but being charged for each sand particle you touch, small on its own but it gets too ridiculous after some time
- Wistar 4y agoThat expresses things quite evocatively.
- 2OEH8eoCRo0 4y agoThere was an episode of Rocko's Modern Life where they go to a ski resort where everything is $5. What a deal! It turns out it applies to literally everything.
- 2OEH8eoCRo0 4y agoHe tries to bypass the thing by unscrewing the fixture and it says, "I'll sue you."
- anothermoron 4y agoI love that line: “I’ll sue you,” the door said as the first screw fell out. Joe Chip said, “I’ve never been sued by a door. But I guess I can live through it.”
- black_13 4y agoWhile living Boston the walkup replaced the keyed doors with electronic locks. They never worked. I kept my key to the cellar and would come through the laundry room and occasionally fall in snow and pee myself. That is dystopia. Dick understood what the future would be lots of dangerous gadgets. The gestaltmacher in the novel the penultimate truth.
- pavlov 4y agoThey call that "web3" nowadays, but you're supposed to enjoy it because you can buy shares in the specific door that won't open for you and they might triple in value while you're locked in.
- FrameworkFred 4y agothis thread just convinced me I should read Ukik :)