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A review by mathew
The Crack in Space by Philip K. Dick
3.0
SF authors are a pessimistic bunch. In 1960s USA, just before the founding of the Black Panther Party, it seemed reasonable to Philip K. Dick that we might eventually see an African-American President — some time around the year 2080.
In other ways, though, this is a strangely relevant and prescient novel. It tells of a world where millions — mostly poor, mostly black — are placed kept in storage in suspended animation because society doesn't know what to do with them. (In the real world, of course, we use prisons for this task.) The lucky few who have jobs and careers travel from place to place via jiffi-scuttlers, hoop-shaped devices which open a wormhole-like portal to their destination. However, a jiffi-scuttler malfunctions, and its portal tube is found to have a tear in it, which leads to what appears to be a parallel earth — one with plenty of space to transport the unwanted defrosted population. There are other issues of relevance which I won't mention in order to avoid spoilers.
I found myself wanting to read more to find out what was actually going on, which puts this a step above most of Dick's 50s novels.
In other ways, though, this is a strangely relevant and prescient novel. It tells of a world where millions — mostly poor, mostly black — are placed kept in storage in suspended animation because society doesn't know what to do with them. (In the real world, of course, we use prisons for this task.) The lucky few who have jobs and careers travel from place to place via jiffi-scuttlers, hoop-shaped devices which open a wormhole-like portal to their destination. However, a jiffi-scuttler malfunctions, and its portal tube is found to have a tear in it, which leads to what appears to be a parallel earth — one with plenty of space to transport the unwanted defrosted population. There are other issues of relevance which I won't mention in order to avoid spoilers.
I found myself wanting to read more to find out what was actually going on, which puts this a step above most of Dick's 50s novels.