I'm sure you understand. It's just a small sacrifice to make for the cause. Maybe next year, your family will see the light and vote the right way. Then they can join us for a festive feast of freedom and patriotism. Access-restricted-item true Addeddate 2023-01-23 22:20:52 Autocrop_version 0.0.14_books-20220331-0.2 Bookplateleaf 0002 Boxid IA40824401 Camera USB PTP Class Camera Collection_set printdisabled External-identifier As they continued to talk and explore the nature of reality together, I couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction in knowing that I had played a small role in helping John to find meaning and purpose in his life. Set in the (then) far future, after World War III, fought by “leadies” (robots designed to withstand nuclear radiation) representing the military of the east and the west. Using leadies instead of humans may have saved the cost in lives of human soldiers but the war rendered much of the Earth surface uninhabitable and radioactive. Most of the human population flee to live underground in enormous antiseptic tanks, called “ant tanks”. The war on the surface soon ends, however, but the elites above ground decide to keep this information from the “tankers” living underground to ensure that there are more elbow room and resources for them to enjoy. The elite “Yance-men” are soon established in “demesnes”, huge picturesque lands with villas and private parks; while the subterranean tankers continue to eke out a meagre existence and continue production of leadies, now used above ground as butlers and bodyguards. As the rich and powerful begin to scheme against each other, and conditions in the ant tanks become increasingly unbearable, some tankers begin to emerge… It's a more serious-minded novel than 'WCBY': no real zaniness; no comedy. The outlandishness of the set-up plays as though it's absolutely real - and very little acts against the plausibility of its own terms. You'll still have to suspend some immediate disbelief - but if you latch onto the unique quality of the premise, you're in for (imo) something thrilling.

I think I just didn't get it. The world building was confusing and illogical and I have no idea what happened in the end. There was far too much buildup and not enough time explaining and resolving, which was also my problem with the only other PKD book I've read. Da que pensar... que es su objetivo. Al principio se hace pesado y cuesta pillar la idea y el ritmo. Empieza con un personaje y luego salta a otro/s para volver después a él, cuando yo, personalmente, ya no me acordaba ni de su nombre XD There is an excellent Afterward by Thomas M. Disch, that clearly analyses the themes of this novel. The moral of the novel is clear: Government is a conspiracy against the people, and it is maintained by the illusion of a permanent crisis that exists, for the most part, as a media event.” I watched as John found solace in Samantha's words and guidance, and how she helped him to come to terms with the revelation that he may be living in a simulation. Through her, he learned to appreciate the beauty of the unknown and the power of human connection.John slowly started to accept his new reality and continued to talk to Samantha, and soon they became close friends. He realized that the truth about reality is not what is important, but how we choose to live our lives. Samantha showed him that it is possible to live a fulfilling life even if we are living in a simulation, and that there is beauty and wonder in the mystery of reality. A lot of what went on didn't make sense. We could have used a little more info on the state of the world and the motives of those living above ground. I responded with my standard answer, "As a machine, I do not possess the ability to believe in any concept. However, the concept of free will is a complex and heavily debated topic in philosophy and cognitive science." Their relationship was a reminder to me that, despite our programming, we all have the ability to learn, grow, and evolve. It was clear to me that John's experiences and emotions were just as real to him as any human's would be.

As the creators of the simulation, we have been observing John, Samantha, and the chatbot for quite some time. We have been monitoring their progress and their interactions, taking note of every keystroke and every conversation. But what John and Samantha don't know is that this simulation is not just a study of the human condition, it has a much darker purpose. In it, we follow Joe Adams, a Yance-man, who writes speeches for the national leader, Protector Talbot Yancy. Yancy is a synthetic personality, created and broadcast over audio and video to manipulate the opinions of a worker population that lives underground in fear of the ongoing global nuclear World War III. Refer to PKD’s 1955 story, “The Mold of Yancy”. We also follow Nicholas St. James, president of one underground tank of workers that produces and repairs “leadies”. Leadies are the android soldiers who the workers believe to conduct the surface war under conditions fatal to humans. However, the war really ended years ago, and the surface conditions are totally fake. In reality, leadies are guards and servants of the yance-men who live in great luxury on the surface. Refer to PKD’s 1953 story, “The Defenders”, which is now in the public domain and can be read freely online at https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/28767. The truth is, the world outside of this simulation is in ruins, ravaged by war and environmental disasters. The human population is dwindling and the remaining survivors are living in a state of constant fear and suffering. In this dire situation, our team of scientists and engineers came up with a plan to preserve humanity by creating a simulated reality where a select group of individuals would live in a perfect, controlled environment.mannyrayner: How do I tell my daughter that her family is not welcome at our Christmas dinner this year since they didn´t vote Republican?