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Philip K. Dick
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Time Out Of Joint Paperback – October 23, 2012

by Philip K. Dick (Author)
4.3 out of 5 stars 1,081 ratings
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From the Hugo Award–winning author of The Man in the High Castle, Philip K. Dick's twisty and paranoid Time Out of Joint is "marvelous, terrifying fun, especially if you’ve ever suspected that the world is an unreal construct built solely to keep you from knowing who you really are. Which it is, of course" (Rolling Stone).

"The time is out of joint; O curs'd spite,
That ever I was born to set it right!" (William Shakespeare's Hamlet, Act I, Scene V)

Ragle Gumm has a unique job: every day he wins a newspaper contest. And when he isn’t consulting his charts and tables, he enjoys his life in a small town in 1959. At least, that’s what he thinks.

But then strange things start happening. He finds a phone book where all the numbers have been disconnected, and a magazine article about a famous starlet he’s never heard of named Marilyn Monroe. Plus, everyday objects are beginning to disappear and are replaced by strips of paper with words written on them like "bowl of flowers" and "soft drink stand."

When Ragle skips town to try to find the cause of these bizarre occurrences, his discovery could make him question everything he has ever known.
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  1. Print length
    240 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Mariner Books Classics
  4. Publication date
    October 23, 2012
  5. Dimensions
    5.31 x 0.6 x 8 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0547572581
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0547572581
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Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

"Marvelous, terrifying fun, especially if you’ve ever suspected that the world is an unreal construct built solely to keep you from knowing who you really are. Which it is, of course."—Rolling Stone Ragle Gumm has a unique job: every day he wins a newspaper contest. And when he isn’t consulting his charts and tables, he enjoys his life in a small town in 1959. At least, that’s what he thinks. But then strange things start happening. He finds a phone book where all the numbers have been disconnected, and a magazine article about a famous starlet he’s never heard of named Marilyn Monroe. Plus, everyday objects are beginning to disappear and are replaced by strips of paper with words written on them like "bowl of flowers" and "soft drink stand." When Ragle skips town to try to find the cause of these bizarre occurrences, his discovery could make him question everything he has ever known. PHILIP K. DICK (1928–1982) wrote 121 short stories and 45 novels and is considered one of the most visionary authors of the twentieth century. His work is included in the Library of America and has been translated into more than twenty five languages. Eleven works have been adapted to film, including Blade Runner (based on Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?), Total Recall, Minority Report, and A Scanner Darkly.

About the Author

Over a writing career that spanned three decades, PHILIP K. DICK (1928–1982) published 36 science fiction novels and 121 short stories in which he explored the essence of what makes man human and the dangers of centralized power. Toward the end of his life, his work turned to deeply personal, metaphysical questions concerning the nature of God. Eleven novels and short stories have been adapted to film, notably Blade Runner (based on Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?), Total Recall, Minority Report, and A Scanner Darkly, as well as television's The Man in the High Castle. The recipient of critical acclaim and numerous awards throughout his career, including the Hugo and John W. Campbell awards, Dick was inducted into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame in 2005, and between 2007 and 2009, the Library of America published a selection of his novels in three volumes. His work has been translated into more than twenty-five languages.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Mariner Books Classics; Reissue edition (October 23, 2012)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 240 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0547572581
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0547572581
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.31 x 0.6 x 8 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 out of 5 stars 1,081 ratings

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Philip K. Dick

Philip K. Dick

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Over a writing career that spanned three decades, Philip K. Dick (1928-1982) published 36 science fiction novels and 121 short stories in which he explored the essence of what makes man human and the dangers of centralized power. Toward the end of his life, his work turned toward deeply personal, metaphysical questions concerning the nature of God. Eleven novels and short stories have been adapted to film; notably: Blade Runner (based on Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?), Total Recall, Minority Report, and A Scanner Darkly. The recipient of critical acclaim and numerous awards throughout his career, Dick was inducted into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame in 2005, and in 2007 the Library of America published a selection of his novels in three volumes. His work has been translated into more than twenty-five languages.

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
1,081 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find this book to be one of the best early novels by Philip K. Dick, praising its clever plot and interesting ideas, with one review noting how it questions reality in a unique way. They describe it as exciting and worth the time, with one customer highlighting its strong evocation of suburban 50's life. The book receives positive feedback for its pacing and work quality.

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15 customers mention "Readability"15 positive0 negative

Customers find the book readable and worth their time, with several noting it's one of the best early novels by the author. One customer describes it as a fun journey.

"...Among his better early novels and an excellent novel for the PKD novice to dip into before trying out his more heady, less accessible later work." Read more

"...Such a good book; I recommend it to anyone with an interest in Sci-fi. Also, I really like the cover for the paperback book...." Read more

"...The book is all right. It seemed to be poorly explained, though, at the outset, whereas The Truman Show seemed to have a more coherent explanation...." Read more

"...This would make one hell of a movie and someone, somewhere in Hollywood, must have written a screenplay for it by now, because it is so mind-f*****g...." Read more

7 customers mention "Enjoyment"7 positive0 negative

Customers find the book entertaining and exciting, with one describing it as a fantastically fun time to read, while another appreciates its witty dialogue.

"...A real page-turner, this one, with some of Dick's best prose from his early days and a concept that has since been stolen a dozen times over...." Read more

"...It seems to be a pleasant, mildly witty novel of everyday life in the contemporary United States ... of 1959...." Read more

"A page-turning yarn that rivets, excites, and succeeds despite plot holes. The plot revolves around a mystery that drives the action forward...." Read more

"This novel was both fun and exciting. A real headtrip. One of PKD finest...." Read more

7 customers mention "Ideas"7 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's interesting ideas, with one customer noting how it questions reality in a unique way and another highlighting its strong evocation of suburban 50's life.

"It is an oldie for certain but the ideas it illustrates are timeless...." Read more

"Classic Philip K. Dick, packed full of wild ideas hidden behind short sentences, simple words, and familiar setting...." Read more

"This book starts well enough, with a strong evocation of suburban 50's life. And it ends fairly well...." Read more

"...He entertains and questions reality in a unique way...." Read more

3 customers mention "Pacing"3 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the pacing of the book, with one customer noting it features great Philip K. Dick ideas.

"Classic Philip K. Dick, packed full of wild ideas hidden behind short sentences, simple words, and familiar setting...." Read more

"...Philip K. Dick is a genius." Read more

"This short novel has great Philip K. Dick ideas as you would expect...." Read more

3 customers mention "Work quality"3 positive0 negative

Customers praise the work quality of the book, with one noting the excellent performance of the narrator.

"This is a really solid PKD novel. One of his better works, in my opinion...." Read more

"...The performer also does an excellent job." Read more

"Another great work. It starts a bit slow, but the revelation makes it worth the while." Read more

23 customers mention "Story quality"16 positive7 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the story quality of the book, with some finding it intriguing and exciting with a clever plot, while others find it uninteresting.

"...The pace after the lengthy into is blistering, the revelations exciting, and the Truth entirely strange and awesome...." Read more

"...Also, I really like the cover for the paperback book. It is very fitting to the story!" Read more

"...The plot is interesting, I greatly enjoyed the characters' personalities, and as usual - the unique depictions of yet another possible underlying..." Read more

"...The book is all right. It seemed to be poorly explained, though, at the outset, whereas The Truman Show seemed to have a more coherent explanation...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Eric San Juan
    5.0 out of 5 stars Among Dick's best early novels
    Reviewed in the United States on March 19, 2006
    Verified Purchase
    In the hands of the right director, Time Out Of Joint could be one of the best recent speculative fiction films of recent years.

    Equal parts Dark City and The Truman Show, this early Philip K. Dick novel touches on all that you expect from a PKD novel - "What is reality?" - and makes a real page-turner out of it. The pace after the lengthy into is blistering, the revelations exciting, and the Truth entirely strange and awesome. Predictable, maybe (I guessed it), but still quite a nice reveal. A real page-turner, this one, with some of Dick's best prose from his early days and a concept that has since been stolen a dozen times over. Never before has an uneventful drive in an 18-wheeler been so thrilling.

    Likely considered minor PKDick, and I understand why some might make that argument, but I was really caught im in this scenario. Among his better early novels and an excellent novel for the PKD novice to dip into before trying out his more heady, less accessible later work.
    13 people found this helpful
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  • M
    4.0 out of 5 stars interesting ideas - dated scenarios
    Reviewed in the United States on December 14, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    It is an oldie for certain but the ideas it illustrates are timeless. Get past the expired dates by imagining it as depicting an alternate universe and Bob’s your uncle
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  • Steven
    5.0 out of 5 stars PKD is a master of mind-blowing literature!
    Reviewed in the United States on July 30, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    I picked this book up on someone's recommendation. I must say I was immensely pleased by the twists and tuns in this story. PKD is such a descriptive writer I was able to picture every scene of this book vividly! This is a book that will have you questioning what you just read! Such a good book; I recommend it to anyone with an interest in Sci-fi.

    Also, I really like the cover for the paperback book. It is very fitting to the story!
    6 people found this helpful
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  • Future Boy
    3.0 out of 5 stars Clever plot, sometimes hard to follow the action
    Reviewed in the United States on June 11, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    I was intrigued in this book because of The Truman Show, which I watched many years ago.

    The book is all right. It seemed to be poorly explained, though, at the outset, whereas The Truman Show seemed to have a more coherent explanation. Also the premise of The Truman Show seemed more plausible, whereas to create such a world for this setting seemed just like too much work for what they wanted out of him.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • A. R. Davis
    4.0 out of 5 stars Could have been a Twilight Zone episode
    Reviewed in the United States on December 29, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    Classic Philip K. Dick, packed full of wild ideas hidden behind short sentences, simple words, and familiar setting. It is a paranoid vision of a Ray Bradbury reflection on the good old days in America. Dick’s descriptions of details of the past are personally familiar, and his guesses about the shape of the future are fascinating, if not always correct. The Heisenberg Unified Field Theory was a good example. As you would expect there are a “hodge-podge of leaks” in the protagonist’s reality. That reality for me was the one flaw. At this point in time it seems a bit cliche, and Dick’s description of it was superficial compared to the world of the story’s illusion.
    5 people found this helpful
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  • Vazhaspa Spitman
    5.0 out of 5 stars One of the Best according to David Pringle
    Reviewed in the United States on July 16, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    "Squeezing his eyes together he tried to dislodge the presence of the bus and passengers. For ten minutes he tried. His mind fell into a stupor. The navel, he thought blearily. Concentration on one point. He picked out the buzzer on the side of the bus opposite him. The round, white buzzer. Go, he thought. Fade away. Fade away. Fade , F ..." ( Time Out of Joint, Kindle Locations 1249-1251).

    Beside this excerpt , I' am to just quote from David Pringle. Science Fiction: The 100 Best Novels :

    "Philip Kindred Dick (1928-1982), one of science fiction’s cult authors... is viewed by some [particularly in Europe] as the greatest American sf writer....
    Time Out of Joint was his first hardcover book. For the first third of its length it scarcely reads like science fiction at all. It seems to be a pleasant, mildly witty novel of everyday life in the contemporary United States ... of 1959.
    In reality it is the year 1998, and he is in the midst of a war of attrition between the ‘One Happy World’ dictatorship and rebels on the Moon. Ragle’s task, disguised as a Little-Green-Man contest, is to predict the pattern of incoming missiles ... the government has forced him into a ‘withdrawal psychosis’— a retreat to the world of his childhood, a make-believe small-town paradise of 1959."
    6 people found this helpful
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  • k-9 handler
    5.0 out of 5 stars A stiff dose of paranoia.
    Reviewed in the United States on June 21, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    Well, it's Philip K. Dick, so if you are a die-hard fan, there will be some impulse within you to consume all his works in short order. Prepare to be shocked into a semi-psychotic state by the clarified ramblings of a madman. Soon, you too will believe that everyone is out to get them, and before long, you will be driven out of your mind, and driven out of your familiar locale by your former friends and colleagues, as you have begun to manifest the mannerisms of the insane. Don't worry, though - it's only temporary, and it will wear off. In time, you will re-establish yourself in society, become gainfully employed once more, and you will feel comfortable again. That is, until you get a nagging sensation that despite how perfect life is, something is amiss. You will recall the words of the prophet Horselover Fat, and you will return to his holy scriptures, and receive a new dose of wanderlust. And so, the cycle continues...
    16 people found this helpful
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  • David Wilder
    4.0 out of 5 stars A Thought-Provoking Work from PKD
    Reviewed in the United States on March 29, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    This is a really solid PKD novel. One of his better works, in my opinion. It has been a few days since I finished the book, and I have been thinking about it a good amount. The plot is interesting, I greatly enjoyed the characters' personalities, and as usual - the unique depictions of yet another possible underlying reality blew my mind.

    I would probably recommend this as one of the top ten PKD novels. I still have a lot more to read, but this one sticks out to me as an easy introduction to PKD. There's not too much woo-woo science fiction in this book, but the way he describes the main characters paranoia and the unbelievability of his situation was nothing short of amazing.
    16 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • LurkyMurker
    5.0 out of 5 stars Mind = Blown
    Reviewed in India on August 26, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    Original product, great quality and ofcourse, awesome book! On time delivery, great service, would recommend 100%.
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  • Michael B.
    5.0 out of 5 stars The real inspiration for the Truman Show
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 16, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    I feel like alot of people go for the obvious '1984,' and whilst there are superficial similarities, reading Time Out of Joint it becomes clear that it is the true inspiration for The Truman Show. Philip K Dick's influence on modern cinema is broader and deeper than most people know. A great book - up there with the classics of science fiction.
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  • Samantha K Krewulak
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent
    Reviewed in Canada on May 21, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    A very complex, yet easy read. It features the classic Philip K. Dick idea that things are not what they appear to be, and that one should always question their reality. It is such an incredible idea put to paper, and it will certainly have you wondering if your own contemporaries are even there at all.
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  • GKQ24
    5.0 out of 5 stars Happy with my purchase.
    Reviewed in Australia on April 12, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    The book is as advertised. It was posted in a protective manner. A very good experience. Thank you.
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  • Martial
    5.0 out of 5 stars Temps désarticulé
    Reviewed in France on February 17, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    Dans ce bled sans histoire des bouffées d'ailleurs viennent s'insérer dans le réel. Où est le Petit Homme Vert ? D'où viennent ces émissions radios ? Dick ne répond à rien. Il ouvre les portes.
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