#55. TIME OUT OF JOINT By Philip K Dick

Published : 1959
Pages : 212
Overall Mark : 8/10

Ragle Gumm is an ordinary man leading an ordinary suburban life, except that he makes his living by entering a newspaper contest every day - and winning, every day. But he gradually begins to suspect that his world is an illusion, constructed around him for the express purpose of keeping him docile and happy. But if he is right, what is the real world like, and what is he actually doing every day when he thinks he is guessing 'Where Will The Little Green Man Be Next?'

PHILIP K. DICK (1928-1982)
'One of the two or three most important figures in 20th century US SF' (The Encyclopedia Of Science Fiction). Born one of twins - his sister died in infancy - he lived most of his life in California, and wrote more than fifty books in a career of prodigious productivity and achievement. The films Blade Runner and Minority Report are both based on his stories.

VERDICT
This is a well written, witty story that uses the idea of a person being the centre of their own little universe, with everyone else simply being a player in their tale; and idea that has been imitated time and again since this first saw light at the tale end of the 1950s. From 'The Continuous Katherine Mortenhoe' and to movies such as 'EDTV' and 'The Truman Show', it is clear that Dick has been something of an inspiration to writers of all forms over the years.