Ubik

“At three-thirty A.M. on the night of June 5, 1992, the top telepath in the Sol System fell off the map in the offices of Runciter Associates in New York City.” 

This quote opens the novel. It also immediately introduces to the reader the major conflict that propels the novel forward—the disappearance of Hollis’ telepaths. It’s important to note, too, that Dick sets his novel in the future, while, for a contemporary reader, this will be the past. Finally, the initial framing of the narrative around the mystery of a top telepath’s disappearance is one of many red herrings Dick uses in the novel.

“‘Burial is barbaric,’ Herbert muttered aloud. ‘Remnant of the primitive origins of our culture.’” 

Throughout the novel, various characters express opinions on how society handles the dead via the half-life system. Herbert, an undertaker, has a lot at stake in regard to what society chooses to do with its dead and does all he can to keep his clients happy. The quote also introduces a measure of perspective for the reader. While burial feels perfectly natural to contemporary readers, so much of humanity’s opinions on various customs are the result of societal norms that go unquestioned.

“Defend your privacy, the ads yammered on the hour, from all media. Is a stranger tuning in on you?” 

This passage relates to one of the major themes of the novel: privacy. Privacy in Dick’s universe is a thing that can be bought and sold. This is probably manifested in Dick’s writing in response to the perceived lack of privacy during the era of the Cold War and the “Red Scare.