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From: Garnaat.henr@XEROX.ARPA
Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers
Subject: Matter Transmission
Message-ID: <12305@sri-arpa.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 9-Aug-84 11:14:00 EDT
Article-I.D.: sri-arpa.12305
Posted: Thu Aug  9 11:14:00 1984
Date-Received: Mon, 13-Aug-84 00:18:17 EDT
Lines: 31


The recent discussions re. matter transmission reminded me of a book I
recently read.   In  "The Unteleported Man" by Phillip K. Dick, future
Earth (i.e. post World War III) perfects a technique of matter
transmission and uses it to shuttle colonists to an Earth-like planet
some 18 lightyears away.  Unfortunately the teleportation mechanism is
under the control of a huge corporation whose motives, as discovered by
the protaganist of the story, are evil and mercenary.

Although I wouldn't say this is an example of a work "where the
implications of the technology are taken to the fullest" as Mr. Martin
was interested in, it does have an example of the kind of matter
modification mentioned in the original message.  In this case, the
operators of the teleportation equipment are able to  juxtapose the
psyche of the teleported individual by overlaying thier mind with false
definition of reality, referred to as a "paraworld" by Dick.  This
notion of "paraworlds" and false realities provides a perfect backdrop
for the kind of explorations of schizophrenia common in many of Dick's
books.  I found the book interesting and well worth reading, although
the ending seemed a bit of a cop out.

While on the subject of the ending, I would like to pose a question to
anyone familiar with Dick's work.  The book I have is a re-release
(since his death, many of his novels have been re-released) and claims
to have the "original, uncensored" ending which was supposedly left out
of the original release for "commercial" reasons.  My disapointment with
the ending got me wondering about the original book.  How does the
ending differ? Or, better yet, any ideas on where I could find a copy of
the original release?

Mitch