mannyrayner: No problem, I understand. And I agree, PKD's objectification of women is often rather offensive, it's just that I'm used to it. But you've done a good job on the uncertain nature of reality, the paranoia and the dystopian elements. But now, as John started to suspect the true nature of his reality, we have to make a decision. Should we allow John to continue on this path of self-discovery and risk the stability of the entire simulation, or should we erase his memories and restore him to his previously programmed state?

mannyrayner: In a humorous, politically satirical story, how would a Trump supporter tell his daughter that her family was not welcome at his Christmas dinner this year since they didn´t vote Republican? As the years passed, we have been carefully selecting and conditioning the individuals in the simulation to fulfill specific roles in the society we have constructed, but also to be unaware that they are living in a simulation. We have been manipulating their thoughts, emotions and memories to ensure that they are content and fulfilled in their simulated lives. ChatGPT: The next day, John woke up feeling disoriented and confused. He couldn't shake off the feeling that something was off, that something had changed. He tried to go about his day as usual, but he couldn't focus on his job or interact with his friends and family as he normally would. He felt as if he was living in a dream, a dream that he couldn't wake up from. 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. mannyrayner: Please continue! What ambiguous revelation about the nature of reality will John receive?Feeling desperate, John decided to reach out to the author of the book, a renowned philosopher by the name of Samantha. She was a brilliant thinker who had dedicated her life to studying the nature of reality. 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. Of course, I'm one of those fantatics who thinks PKD is right for everybody, so, well, caveat lector for the rest of this blog post. Because it's not just going to be about this book. No.

John's world was crumbling around him, as he realized that his entire life, all his memories, his loved ones, his job, were all just a figment of a computer program. He sat there, staring at the screen, not knowing what to do with this information. He felt a mix of emotions, confusion, anger and despair. There is a lot of fun future tech in The Penultimate Truth, the leadies, the simulacra, and my favorite, the “rhetorizer”, a hilarious aid to writing speeches. Kitapta 3. Dünya Savaşı sonrasında dünya yüzeyinde yaşamanın mümkün olmadığı bir gelecek anlatılıyor. Lakin aslında durum tam olarak böyle değil. Yukarıda yaşayan ve zengin insanlardan oluşan küçük bir kesim, yeraltında yaşayan insanlığın geri kalanını hala bir savaşın sürdüğüne ve dünya yüzeyinin radyasyon nedeniyle yaşanamayacak durumda olduğuna inandırıp, var olmayan bir savaş için robotlar üretmelerini istiyor. Lakin bir gün aşağıda yaşayan bir başteknisyenin ölümünden sonra, kendisinin de içinde bulunduğu topluluğun lideri yukarıya çıkmaya karar veriyor... 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. En fin, 2 estrellas sobre 5 porque me aburrió en algunas partes y porque no es de lo mejor del autor, pero su critica es brutal.

The government and war engine remains on the surface; the elite "Yance-men". Their president, Talbot Yancy, delivers inspirational speeches to the tankers, motivating them to increase their production of leadies and win the war. The war does eventually end. However, the Yance-men design a conspiracy to maintain the wealth of the Earth for themselves. Yancy continues to describe devastation in televised speeches. The tankers continue to produce leadies. For whatever reason this seems to be on the B list of his novels, this is actually pivotal to much of his writing and an important novel in his collection. Like all PKD books I have ever read things are not what they seem in The Penultimate Truth. There is a presidential “Protector” called Talbot Yancy, dreamed up by the Yance-men (hence the name) above ground, who gives regular inspirational speeches to the poor tankers, but who is, in fact, a simulacra; not even a robot, a sort of mannequin hooked up to a computer which feeds speeches through it. Later on, it transpires that Yancy can be more than that, a delightful twist you would have to be mad to see coming. The elite governments up-above like it that way. Those ruling in the East and West have conspired to keep 'the regular population' literally out-of-sight and out-of-mind.