The Simulacra

by Philip K. Dick

Kalbfleisch, whom Nicole dislikes, appears only momentarily in the story; because of planned obsolescence, he will soon suffer a heart attack and be replaced. The contract for the next simulacrum, Dieter Hogbein, has been awarded to 'Frauenzimmer Associates', and the previous contractor, 'Karp und Söhne Werke' is unhappy about this change. One subplot involves the Karp und Söhne Werke threatening exposure of what has been a state secret over the last five decades.

A. G. Chemie, the leading USEA psycho-pharmaceutical drug cartel, has engineered the prohibition of psychotherapy under the "MacPhearson Act." However, the USEA is willing to let Doctor Egon Superb continue to treat Richard Kongrosian, a well known pianist who performs in the White House, and who holds the delusory belief that his body odor is lethal. Kongrosian can play piano using only his telekinetic abilities; Nicole Thibodeaux is anxious to keep him under control, as are Wilder Pembroke, head of the National Police, and members of the covert national governance council.

Bertold Goltz, an alleged neofascist, is seemingly trying to overthrow the government, and runs the 'Sons of Job', a religious paramilitary organisation. Actually, he is head of the covert USEA governing council.

There is a subplot that involves Charles (Chic) Strikerock, Vince, his brother and a cut-price colonisation spacecraft sales firm (known as "Loony Lukes") involved in Martian colonisation. Mars boasts insectoid life, the sentient and empathic 'papoola', while Ganymede is inhabited by multicellular primitive life forms.

As the plot develops, the der Alte-simulacrum is revealed as an android and Kate/Nicole is disclosed as an impostor, this undoing the raison d'etre for ges/bes class stratification. Bertold Goltz is killed by a National Police detachment, as is the rest of the covert governing council. Using telekinesis, Kongrosian kills Pembroke before he can overthrow Nicole in a coup d'état and teleports her to safety at his secluded Northern US home.

Karp und Sohnen rebel against the abortive coup, however, and soon the National Police and USEA armed forces are engaged in civil war, with active use of low-yield nuclear weapons. Re-emerging Neanderthals (or "chuppers"), happy at this turn of events, gather near Kongrosian's home in anticipation that self-destruction of Homo sapiens might give them another opportunity to dominate Earth. The novel ends before the action concludes.