colony planets

World War Terminus left Earth so polluted by radioactive activity that people chose to immigrate to other planets in our solar system, such as Mars, as the only way to escape the dust. The U.N. encourages emigration to off-world colonies, in hope of preserving the human race from the terminal effects of the fallout from W.W.T. As incentive to leaving the majority of belongs behind and restarting life on another planet, people are promised human-like Nexus-6 androids, or “andys” to be used as a servant.
Many of Dick’s several science fiction novels involve the process of emigrating to and from other planets. Novels with reoccurring references to colony planets include, The Simulacra, written in 1964, and his 1972 novel titled, We Can Build You.
During a 1980 interview conducted by Frank C. Bertrand, Dick said, “In college I was given Plato to read and thereupon became aware of the possible existence of a metaphysical realm beyond or above the sensory world. I came to understand that the human mind could conceive of a realm of which the empirical world was epiphenomenal.” While Dick creates these worlds “beyond or above the sensory world” often in his novels, he never has the reader travel to Mars personally, through one of the characters. All of the characters remain on Earth and therefore the reader is on their own to image what it is like. The other time Dick even brings the reader close to Mars is through the interview of one resident on the Buster Friendly Radio and TV show.
"Let's hear from Mrs. Maggie Klugman," the TV announcer suggested to John Isidore, who wanted only to know the time.
"A recent immigrant to Mars, Mrs. Klugman in an interview taped live in New New York had this to say. Mrs. Klugman, how would you contrast your life back on contaminated Earth with your new life here in a world rich with every imaginable possibility?"
A pause, and then a tired, dry, middle-aged, female voice said, "I think what I and my family of three noticed most was the dignity."
While Dick may have similarities within in novels to have characters experience colony planets, he doesn’t seem to expand upon what the colony planets encompass. “Behind all the space ships, Martian colonies, alien life forms, zap guns, and androids is a writer struggling to understand himself, the world around him, and the worlds within us all.” (Behrens 1) This may be Dick’s own desire to explore an alternative world personally, hence his similarities amongst his novels to have characters experience of reality of a world that is beyond the current realm they, and him, are in.

Bibliography:
Behrens, By Richard. "Scriptorium - Philip K. Dick." The Modern Word. Web. 04 Dec. 2010. .
"The PKDicktionary." DOWNLODE. Web. 04 Dec. 2010. .