New Worlds Magazine Profile: Philip K. Dick

New Worlds Science Fiction, December 1959 (No. 89)

This issue features the first installment of Philip K. Dick's novel Time Out of Joint in three parts, concerning protagonist Ragle Gumm, a man who earns his living solving a daily newspaper puzzle competition called "Where will the little green man be next?" The excerpt demonstrates the author's characteristic approach to science fiction, promising intricate plotting. The opening section depicts Victor Nielson, a grocery store worker, managing mundane domestic concerns including his son Sammy's dental appointment and his wife Margo's civic petition work, while business slows during an economic recession with five million unemployed.

Short stories include Colin Kapp's "Breaking Point," Robert Silverberg's "Appropriation," Michael Barrington's "Peace on Earth," and Alan Barclay's "Nearly Extinct." Kenneth Johns contributes the sixth installment of the article series "Outward Bound." Editor John Carnell's editorial reviews the science fiction magazine market, noting Nebula's closure and the return of American reprint editions to the British market.