Adjustment Team
Encyclopedia
"Adjustment Team" is a science fiction
short story
by Philip K. Dick
. It was first published in Orbit Science Fiction
(Sept–Oct 1954, No. 4) with illustration by Faragasso. It was later reprinted in The Sands of Mars and other Stories (Australian) in 1958, The Book of Philip K. Dick
in 1973, The Turning Wheel and Other Stories (United Kingdom) in 1977, The Collected Stories of Philip K. Dick
in 1987 (Underwood-Miller
), 1988 (Gollancz
, United Kingdom), 1990 (Citadel Twilight, United States), Selected Stories of Philip K. Dick
in 2002 and in The Early Work of Philip K. Dick, Volume One: The Variable Man & Other Stories in 2009.
Adjustment Team was adapted for film as The Adjustment Bureau
and released in March 2011.
episode.
The Clerk is brought to the top-level Administrative Chambers to explain what went wrong to the Old Man, who decides to personally deal with this unusual situation and orders Fletcher "brought up here." Complicating matters further, Fletcher has told his wife Ruth about the experience. With Ruth accompanying him for moral support, Fletcher returns to his workplace to prove he has not experienced a full psychotic break
down or seen behind the fabric of reality as he still fears. Things seem normal at first, and Ruth leaves, but he soon realizes people and objects have subtly changed. Panic stricken, he runs to a public phone to warn the police, only to have the phone booth ascend heavenward with Fletcher inside.
Meeting the Old Man, Fletcher first thinks he is dead, but is informed he's only visiting; that a correction was being made, it was a very serious error, he wasn't changed, and his revealing to others what he saw is a grave threat. "The natural process must be supplemented—adjusted here and there. Corrections must be made. We are fully licensed to make such corrections. Our adjustment teams perform vital work." In this instance, the adjustment is to bring about a chain of events that will lessen Soviet-Western Bloc
war tension. Fletcher is allowed to return without being de-energized and adjusted, on the condition that he tell no one the truth he has learned, and convinces his wife that everything he has already told her was due to a temporary psychological fit. The Old Man threatens him that should he fail doing so, he will have a terrible fate when they meet again; and he adds that every person eventually meets the Old Man.
On his return, Ruth catches him lying about where he spent the afternoon and demands he tell her the truth, while he tries to stall her long enough to come up with a story she will believe. A bark is heard and a vacuum cleaner
salesman rings the doorbell. While Ruth is distracted by the salesman's demonstration, Fletcher escapes to the bedroom, where he shakily lights a cigarette and gratefully looks up, saying, "Thanks.... I think we'll make it — after all. Thanks a lot."
In Philip K. Dick and Philosophy, one critic saw the story as underscoring Dick's lifelong artistic concerns with "ethics, existentialism, and philosophy", saying that the story (and the film loosely based on it) were ultimately "about how to live."
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
short story
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
by Philip K. Dick
Philip K. Dick
Philip Kindred Dick was an American novelist, short story writer and essayist whose published work is almost entirely in the science fiction genre. Dick explored sociological, political and metaphysical themes in novels dominated by monopolistic corporations, authoritarian governments and altered...
. It was first published in Orbit Science Fiction
Orbit Science Fiction
Orbit Science Fiction was a short lived science fiction magazine anthology published in 1953 and 1954 by the Hanro Corporation. Only 5 issues were published, each of which were edited by Donald A. Wollheim, although Jules Saltman was credited within the publication. Several prominent science...
(Sept–Oct 1954, No. 4) with illustration by Faragasso. It was later reprinted in The Sands of Mars and other Stories (Australian) in 1958, The Book of Philip K. Dick
The Book of Philip K. Dick
The Book of Philip K. Dick is a collection of science fiction stories by Philip K. Dick. It was first published by DAW Books in 1973. The book was subsequently published in the United Kingdom by Coronet in 1977 under the title The Turning Wheel and Other Stories...
in 1973, The Turning Wheel and Other Stories (United Kingdom) in 1977, The Collected Stories of Philip K. Dick
The Collected Stories of Philip K. Dick
The Collected Stories of Philip K. Dick is a collection of science fiction stories by Philip K. Dick. It was first published by Underwood-Miller in 1987 as a five volume set. See Philip K...
in 1987 (Underwood-Miller
Underwood-Miller
Underwood-Miller Inc. was a science fiction and fantasy small press specialty publishing house founded in 1976. It was founded by Tim Underwood, a San Francisco book and art dealer, and Chuck Miller, a Pennsylvania used book dealer, after the two had met at a convention.For their first book,...
), 1988 (Gollancz
Gollancz
Gollancz often refers to the British publishing house Victor Gollancz Ltd.Gollancz, a family name originating from the Polish town Gołańcz , is mainly known as the name of a prominent British Jewish family, including:* Sir Hermann Gollancz , rabbi* Sir Israel Gollancz , scholar of...
, United Kingdom), 1990 (Citadel Twilight, United States), Selected Stories of Philip K. Dick
Selected Stories of Philip K. Dick
Selected Stories of Philip K. Dick is a collection of science fiction stories by Philip K. Dick. It was first published by Random House in 2002...
in 2002 and in The Early Work of Philip K. Dick, Volume One: The Variable Man & Other Stories in 2009.
Adjustment Team was adapted for film as The Adjustment Bureau
The Adjustment Bureau
The Adjustment Bureau is a 2011 American fantasy romantic thriller film loosely based on the Philip K. Dick short story, "Adjustment Team". The film was written and directed by George Nolfi and stars Matt Damon and Emily Blunt. The cast also includes Anthony Mackie, John Slattery, Michael Kelly,...
and released in March 2011.
Synopsis
Sector T137 is scheduled for adjustment, and a Clerk is supervising a canine Summoner to ensure real estate salesman Ed Fletcher is inside Sector T137 during the process. An 8:15 bark to summon a Friend With A Car is needed. Unfortunately, the bark is a minute late, bringing an Insurance Salesman, causing Fletcher to leave for work late. Arriving at Sector T137 after it's been de-energized, Fletcher enters a terrifying gray ash world. Escaping white-robed men, he flees across the street back to the everyday energized world outside Sector T137, fearing he's had a psychoticPsychosis
Psychosis means abnormal condition of the mind, and is a generic psychiatric term for a mental state often described as involving a "loss of contact with reality"...
episode.
The Clerk is brought to the top-level Administrative Chambers to explain what went wrong to the Old Man, who decides to personally deal with this unusual situation and orders Fletcher "brought up here." Complicating matters further, Fletcher has told his wife Ruth about the experience. With Ruth accompanying him for moral support, Fletcher returns to his workplace to prove he has not experienced a full psychotic break
Psychotic break
A psychotic break is a term used to describe an occasion of a person experiencing an episode of acute primary psychosis, either for the first time or after a significant period of relative asymptomaticity. Several types of psychoactive drugs have been shown to correlate with psychotic breaks...
down or seen behind the fabric of reality as he still fears. Things seem normal at first, and Ruth leaves, but he soon realizes people and objects have subtly changed. Panic stricken, he runs to a public phone to warn the police, only to have the phone booth ascend heavenward with Fletcher inside.
Meeting the Old Man, Fletcher first thinks he is dead, but is informed he's only visiting; that a correction was being made, it was a very serious error, he wasn't changed, and his revealing to others what he saw is a grave threat. "The natural process must be supplemented—adjusted here and there. Corrections must be made. We are fully licensed to make such corrections. Our adjustment teams perform vital work." In this instance, the adjustment is to bring about a chain of events that will lessen Soviet-Western Bloc
Western Bloc
The Western Bloc or Capitalist Bloc during the Cold War refers to the powers allied with the United States and NATO against the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact...
war tension. Fletcher is allowed to return without being de-energized and adjusted, on the condition that he tell no one the truth he has learned, and convinces his wife that everything he has already told her was due to a temporary psychological fit. The Old Man threatens him that should he fail doing so, he will have a terrible fate when they meet again; and he adds that every person eventually meets the Old Man.
On his return, Ruth catches him lying about where he spent the afternoon and demands he tell her the truth, while he tries to stall her long enough to come up with a story she will believe. A bark is heard and a vacuum cleaner
Vacuum cleaner
A vacuum cleaner, commonly referred to as a "vacuum," is a device that uses an air pump to create a partial vacuum to suck up dust and dirt, usually from floors, and optionally from other surfaces as well. The dirt is collected by either a dustbag or a cyclone for later disposal...
salesman rings the doorbell. While Ruth is distracted by the salesman's demonstration, Fletcher escapes to the bedroom, where he shakily lights a cigarette and gratefully looks up, saying, "Thanks.... I think we'll make it — after all. Thanks a lot."
Critical commentary
The story has been described as Dick's "first tentative try" at Frederick Pohl's "tunnel under the world" theme, in which it's imagined that mundane existence is totally a product of unseen manipulators.In Philip K. Dick and Philosophy, one critic saw the story as underscoring Dick's lifelong artistic concerns with "ethics, existentialism, and philosophy", saying that the story (and the film loosely based on it) were ultimately "about how to live."
See also
- CopyfraudCopyfraudCopyfraud is a term used by Jason Mazzone, an Associate Professor of Law at Brooklyn Law School, to describe the use of false claims of copyright to attempt to control works not under one's legal control.-Introduction:Mazzone describes copyfraud as:...
- "Gabe's StoryGabe's Story"Gabe's Story" is the twenty-third episode of the science fiction television series 2002 revival of The Twilight Zone. The episode aired December 11, 2002 on UPN.-Opening Narration:-Plot summary:...
", a Twilight ZoneTwilight zone-Television series and spinoffs:*The Twilight Zone, the anthology television series and its franchise:**The Twilight Zone , the 1959–1964 original television series***Twilight Zone: The Movie, a 1983 film based on the original series...
episode
External links
- Facsimile version from Orbit Science Fiction Sept-Oct 1954 on Wikimedia Commons
- Contents of Imaginative Tales, September 1955 at Internet Speculative Fiction Database
- Heald, Paul J.; Payment Demands for Spurious Copyrights: Four Causes of Action
- The Importance of Securing Chain of Title Rajwans Business & Entertainment Law
- Boop-Oop-A-Doop – Oops! Family of Betty Boop Creator Loses Infringement Claims Due to Flawed Chain of Title McDermott - Newsletters - IP Update, Vol. 14, No. 3, March 2011