The Game Players Of Titan by Philip K Dick

This is one of Dick's more easily understood works. I know that to some people that's the equivalent of something like 'least rancid of Rush Limbaugh's opinions' but it comes from an earlier period in his writing career when he was just starting to bend the rules of writing science fiction, and presenting original ideas within a format that he could still sell to publishers.

In yet another Dickian dystopic near future, Earth has lost a war to the giant creatures from Titan. Widespread devastation and sterility seems to be just a harbinger of the end of everything with the last of humanity reduced to those lucky enough to participate in the game of Bluff, where entire cities and countries are the stakes and the hope of eventually being lucky enough to reproduce the only prize really worth playing for.

It addresses one of Dick's main preoccupations - the question of what it means to be human. Is it just a question of existing and having the right DNA or something else? And how much does any of it matter when you have to play a board game with rules you're not entirely sure of against psychic aliens with your entire planet's continued existence as the stake?

Still, it's a fun read and a good introduction to Dick for those not feeling ready to tackle some of his later works.

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