The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch (Philip K. Dick, 1965)

Under the authority of the United Nations, humankind has colonized every habitable planet and moon in the solar system. Life for most colonists is physically daunting and psychologically monotonous so the UN must draft individuals to colonize. Most colonists entertain themselves using “Perky Pat” dolls and the multitude of accessories manufactured by Earth-based P.P. layouts.

The company also secretly creates Can-D, an illegal but widely available hallucinogen that allows the user to "translate" into Perky Pat (if the user is female) or her boyfriend Walt (if male). This allows colonists to experience an idealized version of life on Earth in a collective unconscious hallucination. P.P. layouts employs several precogs to determine if possible new Perky Pat accessories will be popular.
Life on Earth is also harsh as the global temperature has risen to a level where one can no longer be outdoors without a personal air conditioning unit.
At the novel’s beginning, renegade industrialist Palmer Eldritch has traveled to the inhabited Proxima Centauri star system in search of a sellable product. He has been gone for a decade...

Rating: 8/10