American Editions

From the back cover of the 1969 Berkley edition

THERE HE WAS, JOE FERNWRIGHT, citizen of a devilishly dull and cowardly brave new world. Joe's dwelling place was Cleveland (once "Ohio"), and he was a skilled mender or, as he liked to think of it- healer-of ceramic pots. And in a solidly plastic world, Joe was out of work, bored to death, and in a dangerous, try-anything mood. Bored enough to accept an extremely chancy proposition from an extremely peculiar and powerful Thing. This Thing wanted Joe to go to a distant planet, and help raise. . . Heldscalla. Well, if you were a free spirit trapped in Cleveland-no-longer-Ohio in the year 2046, you'd be tempted by an offer to raise a little hell yourself. Joe's experiences are the subject of this witty and stimulating new SF novel from Philip K. Dick.

From the inside flap of the 1970 Book CLub Edition

By PROFESSION, Joe Fernwright mends pots -or any kind of ceramic ware left over from the Old Days, when such things weren't always made of plastic. Hardly anyone needs his work, however, for very few ceramic pieces remain. Joe is bored to death with his inactive life in the city of Cleveland (once "Ohio"), North American Citizens' Republic. One day a letter drops through his mail tube. "POT healer, I need you. And I will pay," the message reads. The next day, another letter. "I will pay you 35,000 crumbles." A "'crumble" is the monetary unit of Sirius Five, a planet whose dominant life form is the Glimmung, an enormous creature which migrated there centuries ago and took over the original species, the Fog-Things. Soon a third message arrives: "We shall raise Heldscalla." Joe dials the vocal encyclopedia and learns that HeldscaIla is the ancient cathedral of the Fog-Things which sank under the sea when they were conquered, along with its artifacts. and relics.
The Glimmung now plans to raise Heldscalia to dry land, and needs a wide span of skills-such as Joe's ability to heal broken ceramic ware. (What countless other talents from planets throughout the Galaxy has the Glimmung recruited?) In a dangerous, try-anything mood, Joe reports to the Cleveland Spaceport for the flight to Sirius Five. There he has his first glimpse of his flight companion-an expert at removing coral deposits from submerged artifacts. She is the exquisite Miss Mali Yojez, non-Terran but humanoid, with delicate light-blue skin and short-clipped bronze hair. . . Joe Fernwright's terrifying adventures and dizzying exploits on Sirius Five are the subject of this witty and stimulating science fiction novel.

From the back cover of the 1974 Berkley edition


There he was, Joe Ferbwright, citizen of Cleveland (once "Ohio"), skilled mender-or, as he liked to think of it, healer-of ceramic pots. In a mostly plastic world, Joe was mostly unemplyed, bored dizzy, and in a dangerous, try-anything mood.
That's when the mysterious, extremely powerful Thing made him an offer to visit a distant planet on a very chancy mission.

From the back cover of the 1994 Vintage edition
