Ubik

Along with Joe Chip, Glen Runciter is a main protagonist of the story. He is a man of about eighty who appears young through artificial organ implants. He serves as the CEO of Runciter Associates, a firm that employs anti-telepaths. He continues to share important decisions with his wife, Ella, who exists in half-life. While he is an important executive, Runciter also shows true empathy toward his wife and his employees. Although his employees believe he died on Luna, Runciter manages to keep reappearing to them in odd ways. Toward the end of the novel, readers are led to believe that Glen Runciter survived the bombing on Luna and has been helping his employees deal with their new existence in half-life. At the same time, the final chapter calls into question this conclusion.

Joe Chip works as a technician for Glen Runciter, testing possible anti-psis’ abilities. He is a disheveled man who never has any money, as he tends to spend it all on pharmaceutical machines. After meeting Pat, he is thrust into the mission on Luna. After the explosion, he assumes his role as the new director of Runciter Associates. Though many of the characters earlier in the novel doubted Joe Chip’s ability to lead, he proves himself to be a trustworthy and valuable leader for the group of inertials.