What is the setting in the novel, The Ticket That Exploded?

The novel is set in a fantastical world of alien invasions, bizarre humanoid creatures, and highly unusual gatherings. To make matters even more complicated, the setting often seems to erase itself halfway through a chapter or paragraph, and the reader suddenly finds that the region described by the book has changed dramatically. It makes less sense to describe the setting in terms of physical location than it does in terms of the language used to describe the areas therein. Many structures, creatures (such as fish boys and newt boys) glow with phosphorescence, also referred to as iridescence. Even clouds of poisonous gas seem to glow. The streets of Earth or whatever other planets the narrative may describe are always filled with bizarre humanoid characters performing lewd acts and typically hooked up to vaguely described machines that enhance or otherwise alter the experience. Distant galaxies are apparently traveled to instantaneously, and many of the scenes described appear to either have been dreams or images created by technological machines that allow people to experience things without going anywhere. The prisons do not seem well-guarded, and instead of being walled in, the prisoners themselves appear to roam free in vast labrynthine structures. Two specific times, 1962 and 1862, are mentioned, but do not appear to play a very significant role in the novel.