The Man in the High Castle

"The Man in the High Castle" is a science fiction novel by Phillip Dick. It was published in 1962, and the following year it won the Hugo award for best novel. It is considered one the classics of the alternative reality genre, and was the author's first big success.

The book describes a different world, in which the forces of the Axis won the second World War, and consequently Germany and Japan have all but divided the world between themselves. The Japanese controlled territories are under a regime of peaceful assimilation, whereas Nazi occupied territories are constantly being torn down and rebuilt, and the Nazis have also begun to explore outer space.

The plot begins to unfold in the western United States, which are under Japanese control. There are several main characters, well described, and with believable personalities. The novel is a collection of parallel stories, connected by means of their leading characters, the I Ching, and a book written by a mysterious author.

The I Ching is an ancient Chinese method used to predict the future, made popular by the Japanese, and practiced everywhere in the Japanese controlled territories. It provides predictions of high accuracy, and the only thing necessary to benefit from it is to actually take the time to consult it.

The book-in-a-book is written by an American, and it describes a different world, one where the allies won the War. It is forbidden in Nazi territories, and its author states that anyone offended by it can come and find him, in his High Castle.

Reading this book does not feel like reading a story with a beginning, a middle and an ending. It's more like peering through a window to this alternative reality, a window that is opened at the beginning of the book and closed at the end. As the pages were running, it looked as though it was not possible that the author could resolve all the open points in the short space remaining. And indeed, the finish is quite bizarre, completely unexpected, and in my opinion very satisfying.

One of the best of the classics, highly recommended!

9/10