just finished reading Philip K. Dick’s 1962 novel, The Man in the High Castle, part of the Library of America’s three-volume collection of the Major Arcana of his novels, curated by Jonathan Lethem, who also was largely responsible for The Exegesis of PKD. after traversing those 800+pages, it was inevitable to revisit PKD’s major work, most of which i’d read 20 years ago.
as this cover suggests, the alternate reality of this book involves the vitory by Axis powers in WWII. but there are acknowledged alternate histories, accessible by talismans, and alternate histories within histories, with the Manas novelist and chronicler of that alternate history most similar to our own, and yet another book within this book that arches over all possibilities and futures, the I Ching, The Book of Changes.
what an incredible imagination, and not too shabby in the sheer excitement and suspense of it all.
required reading.
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