Bob.Colwell@CMU-CS-G.ARPA (04/24/84)
Have you ever been with a crowd of people whom you didn't know all that well, and somebody tells a joke, and everyone thinks it's very funny except you, and you just put this lame half-smile on your face and hope nobody notices? I just read Philip Dick's "The Man in the High Castle" and got just that feeling. Why is this book his "greatest masterpiece"? What was the point? Somebody please tell me -- I had to force myself through 3/4's of the book, and only the last 3 pages were interesting. And I still didn't understand. The picture on the cover was nice, though. Oh, yeah, one more thing. What makes this book science fiction? (Other than the label on the front cover that says "Berkley (sic) science fiction") Bob (Bob.Colwell@cmu-cs-g.ARPA)
donn@sdchema.UUCP (Donn Seeley) (04/30/84)
I'm surprised no one has helped answer this question: Date: 24 Apr 1984 12:16-EST From: Bob.Colwell@CMU-CS-G.ARPA Subject: Man in the High Castle ... Why is this book [Dick's] "greatest masterpiece"? What was the point? Somebody please tell me -- I had to force myself through 3/4's of the book, and only the last 3 pages were interesting. And I still didn't understand. The last three pages explain it all. If you didn't think the explanation there did any good, then my explanation will go right past you too. Apart from the novelty of Dick's book apparently being the result of I Ching predictions about how the Second World War resulted, there is a book contained inside CASTLE (THE GRASSHOPPER LIES HEAVY by Hawthorne Abendsen) which is in turn the result of I Ching predictions made in CASTLE's alternate universe. The I Ching in our universe appears to predict the universe of THE MAN IN THE HIGH CASTLE, while the I Ching in the universe of CASTLE appears to predict a universe like ours instead. (Not exactly like ours, it's true.) This 'strange loop' or Yin-Yang symbolism is peculiar enough, but the predictions are twisted still further: the point of the book is that the literal conclusion of THE GRASSHOPPER LIES HEAVY is in fact the metaphorical conclusion of THE MAN IN THE HIGH CASTLE: Germany and Japan LOST THE WAR, although they appeared to win it. Without this explanation, none of the preceding action with Mr. Tagomi makes any sense whatsoever. The lesson as applied to the real world I leave as an exercise for the reader. Not to pick nits, but THE MAN IN THE HIGH CASTLE is a much better Zen book than a certain other book reviewed in this space recently. Does anyone else have a different interpretation of CASTLE? (By the way, Dick was always very fond of 'strange loops' or self-referential situations; if you like these then try UBIK -- the entire book is a self-referential joke. [Yes, boys and girls, 'taken as directed, Ubik provides uninterrupted sleep without morning-after grogginess. You awaken fresh, ready to tackle all those little annoying problems facing you. Do not exceed recommended dosage.']) Oh, yeah, one more thing. What makes this book science fiction? As opposed to fantasy? It depends on how you classify alternate-world fiction in general, I think. Some people consider time travel to be purely fantasy and won't admit that a story about time travel can be science fiction, because IT COULDN'T REALLY HAPPEN. Alternate-world novels have the same problem except in a more severe form: 'It DIDN'T really happen.' I personally tend to dodge the issue and try to classify SF as 'speculative fiction' rather than 'science fiction', in which case books like CASTLE fit right in, as social and philosophical speculation. Of course I may just be dense (don't quote me here) and what you're really trying to say is CASTLE isn't STARSHIP TROOPERS or THE GRAY LENSMAN, in which case you're quite right, and we have nothing to discuss. (But I don't think so, otherwise why would you have picked up CASTLE at all?) A Dick fan, Donn Seeley UCSD Chemistry Dept. ucbvax!sdcsvax!sdchema!donn 32 52' 30"N 117 14' 25"W (619) 452-4016 sdcsvax!sdchema!donn@nosc.ARPA
cas@cvl.UUCP (Cliff Shaffer) (04/30/84)
I agree, I didn't care for "The Man in the High Castle" and I can't imagine HOW it won a Hugo. I found it terribly dull - interesting idea, but poorly done. In answer to the question, it is Science Fiction in that it is depicting a parallel universe. I would agree that in this case, this is a weak usage of the term. Cliff Shaffer ...!rlgvax!cvl!cas
paul@ism780.UUCP (05/02/84)
#R:sri-arpa:-1264900:ism780:14200002:000:1387 ism780!paul Apr 30 20:53:00 1984 ***** ism780:net.sf-lovers / sri-arpa!ARPA / 6:38 am Apr 30, 1984 > I just read Philip Dick's "The Man in the High Castle" ... Why is this > book his "greatest masterpiece"? It happens to be the one that won a Hugo award (1962 or 3?). He's written worse, but also much better. My favorites are "All We Marsmen" (published as "Martian Time-Slip" by idiot publishers) and "The Divine Invasion". > What was the point? Somebody please tell me -- I had to force myself > through 3/4's of the book, and only the last 3 pages were interesting. > And I still didn't understand. When I first encountered Dick's writing, I didn't like it - it didn't read like "real SF". Years later I gave him another try, and was hooked. People generally react one way or the other. > Oh, yeah, one more thing. What makes this book science fiction? (Other > than the label on the front cover that says "Berkley (sic) science > fiction") Well, the publishing industry defines "science fiction" as "books that have the words `science fiction' on the cover". Actually, the fact that it takes place in an "alternate" or "parallel" universe contemporary with but different from our own (you DID notice, didn't you :-)) makes it SF, I guess. Paul Perkins ...{uscvax|ucla-vax|vortex}!ism780!paul ...decvax!yale-co!ima!ism780!paul "If you don't see the fnord, it can't eat you. Don't see the fnord..."