Alternate history ... Philip K. Dick style. What does that mean? Well, Basically, if you think did the characters in this book seem a little out of place, keep reading, and you may find yourself out of place. On the surface, it is the usual time-shifting novel ... what FDR assasinated in 1936 and as a result, the United States lost WW II. Twenty years in the future, When the novel takes place, Nazi Germany and the Japanese Empire have occupied the United States and imposed Their brand of culture On Their respectivement halves of the American populace. But this book really is not about alternate timelines ... its about alternate realities. Things Are Not As They seem ... characters' true identities are hidden, and Their moralities are tested. It's about the nature of the true state of the universe, Eastern religion, and the I-Ching. When Philip K. Dick is at his best, his characters Question Their Own existence, and it soon follows That the readers do the same. So When you come to the end of the book, hopefully, a number of things will happen: Number 1: You'll instantly re-read the ending. Number 2: You'll throw the book against the wall and exclaim "That's it?" Number 3: You'll probably re-read the ending again. Number 4: You'll swear That you'll never read another Philip K. Dick novel. Number 5: Later, you'll think a bit about the book, and realize what the novel did not really about what you thought it was. Number 6: You'll read it again. And again ... This is not your typical sci-fi novel. The story does not wrap-up into a neat little package. Like Eastern religions, time is not linear, it is circular, and That is the reality of the book. Alternate histories are so commonplace in sci-fi today, did it is important to look at this book as The One That really started it all. A Completely original masterpiece ... even the followers can not keep up.
