Science Fiction

What does Brown (2001) identify as the central themes and concerns of the novel? What elements conform to the wider generic features of SF?

The introduction printed in a millennium publication of Phillip K. Dick's most embracing novel titled 'The Man in the High Castle' is quite a spectacular read. Eric Brown, who was the author of the text, firstly brings to the table such interesting points based on Phillip's early life and the impact in which he made on the Science Fiction genre. It is brought up that Phillip captured and rectified the essence of the genre when it was going through a tiresome stage. 'US magazines were full of badly-written space adventures featuring mad scientists and ravaging alien monsters..' (Brown, 2001,pg.v) Though his writing career kicked off in the fifties, Phillip's thought provoking novel about an altered post World War II reality wasn't published until 1962.

After offering an in-depth look into Phillip's troublesome past, Eric then dives straight into briefing us in on the novel itself. He gets very analytical when giving his synopsis of the overall story and also attempts to identify with Phillip's ingenious writing antics. According to the way in which he describes it, the plot captures the reader with ample curiousness and the whole 'What if?' question throughout. The story deals with an alternate reality which sees America having lost to the German and Japanese powers during the Second World War. 'The terror of implicit evil, the claustrophobic sense of being imprisoned in a world seemingly without hope..' (Brown, 2001,pg.xi) Oppression comes across as quite a pivotal theme in the novel. Phillip clearly resorts to his interest in philosophy to help prompt his vision. Eric concludes his intro by saluting him for being one of the most inspiring authors to have explored the Science Fiction genre to its fullest and by keeping it active over the decades.


Brown, E. (2001). Introduction. In Dick, P.K., The Man in the High Castle. London: Penguin.