Welcome to Litsy!

(1955) in need of a job, Ted Benteley pledges his fealty to the Quizmaster, the most powerful man on the planet. Right afterward, he learns that his new employer is the *former* Quizmaster and his first task is deposing the new one. But that makes the plot sound straightforward when really it's a surreal mix of speculative civics, game theory, telepathy, body switching, drugs, and a lost philosopher in space. It's an exuberant mess, and I dug it.

The notion that anyone could become world leader might seem the ultimate democracy, but what with it being a 7 billion to one likelihood and that otherwise the majority of people are tied by oaths of fealty to lives of indentured servitude makes it a good old dystopia.
Chuck in telepathy, androids, distorted reality and a crackpot messianic figure and PKD's first novel contains most of the elements he'd develop through his career. 4⭐

My 1959 Panther UK edition of PKD's first novel 😍
PKD sold this to both USA and UK publishers, the former requiring extensive rewrites and publishing it as Solar Lottery, the latter making some minor edits, but publishing closer to the original text. I have SL unread, which I may read for comparison when I'm back home.
We're on a break in North Yorkshire. Following the sunshine we've had recently, looks like we're getting into reading weather ☔

reindeer gotta read, too! 🦌📚❤️ #myPKDjourney