Product Description

World War III is raging - or so the millions of people crammed in their underground tanks believe. For fiteen years, subterranean humanity has been fed on daily broadcasts of a never-ending nuclear destruction, sustained by a belief in the all powerful Protector. Now someone has gone to the surface and found no destruction, no war. The authorities have been telling a massive lie. Now the search begins to find out why.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #25825 in Books
• Published on: 2005-02-10
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 208 pages

About the Author
Philip K. Dick (1928-1982) was born in Chicago but lived in California for most of his life. He went to college at Berkeley for a year, ran a record store and had his own classical-music show on a local radio station. He published his first short story, 'Beyond Lies the Wub' in 1952. Among his many fine novels are Time Out of Joint, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? and Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said. Philip K. Dick won the Hugo Award for The Man in the High Castle. More than 20 years after his death his influence on SF has never been greater.

Customer Reviews

A disturbing read..............
Ok, so this is the 5th in the series of SF Masterworks I have read in as many weeks. I cannot, so far, recommend this list enough, having started on 'I am Legend', to 'Do androids dream', 'The Forever War' and 'Time out of Joint'. So far, I have been blown away by them all, but this story has really got to me.

The other review here will tell you about the story. I don't need to repeat that. But really, I was quite unsettled by this book (which is a good thing!!!).

There was no easy solution. The story was full of twists, conspiracies and points where I actually thought about what I would do if I were faced with the same choices.

For those of us growing up in the 80's with all the propaganda about what to do in the event of a nuclear war (what were those cartoons all about?) the harsh reality of what could happen, combined with the politics and greed behind it all, is all dealt with, and in a way that seems, even today, totally believable (if you can excuse all the time travel stuff!).

Not an easy read to start with, but one you will find immensely satisfying, even if all you do is remember the total insignificance of war.

Marvellous and entertaining - typical PKD
Whilst the description may give the impression of a Matrix-style awakening and eventual hostility, The Penultimate Truth is rather a decent examination of propaganda and its methods. The book runs parallel stories of the man who discovers said truth and the political (and ethical) wrangling that the people maintaining the lie experience.

SPOILERS***************

Nicholas St. James is the President of the underground tank, the Tom Mix, which manufactures components vital to the perceived war effort. However, when their chief mechanic becomes ill he is chosen (through dubious methods) to go topside to find an artificial pancreas. What he discovers is what the reader already knows - that the war is in fact over.

Of the two stories, though, the liars' is more convincing and entertaining. Memorable characters such as the ancient, overweight and artiforg-enhanced Stanton Brose as the true world dominus add an aspect of ghastliness - he can only understand people when he can see their lips move.

As the alternative protaganist, Joseph Adams is the speech-writer with whom the people underground connect to albeit through the lies of a simulacrum called Talbot Yancy - what they think is their leader. Along with the 'Yance-men', Adams preserves the lie until all is disrupted by a young, genius speech-writer called David Lantano.

It is here, in the middle third that a murder mystery is thrown in and really starts finding its feet. Unfortunately as with many Philip K. Dick books the end feels rushed (e.g. Flow My Tears..., ) and whilst a conclusion is necessary perhaps it shouldn't have needed such an ending as was written. Perhaps a little more dystopian maybe...

Theres something great about this book
I'm begining to be quite a big fan of Philip K. Dick, but I think this is probably one of, if not the, best I've read so far. This is a much more cohernet novel than his later stuff which is a little too driven by his own psycological problems, but at the same time not dated sci-fi from the '50s. The premise, as you can see, is interesting and the book is not only crammed with great little details and ideas, but it is actually very well-written aswell. I bought this book after reading the begining in the shop becuase that very first paragraph captured me totally. A real joy.