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Solar Lottery

Name: Solar Lottery
Author: Philip K. Dick
ISBN: 9780547572611

by Philip K. Dick

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Overview

In 2203 anyone can become the ruler of the solar system. There are no elections, no interviews, no prerequisites whatsoever—it all comes down to the random turns of a giant wheel. But when a new Quizmaster takes over, the old one still keeps some rights, namely the right to hire an unending stream of assassins to attempt to kill the new leader.

In the wake of the most recent change in leadership, employees of the former ruler scurry to find an assassin who can get past telepathic guards. But when one employee switches sides, troubling facts about the lottery system come to light, and it just might not be possible for anyone to win.

About the Author, Philip K. Dick

Philip K. Dick (1928–1982) wrote 121 short stories and 45 novels and is considered one of the most visionary writers of the twentieth century. His work is included in the Library of America and has been translated into more than twenty-five languages. Eleven works have been adapted to film, including Blade Runner (based on Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?), Total Recall, Minority Report, and A Scanner Darkly.

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Editorials

Children's Literature - Kristi Bernard

A dying economy and a world population dependent on a lottery is what you will find in the year 2023. The economy is so bad that quizzes helped the many people struggling. But if you had the right p-card and your number came up you could win cars, refrigerators, toys for the kids and any other type of merchandise you wouldn't be able to afford otherwise. The "Bottle" which pumps out numbers randomly (supposedly), could even help a lucky winner gain power and prestige. And if you could get either of those you could possibly become a Quizmaster. This system was created as a method of surviving the Minimax, a way of surviving the 20th century, by a group of mathematicians including John Preston, the creator of this system. This system was put in place instead of having government. Ted Bentley, now released from his contract with Oiseau-Lyre, sets out to become an 8-8 biochemist for the current Quizmaster, Reese Verrick. As he gets deeper in and his facts are skewed about how the operation is run it is too late to back out. He has already pledged to serve Verrick even after he finds out that Verrick is no longer the Quizmaster. Verrick implements a plan to assassinate the newest Quizmaster Leon Cartwright. As the new Quizmaster, Cartwright is protected by the Corp, a group of telepaths no assassin could get past. In order to achieve his goal, Verrick plans to use Keith Pellig, whose body is a vessel that can house many minds, in order to manipulate the Corp. The action starts when Ted and Leon cross paths. Together they share an idea to change the current system that could give people a better chance of winning, but with Verrick and his crew on their trail they face the biggest challenge of their lives. Dick has created a riveting futuristic tale that has lots of twists and turns. The cities and system are a brilliant idea. Young readers will love the characters and the adventure. A great fast read for anyone. Reviewer: Kristi Bernard

Library Journal

From the publisher's ongoing series, here are two more of Dick's signature sf novels, dating from 1957 and 1955, respectively. Though the author died in 1980, he continues to hold a strong fan base among sf geeks. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.