Solar Lottery Review
The Solar Lottery is a classic science fiction novel that was published in 1955 by the author Philip K. Dick, his first full length novel. While obviously Dick is still developing his style in this work, it contains many themes that are present in his later books. Such as a cynical view of the future, his portrayal of government and corporations, the loss of individuality and achieving self empowerment, and of course there is an android which humans are able to control. He had written 70 short SF stories in several pulp magazines such as Astounding and Amazing by the end of 1955 and was known throughout the community. Indeed a significant point in his career. Sadly, like most of his work during his time alive, few people outside of the community and his cult like following paid much attention to his first full length story when it was published in May of 1955 by the low paying publisher Ace Books. After his death, and the many film adaptations of his books, more people interested in science fiction are looking back to these early works. Elements of the zeitgeist are apparent in the novel. Written during the beginning of the Cold War the book was influenced by the fears of society. With large corporations, the public distrust of each other, and the loss of power at the hands of the huge governments, the Solar Lottery is still strikingly relevant to the world of today.
The Solar Lottery takes place in the year 2203. The planet is run by the random forces of nature and the people are compelled by the socialized instrument of chance called “the bottle”. This instrument, and as a result the whole society, is based on the number logic of game theory called minimax in which the player either tries to maximize the minimum possible gain or to minimize the maximum possible loss. Telepaths known as teeps serve as omniscient players on one side of the game. These beings are in a position to make the best decision, achieving the maximum gain or minimum loss for the person they work for. The teep networks will watch the thought signatures of whoever they need to watch, and make advisements in accordance to the information they have gained. This makes it difficult to assassinate the globalist leader or to break the not always just laws. Doing things that will disrupt the maximum gain or minimum loss for the corporations are illegal.
The minimax theorem was developed by mathematician John von Neumann in 1928 and it was his first significant contribution to the social science of economics. This system was employed by both Soviet and American intelligences. The roles of society are decided by entering into a complex lottery system determined by twitches of subatomic particles. Every member has an equal chance of becoming the leader of the world government (known as the Quizmaster), or becoming a slave worker on mars. This randomization of society serves as a vehicle for social control and as an expansion of nature’s forces. During the happenings of this multi-planet spanning culture, the individuals in the giant lottery are distracted and engrossed by a game where a player is selected for an assassination on the Quizmaster. When an assassin is countered a new one is selected, the more assassins that are thwarted, the greater the respect of the people. If the assassin succeeds a new Quizmaster is randomly chosen in the lottery, and as a result, a new assassin.
Every citizen has a power card which allows them to get a job as a serf with one of the major corporations. The citizen, if accepted, now belongs to them. In exchange they are given a house to live in, food to eat, and a woman to sleep with. They must obey their oath until released of their duty, or face the consequences.
The society has colonized the nine planets (Pluto was still a planet back then) and have many slaves performing arduous work on all of the worlds. Groups of fringe crackpots believe there is a tenth planet called the Flame Disk. They are following the works of the presumably long dead prophet John Preston who is believed by the cultists to still be alive. They set out to find the mythical tenth planet in an interesting subplot that is marginally connected to main story.
While the Solar Lottery is not Philip K. Dick’s greatest novel, or even in the top ten, it is the work which put him on the map and debuted some themes which would be further developed in later novels. It was an enjoyable read and an interesting look at some quality science fiction from more than 50 years ago.
3.6 / 5
