5
Fantasy & SciFi
From the acclaimed author of Ubik—in the future, Earth’s leader is randomly chosen by a computer, but some are unwilling to leave everything to chance.
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.
“Built up with the detail of a Heinlein and the satire of a Kornbluth. ”—Anthony Boucher, author of The Case of the Crumpled Knave
© 2012 Mariner Books (Ebook): 9780547760407
Release date
Ebook: 14 August 2012
5
Fantasy & SciFi
From the acclaimed author of Ubik—in the future, Earth’s leader is randomly chosen by a computer, but some are unwilling to leave everything to chance.
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.
“Built up with the detail of a Heinlein and the satire of a Kornbluth. ”—Anthony Boucher, author of The Case of the Crumpled Knave
© 2012 Mariner Books (Ebook): 9780547760407
Release date
Ebook: 14 August 2012
Step into an infinite world of stories
Overall rating based on 1 ratings
Unpredictable
Page-turner
Thought-provoking
Download the app to join the conversation and add reviews.
Showing 1 of 1
Tania
1 Apr 2024
Philip K Dick at the top of his game, utterly fails to write a book about unclassifieds, so they are basically all you think about. This is some great world building, where you get the bare bones of a story to fill in details as you like. And if you want to ponder what might have inspired certain events, check out America’s 1940 implementation of compulsory service (Selective Service and Training) and how the parameters changed by 1942.
English
Singapore