The Penultimate Truth - Philip K. Dick Book Review

Enter a review
of your own!

Other books by
author Philip K. Dick

"The Penultimate Truth"
Message Board

Philip K. Dick Resident Scholar Profiles

TOP SCHOLAR: David Loftus

SCHOLARS: Scott David Mclemore Robert Hadley Harriet Klausner Sam Batterson Jason Seward M Gandy Alexander Babiera Jesi Bornemann Future Boy

Would you like to be a scholar and make five dollars per review? Click here to submit a review!

Click here for free online dating advice!

Review Summary

Fifteen years ago, governments of the Earth, fearing a nuclear apocalypse, have agreed to send the entire population under ground. Fortunetely no major bombing happened and peace reigns again on Earth. But people are still hidden.

A technical aristocracy has decided to let the population unaware of the real situation on earth by using false broadcasts about a nuclear war still going on between the United States and Soviet Union.

Nicholas Saint-James, the man in charge for the Tom Mix group, must take the chance to come back to the surface in order to search for medicaments. There, he is going to witness a fight for the power between the wealthy Runcible, the actual leader Stanton Brose, protected by the army, and a third contender who comes from the past with far right wing political ideas.
Daniel Staebler, Resident Scholar

Detailed literary breakdown of The Penultimate Truth

Our unique search engine breaks down books and movies into dozens of literary elements, all of which are searchable.
New movie search (click here) New book search (click here)

Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - science fiction story
Political power play Yes
Political plotlets - factions fight within govt for control - preventing/managing clash/war between govts/kingdoms
Repressive society story Yes
Repressive because: - controls your mind - strict rationing of freedoms/goods
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Who's a slave/repressed? - humans are slaves of other humans

Main Character
Identity: - Male
Profession/status: - slave
Age: - 20's-30's
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events? Yes
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Average intelligence
Physique - average physique

Main Adversary
Identity: - none

Setting
Terrain - Domed/Underground City
Earth setting: - near future (later in 21st century)
Takes place on Earth? Yes

Style
Accounts of torture and death? - explicit references to deaths
scientific jargon? (SF only) - a moderate amount of scientific explanation
How much dialogue? - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog

Most similar books to The Penultimate Truth
Anthem by Ayn Rand
Air by Geoff Ryman
The Prisoner by Thomas M. Disch
A Wizard in Bedlam - Rogue Wizard 2 by Christopher Stasheff
Starship by Kevin D. Randle

Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).

Try our new Star Wars & Star Trek puzzle pictures! Click here

Advertise with us
Feedback
Star Wars Revenge of the Sith plot spoilers
Hobbits
The politics game
The lawyer game

3 Book search options!
1) Simple lookup
(title or author)

or
2) Detailed book search
(click here) or

3) One-click plot searches! Simply click on a plot below!

Animal Story

Clones

Coming of age

Cultural problems, alien culture

Explore/1st contact/ enviro story

Family relations

GIANT monster(s)

Horror story?

Inner Struggle

Lifeform altered?

Mental/magical powers focus

Parody

Political power play

Religious overtones?

Repressive society story

Robots, Computers, VR

Romance

Spying & Investigations

Tech./$$$/Info hunt

Time Travel story?

Training/Apprent.

War or Invasion

Games:
Trivia Masters!

Rescue your favorite
scifi characters from
slavery!

Talk to your favorite
scifi characters!

Eating New Yorkers
Computer Game

Pomeranians

Most recent TV & Movie discussions:

Charmed: What's wrong with Rose McGowan's chin? 7/5/2008 11:53:33 AM

Charmed: Is Piper really a Halliwell? 7/5/2008 11:48:59 AM

Doctor Who: Who was the best Doctor? 7/5/2008 4:23:13 AM

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire 7/5/2008 2:40:59 AM

Doctor Who: Who was the best companion? 6/30/2008 7:37:52 AM

A Boy and His Dog: A Boy and His Dog 6/30/2008 12:55:48 AM

Lost in Space (TV): What kind of a name is Guy for a guy? 6/26/2008 10:21:30 AM

Lost in Space (TV): Wasn't it obvious that Major West was never going to get any? 6/26/2008 10:17:45 AM

Alien Series: Was Vasquez a lesbian? 6/26/2008 6:57:27 AM

Battlestar Galactica: Do Vipers fly past the speed of light? 6/26/2008 1:27:52 AM

Newest slaves:
Body Parts Boob Girl (Scarlett Tush Johansson) 8:10:19 PM
Queen Amidala/Padme (Natalie Portman) 7:41:22 PM
Samuel L. Jackson-obi 7:40:38 PM
Emperors Handmaidens 7:39:45 PM
Wedge Antillies 7:38:37 PM
Clone Trooper Girlfriend 7:37:02 PM
Luke Skywalker 7:36:05 PM
Dr. Zarkov 7:35:00 PM
Paige Matthews Halliwell 7:33:15 PM
7 of 9 (Jeri Ryan) 7:29:04 PM
All slaves
(click here)

Celebrity interviews:
President George W. Bush 6:32:00 PM
Jan-Michael Vincent 2:16:51 PM
Captain Kathryn Janeway 3:47:46 PM
Jack ONeill (Richard Dean Anderson) 1:39:22 PM
Jennifer Aniston (Friends) 5:01:07 PM
All celebrities
(click here)