The Turning Wheel

By Philip K. Dick

Discover a hidden gem from the mind of master storyteller Philip K. Dick, the prolific author behind blockbuster films like Blade Runner, Total Recall, and Minority Report. The Turning Wheel is an enthralling post-apocalyptic sci-fi short story that masterfully blends speculative fiction, dark humor, and psychological depth in a resoundingly unique narrative.

In a world devastated by apocalyptic forces, society is rebuilt and governed by a karmic reincarnation-based hierarchy. Enter an alternate future where Caucasians are at the bottom, and Asians and Indians reign supreme under the rule of the enigmatic god-messiah, Bard "Elron Hu." Here, Dick presents a biting satire on L. Ron Hubbard's Dianetics, as "becoming clear" represents an essential step in this new-age spiritual quest.

As the turning wheel of karma continues to spin, a diverse cast of characters-- a tormented priest, a rebellious Cauc, an opportunistic Indian official, and others-- navigates the complexities and chaos of a world founded on spiritual dogma. Driven by their desires, convictions, and instincts, they must explore the true nature of power, faith, and humanity. Will they break free from the constraints that bind them, or will the merciless turning wheel crush their dreams and aspirations?

Unravel the mysteries in this gripping tale, and immerse yourself in the provocative and intentionally chaotic brilliance of Philip K. Dick's imagination.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Read Books Ltd.
• Release date: Jan 18, 2016
• ISBN: 9781473379480

Philip K. Dick

Over a writing career that spanned three decades, PHILIP K. DICK (1928–1982) published 36 science fiction novels and 121 short stories in which he explored the essence of what makes man human and the dangers of centralized power. Toward the end of his life, his work turned to deeply personal, metaphysical questions concerning the nature of God. Eleven novels and short stories have been adapted to film, notably Blade Runner (based on Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?), Total Recall, Minority Report, and A Scanner Darkly, as well as television's The Man in the High Castle. The recipient of critical acclaim and numerous awards throughout his career, including the Hugo and John W. Campbell awards, Dick was inducted into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame in 2005, and between 2007 and 2009, the Library of America published a selection of his novels in three volumes. His work has been translated into more than twenty-five languages.

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The Turning Wheel

(1953)

By

Philip K. Dick

Copyright © 2013 Read Books Ltd.

This book is copyright and may not be

reproduced or copied in any way without

the express permission of the publisher in writing

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

Philip K. Dick

Philip Kindred Dick was born on December 16 1928, in Chicago, Illinois. The death of his twin sister, Jane, six weeks after their birth profoundly affected the writer in later life and is said to account for the recurring theme of the ‘phantom twin’ in many of his works.  

Dick and his family moved to the Bay Area of San Francisco when he was young, and later on to Washington DC following his parents divorce. Dick attended Elementary school and then a Quaker school before the family moved back to California. It was around this time that Dick began to take an active interest in the science fiction genre, reading his first magazine ‘Stirring Science Stories’, at age twelve.

Dick attended High School in Berkeley, California, where he and fellow science fiction author Ursula K.Le Guin were members of the same graduating class (1947) but were unknown to each other at the time. After graduation, he briefly attended the University of California in Berkeley, taking classes in History, Psychology, Philosophy, and Zoology. Through his studies in Philosophy, he came to believe that existence is based on internal perceptions which do not necessarily correspond to external reality; he described himself as an acosmic pantheist, believing in the universe only as an extension of God. Dick ultimately concluded the world is not entirely real and there is no way to confirm whether what we see is truly there at all. This question from his early studies persisted as a theme in many of his novels.

Dick married five times between 1959 and 1973, and had three children. He sold his first story in 1951 and from that point on he wrote full-time, selling his first novel in 1955. The 1950s were a difficult and impoverished time for Dick. He once said "We