The Man in the High Castle is an alternate history novel by American science fiction author Philip K. Dick. Released in 1962, the novel imagines a different world in which Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan defeated the United States of American and the Allied forces in World War II. The highly-praised novel was adapted for a television series. This guide uses an eBook version of the 2017 Open Court edition of The Man in the High Castle.

Plot Summary

The Man in the High Castle is set in an alternative world in which the Axis forces won World War II. In this version of reality, Franklin D. Roosevelt was assassinated in 1933 and the United States never truly recovered from the Great Depression. As a result, the United States did not join World War II against the Axis forces of Nazi Germany, Imperial Japan, and Fascist Italy. Germany conquered most of Europe and defeated the Soviet Union, allowing them to continue the extermination of many different peoples. The Axis powers conquered Africa together, while Imperial Japan took over much of Asia. While Japan invaded the West Coast of the United States, Germany invaded the East Coast. The Allies officially surrendered in 1947 and the United States became an occupied country.

The United States is divided. The Japanese-controlled regions in the West are named the Pacific States of America. A buffer zone in the Rocky Mountains separates the PSA from the Germany-controlled territories, which are split into two parts: The South and the remnants of the United States of America in the North. The South is controlled by a puppet regime, installed by the Nazis, while the USA is run by the Nazis themselves. At the same time, Canada remains independent.

Robert Childan is the owner of an antiques store in San Francisco in the PSA in 1962. Most of his clients are wealthy Japanese people who are fascinated by objects from America's past. Childan hates his customers, especially a trade official named Nobusuke Tagomi. He does, however, show some affection for a young couple named Paul and Betty Kasoura. Tagomi wants Childan to find him an interesting antique so that he can gift it to an important Swedish client named Baynes. The pressure of trying to find the right antique makes Childan anxious. Unbeknownst to most people (including Childan), many of Childan's products are counterfeits made by the Wyndam-Matson Corporation.

Frank Frink is a metal worker who has recently been fired from the Wyndam-Matson Corporation. He hides his Jewish identity by changing his name from Fink to Frink and lies about his war record. As finding work is difficult for Frank and other Jewish people, he agrees to start a jewelry company with a former colleague named Ed McCarthy. Frank's ex-wife Juliana lives in the politically-neutral Rocky Mountain States. She teaches Judo in Colorado and has a romantic relationship with an Italian truck driver named Joe Cinnadella. Like many of the characters, Juliana believes in the prophetic powers of a book of ancient Chinese wisdom named the I Ching. Many characters also read a book titled The Grasshopper Lies Heavy, which imagines a world in which the Allies won World War II. The Nazis ban this book, but the PSA permits its publication. Juliana reads the book on a road trip to Denver with Joe.

Frank blackmails his former boss by revealing to Childan that the Wyndam-Matson Corporation sold him fake antiques. He uses the money from this blackmail scheme to start a jewelry business with his colleague, Ed McCarthy. Tagomi wants to begin his meeting with Baynes, but he is frustrated by Baynes constantly delaying their meeting. Baynes claims that he is waiting for a mysterious third party who is coming from Japan. Tagomi doubts Baynes’s honesty about his identity. When Martin Bormann, the Chancellor of Nazi Germany, dies unexpectedly, he creates a power vacuum that will soon be filled by someone from the other high-ranking Nazi officials. Tagomi frets over the massive amount of power that Bormann's successor will have as chancellor. Frank sends Ed with their jewelry to Childan's store. Childan agrees to sell a few of the original items among his antiques, but only on consignment. Childan gives a piece of this jewelry to Paul, who believes that it contains a great power. He suggests that Childan should mass produce the jewelry. Suspecting that Paul is testing him, Childan is offended by Paul's suggestion. Travelling to Denver, Joe unexpectedly suggests a detour to visit Hawthorne Abendsen, the man who wrote The Grasshopper Lies Heavy. At this time, Joseph Goebbels is announced as the new German Chancellor. While staying in a hotel, Juliana discovers that Joe is a secret Nazi assassin from Switzerland, sent to kill Abendsen. She kills Joe and then goes to Abendsen to warn him about the German plot against him.

The Japanese official finally arrives, so Baynes agrees to proceed with his meeting with Tagomi. The elderly man is revealed as the important General Tedeki. Baynes passes along the secret that the Germans are planning to launch an atomic bomb against Japan. Nazi operatives arrive to arrest Baynes and prevent him from revealing the plans, code-named Operation Dandelion. Tagomi intervenes using an antique pistol; he shoots the operatives and saves Baynes. After returning to Germany, Baynes learns that Reinhard Heydrich might be plotting a coup against Goebbels that might prevent Operation Dandelion. The guilt of killing proves impossible for Tagomi to handle. He has visions of a strange alternate reality where the Japanese do not control San Francisco. At the same time, Frank is arrested by the authorities who believe that he is secretly Jewish. However, he is freed thanks to an intervention from Tagomi.

Juliana travels to the High Castle, the fortified home where Abendsen supposedly lives. However, she is told that Abendsen no longer adheres to the legend of the man in the high castle. Instead, she tracks him down to a regular, unassuming home where he is entertaining friends. She speaks to Abendsen and learns that he does not care any longer about possible assassination plots against him. He admits that he used the I Ching to write his novel. Juliana uses her copy of the I Ching book to ask about The Grasshopper Lies Heavy. She is convinced that Abendsen's book contains a secret truth and, according to the I Ching, she is right: Germany and Japan really did lose World War II. She leaves him and walks away, into the night.