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Quick answer: If you loved The Man in the High Castle, read Fatherland, The Plot Against America, Dominion and The Yiddish Policemen's Union. All imagine a very different twentieth century and ask what ordinary people would do under tyranny.
Philip K. Dick's 1962 novel imagines that Germany and Japan won the Second World War and divided America between them. Characters live under occupation while a banned book imagines a different outcome. The books below offer similar alternate histories, haunting what-ifs and stories about identity and resistance.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fatherland | Robert Harris | Adult | Nazi victory thriller |
| The Plot Against America | Philip Roth | Adult | alternate America |
| Dominion | C. J. Sansom | Adult | Britain under appeasement |
| SS-GB | Len Deighton | Adult | occupied Britain |
| Underground Airlines | Ben H. Winters | Adult | slavery never ended |
| The Yiddish Policemen's Union | Michael Chabon | Adult | alternate noir |
| 11/22/63 | Stephen King | Adult | changing history |
| The Years of Rice and Salt | Kim Stanley Robinson | Adult | plague-changed world |
| Bring the Jubilee | Ward Moore | Adult | Confederate victory |
| Pavane | Keith Roberts | Adult | Catholic England |
| Ubik | Philip K. Dick | Adult | reality unravels |
| A Scanner Darkly | Philip K. Dick | Adult | paranoia and identity |
| Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? | Philip K. Dick | Adult | what makes us human |
| Nineteen Eighty-Four | George Orwell | Adult | surveillance state |
| The Handmaid's Tale | Margaret Atwood | Adult | oppressive society |
1. Fatherland by Robert Harris
A detective investigates a murder in a Germany that won the war. Tense and clever.
Best for: Nazi victory thriller.
2. The Plot Against America by Philip Roth
Charles Lindbergh becomes president and a Jewish family faces rising hatred. Chilling and personal.
Best for: alternate America.
3. Dominion by C. J. Sansom
In 1952 Britain, a civil servant joins the resistance. Long, gripping and detailed.
Best for: Britain under appeasement.
4. SS-GB by Len Deighton
A Scotland Yard detective works under German occupation. Cool and atmospheric.
Best for: occupied Britain.
5. Underground Airlines by Ben H. Winters
In a modern America where slavery remains in four states, a former slave works as an agent. Dark and bold.
Best for: slavery never ended.
6. The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon
A detective in a Jewish settlement in Alaska solves a murder. Witty, rich and melancholy.
Best for: alternate noir.
7. 11/22/63 by Stephen King
A teacher goes back in time to stop the Kennedy assassination. Absorbing and tender.
Best for: changing history.
8. The Years of Rice and Salt by Kim Stanley Robinson
Europe is wiped out by plague and history follows a different path. Large, thoughtful and original.
Best for: plague-changed world.
9. Bring the Jubilee by Ward Moore
A historian in a defeated America stumbles into time travel. A classic of alternate history.
Best for: Confederate victory.
10. Pavane by Keith Roberts
A world where the Reformation failed produces a stagnant England. Lyrical and strange.
Best for: Catholic England.
11. Ubik by Philip K. Dick
A psychic agent faces a world that decays. Fast and strange.
Best for: reality unravels.
12. A Scanner Darkly by Philip K. Dick
An undercover agent loses himself in drug culture. Sad and darkly funny.
Best for: paranoia and identity.
13. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick
A bounty hunter pursues androids in a ruined world. The inspiration for Blade Runner.
Best for: what makes us human.
14. Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell
Winston Smith rebels against Big Brother. Bleak and influential.
Best for: surveillance state.
15. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
A woman lives under a theocratic regime. Chilling and unforgettable.
Best for: oppressive society.
How to Choose
For Nazi-victory stories pick Fatherland, Dominion or SS-GB. For American what-ifs choose The Plot Against America or Underground Airlines. For other Dick novels read Ubik, A Scanner Darkly or Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? For history that shifts through time travel try 11/22/63. Alternate history works best when you know the real timeline, so keep a short history reference handy. Dick's novel was adapted into a television series, but the book is shorter, quieter and more philosophical than the show. Alternate histories reward readers who like to compare what happened with what might have. Pair Fatherland or Dominion with a nonfiction history of the war years for context. Pair Dick's other novels with the films they inspired. If you want a gentler what-if, 11/22/63 is long but warm. Most of these exist as audiobooks.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is The Man in the High Castle about?
In an America ruled by Germany and Japan, characters live under occupation while a banned novel suggests another history.
Who wrote it?
Philip K. Dick.
When was it published?
1962.
Did it win a prize?
Yes, the 1963 Hugo Award for Best Novel.
Is it a long book?
No, it is about 250 pages.
Is it science fiction?
Yes, in the form of alternate history.
Is the TV series the same?
No, the series expands and changes the story.
What should I read next?
Try Fatherland or Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
Is the book similar to the TV series?
They share the premise, but the book is quieter, more philosophical and focused on a small cast.
Why is the I Ching in the book?
Several characters consult the I Ching, an ancient Chinese divination text, and Dick used it himself while writing; it works here as a plot and theme device.