# The Man in the High Castle on Amazon is astounding. \[no spoilers please\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 21, 2015, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-man-in-the-high-castle-on-amazon-is-astounding-no-spoilers-please/738163 "2015-11-21T03:45:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2015, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-man-in-the-high-castle-on-amazon-is-astounding-no-spoilers-please/738163/41 "2015-11-25T17:47:16Z")
Not to come off as snarky but that’s what I’ve always thought of the book. I’ve described it to friends as “The best book ever written where nothing much actually happens.” ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2015, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-man-in-the-high-castle-on-amazon-is-astounding-no-spoilers-please/738163/42 "2015-11-25T18:10:19Z")
Trying to avoid spoiler territory, but apparently the plots of the book and show are completely different. I’ve only seen a couple episodes and never read the book, but it seems the show just uses Dick’s staging for a completely different plot. ---
**Author:** ![Isosleepy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/isosleepy/32/479_2.png) [@Isosleepy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isosleepy)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2015, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-man-in-the-high-castle-on-amazon-is-astounding-no-spoilers-please/738163/43 "2015-11-26T04:55:19Z")
I’m 5 eps in. The atmosphere and world-realization is incredible. I buy that a 1962 America would look like that if occupied by Japan and Nazi Germany for 15 years. Not just a 1962 (our history) America with fewer non-whites and fewer Jewish people, but a different development of technology. All tv’s are color, but no typewriters are IBM selectric or any other electric type. It’s of course very bleak - I keep wanting to see some sign that eventually “our” history asserts itself. It’s hard to care about people trying to avoid a world war between Japan and Nazi Germany ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2015, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-man-in-the-high-castle-on-amazon-is-astounding-no-spoilers-please/738163/44 "2015-11-26T20:43:37Z")
I heard a review of it on NPR calling it the best new show of the season. I decided to give it a try last week and my wife and I binged through all ten episodes in matter of about 3 nights. It’s good. Slow, but good. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2015, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-man-in-the-high-castle-on-amazon-is-astounding-no-spoilers-please/738163/45 "2015-11-26T23:00:06Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > I don’t particularly find any of the characters interesting or any parts well acted. I do find the premise and atmospherics compelling, but the story itself is pretty thin. > [@E-DUB](#): > > Not to come off as snarky but that’s what I’ve always thought of the book. I’ve described it to friends as “The best book ever written where nothing much actually happens.” Yeah, that’s Dick all over. He never created a character I cared whether they lived or died. I keep trying, though. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2015, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-man-in-the-high-castle-on-amazon-is-astounding-no-spoilers-please/738163/46 "2015-11-27T00:50:28Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > For me, suspension of disbelief is tough because there’s just no way Japan or Germany could have invaded (let alone conquered) the USA. Heck, Hitler knew he couldn’t even mount a successful invasion of nearby England. And there’s this. I’ve been reading and viewing SF since I was a wee sprat. My disbelief is suspended by the same cables as the Golden Gate bridge, but that strains them. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2015, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-man-in-the-high-castle-on-amazon-is-astounding-no-spoilers-please/738163/47 "2015-11-27T13:42:01Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > Yeah, that’s Dick all over. He never created a character I cared whether they lived or died. I keep trying, though. Although most of the characters on the show were not Dick’s creation; they were created by the show’s writers. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2015, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-man-in-the-high-castle-on-amazon-is-astounding-no-spoilers-please/738163/48 "2015-11-27T14:24:46Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > I gave the book only a tepid thumbs up, and haven’t seen the TV series yet. > > For me, suspension of disbelief is tough because there’s just no way Japan or Germany could have invaded (let alone conquered) the USA. Heck, Hitler knew he couldn’t even mount a successful invasion of nearby England. That’s probably true. It would have been more likely that the US succumbed to Fascism internally and joined the Nazis willingly but then you lose the concept of a North America split in two and a German/Japanese Cold war which is the core of the show (at least so far as I am only halfway through). ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2015, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-man-in-the-high-castle-on-amazon-is-astounding-no-spoilers-please/738163/49 "2015-11-27T21:57:28Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > Although most of the characters on the show were not Dick’s creation; they were created by the show’s writers. They should take the out I gave them. It’s better to blame a bad writer who is dead than admit you are a bad writer. And the lousy actors can blame the script! ---
**Author:** ![sparky\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/77aa72/32.png) [@sparky\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sparky_1)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2015, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-man-in-the-high-castle-on-amazon-is-astounding-no-spoilers-please/738163/50 "2015-11-28T01:49:23Z")
I just bought a Fire Stick today. I’m now watching episode 1. I give a solid meh so far. I’ll try the next episode to see if it clicks. ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2015, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-man-in-the-high-castle-on-amazon-is-astounding-no-spoilers-please/738163/51 "2015-11-28T03:46:19Z")
> [@E-DUB](#): > > Not to come off as snarky but that’s what I’ve always thought of the book. I’ve described it to friends as “The best book ever written where nothing much actually happens.” I’ve read the book several times; Philip Dick does not offer zippy plotting & warmly drawn characters. I found it impressionistic–he’s no Harry Turtledove. So, I just finished the series–and enjoyed it. What did it\* mean\*? Don’t know. But I’ll watch it again for the art direction–if no other reason… (I joined Amazon Prime long ago–for the shipping. Prime Video is a good extra–not quite as good as Netflix, which I also have. Still cheaper than cable.) ETA: So, the leading lady was Electric Gwen on _Angel._ The Yakuza Boss was the emcee of _Nutcracker_–from a memorable episode of\* Supernaural\*.) ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2015, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-man-in-the-high-castle-on-amazon-is-astounding-no-spoilers-please/738163/52 "2015-11-28T04:24:43Z")
The female lead should have been called Calamity Jane, not Juliana. None of the other characters should have cooperated with her and supported her the way they did. That was some poor writing is what that was. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-man-in-the-high-castle-on-amazon-is-astounding-no-spoilers-please/738163.md?page=2)