The Penultimate Truth
- 238
- Pages
- about 4.5 h
- Reading time
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Our view
“The Penultimate Truth” is a sharp satire of power built on lies, in which most people live underground believing a war still rages above. Dick grew the novel from his story “The Defenders”, and its picture of news fabricated to keep a few in control feels strikingly current. Some readers find the prose rough and the book less mature than his other novels; others note a structure more classical than usual for him.
The view of the BookRank editors, written from readers’ ratings and comments. It does not affect the score or the book’s place in a ranking.
About the book
The Penultimate Truth is a 1964 science fiction novel by American writer Philip K. Dick, first published by Belmont Books. Set in 2025, it depicts a society in which most people live in underground shelters, manufacturing military robots for a war they believe is still being fought. The war has ended, but a ruling minority maintains the deception while occupying private estates on the surface. The narrative follows Nicholas St. James, who leaves his shelter to obtain an artificial organ, and Joseph Adams, a propagandist drawn into a struggle among the rulers.
Where the score comes from
The sources average 7.1 across 58 ratings — not yet many, so the reader vote carries 28% of the weight and the rest pulls toward the Science fiction average of 7.8. That is how 7.6 comes out.
| Source | Average | Ratings | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hardcover | 7.1 | 58 | 100% |
Frequently asked
How long is The Penultimate Truth?
It has 238 pages — shorter than 88% of the ranked books in Science fiction.
If you liked this
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