The Man in the High Castle

The Man in the High Castle is considered to be Dick’s greatest novel, and was awarded the Hugo Award in 1963. With it, he jettisoned the traditional trappings of science fiction that had defined much of his previous work. Gone were the spaceships, strange worlds and telepaths; what remained were the ideas that had begun to set him apart as a significant thinker of the age. As Ursula K. Le Guin discusses in her new introduction, the text’s innovation and skill took some of the first steps in dismantling the traditional barriers between science and mainstream fiction: it would become ‘the first big, lasting contribution science fiction made to American literature’.

This edition features the work of Shanghai-born Shan Jiang. His graphic images, strongly influenced by manga and comic book art, channel the text’s melding of cultures.

‘This is my first ever work for The Folio Society, of which I have been a fan for many years. When I opened the package and held the book, the print and the binding made me feel that it is very precious ... Although I am familiar with every stroke of the design and illustration, those are all on paper or on screen. It is more than exciting to hold the real book in my hand’

1. Shan Jiang

Shan Jiang was born in Shanghai in 1979 and studied fine art at Shanghai University. He completed an MA at Edinburgh College of Art in 2004 and worked for the design studio LoveDust from 2005–12. He went on to become the third partner at design company Shotopop, in London, where he has worked for numerous high-profile clients. Shan’s work is strongly influenced by his home city of Shanghai: its skyscrapers and bungalows, contemporary concepts and traditional superstitions, Communist ideology and flourishing subcultures. He has been inspired by Chinese Meticulous painting, Ukiyo-e, Bauhaus design, Dürer, manga and anime. He lives and works in London.