Solar Lottery

Philip K. Dick was a master of the intricate plot-line. His future is usually a bleak one and this was no different. People are ruled by a lottery system that chooses a ruler by random drawings. People in the inner sector of the ruler live life well, but still have no rights of their own. It is a system much like the serfdom period, but with high tech. Murder is allowed as long as it is done according to the rules. When a new leader is picked a convention is called at intervals and an assassin is picked. If successful He wins the seat, if not he dies.

Add to this a story line of a "secret society" that wants a different system, and they plan on leaving Earth to seek out the "Flaming Disk" a hypothetical planet outside of our nine planet system.

Philip K. Dick winds these threads with consummate ease and the story unfolds at a rapid pace. I've enjoyed reading other books by Mr. Dick and this one just adds to the list.