The Adjustment Team by Phillip K Dick

First published in 1954, The Adjustment Team tells the story of Ed Fletcher, a man going about his ordinary routine who accidentally stumbles upon the machinery operating behind everyday reality. Part The Wizard of Oz and part The Matrix, it is a slow dive into what might be hiding just beneath the surface and whether we would actually want to know the truth if we had the opportunity. The story begins with a Clerk approaching a talking dog and giving it instructions to bark at exactly 8:15 a.m. The bark is supposed to activate “A Friend with a Car,” delaying Ed long enough for an adjustment to take place. Unfortunately, the dog falls asleep and barks one minute late. That tiny mistake sets everything in motion, allowing Ed to arrive somewhere he isn't supposed to be and witness a world no ordinary person was ever meant to see. It isn't often that I feel genuinely unsettled while reading something, but the description of this other version of reality really got to me. The imagery…