The Variable Man

The Mystery of the Title

I’m going into this story with zero spoilers. I don’t know what a “Variable Man” is, but in a world that feels increasingly driven by data and algorithms, the idea of a person being an “unknown variable” sounds like a classic dystopian starting point.

My Approach

• Like Second Variety, this was a free resource I found on Project Gutenberg. It’s another step in my challenge to actually finish a piece of science fiction literature.
• I’m coming here after a YouTube documentary left me fascinated with Philip K. Dick’s mind. I’ve seen dystopias on screen, but I want to experience how he builds them with just words.