Life's Lottery
| Company type | Novel / Gamebook |
|---|---|
| Industry | Publishing |
| Founded | 1999 |
| Founder | Kim Newman |
| Products | Speculative fiction novel, gamebook |
Life's Lottery is a speculative fiction work authored by Kim Newman and released in 1999. It maintains a loose connection to Newman's The Quorum and is uniquely composed in the second-person, encouraging readers to step into the shoes of Keith Marion, an Englishman, whose choices influence the trajectory of his existence and demise. Due to its dual nature as both a conventional novel and a gamebook, it is frequently characterized as an adult-oriented "Choose Your Own Adventure book."
Plot summary
The narrative of Life's Lottery delves into the concepts of free will versus predestination. Readers decide which philosophical path to pursue, beginning with Keith’s birth on October 4, 1959, in England. Growing up under the care of a prosperous banker, Keith benefits from certain advantages but enters school as a reserved and shy child. The initial decision arises during an encounter with a gang, setting the course for his future relationships and life chances.
From this branching point, the storyline expands dramatically, featuring scenarios where Keith either wins the lottery, pursues a career as a novelist, issues a bomb threat, becomes involved in an incestuous relationship, commits homicide, or even makes a pact with the Devil.
Non-interactive
When approached as a straightforward narrative, the novel reveals the immediate consequences of that first choice before shifting focus to two physicians observing Keith. One refers to him as "Keith Marion, of Marion syndrome," while the other comments that despite being comatose, he appears "quite ordinary."
Later chapters unfold all potential storylines occurring within Keith’s consciousness. Interspersed sequences involving the doctors gradually disclose that the protagonist is actually Marion Keith, a woman in a coma envisioning life as a man. Ultimately, she imagines an ending where she lives as a laborer in Tibet.
Reception
Joel Harley from Starburst Magazine commended Newman for adeptly handling multiple plotlines simultaneously, labeling the novel "clever, unpredictable and fresh." He highlighted its combination of humour and horror as elements that make Life’s Lottery an engaging experience.