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The 1966 American science fiction novel by Philip K. Dick tells the story of Douglas Quail, a lowly clerk who dreams of visiting Mars. He turns to Rekal Incorporated, a company that offers to implant artificial memories of such a journey. During the process, it is revealed that Quail has already been to Mars as a secret government agent and that his real memories were suppressed. As the government attempts to eliminate him to cover up the secret, Quail suggests replacing his memories with a fabricated childhood fantasy in which he saved Earth from an alien invasion. However, it turns out this memory is also real, creating a paradox where nothing can be distinguished between reality and illusion. The novel explores deep themes of identity, perception, and memory manipulation, becoming one of Dick's seminal works and the basis for multiple film adaptations.