In Philip K. Dick's "The Man in the High Castle," the narrative explores a world where the Axis powers emerged victorious in World War II. This alternate reality highlights the fragility of life and the impermanence of existence, echoing the sentiment that everything we experience is transient. The quote about the cosmic process emphasizes how time relentlessly moves forward, inevitably returning all living things to their elemental origins, highlighting our fleeting presence in the universe.

The novel presents a complex web of characters navigating a controlled and oppressive society. As they grapple with their identities and the consequences of their choices, the characters embody the struggle against inevitability and the search for meaning within a world that marches toward oblivion. The implication that life, like a wheel, turns for everyone reminds us of our shared fate and highlights the tension between agency and the overarching forces of history.