By most measures, The Man in the High Castle is a success.

The Amazon Studios original series is based on 1962 novel by Philip K. Dick that details an alternative version of the United States in the ’60s. In this timeline, the Axis powers won WWII, and the USA is controlled by Germany on the East Coast and Japan on the West Coast.

Viewership is high, reviews generally positive, and a third season is on its way, but I couldn’t watch past 23 minutes of the pilot episode.

Why?

Production values are good, characters are intriguing, and the series might raise relevant ideas.

And, that is the cause of my discomfort. The dystopian view of America feels a little close to home for me now.

I don’t want to cede any more physic space or real time to authoritarian leaders who compromise freedom beyond that I already devote to reading the daily newspapers.