Please help me identify a SciFi book...

Yes, it rings a bell, just not loud enough! Twilight Zone or Outer Limits?

It has the “feel” of Phillip K. Dick. That might be a good starting place to look.

Sorry! I watched a show like that.

I thought it might have been Brian Aldiss as I had an anthology of his when younger but I’ve looked through his collection of stories and cant seem to see anything familiar.
I’ll go look through Phillip K Dick’s stories and see if theres anything there.
It was deffo a book, but may have been made into an episode of Twighligh zone or such like. It’s really driving me Mental!!
lol

That does sound really familiar, but I’m not coming up with a title or an author, either… I’ve passed the question on at Escape Artists’ sci-fi forum, though. Maybe someone there will come up with the answer!

@MacBean – thanks for that. here’s hoping…...........

I know that Heinlein described “full wall” TV in the 1940’s, but this is definitely not one of his stories.

It could have been THX1138. I have never read the book, if there was one for THX1138, but there probably was one.

Lucas used a lot of stark white in the movie.

I’ve seen THX1138, It wasnt that.
I was still at school at the time – ah the memories! Used to read loads of Sci fi stuff. Was a bit of a sci fi nut actually.
I remember going to see Bladerunner 10 times when it was at the pictures! Although it was pretty far removed from the book, it’s my all time favourite SciFi film!
I’m hoping someone will be able to solve this wee poser for me.

@scotsbloke If you can provide any more details I might be able to help. Do you know the approximate year or decade it was written? Do you know what timeframe and location it was set in?

And, yes, I realize that I was way off. In THX1138 the television was a propaganda tool.

Yours does ring a bell. I shall keep thinking.

@Arisztid erm…....I’ll try.
It was set in the future….......lol
As far a I remember he lived with his wife, the single room / apartment had like sliding furniture, you know the bed came out the floor, the seats also, basically everything was retractable, and went away when not in use – there was no windows in the room hence the TV in the first place I guess, The door was seamlessly integrated to the walls too. The guy worked, but as his dependence on the Full Wall Tv grew he lost his job, I’m pretty sure he was married but his wife left him, He stopped seeing or contacting his friends and basically lost himself in the fantasies playing through his 360 degree TV. I think the TV set was the star of the story actually and probably had a profound message of the time but as a kid I just found it was a cracking story and it stuck with me – Albeit in very vague form.
It would have been around the late 70’s that I read it so possibly written as far back as the 50’s. The more I try to think of it the more it seems to me it was a short story rather than a novel.
As for where it was set I dont know – 99% of the story was set in the room so the location didnt seem relevent, It seems to me that there were hundreds if not thousands of similar rooms / apartments in the block though. It also seemed important that the story unfolded as each wall was converted to a TV set and Each TV set was a nail in his dependence to it…......
Sorry, not much details.

If I’m not mistaken, wasn’t this a big part of Fahrenheit 451?

I’m not sure as I havent read that one, however after a cursory look at wikkipedia, I dont think so, none of the other element in the story are familiar. tks anyhoo

@Seek_Kolinahr It has a Bradbury “feel” but not that particular story. It may be one of his others though.

@Seek_Kolinahr That was my thought as well, but with the additional details, definitely not. Mysterious. I’ll ask around!

I remembered another bit in the story…...
towards the end of the story, the guy is in his room, watching the TV’s – more or less actually living the programs (there may have been screens on the floor and ceiling but I couldnt swear to that) and then as the story finishes up, you get the impression EVERYONE in the building is in the same position, all “trapped” in thier rooms by thoer Full Wall TV’s

I did some checking on E.E.Doc Smith and Brian Aldiss and Phillip K Dick and none of thier short stories are this one – am still searching though, I’ll let you know if I find it in case it’s still niggling at you guys too! lol

@scotsbloke: Thanks, because now I’m really curious, too. I want to read it!