Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, #3)

by Philip K. Dick

"The most consistently brilliant science fiction writer in the world".
--John Brunner
THE INSPIRATION FOR BLADERUNNER. . .
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? was published in 1968. Grim and foreboding, even today it is a masterpiece ahead of its time.
By 2021, the World War had killed millions, driving entire species into extinction and sending mankind off-planet. Those who remained coveted any living creature, and for people who couldn't afford one, companies built incredibly realistic simulacrae: horses, birds, cats, sheep. . .
They even built humans.
Emigrees to Mars received androids so sophisticated it was impossible to tell them from true men or women. Fearful of the havoc these artificial humans could wreak, the government banned them from Earth. But when androids didn't want to be identified, they just blended in.
Rick Deckard was an officially sanctioned bounty hunter whose job was to find rogue androids, and to retire them. But cornered, androids tended to fight back, with deadly results.
"[Dick] sees all the sparkling and terrifying possibilities. . . that other authors shy away from".
--Paul Williams
Rolling Stone

Reviewed by celinenyx on

4 of 5 stars

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Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? is a science-fiction classic from the 1960s that has been largely forgotten outside of the genre.

After World War Terminus, Earth is covered in radioactive dust, destroying the ecosystem. Most people have emigrated to the colony on Mars. Rick is one of those who stayed behind. He is a bounty hunter charged with killing androids that have escaped from Mars. After his superior hunter is hospitalized, it's up to him to "retire" a few dangerous and near-human androids.

I haven't read a lot of science-fiction, but the genre in general appeals to me in how it treats philosophical concepts. Do Androids Dream is a fantastic example of this. While the book could have easily been a action-packed novel with many fighting scenes and chasing androids across the galaxy, it's much more concerned with ideas. Though I'm slightly hesitant to use this label, but I think the book has many elements of literary fiction. It's incredibly layered and the easy-to-read plot keeps the book accessible.

Among other things, Do Androids Dream is concerned with identity, empathy, and ultimately, what makes us human. There is a dash of religion, but while it was inspired by Christianity to a limited extent, it's served with a big heap of post-modernity, making it much more palatable to my agnostic tastes. There is a lot going on in this book, but I never felt overwhelmed. Mr Dick writes in a clear, though sometimes surrealistic, style. The book isn't much concerned with futuristic tech, but some of the inventions made me chuckle.

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? is a book that makes you think, something all good science-fiction does. I would love to reread this book with my academic-reader hat on, because there is still so much to discover. Would recommend it for readers who enjoyed Brave New World.

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  • Started reading
  • 3 August, 2015: Finished reading
  • 3 August, 2015: Reviewed