Key Details Book name: Blade Runner or Do Androids Dream of Sheep Author: Philiip K Dick Genre: Scifi Goodreads Link: Goodreads Publication date: 1968 Like most people, I was introduced to the imagination of Phillp K Dick through the film blade Runner and the more recent Tv Series 'Man in the High Castle'. So imagine my surprise to find out that the plot of the book differs quite abit from the film adaption of it. Even if you have watched the original and the more recent film, the book delves into some of the more philosophical aspects of a world where humans and Androids (Known as Andy's) are indistinguishable from each other Plot Synopsis In a post apocalyptic earth, Rick Deckard is a Bounty Hunter attached to the Police Department that is responsible for hunting down and 'retiring' Androids that have escaped from their servitude. In the process of 'retiring' 6 Nexus-6 model Andy's; a more advanced form of Androids that are capable of empathy, Deckard begins to question his own humanity and what it truly means to be human The Pro's - What I liked about the Novel "It would seem we lack a specific talent you humans possess. I believe its called empathy." - Garland an Android talking to Rick who had stumbled upon the bounty hunting agency that is peopled by Androids The book explores and questions the role of empathy and if that is a defining aspect of humanity. As Rick goes about his job and 'retires' Andy's in cold blood, he begins to question whether it is right to have empathic responses towards Andy's. This comes into focus when he interacts with Rachel; who Rick figures out is one of the advanced Andy's and start developing feelings towards her. His interactions are further complicated when he meets with Phil Resch; another bounty hunter who has no qualms about killing Andy's. The interesting point is that the novel is ambiguous as to whether Phil himself is an Android. At the same time, while their is no empathy towards Androids who for all intents and purposes are indistinguishable from humans, what humans seem to prize above all else in this world is animals who are few in number due to the effects of a nuclear fallout. The interesting aspect though is that for those who cannot afford actual animals can obtain cheaper Android versions of them which are also indistinguishable from the real thing. Humans seem to transfer all of their empathy towards these animals regardless of whether they are the real thing or not. On the subject of Empathy, an interesting technology that is presented in the book is the Empathy Boxes which is tied to the Pseudo religion of the story known as Mercerism. The people with empathy boxes connect to others through a process known as fusion where they can experience the empathy of other which is usually in the context of empathy towards animals. Something that is suggested by the novel is that people seem to be more empathic with people they never meet in person through this process, compared to the people around them as is the case between Rick and his wife. This could be a critique of modern technology and its role in weakening the empathic bonds. Another aspect I found really interesting was that when it comes to the android versions of animals, the humans are not looking for animals which are 'perfect'. i.e Don't break down and fall 'sick'. Instead the animals are Disease circuits built into the false animals where hen a primary circuit misfired, the whole thing appeared not broken but organically ill. This seeming 'imperfection' may in fact be the reason why emphatic bonds can be formed with even the fake animals. "I tell you what we trust that fouls us up, its our goddamn superior intelligence" - Irmgard to Roy Baty Towards the end of the novel, this aspect of empathy is also questioned by the Andy's who are in hiding in an abandoned building where they are sheltered by John Isidore, a human of low IQ as a consequence of the nuclear fallout. One of the Andy's argues with Roy Baty; the leader of the Andy's and who plays a much more central role in the film as the main antagonist to spare Isidore's life. The Con's The 1980's film is regarded as a groundbreaking movie in the Scifi genre particularly due to its popularization of the 'Steam Punk' genre and the distinct look of it that makes it a defining film of its era. In contrast, the novel is very sparse in its descriptions of the world and instead invokes a much more bleak environment. In addition, the action is very limited and any violence is limited to a few sentences. While this maybe the authors intent in order to convey the lack of empathy being exhibited in these confrontations between Rick, Resch and the Andy's, it seems less effective and evocative than the film. Another aspect that is not fully dealt with in the book is the role of Mercerism and the strange supernatural occurences that takes place towards the end of the novel. As a result of it, the novel in my view has a less than satisfactory ending. Verdict If you are a fan of philosophical questions raised in a Scifi context then this is definitely something worth checking out. If however are looking for something with more action and a bit less confusion, then watching the movie might be the better option. Regardless of this even if you have already seen the film and enjoy it more, I believe the book is a good supplement to it at exploring some of the deeper philosophical questions raised by the film. Bonus: Trivia Did you know that the term 'Blade Runner' is something that was introduced by the movie and has no mention in the books? The director Ridley Scott borrowed the title from another Scifi author. Read more about this here and how such a seminal part of the film Franchise was an afterthought.
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AuthorAvid reader of Historical fiction, High fantasy novels, Comics & Graphic Novels. Passionate about teaching & the future of education in general. Categories
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