Apatt's Reviews > Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
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Probably my favorite Philip K. Dick book, Goodreads' favorite too by the look of it. As you are probably aware the classic sci-fi movie Blade Runner is based on Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?. Great as the movie is when I first saw it I was very disappointed as it bears very little resemblance to this book. The filmmakers jettisoned most of what makes this book so special and focused only on the android hunting aspect though at least it does explore the moral issues involved. The movie’s visuals are certainly stunning, and the world of Blade Runner is beautifully designed. However, it not the world of Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? is set in a dystopian Earth much dilapidated after “World War Terminus”, most of the populace have already emigrated to the colony on Mars. This is not a post-apocalyptic setting, however, as government, the police, and businesses are still functioning though everything seems to be quite shabby. Radioactive dust has killed off most of the animals and the dust is still everywhere, not to mention the masses of “kipple”, basically rubbish that seem to grow by itself.
![](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1484705348i/21743707.jpg)
This is the cover of my old copy of this book. Love it!
This coveting of animals is one very crucial aspect of the book not used in the film adaptation. Ownership of real animals (as opposed to electric ones) is a status symbol, much more so than fancy cars which nobody seems to be interested in. The protagonist Rick Deckard is a bounty hunter for the San Francisco Police Department whose job is to hunt down and exterminate androids that escaped their life of servitude on Mars to live among humans on Earth in the guise of humans. His dream is to own a large real animal, but at his salary, he has to settle for the eponymous electric sheep.
The questionable morality of hunting down androids is nicely explored here. They are machines but they are also living, thinking beings, they have souls, or in a more secular term, sentience. Human life on Earth is generally miserable but they do have some interesting ways of alleviating their mood. The most direct way is by the “Penfield mood organ” with a dial for adjusting moods to numerous settings, then there is the “empathy box” that let you live the life of a Messiah while you are plugged in; entertainment on TV is basically just one show “Buster Friendly and his Friendly Friends” somehow broadcasting live 24/7.
This is one of the most well written Philip K. Dick books, Dick’s writing style is often criticised as poor or clunky, and his dialogue is often said to be stilted. I think his critics are missing the charms of his minimalist prose style which is an ideal vehicle for the bizarre stories he had to tell. His admittedly stilted dialogue seems to be very fitting for the universe his often eccentric characters occupy. Also, now and then he suddenly slips in the odd poignant passages like “You will be required to do wrong no matter where you go. It is the basic condition of life, to be required to violate your own identity. At some time, every creature which lives must do so. It is the ultimate shadow, the defeat of creation; this is the curse at work, the curse that feeds on all life. Everywhere in the universe.”. He was quite capable of writing elegant prose when it suited him. However, the stories and the ideas were more important to him.
![](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1484705646i/21743720.jpg)
A cyberpunk-ish cover
Some of the dialogue is also oddly hilarious:
“I can't stand TV before breakfast.”
“Dial 888,” Rick said as the set warmed. “The desire to watch TV, no matter what's on it.”
“I don't feel like dialing anything at all now,” Iran said.
“Then dial 3,” he said.
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? has some of Dick’s best characterization. The characters are more vivid than most of his other books. Deckard and the “chickenhead” (brain damaged) J.R. Isidore are particularly believable and sympathetic. The androids are generally rather callous but quite pitiful all the same. There are also moments where reality seems to wobble wonderfully in the patented PKD style but this time without the aid of any hallucinogen.
I can not praise this book enough, it really is one of the all-time greats. It is a pity that Hollywood is now planning to make Blade Runner 2 instead of making - for the first time - a faithful adaptation of Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?.
Note: Interestingly Dick foresaw an android model called "Nexus 6", but I bet he did not imagine they would look like this.
![](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1484705922i/21743731._SY540_.jpg)
Graphic novel cover
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? is set in a dystopian Earth much dilapidated after “World War Terminus”, most of the populace have already emigrated to the colony on Mars. This is not a post-apocalyptic setting, however, as government, the police, and businesses are still functioning though everything seems to be quite shabby. Radioactive dust has killed off most of the animals and the dust is still everywhere, not to mention the masses of “kipple”, basically rubbish that seem to grow by itself.
![](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1484705348i/21743707.jpg)
This is the cover of my old copy of this book. Love it!
This coveting of animals is one very crucial aspect of the book not used in the film adaptation. Ownership of real animals (as opposed to electric ones) is a status symbol, much more so than fancy cars which nobody seems to be interested in. The protagonist Rick Deckard is a bounty hunter for the San Francisco Police Department whose job is to hunt down and exterminate androids that escaped their life of servitude on Mars to live among humans on Earth in the guise of humans. His dream is to own a large real animal, but at his salary, he has to settle for the eponymous electric sheep.
The questionable morality of hunting down androids is nicely explored here. They are machines but they are also living, thinking beings, they have souls, or in a more secular term, sentience. Human life on Earth is generally miserable but they do have some interesting ways of alleviating their mood. The most direct way is by the “Penfield mood organ” with a dial for adjusting moods to numerous settings, then there is the “empathy box” that let you live the life of a Messiah while you are plugged in; entertainment on TV is basically just one show “Buster Friendly and his Friendly Friends” somehow broadcasting live 24/7.
This is one of the most well written Philip K. Dick books, Dick’s writing style is often criticised as poor or clunky, and his dialogue is often said to be stilted. I think his critics are missing the charms of his minimalist prose style which is an ideal vehicle for the bizarre stories he had to tell. His admittedly stilted dialogue seems to be very fitting for the universe his often eccentric characters occupy. Also, now and then he suddenly slips in the odd poignant passages like “You will be required to do wrong no matter where you go. It is the basic condition of life, to be required to violate your own identity. At some time, every creature which lives must do so. It is the ultimate shadow, the defeat of creation; this is the curse at work, the curse that feeds on all life. Everywhere in the universe.”. He was quite capable of writing elegant prose when it suited him. However, the stories and the ideas were more important to him.
![](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1484705646i/21743720.jpg)
A cyberpunk-ish cover
Some of the dialogue is also oddly hilarious:
“I can't stand TV before breakfast.”
“Dial 888,” Rick said as the set warmed. “The desire to watch TV, no matter what's on it.”
“I don't feel like dialing anything at all now,” Iran said.
“Then dial 3,” he said.
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? has some of Dick’s best characterization. The characters are more vivid than most of his other books. Deckard and the “chickenhead” (brain damaged) J.R. Isidore are particularly believable and sympathetic. The androids are generally rather callous but quite pitiful all the same. There are also moments where reality seems to wobble wonderfully in the patented PKD style but this time without the aid of any hallucinogen.
I can not praise this book enough, it really is one of the all-time greats. It is a pity that Hollywood is now planning to make Blade Runner 2 instead of making - for the first time - a faithful adaptation of Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?.
Note: Interestingly Dick foresaw an android model called "Nexus 6", but I bet he did not imagine they would look like this.
![](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1484705922i/21743731._SY540_.jpg)
Graphic novel cover
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Reading Progress
November 23, 2014
–
Started Reading
November 23, 2014
– Shelved
November 26, 2014
– Shelved as:
favorites
November 26, 2014
– Shelved as:
pre-80s-sf
November 26, 2014
– Shelved as:
sci-fi
November 26, 2014
–
Finished Reading
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message 1:
by
Joe
(new)
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rated it 3 stars
Nov 26, 2014 06:51PM
![Joe](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1704227117p1/26876584.jpg)
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![Apatt](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1349239948p1/2457095.jpg)
Thanks so much Joe. When I want to get an idea of the most popular books for any specific author I always go to that author's profile page on Goodreads. Their books are ranked by the number of times added by users to their shelves. I also look at the average rating for each book, anything above 4 is generally highly rated. Occasionally I disagree with the majority but most of the time I find the rating to be fairly reliable.
"Do Android" is quite representative of PKD's work, if you don't like it I imagine you are not likely to like his other books.
![Michael](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1567611029p1/4086118.jpg)
I probably said it before that PKD used speed to rush his writing but hated hallucinogens (according to the biography I Am Alive and You Are Dead: A Journey into the Mind of Philip K. Dick).
![Apatt](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1349239948p1/2457095.jpg)
Thanks Michael, that biography looks fascinating. I've heard Valis is sort of autobiographical too but I've not managed to finish that one yet!
![spikeINflorida](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1585338304p1/24788985.jpg)
![Apatt](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1349239948p1/2457095.jpg)
Thank you Spike! I'm making a PKD reading list so I hope to become some kind of PKD expert by next year! :D
I think you will love Ubik, it's great that most of his books are kinda short!
![spikeINflorida](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1585338304p1/24788985.jpg)
![Apatt](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1349239948p1/2457095.jpg)
I gotta add Clans of The Alphane Moon, already read Flow my Tears, excellent!
![Jokoloyo](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1423473158p1/1902630.jpg)
I mentioned your note on my own review. If you have concern, please let me know and I will edit it as soon as possible.
![Matthias](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1448737319p1/9889835.jpg)
![Love of Hopeless Causes](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1582120509p1/45710184.jpg)
![Apatt](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1349239948p1/2457095.jpg)
Thanks for the link, Jay!
![7jane](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1391265302p1/28266234.jpg)
![Apatt](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1349239948p1/2457095.jpg)
They are like twins separated at birth maybe ;)
![7jane](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1391265302p1/28266234.jpg)
Yeah, things in common but each has its own stuff also.
![Love of Hopeless Causes](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1582120509p1/45710184.jpg)
Harrison Ford gains a loving characteristic in the film, but Deckard loses characteristics in the book: the need for animals and making the distinction between human and near-human.
If you like Vangelis, try Ennio Morricone of, "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly," fame on Pandora.
![Cecily](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1480285828p1/1199525.jpg)
My problem is that I know the book is very different from the film, but I love the film. In a perverse way, that makes me wary of the book (the other way round is quite common for me).
![Kevin Ansbro](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1506848923p1/43579369.jpg)
![Apatt](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1349239948p1/2457095.jpg)
Thanks Kevin. It all started when I had spotted Dick while in the UK ;)
Look at Cecily being pervy!
![Kevin Ansbro](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1506848923p1/43579369.jpg)
Thanks Kevin. It all started when I had spotted ..."
...all this talk of pervs and Dicks. What is Goodreads coming to?
![Apatt](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1349239948p1/2457095.jpg)
Thanks Kevin. It all started when ..."
More to the point, where is it coming from, and where is it going to?
![Andrew Ten broek](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1423830386p1/20305489.jpg)
![Apatt](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1349239948p1/2457095.jpg)
Unfortunately, The Man In The High Castle didn't quite do it for me, though it is one of his most celebrated works. I prefer Ubik, The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch, Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said and trippy stuff like that. I didn't like Valis , though, much of it was unreadable.
![Andrew Ten broek](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1423830386p1/20305489.jpg)
![Derek](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1484231855p1/5420722.jpg)
I just started it this week. I'm enjoying it so far: much more than the trippy stuff.
![Apatt](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1349239948p1/2457095.jpg)
I just started it this week. I'm enjoying it so far: much more than the trippy stuff."
It is one of his most popular ones, I just didn't like it much.
![Cecily](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1480285828p1/1199525.jpg)
Yeah, we're infamous for our cuisine. School dinners stuff, especially.
![Effie (she-her)](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1626603686p1/47433071.jpg)
I couldn't agree more!! Everyone says what an amazing movie the Blade Runner is, but I was so disappointed. They missed the wholepoint of the book and just made anaction movie.
![Apatt](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1349239948p1/2457095.jpg)
I couldn't agree more..."
Thank you, Effie. The movie's visuals, acting and atmosphere are great, but the plot bears very little relation to this book.
![Derek](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1484231855p1/5420722.jpg)
Yeah, we're infamous for our cuisine. School dinners stuff, especially."
You can tell which vegetables I didn't encounter until after we moved to Canada. They're the ones I'll eat...
Effie wrote: "Everyone says what an amazing movie the Blade Runner is, but I was so disappointed. They missed the whole point of the book and just made an action movie"
I don't think they missed the whole point, but they certainly didn't make a movie of Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, but that's OK, because they called it something else. I believe I read that Alan Nourse even made a little money off their use of the name, even though you can't copyright a title.