Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (S.F.Masterworks)
by Philip K. Dick
List Price:
Our Price: $9.35
You Save: $5.10 (35%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $5.00 (click here)
Category: Book
See more book details and other editions
Book Summary Information
Author: Philip K. DickEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 1999-02-11
ISBN: 1857988132
Number of pages: 224
Publisher: Gollancz
Book Reviews of Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (S.F.Masterworks)
Book Review: Great Book, But the Ending Is ...
Summary: 4 Stars
This book is by Philip K Dick. It was the inspiration for the movie, Blade Runner.
The book and the movie have some resemblance, but there are significant differences. If you have not seen the movie, my advice is to rent it and take a look. It is worth seeing for the sets alone. The only thing I did not like about the movie is that the fight scene near the end is VERY long and the end dangles a bit.
Similarly, I really liked the book, but the ending was a little "off" so to speak. I think that the author was going for something deep/mystical, but it didn't work or maybe I just didn't get it. I have no objection to deep/mystical, but it has to be a little clearer than this to work for me.
That being said, the rest of the book is great. I really felt that I was there inside the story while reading it. In case you don't know, the book and movie both focus on the adventures of a bounty hunter of sorts who retires (kills) androids who return to Earth from off planet - androids are not allowed on Earth because of dangers they pose or that they are perceived to pose I guess.
In the course of the book, many issues are examined. I thought the discussion of empathy and the comments regarding morality were quite interesting. The religion (I guess that's what it was) of Mercerism was on the surface a little strange, but made a lot of sense in the context - depressing loneliness after massive depopulation due to a major war and emigration off planet. The discussion of the silence relating to this was thought provoking and a little scary. Interaction with artificial life was also explored - both animal and humanoid (android), as well as the android point of view.
Important in the book, but only briefly picked up in the movie, is the issue of the loss of most of the animal life on Earth. Real animals become an obsession. People spend fortunes on them and much time caring for them. If they cannot afford the real thing, they get realistic fakes and go through the motions - the title may be related to this.
There were a few kind of "funny" parts in the book - like about Deckard (the main character) reading blurred carbon copies of papers. OK, the book was written in 1968, but is portraying the year 2021, so this seems a little funny to someone reading today. If you are very young, you might not even know what a carbon copy is. Well, predicting the future is not easy. People also smoke a lot in the book (as they do in the movie) which seems a bit outdated, but then there has been a devastating world war, so maybe people would take up that habit again. Who knows.
All in all, I would recommend watching the movie first and then reading the book. They complement each other well, even though somewhat different. I found it helpful to have a picture of the characters from the movie while reading the book, although here, not all the characters act the same way in both and some are not even in both.
Recommended.
Summary of Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (S.F.Masterworks)
World War Terminus had left the Earth devastated. Through its ruins, bounty hunter Rick Deckard stalked, in search of the renegade replicants who were his prey. When he wasn't 'retiring' them with his laser weapon, he dreamed of owning a live animal -- the ultimate status symbol in a world all but bereft of animal life. Then Rick got his chance: the assignment to kill six Nexus-6 targets, for a huge reward. But in Deckard's world things were never that simple, and his assignment quickly turned into a nightmare kaleidoscope of subterfuge and deceit -- and the threat of death for the hunter rather than the hunted...General Books
Book Subjects
- Arts & Photography
- Audiobooks on Cassette
- Audiobooks on CD
- Biographies & Memoirs
- Business & Investing
- Children's Books
- Comics & Graphic Novels
- Computers & Internet
- Cooking, Food & Wine
- e-Books
- Engineering
- Entertainment
- Gay & Lesbian
- Health, Mind & Body
- History
- Home & Garden
- Horror
- Law
- Literature & Fiction
- Medicine
- Mystery & Thrillers
- Nonfiction
- Outdoors & Nature
- Parenting & Families
- Professional & Technical
- Reference
- Religion & Spirituality
- Romance
- Science
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Sports
- Teens
- Travel
Most talked about in Possibly the best books ever
Oilby Upton Sinclair
Frederick Ellis; Published: 2008-02-01; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $35.80
Price in other shops:
Requiem for a Dream: A Novelby Hubert Selby Jr.
Da Capo Press; Published: 2000-08-15; Paperback; Book
Best price: $5.00
Price in other shops:
The Perks of Being a Wallflowerby Stephen Chbosky
MTV; Published: 1999-02-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.96
Price in other shops:
Then We Came to the End: A Novelby Joshua Ferris
Back Bay Books; Published: 2008-02-26; Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.55
Price in other shops:
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (S.F.Masterworks)by Philip K. Dick
Gollancz; Published: 1999-02-11; Paperback; Book
Best price: $6.82
Price in other shops:
Flowers for Algernonby Daniel Keyes
Mariner Books; Published: 2005-05-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $3.32
Price in other shops:
The Lord of the Ringsby J.R.R. Tolkien
Houghton Mifflin; Published: 2002-11; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $37.88
Price in other shops:
The Catcher in the Ryeby J.D. Salinger
Back Bay Books; Published: 2001-01-30; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.15
Price in other shops:
Similar Books and other products
Fasting, Feastingby Anita Desai
Mariner Books; Published: 2000-01-03; Paperback; Book
Best price: $3.28
Price in other shops:
Life and Times of Michael K: A Novelby J. M. Coetzee
Penguin (Non-Classics); Published: 1985-01-08; Paperback; Book
Best price: $5.46
Price in other shops:
Burning Chromeby William Gibson
Eos; Published: 2003-07-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $5.50
Price in other shops:
Double Indemnityby James M. Cain
Vintage; Published: 1989-05-14; Paperback; Book
Best price: $6.50
Price in other shops:
Ubikby Philip K. Dick
Vintage; Published: 1991-12-03; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.50
Price in other shops:
Flow My Tears, the Policeman Saidby Philip K. Dick
Vintage; Published: 1993-06-29; Paperback; Book
Best price: $5.75
Price in other shops:
The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritchby Philip K. Dick
Vintage; Published: 1991-12-03; Paperback; Book
Best price: $8.05
Price in other shops:
A Scanner Darklyby Philip K. Dick
Vintage; Published: 2006-05-23; Paperback; Book
Best price: $6.43
Price in other shops:
Neuromancerby William Gibson
Ace Hardcover; Published: 2004-11-02; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $13.55
Price in other shops:
The Man in the High Castleby Philip K. Dick
Vintage; Published: 1992-06-30; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.47
Price in other shops: