Book Review: Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? By Philip K. Dick

Would an android be more alive, or less alive, if it can dream of an electric sheep?

I mean, why does it matter that something is fake, even though it is very close to the real thing?

The values we use to measure the fake and the real, what do such values reveal? Some objective reality in the universe?  Or something about ourselves? 

I don't have the answers to these questions, but I began to think about it after reading Philip K. Dick's sci-fi masterpiece, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

Some people might recognize this book as the source material which inspired the cult classic film, Blade Runner. Why read the book if you have already seen the movie? I believe you should read the book because it differs to the movie by a great deal in terms of the story, the characters, and the worldbuilding. They should be treated as independent pieces of work.

Synopsis:

On a morning of January 2012 Rick Deckard and his wife, Iran, woke up with the sinking feeling, that something was missing in their lives. Their mood was as depressed as a deflated balloon, and Deckard considered using the mood organ; dial a number, and the instrument will work wonders on the brain chemicals, lifting their mood instantly.

However, even the marvellous mood organ cannot whisk away Deckard and Iran's source of discontent – their electric sheep, grazing on a grass patch on the apartment rooftop, which they pretend to be a real sheep. 

"I wish I have enough money to buy a real, breathing sheep!" Deckard thought to himself as he got dressed for work.

The video phone rang, from the other side of the speaker came music to Deckard's ears. The police gave him a new assignment to "retire" six Nexus 6 androids, at the bounty of $1000 each.

Retire six Nexus 6 androids in one day? This is mission impossible! But $6000! Deckard could use the sum as the downpayment for purchasing a real animal, and he can finally become the envy of his neighbors.

Deckard holstered his laser gun, kissed his wife goodbye, then went to work. He paused at the doorway as an excitement seized him: "Honey, I am going to change our lives!".

My thoughts on this book:

A few years ago, there was a fad about the digital pet. Everyone, from a kid to an adult, wanted one. In those little LCD screens lived these cute, virtual animals. An owner was supposed to press the buttons, located on the device, like a video game, to care for the artificial animal. The owner could feed it, water it, and even play with the pet to keep it happy. Some people were emotionally invested in their virtual companions. However, as the fever for the digital pet cooled, I wonder what the owners are doing (or did) with their artificial pets, and how have their feelings changed about their once beloved digital pets?

Anyway, while I was relating the theme and the philosophy in this book to the real world, the digital pet was the first thing that came to my mind. The book's major theme, is the fascinating question about the fake vs the real, and how do we come to terms, emotionally and socio-economically, with the technologies we created.

For a book about androids and a bounty hunter, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep is surprisingly full of pathos. Philip K. Dick emphasized on the characters' inner identities. The Blade Runner movie focused on the visuals, but the book is a character-driven story. The novel is set in the near-future, where the ecosystem was devastated by a great war, and many humans have emigrated to Mars. As living animals became scarce, so did owning a real animal become a colossal status symbol. Deckard kept an electric sheep on his rooftop and pretended it was a real sheep, meanwhile he was feeling unhappy. Deckard constantly sought out a way to buy a real animal. He believed animal ownership can make him happy. But can it?  

Furthermore, what about the artificial sheep he already owned? Does the fake have value?  

The movie did briefly mention the fake animals, but it did not have a big part in the story. In the book, however, the fake animals have a major role, because it is the central theme, the question about the fake vs the real. 

The plot is a thriller, where Deckard was given an assignment to track down and "retire" (or kill) six escaped androids. He used an empathy test, Voight Kampff, to identify the android fugitives. The androids devoid of empathy and could pass the test. However, later on Deckard met a female android called Rachel, a very sophisticated android who defeated the test, and Deckard gradually fell in love with her. From here, the novel evolved from a thriller into a question about what it means to be human and to have an identify.

Deckard and his wife have the habit of using the "mood organ" to uplift their emotions (the movie didn't have this). This begs another question, what is the line between being "made happy" and being "really happy"? Once again, this is the question about the fake vs the real. Although I find it interesting that the meanings behind the mood organ and the electric sheep, appear to be in contrast. The former is questioning how much happiness can the fake bring to a person, while the later seems to be saying even the fake has values. The author, however, did not make direct statements. Instead, he weaved these questions into the story, and let you come to your own conclusions.

When I closed the book, Philip K. Dick's brilliance dawned on me. The premise in this book is outlandish, but it is also humorous. I mean, who would write a story, about an electric sheep, grazing on a patch of grass on the apartment rooftop, as a social statement? I think this is a very good book, it will give you some food for thoughts. It is very different to Blade Runner, so if you like the movie then you should check out the book too.