Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

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

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? Or horses? Squirrels? Owls? Goats, maybe? It always seemed like some bizarre surreal title to me, but having now read the book its a legit question. In a radiated post-apocalyptic future owning an animal equal status, and having a real one means you’re someone.

Bounty Hunter Rick Deckard is depressed by his malfunctioning electric sheep and dreams of owning a real one, especially when his neighbours real horse is pregnant and he won’t share. So, Rick does what any normal man would do in this situation, he takes on an assignment to retire six highly dangerous Nexus-6 androids which would earn him enough cash for a downpayment on an animal.

The premise sounds like a weird Hitchhikers style comedy, but it’s not. Everything’s taken very seriously as its desperate times all round. Ricks marriage is failing, and the last bounty hunter to discover a member of the Nexus-6 has been permanently hospitalised. The androids just want a place to quietly live while their four year life clock ticks down. Rachel doesn’t know whether she wants to be an android of not. Everything is tied into this idea of having your place in life, and the love and care of an animal is an integral part of that.

For any of you wondering where any of this in the Blade Runner movie, it’s not. The book is ninety percent completely its own thing.

The world building in the book is great as we learn of this grubby dirty seedy post-apocalyptic future where radiation storms and decay are a daily occurrence. Everything’s broken, and most of the population has fled Earth––although we also learn the grass isn’t always greener. There’s interesting sci-fi concepts scattered amongst the filth too, things like the empthany box, laser tubes, hover cars, and this whole idea of owning an animal after nature is destroyed.

Rick is a complex character as we join the story in what could probably be described as a midlife crisis. His marriage is on the rocks, his ambition is clashing with his changing morality. He’s infatuated by female androids, yet his job is to kill them. He’s suspicious of everyone and everything, partly because he’s not sure which one is which. He’s reached a significant point in his life, and he isn’t sure how to proceed.

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? creates a fascinating world full of morally corrupt and innocent characters. It’s a world where survival can change a person… or an android. The story has noir elements, but largely reads as a character study as we follow Deckard and his changing ways. I really enjoyed it. It’s completely different from the famous film, but I would almost say the book is more unique. Definitely worth a read for any fans of the genre.