Novel Realities Book Discussion Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick

 

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

In Philip K. Dick's 1968 novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, bounty hunter Rick Deckard “retires” escaped androids hiding in war-ravaged San Francisco. Since the androids look exactly like humans, Deckard administers empathy tests to determine which suspects are on his hitlist. But the newest android version, the Nexus-6, responds with human-like emotions that can foil the test. Rick Deckard’s job becomes even more complicated when he becomes romantically involved with a sophisticated Nexus-6 named Rachel who's programmed to believe she's human.  

Our Novel Realities book club will discuss Rick Deckard’s dilemma and Philip K. Dick’s vision of the future in Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? on Thursday, October 12 at 7:00 p.m. at the Sharon Forks Library. Check out the novel, watch the film adaptation, Blade Runner, or view my 2020 Book Chat on Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? and come join our discussion. 

While American science fiction author Philip K. Dick authored dozens of novels, hundreds of short stories, and extensive essays on the nature of reality, commercial success eluded him for most of his life. His death in 1982 occurred just months before Blade Runner, the film adaptation of his novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, would introduce Philip K. Dick's mind-bending storylines and visions of the future to fans around the globe. 

Directed by British filmmaker Ridley Scott, Blade Runner’s depiction of a gritty, high-tech future, visual appeal, moral complexity, and star cast, including Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, Edward James Olmos, and Daryl Hannah have made it a favorite of both film and science fiction fans. 

Even if you've never seen Blade Runner or read a Philip K. Dick book, you may be familiar with his work. Posthumous productions of Dick’s short fiction have included Total Recall, based on We Can Remember It For You Wholesale, The Adjustment Bureau, based on The Adjustment Team, and The Minority Report which can all be found in The Selected Stories of Philip K. Dick, available as an eBook through FCPL. Other popular adaptations of Dick's work include an animated film version of the novel A Scanner Darkly, an Amazon Prime series based on Dick's 1962 Hugo Award winning novel The Man in the High Castle, and a Fox television series based on The Minority Report. 

In both fiction and nonfiction, Philip K. Dick questioned what it means to be human and the nature of reality. While the advances he predicted in space colonization and biological enhancements are still waiting to be seen, in many ways Dick’s futuristic settings resemble our modern world. Virtual reality blurs the line between real life and fantasy, and AI technology like ChatGPT can convincingly mimic human conversation. 

In writing about environmental destruction, media saturation, commercialism, and propaganda, Philip K. Dick's work seems almost prescient while his insights into society, divinity, human nature, identity, and mental health remain as relevant today as when they were written decades ago.  

Check out the Philip K. Dick biography A Life of Philip K. Dick: The Man Who Remembered the Future by Anthony Peake or the graphic novel Philip K. Dick: a Comics Biography by Laurent Queyssi to learn more about Dick's life and legacy. 

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Alicia Cavitt

Information Specialist