Sunday, July 11, 2010

SF Masterworks #4: Philip K. Dick, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

World War Terminus has been and gone, leaving an Earth where radioactive dust keeps the few survivors who haven't emigrated inside for parts of the day; an Earth where real animals are now status symbols; an Earth where renegade androids are 'retired' by bounty hunters.

In the first chapter we meet Rick Deckard, one of these bounty hunters, as he argues with his wife before work about which setting to put their mood organs on. He then tends to his electric sheep and dreams of owning a real animal. Immediately, we are introduced to one of the main themes of this novel: that of reality. In Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? Philip K. Dick explores thoroughly the concept of reality - by showing us androids who could almost pass for human if not for a lack of empathy; and a whole business set-up to provide for electric animals; and the theory of Mercerism.

I was struck by the bleak tone, and the fact that Mercerism - a pseudo-religion - is one of the few aspects of life to give people hope, since this could be said to be a false hope. At one point Deckard thinks the following: "This rehearsal will end, the performance will end, the singers will die. Eventually the last score of the music will be destroyed in one way or another, finally the name 'Mozart' will vanish, the dust will have won" and this idea that the world is gradually crumbling shows us why people cling to Mercerism, and the status of owning animals as a way to make it through each day.

I have to confess that I was somewhat reluctant to pick up both my first Masterwork in this project and my first Philip K. Dick novel, I don't quite know why. Perhaps because the story is so well-known thanks to Bladerunner; perhaps because I have always been reluctant to pick up the classics of the genre, out of a fear that they would be extremely dry and unreadable. I'm happy to report that the reverse is true - Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep was extremely readable, at times very tense and atmospheric. There was a particular scene later in the book where an android coldly mutilates a spider and observes its ability to run that made me literally shudder. I was surprised that this novel still has such power and intensity after such a long while of being published.

I really enjoyed the absurd humour that provided such a difference in tone to the bleak hopelessness that prevails throughout most of the rest of the novel. The fact that Isidore was unable to tell the difference between a real cat and an electric animal made me squirm a little with discomfort, but I also appreciated the dark humour. The whole presence of the electric animals was amusing, and yet somehow sad and desolate.

PKD's writing is compulsive and spare, but at times it does meander into somewhat melancholic psychedelia, where PKD becomes more rambling and less punchy. There were a couple of passages that I felt could have been removed entirely to make the novel read better.

Altogether, though, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? is a science fiction triumph, and certainly deserves its place in the Masterworks list. It can be read on so many different levels - purely as a psychological thriller or as a social commentary about what defines a human being. It is definitely worth multiple reads to fully enjoy the experience. Recommended.

15 comments:

  1. What did you make about the mystery surrounding Deckard's actions and personality? There's been some debate over the years whether or not he was android himself.

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  2. Good point - I knew I wouldn't address everything in the review I wrote! In my considered opinion, I would say that Deckard showed too much empathy to be an android. What are the arguments that he is an android?

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  3. It's been a year or so since I last read it, but I think something about a few moments that were uncharacteristic "cold," but I'd have to re-read the books to find specific examples.

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  4. A really excellent review Amanda, you have made me want to read it now... I've always resisted reading Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? because I love Bladerunner so much. You have sold it to me!

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    1. I was exactly the same. Blade Runner is my favourite film, and the book kind of jarred with me for being so different. I knew as I was reading it I wanted it to be more like the film and found it hard to judge it on its own merits, even as a PKD fan. However, I've recently started listening to an audiobook reading of it by Kerry Shale (was on BBC Radio 4 Extra) which brings it to life a lot more, especially the humour. Definately a book I will re-read in the future. I do particular like the notion of owning a real animal as being a status symbol, but I found some of the philosophising as being a bit blatant and clumsily written. The idea at the heart of the novel, as well as the character Roy Batty, are much more strongly represented in Blade Runner I feel.

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  5. There is not much common ground between Bladerunner and Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, which seems to be the case with every Philip Dick story they turn into a movie, with the sole exception of Scanner Darkly.

    Nice review, although the part about classics being dry and unreadable really shocked me, as in my experience most classics show a whole lot more spirit, passion and depth than 90% of today's SF scene. But that might be just me...

    http://rolandscodex.blogspot.com/

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  6. It's not just you, Roland. I let that comment slide, because it is a common prejudice these days for some reason. That being said, my next review here, of E.R. Eddison's Mistress of Mistresses, will get a mixed at best response. Don't know when I'll post it. I am trying to schedule mine for every Saturday, but I have a sorta important gig coming up this upcoming Saturday, so it might be up by midweek.

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  7. I have this one but I haven't read it yet. I will wait for the review then.

    http://rolandscodex.blogspot.com/

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  8. I know that my comment about classics being unreadable is one that can be debated, but it is very much a personal belief - and one that I *really* shouldn't be holding anymore because I have read a number of classics that totally defy this long-held belief. I want to be more open-minded - hence me joining this project :-)

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  9. A good novel but not amoung his best in my opinion. His real classics include the likes of "Ubik", "A Scanner Darkly" and "The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldrich".

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  10. I have to disagree. I have not yet read The Three Stigmata... (one of the two major lapses in my Dick knowledge, the other being Dr. Bloodmoney), but even if Ubik is obviously superior, I don't think A Scanner Darkly is better than Do Androids...?.

    http://rolandscodex.blogspot.com/

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  11. "A Scanner Darkly" is my favourite Dick novel so far, one of my all time favourite SF novels. But I guess taste comes into it a lot.

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  12. Especially with Dick, yeah. I didn't like it at all, it was too... autobiographic for my tastes. Too bleak. Dunno. As a side note, I started reading The Three Stigmata... Sometimes you just HAVE to, you know.

    http://rolandscodex.blogspot.com/

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  13. "The Three Stigmata..." was probably the most mind blowingly weird of all his stories that I have so far read.

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  14. I agree with Simon, those three novels all trump Androids as far as I'm concerned, especially Scanner. The Man in the High Castle is another fantastic book.

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