613. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
Phillip Dick

1968
Around 210 pages

Due to my fanatical devotion to Lists of all shapes and sizes, I have watched both versions of Blade Runner. I probably would have ended up watching them anyway, to stay popular with the fellas. Naturally, I hated both films, making me even more unpopular with the fellas. But I enjoyed this book quite a bit.

The story is set after a devastating global war. Rick Deckard is a bounty hunter for the San Francisco police department. His wife, Irene, is depressed, despite the fact that they have a Penfield Mood Organ, a bedside device that allows you to punch in for a better mood. My kingdom for a Penfield. Anyway, Rick has been hired to kill six androids, which are now so similar to humans that it is nearly impossible to distinguish between the two. Rick hopes to be able to afford a live animal for his wife, which is a status symbol in the land of robots. 

This was such a great set up with a rich world. I have no idea why they made so many changes in the movie. The latest version is more faithful to the book, but they still made it much more boring than Dick's novel. The story has become increasingly relevant with the explosion of A.I., and their ability to fool Turing tests. They are definitely going to take over and kill all of us, but at least we are getting some good video games and literature out of it first.

A wonderful novel and I'm definitely bummed that this is the only Dick on the List.

RATING: *****

Interesting Facts:

Considered the birth of cyberpunk.

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