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

adventurous dark tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

“You will be required to do wrong no matter where you go. It is the basic condition of life, to be required to violate your own identity.”

The book was written during the Cold War, at a time when people's greatest fear was nuclear fallout. The plot introduces us to the post-apocalyptic Earth of 1991, where most animals died out and the majority of humans have relocated to colonies on other planets. However, neurodivergent people are forced to be sterilized and stay on the dying planet.

In order to encourage the migration, companies supply people with androids: house slaves that look identical to humans. Some of them rebel, slaying their masters and fleeing to Earth. The central character, Rick Deckard, is tasked with the mission of “retiring” them using a laser gun.

To identify an android, Rick uses an empathy test. Initially convinced of androids' emotional void, he soon finds the roots of uncertainty within him. He does his job to earn money, in order to buy a living animal and prove to the neighbors that he has empathy.

A whole new religion is built on empathy: humans share their emotions from life events through a special device with other humans worldwide… reminds us of something, doesn't it? And the book was written half a century ago.

The idea of the book was very innovative back then. However, certain storylines remained unresolved, marked by plot holes and a lack of logic. Moreover, the book has aged badly: every female character is described in a sexist way:

▪️ “He decided that the woman is really good-looking, and her husband is quite dangerous” 

▪️ “It's sadly impossible to appreciate her body under the suit, but I bet it's perfectly fine” 

▪️ “But, perhaps, she is too thin – no protruding roundness, especially breasts – the figure of a child, flat and not arousing desire”

All in all, the concept seemed intriguing; however, the plot and character presentation disappointed me a lot. I would recommend this book only if you're very familiar with sci-fi literature. As for me: it wasn't my cup of tea.

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