Andy Hopkins

Philip K. Dick’s insight into the world he lived in allowed him to masterfully create a realistic prediction of what sort of place the world could become if the social tendencies of his era were maintained and developed over decades. In “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?” he predicts, though indirectly, such cultural impacts as social networks, radical increases in consumerism, dependence on technology, and even the importance of façade, which is really the culmination of the show more aforementioned things.
Consumerism has always driven our economy, but these days it drives our very existence. Essentially everything we could ever want is available to us through the internet and often can be delivered right to our doors without us having to get out of bed. This capability has skyrocketed the materialistic consumption of unnecessary goods. The media also encourages ever increasing consumption as well by manipulating our emotions, convincing us that not only do we need certain products, but they are available without us having to do more than click our mouse. We are also convinced that if we do not have these things that we are being told we need, then we are inferior to those who do. Thus, we have adapted our lifestyle in a way that people who do not have the means to obtain the actual thing can simulate it: economically, we can simulate wealth by charging all of our purchases to a credit card; socially, we can create a Facebook page where we can add as many friends and pictures as we want without hem being an accurate representation of our actual character, and, of course, if there is something expensive that we are told to want but can’t afford, we can always find a cheaper version somewhere that we can pretend is genuine. This new lifestyle, where almost everything we do is part of a façade, is something that Dick obviously saw beginning to take root in the society of which he was a part, because he depicts it with such accuracy in DADES.
The most obvious reference to this “façade” lifestyle is apparent in Deckard (and most people’s) obsession with owning an animal. Deckard himself cannot afford a real animal, so he and his wife purchase a cheaper, electronic one that they pretend is real. This pretense is clearly a thorn in Deckard’s side throughout the novel, since his desire to own a real one seems to motivate most of his endeavors. When he finally has the means to purchase a real goat, he does so with great pride and he enjoys a short-lived feeling of self-worth until Rachel kills the goat, knowing it was the one thing that would hurt him the most.
The other obvious example of a façade is the human one that the androids put on so as to conceal their true identity as androids. These humanoids put on as much of a façade as actual humans do, but they are hunted by humans because of their charade. They have everything else that humans do, including memories, thoughts, emotions, and ideas, and we learn that they even have empathy for other androids – something they were not believed to possess at all. The only real difference is that these things are all produced mechanically, not naturally as in real humans, and it is because of this relatively small discrepancy that they are hunted. However, the same is true of all of the electric animals, which, though they appear real, have the same fundamental difference of simply being mechanical as the androids.
There is noticeable irony which irises from both of these points, and it can be assumed that it is through this irony that Dick comments on the negative turns society had taken when the book was written. The irony lies within the importance of electric animals to the people contrasted with the fear with which they regard electric humans, which are essentially the same as the electric animals but with more intellectual capabilities. This irony emphasizes the nature of our culture that makes us embrace technology that makes our life better, but reject technology that could potentially outstrip us and cause us to lose our iron grip on almost every aspect of the world. There is also irony in the facades of both humans and androids because both use the other to create their own charade: humans use mechanical animals and present them as real to elevate their status in the eyes of other humans, while androids imitate the emotional and intellectual characteristics of humans. Both species are operating under pretense, but the androids are hunted for it, though they rely on animals that are only slightly different than androids to further their own circumstances. Through this irony, Dick brings the dark side of society into harsh light by predicting the nightmarish world to which it could lead us eventually. show less

Something about Philip K. Dick's writing is so vulnerable and fragile. That's how I felt about the characters while I was reading this story. The world itself is cold, harsh, lacking in beauty, true beauty, but the characters still somehow, capture some of that beauty through their vulnerability. It's an ugly world that Dick's portraying in this story, and if you're looking for happy endings, this isn't the book for you. However, I highly recommend reading this, if you haven't. It's one of show more those stories, that you have to read again, and again, because I'm convinced there are clues still hidden in between the words. show less

Philip K. Dick’s novel, “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?”, is at first glance an interesting page-turner with a plot that generally follows the science fiction genre to a tee: robots, people living on Mars, hovercars, lasers and more. However, upon reading this book, I’ve discovered that this account of an android bounty hunter is, well, “more than meets the eye.” Dick’s world in “Androids” is a place that, although seemingly far out, could be a possibility in the show more future if postmodern trends continue as they are. 2021 is a year where World War Terminus has made the earth inhabitable due to nuclear fallout dust. Most of Earth’s population has migrated to Mars. Interestingly, a company called the Rosen Corporation gives out free androids to emigrants; human look-alike robots that are essentially slaves. Throughout the novel, the Rosen Corp. plays a large role because of their creation, the Nexus 6 Android. The company is essentially a monopoly, because it has no competition. Although they are a manufacturer, they are incredibly influential in all aspects of life in 2021. This reminds of the influential companies existing today. For instance, oil companies have so much money that they influence many political decisions, such as the delayed enforcement of environmental laws, which in turn could eventually lead to a degraded planet such as the one presented in “Androids”. In incorporating the Rosen Corporation into his novel, Dick successfully created a parallel between his world and the postmodern one we live in today. This is only one of the warnings he presents in his book about postmodern trends.

Another interesting facet of “Androids” is the notion of rare, expensive animals. By 2021, almost all animals are extinct. The ones living are seen as complete rarities and are worth thousands of dollars. Even a measly spider could be sold for $100. From the beginning, we see that animals are somewhat of a status symbol in “Androids”. The main character, Deckerd, is envious of his neighbor, who has recently acquired a horse. Deckerd himself only owns an electric sheep. Yes- he paid money for a fake sheep so that he could masquerade as an animal owner. In fact, Deckerd wants an expensive animal so badly that his first thought when approached with a job as an android assassin is that $6000 is a lot of money…a lot of money with which to buy an animal. However, I find that animals are not only a status symbol in the novel. They are also a connection to the past. Deckerd reminisces about years when he was young and animals are not yet a rarity. It seems as though he believes that owning an animal is a way of repenting for the world’s decisions that killed them off. As if spending thousands on a real animal that could die any day could make up for the destruction of the earth’s living creatures. In fact, it seems as though owning an animal would be the greatest sign of real, human empathy in its owner.

Empathy is the most vital trait a human could have in “Androids”. Dick’s future world is complete with gadgets such as the Empathy Box, the Penfield Mood Organ, and the Voingt-Kampf Test, machines that are vital to the livelihood of humans in 2021. The Empathy Box transports the user into a world where Wilbur Mercer, the “deity” of Mercerism, is fighting an uphill battle. Users experience what Mercer does, and as a result, feel empathy on a daily basis. Feeling empathy is considered important because it was the people who didn’t feel empathy that led countries to World War Terminus and that monopolized trades so that the small companies could never compete. Dick draws a great connection between androids, who are incapable of feeling empathy, and people today who do not consider the effect of their decisions on other people/living things. In many ways, this is one of the biggest problems in our postmodern world: the desensitization of our generation. I found that Philip K. Dick did a great job with his vision of our future. This novel contains many warnings that should be taken seriously today before we end up with World War Terminus in the near future. A great read! show less

In his novel “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?”, Phillip K. Dick creates a future world decrepit and bereft of humanity’s past glory in the wake of the obliterating World War Terminus. Those left on Earth struggle to retain what is left of their humanity as the (now radioactive) dust of time threatens to render them obsolete. The author uses this world to mirror our own, to provide commentary about our humanity in a different setting. Hallmarks of the author’s distinct postmodern show more perspective within the novel include self-reflexivity, relativity of reality, and questioning of the Grand Narrative all which aid the author in commenting on the human condition in this futuristic mirror world.
To understand the state of humanity in the futuristic world, the omniscient narrator reflects upon mankind’s past as the author’s human characters introspectively examine their own lives, their place in humanity and in history. The context given by the narrator of the events of World War Terminus and of the post-war society’s alleged value on empathy illustrate humanity’s inconsistency to be both thoughtless and compassionate. The gloomy future of Earth’s human population is outlined by the narrator and later echoed when the author’s main character and protagonist, Rick Deckard, contemplates his future on the deteriorating Earth; he reflects on his dismal living conditions and the omnipresent radioactive dust that killed so many and rendered others worthless to society. At the same time J.R. Isidore, a man whose exposure to radiation has pegged him as a ‘special’ reflects on his position as a second-class member of society. As the novel progresses, both characters reflect on their actions and make startling realizations about themselves, perhaps the most notable being Deckard’s realization of his empathy for the robotic androids which he kills as a bounty hunter. Isidore and Deckard’s own realizations about themselves augment and exemplify the narrator’s reflexive commentary on humanity as a whole.
As the characters become more aware of self-truths and their place in society, alleged social truths and dogma are questioned; once-accepted facts become blurry. No longer is there one strict definition of empathy or what it means to be human, but instead a relativity that engulfs the realities of Rick Deckard and J.R. Isidore. When Deckard feels empathy for androids, the distinction between machine and man is blurred for him. Isidore too finds it difficult to think of androids as inhuman as he develops what he feels are bonds with them.
The illumination of reality’s relativity exposes the ‘grand narrative’ of the cult of Mercer to be an illusion of humanity’s alleged empathy. If one’s definition of empathy can be relative so then it must be for Mercerism. Deckard experiences empathy for an android and his definition of it changes. When Deckard must violate the empathy he feels in his identity as a human, he realizes that Mercerism is not absolute nor does it hold all the answers, “Mercer talked to me but it just didn’t help. He doesn’t know any more than I do. He’s just an old man climbing a mountain to his death”(157). When Mercer is revealed to be a fraud , Deckard accepts that “Everything is true. Everything anyone ever thought is true” (201). Deckard understands that the cult of Mercer is not absolute, and because the grand narrative is false anything can be true.
Phillip Dick’s enthralling novel presents a unique perspective of mankind. The postmodern style he uses allows the reader to see into the mind of the characters, identify with their situation, to feel their strife, and above all, to empathize with them. His commentary on humanity is seen on the individual level and exemplified for the whole. While the novel incorporates the postmodern idea of relativity, the novel highlights humanity’s universal capacity for both compassion and coldness. Carefully crafted, “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?” is an intriguing read that allows the reader to connect to the humanity of a mirror world not so different from our own. show less