Zena Abo Abo itibaren Petropavlivs'ke, Mykolaivs'ka oblast, أوكرانيا itibaren Petropavlivs'ke, Mykolaivs'ka oblast, أوكرانيا

My all-time favorite short story collection. If I started talking about all the things in it that gave me chills, I'd be here all day and run out of characters.

** spoiler alert ** Wow. I am impressed. I was a little worried that I would be disappointed with this book because I had heard all the rave reviews but I certainly wasn't. One thing I realised when reading this was that I go science fiction because they tend to have a philosophical aspect but in a form that is easy and enjoyable to read. In some cases, you could miss the philosophical aspect without ruining your enjoyment of the story! This one was no exception. Overall Overall, I really enjoyed it. The plot kept me going throughout, the story was entertaining and it was definitely a page turner. The narrative was easy to read and enjoyable, with lots of good quotes to pick out! The world that Dick created was fascinating, I wanted to know more. I wanted to learn more about the world and the dust and the colonies. Dick tells you just enough to make you understand the world and what is going on whilst keeping enough from you to keep you curious and wanting more. The book is littered with philosophical and political commentary. Throughout the book, I had to keep reminding myself that it was set in the nineteen nineties. I found it difficult to reconcile this with my own view of the nineties. Even though it is an ‘old’ book as such, being written in 1968 I would have thought that Dick would have looked further into the future than this. For example, in 2009, I cannot imagine the world to be even near that sort of place in only 24 years, 2033. Does the world ever change that drastically in just 24 years? I read somewhere (sorry, I can’t remember where) that more modern editions have changed the setting to 2021. I don’t think they should do this, they should remain faithful to the original text, even if it is dated. The argument between Rick and Iran at the beginning of the book got me hooked. They argued about money, Deckard claiming that if Iran stopped spending so much money, they could afford a real animal instead of an electric sheep. I think this was very clever - normal enough for me to relate to and understand yet weird enough to keep me alert and wanting more. The whole concept of electric animals replacing real ones fascinated me from the start. The whole thing with the specials, that they can’t marry or emigrate, that they are shunned and discriminated against in society, is really sad. Being called a chickenhead must hurt somewhat - although I suppose it is better than being an anthead! Considering the society respects and worships the animals so much, is it maybe a bit odd that they use this names as a form of disrespect for those with less intelligence? Also, considering Isidore is a special, he comes across as very intelligent - for the most part at least, and with good deductive reasoning. One thing that confused me a little was the test that was carried out on Rachael Rosen. The Rosens claimed that she failed to test as human because she is a schizophrenic in order to discount Deckard’s method of testing and save their Nexus-6 androids. But then Deckard decides to ask just one more questions. Apparently, this questions shows for certain that she is an android and not a schizoid but why? What is so special about this question that is so different? When Deckard is testing her, Luba Luft is very clever in avoiding the questions. This scene is quite amusing and Deckard’s frustration can be easily felt. She also turned the questions back onto Deckard himself, suggesting that he is an android with false memories because he has no empathy for the androids that he is ‘retiring’. I didn’t guess that the toad was electric, despite all the signs being there. Deckard didn’t need the mood organ to find peace in the end - I’m pleased. Is this just a nice ending or a commentary on our not needing artificial happiness? Or not needing such over-riding technology? Some Points I found Interesting How much does an android have to feel before it becomes essentially human, or at least a sentient being? How much does a robot need to feel before we have to relinquish our rights to dismantle and offline them? Is it right to kill an android that thinks it is human? If an android fears death, feels love, feels all the emotions that humans can, is it right to kill them? The nexus-6 models were even starting to feel empathy. The Bounty Hunters are like our hitmen, or perhaps our executioners. The android’s in the novel may have killed humans and therefore need punishing but would they have hurt anybody if they hadn’t been so oppressed and badly treated? There is a certain amount of irony in the novel. The characters care so much for animals - even the electric ones - and have a complete disregard for andys, even those with emotion. The empathy box is a bizarre thing. Is it perhaps an analogy to the Bible? Somewhere people go for guidance and comfort? Mercer is certainly like God and Mercerism like religion. Even when proven to be false, Mercerism holds a huge following. God does not have to truly exist because religion involves more than just a divine being - comfort, togetherness, guidance and so on. 888 - the number to dial on the Penfield for the desire to watch telly, no matter what is on. Is it just a crazy coincidence…or maybe just my weird connections that 888 was the ceefax number for subtitles? Quotes “Victims of the despotic force of time” “Most women, even young ones like her, like to cook: it’s an instinct” (an indication of Dick’s opinion of women? A sign of the times? Or a meaningless comment?) “Mankind needs more empathy” “What good does it do, my risking my life? She doesn’t care if we own an ostrich or not” “The distinct advantage of a goat is that it can be taught to butt anyone who tries to steal it”.