The cyberpunk genre has seen rapid growth in popularity over the past five years or so, characterized by near-future dystopian settings of environments destroyed by human interference to an almost apocalyptic quality, rampant corporations that dictate legislation more so than any government, and terrifying technology that questions what it means to be human. So next Tuesday, by the look of things.
Some of the most well-known pieces of media in this genre are the video game “Cyberpunk 2077,” the film “Bladerunner,” and its sequel “Bladerunner 2049.” The first film in particular is actually an adaptation of Philip K. Dick’s novel, “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?” although the book is actually more bleak than the movies.
With most of Earth irradiated due to global war and the vast majority of animals already brought to extinction — where owning robotic imitations is commonplace — most people are encouraged to move to off-planet colonies, with the bonus of owning android servants. However, these androids are not so far from human as it would seem, rebelling against their owners and fleeing back to Earth in hopes of living their short lives in freedom, even at the cost of being hunted by the law.
The novel follows a split narrative between Rick Deckard, a bounty hunter afflicted with religious visions, who is employed by the police to hunt down androids, and John Isidore, a mentally stunted animal-android repairman, who is aiding the androids that Deckard hunts. The mystery of finding the androids is lined with themes of what it means to be human, the worth of a life, whether a purpose is a fulfilling one or not, and if change is really possible.
With some thrilling action scenes (such as the discovery of a colony of androids posing as police officers) and profound imagery (with the blending of a physical scene and mental visions of a prophetic figure), “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?” primarily entertains the audience over its 200 pages. The ending, however, does not really end the story; the novel’s end is just the closing of this chapter of Deckard’s life — for better or worse, this story is just another day in the life of the cyberpunk setting and not some revolution that changes the world.
All in all, I would recommend Dick’s novel to anyone looking for a piece of light sci-fi to fill their time. In fair warning, Dick — the freak he is — writes about sexual content way too much, to the point it hurts the novel’s pacing and characterization.
“Under the (Hard) Covers is an opinion column by Ethan Reisler — a published author, satirist, and journalist — reviewing modern and classic novels alike for their craft, storytelling and general enjoyability.”