Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep

[Film Hobbit]

I have just finished this, my first Phillip K. Dick novel.

First let me say that if his other writings are like this one, they really are ideally suited to filmmaking, which is perhaps why so many of his works have been turned into movies.

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep is the book upon which Blade Runner is based. The movie is a lot better. Mr. Dick is a terrible writer. He seems totally incapable of describing anything, and as such doesn't really seem to bother. You never get even enough information to build any kind of mental picture of the world or characters in his world. But not only is their physical appearance poorly described, he totally drops the ball on establishing spacial relationships, or explaing the MOTIVATION behind the things that make his world work.

It's all very disconnected and frequently just becomes down right fuzzy and lost. What's worse, is you're never really able to identify any of his characters, because he doesn't really bother to explain why they do the things they do, nor does he really adequetly explain these complex belief systems which seem to rule their lives.

I said it was ideally suited for filmmaking.... and it is. If only because Dick leaves so many details out, it leaves lots of room for filmmakers to fill their own in and develop their own vision from it. See, Dick has some really good ideas... he just can't flesh them out on his own. His book is really just the framework for an idea... a good idea that he doesn't know how to express.

Very dissapointing, and I doubt I'll ever read anything he writes again.

[Marty Rotten]

I have heard that ANDROIDS isn't one of his better works. I have heard lots of people raving about what a great writer he is and he seems to have quite a cult following. I did read DR. FUTURITY and thought it was somewhat interesting. I much prefer Michael Moorcock's work but wouldn't mind reading more by Philip K. Dick in the future.

I read a comic book story by R. Crumb in an issue of WEIRDO called THE RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCES OF PHILIP K. DICK which is based on an autobiographical interview in which he relates several biblicly themed hallucinations that he had shortly before his death. Maybe his real life was more interesting than his work?

[Film Hobbit]

Perhaps. If he was insane, that explains a lot about his writing. It could easily be dismissed as the ravings of a madman. It really is like some bad, disjoined hallucination.

[Hooded Stranger]

If you want to read a decent Philip K. Dick book, I'd have to recomend "The Divine Invasion". It's pretty humorous and much more enjoyable than "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep". It's been awhile since I've read the book, but I recall enjoying alot of the god humor in it.

[Majenta957]

If you haven't been completely turned off, you may want to check out his short stories. "We Can Remember It For You Wholesale" is probably the most familiar. I was alarmed to see how it was rewritten as a movie, but that's probably fodder for another thread.

-Kate

[Only Film]

Read the book. Seen the movie. Got the t-shirt.

Of course the movie is better! ;)

The book had it's charm though.