Electric Sheep Suck…
“The tyranny of an object. It doesn’t know I exist.”
Deckard
I’m not going all artsy on you, but I could. I’ll name this blog Kamehameha and won’t talk about the King or Dragon Ball Z. Don’t push me. Anyway, I’m talking about a book: Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick Better known to the populace as the film Blade Runner. The two share some things, but like many adaptations some things were left out that, while I like the movie, make the book so much better. The things and subsequent themes that were left out don’t break the movie…it is more of a cult classic anyway, but they are actually quite relevant to today. I keep thinking about the contrast of Mercerism to the Internet. The view of the ownership of animals and even the thought of owning an electric one to keep up the illusion remind me of several things around me. The biggest difference I could point out is that the book is just more complex than the movie. If you like the movie you would love the book. If you don’t like the movie you may still like the book. I especially love the exploration of the disregard of Chickenheads (Dude came up with that phrase a decade before I was born) while stressing empathy. Even the androids who aren’t considered as alive disregard the Chickenheads. I know my man D.P. is down with the movie. I hope ya’ll get down with the book. After the movie came out they changed some printings to “Blade Runner”, but unless it says it’s the movie novelization you’re good.
WWWD:
“I’m a creature of the wild. I hate cities… hate civilization with all its idiot rules. Gimme the free, open, elemental spaces of my mountains where a man holds his fate in his own hands. No lies there. No deception, no compromise. So why, I wonder, do I love this land, this city? It’s probably the most structured on Earth, laced tight with centuries of tradition and ritual, covering every conceivable aspect of public and private life. I was born to one world. But I choose to be part of the other.”
Wolverine
For a variety of reasons (most of them being the Cartoon Network is incredibly wack with its anime rotation), I never saw the last 2 weeks’ worth of Dragon Ball Z episodes. It took me years to recover but it’s over now.
Comment by kofi — June 18, 2008 @ 2:57 pm
Funny thing, I recently added that book to my still small Sci Fi collection. I haven’t read it as yet though and I haven’t seen the movie either. Def looking forward to reading that book.
Comment by Empath — June 18, 2008 @ 5:42 pm
Amadeo,
I have promised myself for years to go in on this book but then I find something else to distract me. DICK’s influence [ll] can be found in other media as well. The Dirty Pair references him as well as Bubblegum Crisis.
I will just have to go in.
Comment by DP — June 18, 2008 @ 7:28 pm
Always enjoy a post about ‘Blade Runner,’ either the book or the film, so thanks. I enjoy the book, but ‘BR’ is still the greatest movie I’ve ever seen. It’s a messy masterpiece.
Comment by Mike Sheehan — June 19, 2008 @ 7:00 am
totally unrelated to the post, but I wanted thank you for taking the time to stop into the asylum and leaving words of support, so very much appreciated. gracias
Comment by eslocura — June 19, 2008 @ 12:34 pm
Man…I’m gonna have to check Blade Runner out, as I haven’t seen the movie or read the book. Since you recommend it, I’ve got to b/c you haven’t steered me wrong yet.
Comment by Mark Dub — June 21, 2008 @ 5:03 pm