Do androids dream of electric sheep? By Philip K. Dick

Do androids dream of electric sheep? By Philip K. Dick

What a weird book! Yes it's as weird as the title suggests. Do android dream of electric sheep? I don't know. Do they? Does anyone? I've never really thought of answering let alone coming up with that question before. What is the difference between an android and a human? Is there a difference? Can androids dream and have feelings even though they're machines? I didn't question the title and read it anyway, thinking it may be like Oryx and Crake. Kind of as if it's a dystopia about created animals. Imagine Humans, the Channel 4 TV series, but from the killers' point of view and with more of a focus on the animal machines. It's a very short book but it was on my A2 reading lit from school. I'm not sure why though. 

Most animals have become extinct due to killing them for food, products, clothes and everything that we're doing right now. I suppose it raises the questions no one ever thinks about when we're all eating our roast dinners as we expect chickens to never become extinct. What if they did? Would we eat alternatives until they became extinct or would everyone go vegetarian? In this dystopian book, they have built mechanical animals but many still desire real animals. One of the main characters has an electric sheep. Normal. I know. It's weird how quickly you accept weird concepts in a book. The main character wants to earn money to buy more proper animals. 

Rick Deckhard and some of the other main characters have stayed on earth whilst others have escaped to Mars. Rick has a job to do and an electric sheep to look after. Priorities. 

It is the first book that I've read in a long time that actually has pictures in. Bit weird really as you become so used to reading books without cartoons. However, when I was younger I remember refusing to read a book without pictures- shouldn't really admit to that as a literature student. 

Something that has propped up in some shape or form in the books I have read lately, is the idea that emotions can be predicted and controlled. For example, when one is feeling angry they can set their machine to peace and it will be eradicated. Interesting.

Thanks for reading and I'll let you know what my next book is like soon.