The book authored by Phillip K Dick is also known as “Bladerunner”, after the movie based on the book was released in the 80s.
This isn’t my first read of the book, nor will it likely be my last. I’ve read it probably five times over the years, maybe more — always with long spells between each reading. And each time, I see something different, something new, in the story that I hadn’t picked up on previously. You’d think after so many reads, I’d have it mostly figured out in a relatively short book. Some of my thinking is influenced by current events surrounding cult of personalities (Mercerism, Buster Friendly), nuclear war without a known instigator, the rise of artificial intelligence (Nexus 6 androids) and, interestingly, the idea of empathy as something that needs to be reenforced and treated as a commodity.
It is fascinating to me today, in a way that wasn’t interesting to me a decade ago, the idea that empathy is something that can be a requirement or expectation for humans to artificially participate in. That people can “dial in their moods”, might be required to dial in a mood, contrasted against the androids’ lack of empathy begs the question: which life-form is actually superior. Keep in mind, the androids in “Bladerunner” are technically biological, but not considered “living”. This subject is ripe for discussion.
The other element that didn’t mean much to me in earlier reads of the book is discovery of a toad, which turns out to be an artificial toad, but that Deckard initially thinks is a living remnant of a species that is thought to be extinct.
And there are questions about Rachel’s nature that I have after this read that I didn’t have previously. Perhaps I am older, nominally wiser, but I feel there are unanswered questions surrounding her role in the book (and movie).
After this read, I am left with more questions than ever before and I find myself tempted to read it right away again to see fi I can glean answers for those questions.
And, perhaps, I may.
If you haven’t read the book, I can’t recommend it enough. It is oddly topical in today’s world — many of the ideas written about decades ago as fiction are coming up as potential concerns in our current era. While some elements have a dated feel, the overall story stands the test of time, in my opinion.
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