Blade Runner / The Book

Core 155

Dean Panttaja

 

 

“Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep” Phillip K Dick

 

Characters (In Order of Reading):

Rick Deckard – Inspector, “Blade Runner”, SFPD

Iran Deckard – Depressed Wife of Rick

Wilbur Mercer – Prophet of Mercerism

JR Isadore – Chickenhead, Animal Maintenance Worker

Harry Bryant – Chief Inspector, SFPD

Rachael Rosen – Love Interest, Nexus 6

Pris Stratton – Nexus 6

Polokov – World Police Organization, Soviet Cop, Nexus 6

Luba Luft – Opera Singer, Nexus 6

Garland – Chief Inspector, Andy SFPD, Nexus 6

Phil Resch – Suspected Android Blade Runner

 

Themes:

“Meaning of Life”

Right to Life

Tolerance

Empathy

 

Chapter Breakdown:

Chapter 1:

San Francisco 2019, Introduction to Rick & Iran, “Cops” Life, Penfield Mood Organ, Dust, World War Terminus, Massive Extinction, Radiation, Emigration, Scarcity of Live Animals, Replacement “Electric” Animals, Electric Sheep (Groucho), Connection of Animal Husbandry to Mercerism Empathy (those who don’t value an animals life have no empathy), Like Catholic Stabat Mater (emotional identification with the suffering of a Maty.

Chapter 2:

Off-World Colonies, New America / Mars, 1 Android / Colonist, Rand Corporation, JR Isadore the “Chickenhead”, Specials, Hanibbal Sloat & Van Ness Pet Hospital, Explanation of Mercer (Frankenstein of Animals – Reversed Dearth / time), Empathy Box / Virtual Reality, Buster Friendly / Constant TV.

Chapter 3:

Dave Holden’s Mishap, Nexus 6, Voight-Kampf Empathy Test, Mercerism #2 (you may kill only the killers), Empathy as a Factor in Detection.

Chapter 4:

Mission: “Retire” 6 Andy’s, Rosen Association / Seattle, Rachael Rosen, Role / Symbol of the Owl,

Chapter 5:

Eldon Rosen, Rachael’s Test, Rachael is Revealed / Denies, Empathy vs. Schizophrenia, Corporate Subterfuge, One Final Question, Owls Fake, Rachaels “Fake”.

Chapter 6:

Kipple, Squatters, Pris Stratton – The Girl Next Door.

Chapter 7:

JR Isadore at Work, The Dead Cat, The Replcement, Buster Friendly,

Chapter 8:

Hunt for Polokov, Rachael Decides to go along for the Ride, Polokov poses as Sandor Kadalyi, One Down – Five to Go

Chapter 9:

Opera House, Luba Luft, Luba Side Steps Test, Luba Calls Cops, Rick is Taken “downtown”.

Chapter 10:

Hall of Justice, Andy’s SFPD, Garland & Phil Resch, Agreement to Test

Chapter 11:

Retirement of Garland, Escape from the Android Infested Andy SFPD, Discussion of Resch’s Android Personality, Resch’s Squirrel, Hunt for Luba Luft.

Chapter 12:

Munch Exhibit, Luba’s Retirement (By Phil), Resch Passes Test, Rick Takes Test, Discussion: How to Deal with Inability to Kill Female Androids….

Chapter 13:

Isadore has Dinner with Pris, Meets Roy and Irmgard Baty,

Chapter 14:

Plans are Made, A Defensive Perimeter is Discussed, Empathy Box as a Weapon, A Vote is Taken.

Chapter 15:

Roy and Irmgard Move In, Rick Buys a Real Goat, Rick Discusses his Emapthy towards Androids, Back to Work, Conapt Building, Mercer Talks to Rick through the Box (Its Okay to kill..), Rick Makes a Rendeavous with Rachael (St. Francis).

Chapter 16:

Rick Sleeps with Rachael

Chapter 17:

Rick Tries to Kill Rachael, Lets Her Go,

Chapter 18:

JR Losses his Spider, Mercer Talks to JR, Rick is Detected.

Chapter 19:

JR Isadore Squeals, Mercer Saves Rick’s Life, Rick Retires Pris, Irmgerad, & Roy Baty

Chapter 20:

Rachael Kills Deckards Goat

Chapter 21:

Deckard Goes to the Desert, Experiences Mercer, Finds Real Toad (Extinct).

Chapter 22:

Toad is a Fake (Hope is Extinguished / Extinction Continues On).

 

You will be required to do wrong no matter where you go.   It is the basic condition of life, to be required to violate your own identity.   At some time every creature, which lives must do so.   It is the ultimate shadow, the defeat of creation; this is the curse at work, the curse that feeds on all life.   Everywhere in the universe.

 

Compare & Contrast – Book to Film:

  • Book Darker & Unresolved
  • Andros = Man, Oid = Similar To
  • Blend of “Cop Movie” & “Monster Myth”
  • Hollywood’s Need for Tension over Theme & Content:
  • Androids Roles are Heightened (More dangerous & Sensuous)
  • Roles of JR & Rosen (Sebastian Coe / Tyrell Corporation)
  • Role of Mercerism
  • Electric Animals
  • Rachael’s “Hard Edge”
  • Travel to Seattle & Oregon
  • The Other “Hall of Justice”
  • Hollywood’s LA 2019 vs. Books SF 2019:

Language & Environment

Visuals & Lighting

Gaff (the character)

Mood (Rain, Lights, Mass, EFX)

Phillip K. Dick

Attacks Nuclear War, Rampant Capitalism and Commercialism, TV & Mass Media Exploitation

Obsessed with the blurring of reality, dreams, and hallucinations : Replica’s indistinguishable from the Original (Nexus 6), Hallucinations more Real than Reality (Empathy Box).

Structure resembles a series of Trap Doors or Reversals.

His satire is intentional, the situations border on absurd and surrealistic.

 

Interesting Sites:

Off-World: http://www.scribble.com/uwi/br/off-world.html

Blade Zone: http://www.bladezone.com/

Westworld / Stevens: http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~stvens/stvens_br.htm