Reflection on Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip F. Dick

               Ooof. This is a rough book. It is set in a dark, sad world—the west coast of the United States after nuclear war has made Earth nearly uninhabitable. Most humans have fled to Mars where they are colonizing the planet and are served by humanoid androids. The androids often flee to Earth where they try to live without being detected. The book primarily follows a bounty hunter who hunts down and kills androids.

               It is a very difficult book to read because of the setting and the character we follow. The setting is nasty and post-apocalyptic. The main character is no better than a murderer, as none of the androids threaten the lives of others. The book is all about what makes a person human and focuses on empathy as the key attribute. But if empathy is the thing that makes someone human, how can a human be a bounty hunter and kill androids for whom he feels empathy. It’s just kind of sad to read. That sad it’s a good book, but a sad book.