- Paperback: 246 pages
- Publisher: Vintage Books; 1st Vintage Books Ed edition (1 Jan 1900)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 067975296X
- ISBN-13: 978-0679752967
- Product Dimensions: 13.2 x 1.4 x 20.2 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 654,263 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Review
'The fact that what Dick is writing about is reality and madness, time and death, sin and salvation - this has escaped most critics. Nobody notices that we have our own homegrown Borges.' Ursula K. Le Guin
'No other writer of his generation had such a powerful intellectual presence. He has stamped himself not only on our memories but in our imaginations' Brian W. Aldiss
--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.Product Description
Louis Rosen and his partners sell people--ingeniously designed, historically authentic simulacra of personages such as Edwin M. Stanton and Abraham Lincoln. The problem is that the only prospective buyer is a rapacious billionaire whose plans for the simulacra could land Louis in jail. Then there's the added complication that someone--or something--like Abraham Lincoln may not want to be sold.
Is an electronic Lincoln any less alive than his creators? Is a machine that cares and suffers inferior to the woman Louis loves--a borderline psychopath who does neither? With irresistible momentum, intelligence, and wit, Philip K. Dick creates an arresting techno-thriller that suggests a marriage of Bladerunner and Barbarians at the Gate.
Is an electronic Lincoln any less alive than his creators? Is a machine that cares and suffers inferior to the woman Louis loves--a borderline psychopath who does neither? With irresistible momentum, intelligence, and wit, Philip K. Dick creates an arresting techno-thriller that suggests a marriage of Bladerunner and Barbarians at the Gate.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
A superb book from Philip K. Dick. As always with Dick's novels, the sci-fi technology in the book is little more than an undertone to the rest of the novel, which develops in to an escalating identity crisis.
As mentioned by other reviewers, there are some interesting similarities to Philip K. Dick's "Do androids dream of electric sheep". For example, a few corporation names are the same. It's easy to imagine the two stories occuring at the same time or at least in the same world. For me, it's hard to tell what the author's intentions was in doing this, but perhaps one novel started out as a prelude or sequel to the other.
The plot is probably less 'deep' than tytpically expected from this author, but the story is still thought provoking and makes a thouroghly good read.
As mentioned by other reviewers, there are some interesting similarities to Philip K. Dick's "Do androids dream of electric sheep". For example, a few corporation names are the same. It's easy to imagine the two stories occuring at the same time or at least in the same world. For me, it's hard to tell what the author's intentions was in doing this, but perhaps one novel started out as a prelude or sequel to the other.
The plot is probably less 'deep' than tytpically expected from this author, but the story is still thought provoking and makes a thouroghly good read.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I have to admit I was rather disappointed with this book as I prefer Dick stories which have clever plots and interesting twists. PKD likes to dwell on madness and neurosis, but in my opinion he gets a little carried away in this book, which reads more like a psychology handbook. Although the synopsis of this book looks great I personally feel that much of the potential was lost.
As a fan of Dick it feels strange to write a negative review but I would not agree that this is a good book to start with. Try 'A Maze of Death' or 'Flow my Tears...' if you prefer plot development to over-indulgent psycho-babble.
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is my personal favourite PKD novel. In some ways it sets the scene for a world like the one depicted in "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep". I found the characters to be well-structured and much easier to relate to than in any other PKD novel. The concept is brilliant and builds quite wonderfully.
For the unitiated I would recomment this as a good starting point for PKD. The novel relates the story of a family business that creates a simulacrum of Abraham Lincoln. It believes itself to be AL but is also aware of the fact that it is existing in a distant age. Of course, a rival corporation soon constructs its own simulacrum...
To say anything else would be to spoil the book. Buy it, read it, think and enjoy.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Very confusing
This is a silly book. It starts off quite funny and interesting making you think its going to be another classic from Dick. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Mr Gordon Davidson
Thought provoking, quirky, using sci-fi as a means to something else
As is sometimes the case with sci-fi books and especially Philip K Dick books the back-cover blurb bears no real resemblance to the core of the story contained within this book. Read more
Published 13 months ago by M. O. HAYNES
Disjointed
As has been said elsewhere, there are two main ideas here. Both are interesting but neither is explored as well as PKD does in other novels. Read more
Published on 6 May 2008 by Ma1cius
I wanted to like it, but it fell apart towards the end
The sci-fi premise is, as others have already described, more of an undertone than something that is held at a vivid description of the future. Read more
Published on 7 Mar 2008 by David Burton
Strange, not deep
We Can Build You by Philip K. Dick is a science fiction novel which follows an American company that specializes in making electronic organs (musical instruments not body parts) as... Read more
Published on 14 Nov 2003 by "amberzed"
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