Join Amazon Prime and get unlimited Free One-Day Delivery. Already a member? Sign in.

 

or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
   
More Buying Choices
53 used & new from £1.50
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep? (S.F. Masterworks)
 
 
Share your own customer images
Search inside this book

Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep? (S.F. Masterworks) (Paperback)

by Philip K. Dick (Author) "A merry little surge of electricity piped by automatic alarm from the mood organ beside his bed awakened Rick Deckard ..." (more)
4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (43 customer reviews)
RRP: £6.99
Price: £4.33 & eligible for Free UK delivery on orders over £5 with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
You Save: £2.66 (38%)
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In stock.
Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk. Gift-wrap available.

Want guaranteed delivery by Tuesday, July 14? Choose Express delivery at checkout. See Details
32 new from £2.36 21 used from £1.50
Other Editions: RRP: Our Price: Other Offers:
Hardcover ([1st ed]) Order it used
Paperback (New Ed) £7.99 £5.99 36 used & new from £1.85
Library Binding (Reprint) Order it used
Hardcover (Large Print) Order it used
Audio Cassette (Abridged,Audiobook) 4 used & new from £45.00

Frequently Bought Together

Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep? (S.F. Masterworks) + Rebecca (Virago modern classics) + Kiss of the Spider Woman (Arena Books)
Price For All Three: £16.31

Show availability and shipping details

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Kiss of the Spider Woman (Arena Books)

Kiss of the Spider Woman (Arena Books)

by Manuel Puig
4.6 out of 5 stars (5)  £5.99
Rebecca (Virago modern classics)

Rebecca (Virago modern classics)

by Daphne Du Maurier
4.6 out of 5 stars (94)  £5.99
Paradise

Paradise

by Abdulrazak Gurnah
4.3 out of 5 stars (3)  £5.99
Ubik (S.F. Masterworks)

Ubik (S.F. Masterworks)

by Philip K. Dick
4.8 out of 5 stars (21)  £5.49
Sunset Song

Sunset Song

by Lewis Grassic Gibbon
4.0 out of 5 stars (22)  £5.39
› Explore similar items

Product details

  • Paperback: 224 pages
  • Publisher: Gollancz; New Ed edition (11 Feb 1999)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 1857988132
  • ISBN-13: 978-1857988130
  • Product Dimensions: 19.2 x 12.8 x 2.4 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (43 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 661 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in these categories:

    #1 in  Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Authors, A-Z > D > Dick, Philip K.
    #13 in  Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Science Fiction
    #27 in  Books > Fiction > By Period > 20th Century

    •  Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

Product Description

Amazon.co.uk Review
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? is a book that most people think they remember, and almost always get more or less wrong. Ridley Scott's film Blade Runner took a lot from it, and threw a lot away; wonderful in itself, it is a flash thriller where Dick's novel is a sober meditation. As we all know, bounty hunter Rick Deckard is stalking a group of androids returned from space with short life spans and murder on their minds--where Scott's Deckard was Harrison Ford, Dick's is a financially over-stretched municipal employee with bills to pay and a depressed wife. In a world where most animals have died, and pet-keeping is a social duty, he can only afford a robot imitation, unless he gets a big financial break. The genetically warped "chickenhead" John Isidore has visions of a tomb-world where entropy has finally won. And everyone plugs in to the spiritual agony of Mercer, whose sufferings for the sins of humanity are broadcast several times a day. Prefiguring the religious obsessions of Dick's last novels, this asks dark questions about identity and altruism. After all, is it right to kill the killers just because Mercer says so? --Roz Kaveney

Product Description
World War Terminus had left the Earth devastated. Through its ruins, bounty hunter Rick Deckard stalked, in search of the renegade replicants who were his prey. When he wasn't 'retiring' them with his laser weapon, he dreamed of owning a live animal -- the ultimate status symbol in a world all but bereft of animal life. Then Rick got his chance: the assignment to kill six Nexus-6 targets, for a huge reward. But in Deckard's world things were never that simple, and his assignment quickly turned into a nightmare kaleidoscope of subterfuge and deceit -- and the threat of death for the hunter rather than the hunted...

See all Product Description
Inside This Book (Learn More)
First Sentence
A merry little surge of electricity piped by automatic alarm from the mood organ beside his bed awakened Rick Deckard. Read the first page
Explore More
Concordance
Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
Search inside this book:

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
Check the boxes next to the tags you consider relevant or enter your own tags in the field below
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)

Your tags: Add your first tag
 
See most popular tags

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep? (S.F. Masterworks)
85% buy the item featured on this page:
Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep? (S.F. Masterworks) 4.2 out of 5 stars (43)
£4.33
Ubik (S.F. Masterworks)
6% buy
Ubik (S.F. Masterworks) 4.8 out of 5 stars (21)
£5.49
The Man in the High Castle (Penguin Modern Classics)
4% buy
The Man in the High Castle (Penguin Modern Classics) 4.2 out of 5 stars (30)
£5.39
The Road
3% buy
The Road 4.3 out of 5 stars (325)
£2.99
Explore similar items
 

Customer Reviews

43 Reviews
5 star:
 (26)
4 star:
 (9)
3 star:
 (3)
2 star:
 (2)
1 star:
 (3)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.2 out of 5 stars (43 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars One of Phillip K. Dick's masterpieces (but not his best), 19 Mar 1999
By A Customer
I read this novel some years after first seeing the film version - "Bladerunner". At first, I was disappointed: I foolishly expected something to resemble the film - but I had forgotten that Dick himself was extremely distressed about the distruction of his plot when the film was made: Hence the book and the film, although based on the same ideas should really be viewed as different stories: Both have a "Bladerunner" chasing after escaped Androids, but there the similarities start to run out.

On reflection, I now recognise the book as being an excellent work. The only reason I have awarded it four stars out of five is that I have also read "Ubik" - which is so excellent that I cannot judge "Do Androids..." at 100% in comparison.

The book is more subtle than the film, and includes a lot of Dicks subtle examination of the human condition, which, over the years, had led him to accurately predict several technological innovations to come, not because he was up on technology, but because he knew the sort of thing we'd end up doing. The story contains electric animals, since the real ones have become rather scarce, one of these being the electric sheep owned by the main character, which he pretends is real to save face. One of my favorites is the device which can change your mood: When you don't feel like changing your mood, you can dial in a code to put you in the mood for using the machine! So, given that we are now cloning sheep, I would suggest mood-machines and Androids are on the way.

If you're new to Dick, you're also new to his unique ability of being able to weave a puzzle that will take at least half the book to unravel (or so you think, until you reach the end, and you realise you were wrong!): So, if you haven't read his material before, start with this book - and stick with it - wait a while to let the neurons settle down, and then read his best work - "Ubik". Most of his other works are also worth a read, and some are excellent, although I don't have space to list them all here.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Reality?, 7 Jan 2004
By Mr. A. Felix "Amedeo" (London, UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
Philip K. Dick was part of the generation of 1950's science-fiction writers who took as their core task the criticism of American popular-culture. Thus there is a frequent recurrence of certain themes in his works: The threat of nuclear war; the evil effects of unbridled capitalism; and the degrading influence of mass-media (especially television). However there is another theme which pervades Dick's work, and is more personal: An obsession with the blurring of reality, dreams and waking confused together, mechanical replicas indistinguishable from their originals, drug-induced hallucinations more real than reality. His books are often structured as a series of unexpected trap doors. You think you know where you are and who is whom, then suddenly the bottom falls out and your certainties are thrown into doubt...
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
37 of 41 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars Don't buy this thinking it's the full text..., 25 Jun 2000
By sjr109@york.ac.uk (York, England) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Oxford Bookworms Library: Stage 5: 1,800 Headwords: Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?: 1800 Headwords (Paperback)
This is a strangely abridged or simplified text, which is simply abysmal- don't make the mistake I made, and buy the proper text, because it's a fabulous story...
Comment Comments (3) | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

2.0 out of 5 stars doesn't realy go anywhere.
I found this brief and dull.
I didn't connect to any characters.
I didn't find the argument of what makes us human convincing or engaging. Read more
Published 10 hours ago by Mrs. D. L. Cox

5.0 out of 5 stars Deeply moving
Philip K Dick was a genius. I found this book brilliantly written, and towards the end, deeply moving. Read more
Published 24 days ago by N. Durand

5.0 out of 5 stars A truly wonderful outlook on 'life'
My interest in Sci-Fi/Futuristic novels has extended a great deal since I made a decision to start off by reading the most cultured-classics I could find. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Mr Cheese

4.0 out of 5 stars Remember books are books, films are films!
Having decided that this year I just HAD to get back to reading more books, I started out with this on 5 January, and to date, it is still one of the more interesting reads that I... Read more
Published 3 months ago by A Reader

5.0 out of 5 stars fab
brought the book for my partner, he hasnt started reading it yet. book was in good condition.

Published 5 months ago by Ms. L. R. Taunton

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant but very different to the film
The book that the film 'Blade Runner' was based on, this bears only a vague similarity to that movie, namely the general concept of a bounty hunter asigned to track down and... Read more
Published 5 months ago by M. Evans

4.0 out of 5 stars Not as good as the film
but then it isn't supposed to be. Anyone who has seen the film is bound to be disappointed as whilst there are core parts you will recognise ultimately the book was the source... Read more
Published 5 months ago by Halo572

5.0 out of 5 stars Science Fiction, Suspense and Philosophy
I became a rabid fan of Philip K. Dick from the first novel of his that I read. All of his books are excellent, and this one ranks as one of the best. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Douglas P. Murphy

5.0 out of 5 stars Empathy, Androids and Enigmas
The book is a masterwork but do not expect the Bladerunner film. The same ideas and themes are there but they are developed in a different way. The book is more subtle. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Andrew Dalby

2.0 out of 5 stars blade runner ?
i watched blade runner as a young boy and loved the story , so i thought i would give electric sheep a go , the vision of dick i found is amazing and some of the ideas in the book... Read more
Published 13 months ago by Mr. S. Bounds

Only search this product's reviews


Customer Discussions

 Beta (What's this?)
This product's forum (0 discussions)
  Discussion Replies Latest Post
  No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
  [Cancel]


Active discussions in related forums
   
Related forums

Listmania!

Create a Listmania! list

Look for similar items by category

Feedback

Fun for Everyone

Christmas Gifts
Achieve over 15,000 RPM with our great range of Powerballs.

›Shop the Powerball store

  

More From Philip K. Dick

The Man in...

The Man in the High Castle

Imagine the world if the Allies had lost the Second World War... Read more
£8.99 £5.39

 

Up to 53% off Braun Series Shavers

Braun Series 3 390cc Clean & Renew System Rechargeable Foil Electric Shaver
Get in touch with your smooth side with Braun Series shavers, now with Gillette blade technology.

›Discover Braun Series at Amazon.co.uk

  

Treat Someone

Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificates--available in any amount from £5 to £500 With an Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificate, you can get them what they want (even if you don't know what that is).

›Learn more about Gift Certificates

  
Ad

Where's My Stuff?

Delivery and Returns

Need Help?

Your Recent History

  (What's this?)
You have no recently viewed items or searches.

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.

Look to the right column to find helpful suggestions for your shopping session.
Continue Shopping: Top Sellers
The Girl Who Played with Fire
The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson
4.5 out of 5 stars (72)£3.86
 Breaking Dawn (Twilight Saga)
Breaking Dawn (Twilight Saga) by Stephenie Meyer
4.1 out of 5 stars (460)£6.49
 The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
4.1 out of 5 stars (162)£3.99
 The Host
The Host by Stephenie Meyer
4.2 out of 5 stars (80)£3.86

amazon.co.uk Amazon Home
International Sites:  United States  |  Germany  |  France  |  Japan  |  Canada  |  China
Business Programs: Sell on Amazon  |  Fulfilment by Amazon  |  Join Associates  |  Join Advantage
Customer Service  |  Help  |  View Basket  |  Your Account
About Amazon.co.uk  |  Careers at Amazon
Conditions of Use & Sale |  Privacy Notice  © 1996-2009, Amazon.com, Inc. and its affiliates