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Review Summaries
""DADOES" is ostensibly the story of Rick Deckard, a worldly, experienced bounty hunter sent to capture a group of escaped replicants (androids). The future-Earth in which Deckard inhabits is a poisoned, polluted nightmare ("tomb-world" seems to be the author's favorite description). However, this novella exists on far more levels than what we saw in "Blade Runner." The renegade androids have realer emotions than most humanoid characters; Earth's citizens flee to space, while space-born replicants flee to Earth; Deckard slowly loses the ability to judge reality and artificiality (including his own nature). The reader is left with the ultimate philosophical questions: What is the nature of reality? What does it mean to be human? Dick sheds no light on the answers, but he does provoke much thought."
M Gandy, Resident Philip K. Dick Scholar
"Altho' this 1968 book inspired the classic film 'Blade Runner', the original but deeply flawed book is far less competent. The dystopian vision of a post-nuclear holocaust earth, emptied of most of the healthy folks as they have migrated to Mars, is a familiar theme. The inspiration is the introduction of the Frankenstein theme - androids, virtual physical replicas of humans, are the new slave class. The question is 'if God created man in His image, what happens when man creates in his sub-image?'. The bitter and disillusioned tone of the whole book fails to integrate and cope with the many inventive themes and sub-plots introduced, such as fake religion and false hope of the 'mood organ', an instant brain-fix machine. Amongst the disjointed proceedings are found many good things, some good invented words such as 'chickenhead' and 'kipple'. There is an all-time laughable failure too: 'disemevelevatored' (left the elevator). Still I enjoyed his casual Latinisms ('sub specie aeternitatis'), and the brooding evocation of urban decay, which translated well in the film."
Michael JR Jose, Resident Philip K. Dick Scholar
"Although it inspired the film "Blade Runner," this book has little in common with that movie beyond the hero's name and job as a bounty hunter searching for escaped androids. Dick includes thoughtful environmental themes (most animal species are extinct or endangered, so it is every citizen's duty to care for an animal, and if that's too expensive they cheat with fake ones -- hence, the hero's electric sheep); drug- and television-induced mood setting and reversal; and a "religious channel" starring a Sisyphean figure called Wilbur Mercer (whom the hero ends up meeting in person). The book remains a gripping future noir, but with fascinating details the movie did not choose to include."
David Loftus, Resident Philip K. Dick Scholar
"Rick Deckard is your routine android bounty hunter. But when he's sent out to hunt down some more androids that include some cute female ones, he starts to have second thoughts, especially when he finds himself attracted to one of them. Most of the story focuses on his struggle both with the androids and with his feelings about killing them."
Steve, Resident Philip K. Dick Scholar
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Overall Review
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Composition of Book Descript. of chases or violence - 10% planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 10% Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 60% Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 20%
Tone of book
- depressing/sad
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION?
- science fiction story
Inner Struggle
Yes
Plotlet:
- search for identity/new understanding
- change of heart
Story involving clones/duplicates?
- bad clones/duplicates
Is this an adult or child's book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Clones
Yes
Main Character
Identity:
- Male
Profession/status:
- bounty hunter
Age:
- 20's-30's
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events?
Yes
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- average physique
Main Adversary
Age:
- 20's-30's
Profession/status:
- slave
Has magical powers?
Yes
Magical/mental powers of main antagonist:
- super strength
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- throughout most of the book.
How sensitive is this character?
- hard edged
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Physique
- bulging muscles
Setting
Earth setting:
- near future (later in 21st century)
Takes place on Earth?
Yes
Style
Person?
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- moderately detailed references to deaths
Sex in book?
Yes
What kind of sex:
- vague references only
How much dialogue?
- significantly more descript than dialog
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