The significance of the title of the novel dreaming is primary thought to be a function of a living being. This brings about a comparison between something that looks, and to some extent behaves, like a human and what we might consider a real human. Is there a difference? What makes us uniquely human if we are able to create a reasonable simulacrum? What if we even program in all of the human mental faults and insecurities, would androids or robots be human then? Are we just complex bio machines and do the differences warrant a different selection of inherent rights.
The novel is set in a post-apocalyptic near future, where Earth and its populations have been damaged greatly by Nuclear War during World War Terminus. Most types of animals are endangered or extinct due to extreme radiation poisoning from the war. The atmosphere has been oppressed with the ever changing conditions, and it is seen to be unhappy by an oil painting done by Phil Resch. Humans have no knowledge of the presence of androids among them. Therefore, they have to be protected at all costs even if it means losing the quarry. This setting has motivated the society in such a way that the U.N. encourages emigration to off-world colonies, in the hope of preserving the human race from the terminal effects of the fallout. One emigration incentive is giving each emigrant a servant android.
Androids are used only in the colonies (Mars) their escape to Earth is justified because they are fleeing the psychological isolation and slavery. Although made of biological materials and indistinguishable from humans, they are considered to be pieces of machinery. I sympathize with them because bounty hunters, such as Rick, hunt and kill fugitive androids passing for humans. Often, the police department will collect and analyze the corpses of suspected “andys” to confirm that they are, in fact, “artificial”.
Buster Friendly’s function on post-apocalyptic Earth seems to be about a man who talks about many things that are happening around at the time, like a news broadcaster. He also does the weather. Buster Friendly seems to be the only source of entertainment on planet earth after this final war had happened. He tries to destroy Mercerism because they are fighting for control of the human psychic souls. He was never successful because Wilbur Mercer always renewed. He was eternal.
John Isidore is considered unique and a chicken head because he had failed to pass the minimum faculties test. This because he was affected by the radiation going on in the world at that time. It has altered him mentally and physically in some ways. He works as a driver for the Van Ness Pet Hospital. The theory of kippleization states that it is a stasis between the pressure of kipple and non-kipple, for the time being. Nevertheless, eventually it will die or go away, and then the kipple will again take over. He does have an intellect because he further explains the theory as a universal principle operating throughout the universe where the entire universe is moving towards a final state of total, absolute kippleization.
In describing other scientific and technological inventions, Dick created in the novel, I would start will start with the Electric Sheep which was a signal social accomplishment to have a live animal. Since a live animal is too expensive, robot animals are procured instead. Other inventions included Kipple, Nexus-6 Brain Unit, Panic Alarm and Replicant. In my opinion, I feel they are credible since they are used by various nations.
Deckard is aware of the difference between himself and Resch. He is convinced that Resch is an android because of Resch’s quick trigger finger and his indifference to art. Deckard tells Resch that he likes to kill, and if he had pretext he would have killed him. Despite his conviction, however, Deckard’s test reveals that Resch is human. The result of the test is significant enough for both bounty hunters to try to make sense of it, with Deckard reasoning that Resch has a defect that makes him unsympathetic toward androids. Resch points out, though, that this is not a defect; if he felt any empathy toward androids, he would not be able to kill them.
Empathy is the main theme of the novel and is the crux on which Dick’s metaphysical reflection on the meaning of life hangs. Each character in the novel must deal with what it means to be empathetic and whether that allows someone to be valued as a living thing. The idea of what is real and what is unreal is a blurred distinction in the novel. This dichotomy is best expressed through the world of the empathy box and Mercerism. This novel falls under Androids or Robots in the category of science fiction.
Scott’s decision to leave out Do Androids Mercerism was understandable. Less so was the total removal of the idea of robotic pets. Meanwhile, those into suspense might well regret the loss of the replicant-staffed police station chapter from the novel. Where Scott undeniably scored was his vision of Dick’s future. Not only were Scott’s images photogenic but Dick’s vision of a future with a mix of old and new technology side by side was successfully conveyed. The question of identity the replicants musing about their false memories was also successfully conveyed.