The Android's Dream

The Android's Dream PDF Author: John Scalzi
Publisher: Macmillan
ISBN: 9780765348289
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 408

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Book Description
"A human diplomat kills his alien counterpart. Earth is on the verge of war with a vastly superior alien race. A lone man races against time and a host of enemies to find the one object that can save our planet and our people from alien enslavement ..." "A sheep. That's right, a sheep. And if you think that's the most surprising thing about this book, wait until you read chapter one. Welcome to The Android's Dream." "For Harry Creek, it's quickly becoming a nightmare. All he wants is to do his uncomplicated mid-level diplomatic job with Earth's State Department. But his past training and skills get him tapped to save the planet - and to protect pet store owner Robin Baker, whose own past holds the key to the whereabouts of that lost sheep. Doing both will take him from lava-strewn battlefields to alien halls of power. All in a day's work. Maybe it's time for a raise." "Throw in two-timing freelance mercenaries, political lobbyists with megalomaniac tendencies, aliens on a religious quest, and an artificial intelligence with an unusual backstory, and you've got more than just your usual science fiction adventure story. You've got The Android's Dream."--BOOK JACKET.

The Android's Dream

The Android's Dream PDF Author: John Scalzi
Publisher: Macmillan
ISBN: 9780765348289
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 408

Get Book Here

Book Description
"A human diplomat kills his alien counterpart. Earth is on the verge of war with a vastly superior alien race. A lone man races against time and a host of enemies to find the one object that can save our planet and our people from alien enslavement ..." "A sheep. That's right, a sheep. And if you think that's the most surprising thing about this book, wait until you read chapter one. Welcome to The Android's Dream." "For Harry Creek, it's quickly becoming a nightmare. All he wants is to do his uncomplicated mid-level diplomatic job with Earth's State Department. But his past training and skills get him tapped to save the planet - and to protect pet store owner Robin Baker, whose own past holds the key to the whereabouts of that lost sheep. Doing both will take him from lava-strewn battlefields to alien halls of power. All in a day's work. Maybe it's time for a raise." "Throw in two-timing freelance mercenaries, political lobbyists with megalomaniac tendencies, aliens on a religious quest, and an artificial intelligence with an unusual backstory, and you've got more than just your usual science fiction adventure story. You've got The Android's Dream."--BOOK JACKET.

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick (Book Analysis)

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick (Book Analysis) PDF Author: Bright Summaries
Publisher: BrightSummaries.com
ISBN: 2808016727
Category : Study Aids
Languages : en
Pages : 20

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Book Description
Unlock the more straightforward side of Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? with this concise and insightful summary and analysis! This engaging summary presents an analysis of Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick, which follows the bounty hunter Rick Deckard on his quest to “retire” androids in an imagined post-apocalyptic version of San Francisco. The androids, who are treated as subhuman but are indistinguishable from humans in their appearance, and at times even in their behaviour, raise a host of questions about empathy, the role of technology in our lives and what it is that makes us human. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? is arguably Philip K. Dick’s most famous novel, largely due to its status as the source material for the blockbuster film Blade Runner starring Harrison Ford. Dick was a pioneering and prolific science writer, and is also known for his novels The Man in the High Castle and A Scanner Darkly. Find out everything you need to know about Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? in a fraction of the time! This in-depth and informative reading guide brings you: • A complete plot summary • Character studies • Key themes and symbols • Questions for further reflection Why choose BrightSummaries.com? Available in print and digital format, our publications are designed to accompany you on your reading journey. The clear and concise style makes for easy understanding, providing the perfect opportunity to improve your literary knowledge in no time. See the very best of literature in a whole new light with BrightSummaries.com!

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? PDF Author: Philip K. Dick
Publisher: Ballantine Books
ISBN: 0345508556
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 257

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Book Description
A masterpiece ahead of its time, a prescient rendering of a dark future, and the inspiration for the blockbuster film Blade Runner By 2021, the World War has killed millions, driving entire species into extinction and sending mankind off-planet. Those who remain covet any living creature, and for people who can’t afford one, companies built incredibly realistic simulacra: horses, birds, cats, sheep. They’ve even built humans. Immigrants to Mars receive androids so sophisticated they are indistinguishable from true men or women. Fearful of the havoc these artificial humans can wreak, the government bans them from Earth. Driven into hiding, unauthorized androids live among human beings, undetected. Rick Deckard, an officially sanctioned bounty hunter, is commissioned to find rogue androids and “retire” them. But when cornered, androids fight back—with lethal force. Praise for Philip K. Dick “The most consistently brilliant science fiction writer in the world.”—John Brunner “A kind of pulp-fiction Kafka, a prophet.”—The New York Times “[Philip K. Dick] sees all the sparkling—and terrifying—possibilities . . . that other authors shy away from.”—Rolling Stone

Facing the Crises

Facing the Crises PDF Author: Ljubica Matek
Publisher: Cambridge Scholars Publishing
ISBN: 1443862401
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 220

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Book Description
Owing to the diverse research interests of the contributors, this collection of essays offers a varied picture of the current approaches to Anglo-American literature and culture, and points to the need for a deeper understanding of current cultural, economic and social processes in the globalizing and globalized culture of the West. Because “crisis” seems to be the key word of contemporary Western culture, the first part of the book, titled “In the Face of Crises”, explores the implicit or explicit idea of a crisis between the real and the simulated, suggesting that one of the major issues for the contemporary man is how to deal with the virtual or with the “absence of the real”. Our fast-paced, technology-laden and materialist-oriented existence brings about the need to rethink our human identity, putting into perspective our relationship to technology, the impact of capitalist economy and colonial past, as well as consequences of constant warfare. The second part of the book, “New Perspectives on Literary Genres”, analyzes forms, topics and styles in literary texts belonging to specific, sometimes marginalized, genres. Literary analyses in this section also touch upon the idea of crisis: be it the crisis of understanding and redefining a particular genre, or a crisis that is inherent in the controversial topic or form of the text. As a reaction to recent allegations concerning the crisis of humanities as “non-profitable”, this book shows that humanist research is indispensable and crucial for understanding the human condition, making this book a relevant addition to the contemporary discussion of literature and culture.

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? PDF Author: Philip K. Dick
Publisher: G K Hall & Company
ISBN: 9780783895185
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 281

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Book Description
By 2021, companies have built incredibly realistic androids. Fearful of the havoc these artificial humans could wreak, the government bans them from Earth, but when androids don't want to be identified, they just blend in. Rick Deckard is an officially sanctioned bounty hunter whose job is to find rogue androids and "retire" them. But cornered, they tend to fight back, with deadly results.

The Popular & the Canonical

The Popular & the Canonical PDF Author: David Johnson
Publisher: Psychology Press
ISBN: 9780415351690
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 468

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Book Description
This volume ranges from the Second World War to the postmodern, considering issues of the 'popular' and the competing criteria by which literature has been judged in the later twentieth century. As well as tracing the transition from modernism to postmodernism, the authors guide students through debates around the pleasures of the popular and the question of inter-relations between 'mass' and 'high' cultures. Drawing further upon issues of value and function raised in Aestheticism and Modernism: Debating Twentieth-Century Literature 1900-1960, they examine contemporary literary prizes and the activity of judgement involved in English Studies. This text can be used alongside the other books in the series for a complete course on twentieth-century literature, or on its own as essential reading for students of mid to late twentieth-century writing. Texts examined in detail include: du Maurier's Rebecca, poetry by Ginsburg and O'Hara, Dick's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, Puig's Kiss of the Spiderwoman, Beckett's Waiting for Godot, Heaney's New Selected Poems 1966-1987, Gurnah's Paradise, Barker's The Ghost Road.

The Science Fiction Mythmakers

The Science Fiction Mythmakers PDF Author: Jennifer Simkins
Publisher: McFarland
ISBN: 1476668094
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 201

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Book Description
A literary genre that pervades 21st-century popular culture, science fiction creates mythologies that make statements about humanity's place in the universe and embody an intersection of science, religion and philosophy. This book considers the significance of this confluence through an examination of myths in the writings of H. G. Wells, Arthur C. Clarke, Philip K. Dick and Frank Herbert. Presenting fresh insights into their works, the author brings to light the tendency of science fiction narratives to reaffirm spiritual myths.

Apathy in Literature: A Discourse on Emotionless Characters and Concepts

Apathy in Literature: A Discourse on Emotionless Characters and Concepts PDF Author: Tony McCracken
Publisher: Anchor Academic Publishing (aap_verlag)
ISBN: 3954896125
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 97

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Book Description
This discourse focuses on the different concepts of apathy that appear in literature. Not only characterizations of apathetic protagonists, but also abstract concepts of apathy help to explore this special topic. Several important literary works from all sorts of genres function as examples to explain these concepts. Shakespeare’s ‘Hamlet’, ‘Camus’ ‘The Stranger’, Palahniuk’s ‘Fight Club’, Süskind’s ‘Perfume’, and Dick’s ‘Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?’ are only few of many literary works which are examined under the aspect of apathy in this study. Apathy is the lack of any kind of emotion. As emotions are essential to the conception of the human being, many approaches to understand this phenomenon have been made. The fields of psychology and biology are only two of several sciences which try to explain this phenomenon of alexithymia. But, whereas the core and origin of this human condition are still being analyzed, literature has been using the theme of apathy in several different ways. How this theme is used and which different concepts of apathy exist, will be examined in this discourse.

The Twisted Worlds of Philip K. Dick

The Twisted Worlds of Philip K. Dick PDF Author: Umberto Rossi
Publisher: McFarland
ISBN: 0786486295
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 317

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Book Description
Philip K. Dick was one of the most popular science fiction novelists of the 20th century, but the contradictory and wily writer has troubled critics who attempt encompassing explanations of his work. This book examines Dick's writing through the lens of ontological uncertainty, providing a comparative map of his oeuvre, tracing both the interior connections between books and his allusive intertextuality. Topics covered include time travel, alternate worlds, androids and simulacra, finite subjective realities and schizophrenia. Twenty novels are explored in detail, including titles that have received scant critical attention. Some of his most important short stories and two of his realist novels are also examined, providing a general introduction to Dick's body of work.

Theory of Mind and Science Fiction

Theory of Mind and Science Fiction PDF Author: N. Pagan
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 1137399120
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 88

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Book Description
Theory of Mind and Science Fiction shows how theory of mind provides an exciting 'new' way to think about science fiction and, conversely, how science fiction sheds light not only on theory of mind but also empathy, morality, and the nature of our humanity.