DADOES: Thoughts from a person who hasn't read the book before or seen Blade Runner

[Jason]

This is my first read thorough of DADOES and I haven't seen Blade Runner (I plan to watch it when I am done the book). I'm about 35% done the book and enjoying it so far.

Right now I find Rick's chapters the most interesting. I'm not sure where John Isidore's chapters are going, but I assume that it all revolves around Mercerism, which I gather is all about empathy which the Androids lack.

Maybe John is an Android and his chapters show us that Androids can have empathy? (don't answer that I'm just speculating my theories).

[Thane]

Saint Isidore, patron saint of computers and Internet, was an learned man and creator of schools. I wonder if Dick named his character after this saint, or if it's a coincidence, given John I's status as a "chickenhead." A gibe?

[terpkristin]

I also have never read the book nor seen the movie. Our Supreme Sword is in the same boat, as well.

I also find Rick's chapters more interesting (so far) but suspect that some of that is intentional...

[Carolina]

I just started today, and like all of you had never read the book nor watch the movie. I am only 2 chapters in, but I am really liking it so far. Is everyone intending to watch the movie after they finish the book? We could have a discussion about the movie later on :)

[Jason]

A discussion on the movie would be fun, especially since, apparently, the movie is very different from the book.

[Paolo]

The movie is also apparently very different from the movie.

[Jeanetta]

Carolina wrote: "I just started today, and like all of you had never read the book nor watch the movie. I am only 2 chapters in, but I am really liking it so far. Is everyone intending to watch the movie after they..."

[Jeanetta]

I'll watch the movie after the book discussion. I don't want the movie to influence me about the book.

[Jason]

I just finished the book today

(view spoiler)[ I ended up liking John's chapters more than Rick's in the end. Rick's ending was a bit confusing with the Mercer revaluation thing. (hide spoiler)]

I liked the book, I was a bit confused by it though.

(view spoiler)[ I guess the point of the whole book is real vs. fake (human vs. android real animals vs electronic animals) Even Mercer was fake in the end (he was just some actor in a studio).
But what I got from the book is it doesn't matter if something is real or fake you can have real feelings and happiness towards it regardless. Like the toad that Rick found, he will cherish it even though it is a fake, and he liked Rachel and Rick enjoyed Luba Luft's singing, even though she is a fake.

Even with John he found real happiness in his friendship with Pris, and even though Mercerism is a fake, it brings people happiness though empathy and connections. (hide spoiler)]

Now time to watch the movie. I found the Final Cut version blu ray for cheap, so I guess I'll watch that version

[Carolina]

Jeanetta wrote: "I'll watch the movie after the book discussion. I don't want the movie to influence me about the book."

Good idea

[Lena]

I'd seen the movie before when I was a teenager, I'd say around 20 years ago, but I barely remember it. This is my first time reading the book. I've been meaning to read the book for a few years now. I'm only 5 chapters in so far, but really enjoying it. I'm about to sit down for a reading session. I ordered the 30th Anniversary edition Blu Ray of the movie to watch when I finish reading the book.

[terpkristin]

I'll look forward to what y'all say about the movie. I have zero attention span for that kind of thing. :) ;)

[John (Taloni)]

terpkristin wrote: "I'll look forward to what y'all say about the movie. I have zero attention span for that kind of thing. :) ;)"

Well, it is a classic. Worth the two hours it would take to watch.

[Jason]

I watched Blade Runner (Final Cut Edition). Spoilers for both movie and book below.

(view spoiler)[I didn't really like the movie. The Replicants came across as just violent criminals. The book did a better job at portraying them as slaves who want to be free. I liked the motivations the Replicants had where they were trying to find Tyrell so they could get extended life. But I think they could have been portrayed better than just violent criminals.

J.F. Sebastian (John Isidore) had a really stripped down roll. In the movie he seemed more of a hostage to Pris and Roy. The book portrayed him as making friends with the Androids, and the Androids respected him for treating them like humans and not slaves. In the movie he's just a means to an end, a way to get to Tyrell.

To me a big theme in the book was enjoying and cherishing something regardless if it was real or fake, and the movie completely ignored that.
In the movie I never got a sense of why Rick wanted to quit being a bounty hunter, where as in the books you can see him realizing that he can enjoy the Androids for who they are (especially Rachel and Luba Luft) and he felt bad for killing them.

On a side note What was up with the Replicant's eyes? They often had some serious red eye thing going on (especially Rachel and Pris), that would kinda be a dead giveaway that they are Replicants.
Also there was so much blue neon it was almost distracting. It was like the movie was filmed through a blue filter.

On the positive side I did like the noir vibe the film had, I never got that vibe form the book, which is too bad because I love noir books, and I think the book would have been even better if it had a noir feel to it. (hide spoiler)]

[Michal]

I remember that the film only faithfully adapted one scene from the book (the Voight-Kampff test bit) and the rest is pretty much unrecognizable.

I like Blade Runner. But I enjoy Do Androids Dream more.