This was an interesting read considering how famous the movie BladeRunner is. Things I learned while reading the book. The term bladerunner is not used in the book, it is an invention of the movie. The term replicant was also invented for the movie. Ridley Scott explains why they chose not to use the term android in the director’s commentary of the film but the explanation was not that clear to me.
The book is bleaker than the movie, if you can believe that. People live in a world where animals are scarce, rare and valuable. There is also an entire industry of fake animals. Deckard also has a wife in the novel which puts doubt into the question on whether he is an android or not. Although the scene where an android asks Deckard if he’s ever taken the test on himself is in the book. Ridley Scott states in the director’s commentary that in the movie Deckard is supposed to be an Android, this of course conflicts with BladeRunner 2049 since Harrison Ford has aged, and I don’t think Androids are supposed to age.
My favourite part was the section where there is another police department that Deckard doesn’t know about that is being run by Androids. Or is it the other way around? Deckard is working at a secret android police station and he is an android. This is the beauty of PKD’s writing, he creates ambiguity that keeps you guessing.