3 ms·

Can anyone explain the title to me please? What exactly is the author referring to by androids and electric sheep?

• nhma 3y ago
  The world in which the story is set is mostly devoid of living animals. Consequently, owning an animal has become a symbol of wealth and status. Naturally, most individuals cannot afford such a luxury, and a whole industry of robotic animals has emerged to cater to the less wealthy segment who want to pretend to own an animal. The protagonist of the story even has a feud with his neighbour about the authenticity of their respective faux animals. At some point, the protagonist comes in contact with a number of humanoid robots (androids). The theme of the book is very much about the blurry lines of what makes a living thing be alive (is the protagonist's own ultra-controlled life even called living?). So the title could be interpreted as "Do artificial humans have the same aspirations as us?", as in what's the difference between them and us.
• krapp 3y ago
  The title is a reference to the common meditative practice of counting sheep to help one go to sleep. The implication is that androids, being electric, would possibly count electric sheep. The title implies a deeper question, that being whether machines are capable of dreaming, and if so, whether a machine that dreams can be considered human.