In class, on Oct 13, 2008. I gave the following small group exercise.
In each group, write a 100-250 word essay about the "Do Androids ..." world. The goal is to speculate about concrete details that are only hinted at in the first two chapters. Nothing is too bizarre, as long as you can point to evidence in the first two chapters that support your claim.
The essay could read like a travelogue, vacation brochure, encylcopedia entry, journal entry, synopsis, or whatever the group decides, but use a consistent voice.
Here are the results:
Tired of living in a radiation-infested environment? Remember the good old days when an empty apartment was a good thing? Come to Mars! You and your loved ones can come enjoy the many luxuries Mars has to offer! If you're not in a good mood, don't worry! We have fabulous Penfield Mood Organs! You'll never have a bad day again. And don't forget the UN gives every emigrant their own android personally tailored to their needs. Don't stay on Earth, come to Mars, where the only dust is the good kind and the andys are obedient. Don't be special, come to Mars and be normal!
Looking for a great vacation spot? Why not San Francisco? A dust filled hot spot of Northern California. The year is now 2021 and this is the "it" spot. But don’t forget your lead codpiece. Although this whimsical dust is fascinating, it’s slightly hazardous radiation is bearable. This is the future and we are all used to it. Don’t forget to visit the locals and their cheerfully, realistic animals. And the android population is near nil. San Francisco, where all of the last remaining survivors of World War Terminus are. So come to San Francisco because you are Special!!
2019 - Day 1: This is my first entry. We found two more owls in our yard today. My sister and I couldn't help but find it amusing as we threw them away.
2019 - Day 36: There is a strange dust that has appeared. We thought we would be safe here, because we were not affected too much by the war. We were wrong. It killed my sister.
2019 - Day 48: More people are dead. The news keeps telling people to emigrate to New America, the colony on Mars. I don't think I will. My parents are afraid, though; they want to forget.
2020 - Day 179: The government is now offering new specialized androids to anyone who goes to one of the colony worlds. I need to leave. It has become too dangerous here. My dog died. I think that I will buy a new one when I get to New Portland, or at least an electric one if I can't afford a real one. It’s better than nothing.
2021 - Day 486: I found out I was special. I couldn't leave. Almost everyone else is gone. I was able to get an electric dog, though. It keeps the loneliness at bay. I also got a mood organ. It helps me stay focused. Without it, I would surely die of grief. I am almost glad that people are gone. I don't know what I would have done if another person called me a chicken head.
2021 - Day 512: I lost my job. They say that I am too sick to work. Not even the mood organ works. I see no point anymore. Goodbye.
In the novel "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep", written by Philip K. Dick it is implied that there was a nuclear fall out on Earth, which is called the World War Terminus. This is resulted in the world being covered in dust. It killed millions, and out of those who remained, most migrated to other planets. Those who remained on earth made sure to own at least one animal (electrical or real) because animals were considered very valuable, due to the endangerment or extinction of most species.
Rick Deckard, the main character has the job of detecting and eliminating rouge androids within the surviving community. He has a wife, Iran and an electric sheep.
In the novel, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sleep, by Phillip Dick, a post-apocalyptic society struggles to live normally. Due to radioactive fallout as a result of a world-war, much of Earth's population has migrated off-world to avoid poisoning. Those who remain do so by choice, or are too contaminated to leave.
To preserve a sense of false-reality, many own android animals. Much like it was before the warm possessions are a sign of prosperity; the basic trends of culture and society remain intact, however they are less refined. To combat the negative effects of radiation on brain chemistry, the wealthy purchase "mood organs" to artificially regulate their moods.
The risks of radiation aside, the remaining governments resort to hypocritical propaganda to encourage the complete assimilation of the human race off the planet. Television advertisements promise a free android to those who want to leave, so long as they are neither contaminated nor dim-witted.
Overall, society is whittled down by factors environmental, economic, and of fear. Those who remain struggle to preserve what culture has not been forgotten, as well as create a new one from the bleak, under populated earth no longer fir for a global civilization.
Anything is possible in the world. You can change your present state of mind to your desired condition by the press of a button. The government screwed up. Bad. Most people left to Mars. This is due to a great nuclear war that rendered the world desolate and almost void of animals. So much so in fact that animals are loved and revered and everyone wants to own one. Androids, or "Andy’s"are horrible and the main character is an assassin that is trying to destroy them all. Since many have fled to Mars to save themselves, there is a great amount of property to be inhabited.