| The
concept of reality has always been a strange one, being the invention
of
the human mind, but it seems as if our creation is beginning to come apart
at the seams in these so called ‘postmodern’ times. Is this
a good or a bad thing? In this notional ‘postmodern’ world,
which we presently inhabit, the notion of ‘reality’, or rather
how our minds perceive it, is a particular cause for concern. If one
stops to look about for just a moment it is very easy to find forms of ‘simulacra’
which we consider to be ‘real’. The computer, and its over-hyped
use - ‘surfing the web’, television, photography, and ‘virtual-reality’,
which is as far removed from ‘reality’ as it is possible to be,
being obvious examples of this. Perhaps it is right that such a concept
should be brought tumbling down. In this essay I intend to explore, and
hopefully gain some insights into, the nature of ‘reality’. I
shall do this by examining some of the the works of, the science-fiction
writer, Philip K. Dick. Placing particular emphasis on his 1968 novel Do
Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, the 1982 film rendition of it - Blade
Runner, and his 1972 novel We Can Build You. |
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Early
in the 21’st Century, THE TYRELL CORPORATION advanced Robot
evolution into the NEXUS phase -- a being virtually identical
to a human -- known as a replicant.
The NEXUS 6 Replicants were superior in strength and agility,
and at least equal in intelligence, to the genetic engineers who created
them.
Replicants were used Off-world as slave labour, in the hazardous
exploration and colonization of other planets.
After a bloody mutiny by a NEXUS 6 combat team in an Off-world
colony, Replicants were declared illegal on earth -- under penalty
of death.
Special police squads -- BLADE RUNNER UNITS -- had orders to shoot
to kill, upon detection, any trespassing Replicants.
This
was not called execution.
It was called retirement.
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