The novel begins in the year 2021 in San Francisco after World War Terminus covered Earth in toxic dust. Most humans were
able to leave Earth with the incentive of a free android as a slave on the new planet (Mars). Those who could not afford to leave or were unable to for certain reasons remained on the scarcely populated Earth. Those that remained were either normal people or "special" people that were affected by the radiation and did not qualify to emigrate. Also, due to the dust and results of the war, most species on Earth became extinct or extremely rare. The few animals that remained became a symbol of wealth to own. For those that could not afford a real animal due to the high costs, they could purchase artificial animals built by companies to look and act realistically.
Another key aspect of life on Earth is the following of Mercerism, a religion-type belief consisting of human empathy. Humans use their empathy boxes to simulate real emotions. They also use their Penfield mood organs to program any mood that they want to be in whenever they want it.
Rick Deckard, the protagonist working as a bounty hunter for the San Francisco Police Department, was unable to emigrate because his job required him to remain on Earth. Deckard and his wife, Iran, own an electric sheep that they care for and everyone believes is real. However, the fact that he cannot afford a real animal makes Deckard very unhappy and he is constantly admiring other's animals and those listed in Sidney's Animal & Fowl, the animal catalogue. Deckard and his wife also seem to be having marital problems, making them both unhappy.
As a bounty hunter, Deckard is responsible for "retiring" (killing) androids that have killed their masters on Mars and come to Earth. The latest version of the androids, produced by the Rosen Association, is the Nexus-6 and is nearly impossible to distinguish from humans. The only difference between humans and the Nexus-6 androids is the empathy that humans possess and androids lack. After his superior Dave Holden is shot with a laser gun and hospitalized while hunting androids, Deckard is assigned the remaining 6 androids of a group of 8 that recently came to Earth in his jurisdiction. Deckard must use the Voigt-Kampff Empathy Test to determine the difference and retire the remaining androids but he must first make sure that the Voigt-Kampff Test is still accurate on the latest version. In order to test it, he makes a trip to the Rosen Association to test one of their Nexus-6 samples.
Upon his arrival, Deckard is greeted by Rachael Rosen, the niece of Eldon Rosen, the company's president. In order to test the accuracy of the Voigt-Kampff Test, Eldon insists that Deckard administer the test to Rachael first. Rachael narrowly fails the test and Deckard doubts the accuracy until he realizes that Rachael is an android but does not realize it herself. The company has implanted false memories in Rachael's mind and she truly believes that she is human.
The story then turns to J.R. Isodore, a "special" that works for a vet company that deals with manufactured animals. Due to his low I.Q. and brain damage from the dust, Isodore was not allowed to emigrate and lives on his own in an abandoned apartment complex. While in his apartment one night, Isodore hears noises from one of the other apartments in his building and goes to find out who is there. Pris Stratton answers the door and is clearly uncomfortable speaking to Isodore. The reader finds out that Pris is actually one of the androids that Deckard is out to retire but Isodore is unaware of this. He offers to be her friend and is grateful not to be alone anymore. Pris is made from the exact model as Rachael Rosen and looks identical to her.
The story returns to following Deckard as he arrives back at the police station to start his hunt. He is given his assignments, starting with an android named Polokov, the one that shot Holden. While waiting for another cop who has been assigned to help him, Deckard is confronted by Polokov and is able to retire him just before Polokov can strangle Deckard.
After successfully retiring Polokov, Deckard moves on to his next assignment. Luba Luft works as an opera singer and Deckard is amazed at her beautiful voice while waiting for the opportunity to test her. He finally gets a chance to talk to her in her dressing room after rehearsal and she calls the police because she suspects he is a sexual deviant. When an officer shows up, he claims that he knows all of the bounty hunters at the police station and does not recognize Deckard. Crams, the officer that responded to Luft's call, brings Deckard to the station but it is a completely different building than the one that Deckard works at and he does not recognize it at all. Deckard believes that Crams is also an android. When they arrive at the new police station, Officer Garland questions Deckard. It turns out that Garland is the next android on Deckard's list. Garland calls in one of the Bounty hunters on his police force, Phil Resch, and while waiting for him, Garland explains to Deckard that Resch is actually an android. Like Rachael, Resch is apparently unaware that he is an android and believes that he is human. When Resch returns, Garland attempts to kill him but Resch shoots and retires Garland first.
After leaving the police station, Resch accompanies Deckard to finish off Luft. The pair finds Luft at the art museum and Resch retires her. Deckard is surprised at the lack of emotion that Resch seems to display at killing the android and believes that he is, as Garland explained, an android. In order to check this claim, Deckard gives Resch the Voigt-Kampff test and it comes up negative. Resch is a human after all.
On his way home from work that night, Deckard stops at a pet shop and purchases a real goat to bring home to his wife. After spending some time at home, Deckard is convinced by his empathy box to go back out and retire the remaining three androids. He calls Rachael to ask for her help but instead, he offers to meet her at a hotel. When she shows up, they talk for a while before Rachael tells him that she loves him and they have sex. However, afterwards, Rachael admits that she has slept with nine bounty hunters because after they have sex with her, they are unable to kill more androids.
Deckard leaves the hotel room and goes to Isodore's apartment building to retire the last of the androids. The other two remaining, Irmgard and Roy Baty, have joined Pris and Deckard is aware that all three will be there. When he arrives, Isodore is outside putting a spider in a bush that he found in the apartment so Pris will stop taking its legs off. Isodore admits to Deckard that he is helping the androids and tells him that it was just proven that Mercer doesn't exist and that their belief system is a fraud.
Deckard proceeds into the building and retires Pris first, then Irmgard, and finally Roy. All of this takes place over a one-day period and Deckard is given a large bonus for retiring 6 androids in one day, breaking the record for Nexus-6 androids. When he returns home after his long day, he finds his goat has been killed and his wife gives him a description of the killer, matching Rachael Rosen. Deckard leaves to go to the hills of Oregon and stumbles upon a live toad. He excitedly brings it back to his wife and she shows him that it is indeed a mechanical toad, crushing his last bit of hope.
Characters:
Rick Deckard-Protagonist, bounty hunter
Iran Deckard-Rick's wife, strong believer of Mercerism
Harry Bryant-inspector that assigns the androids to Deckard for retirement
Dave Holden-Deckard's superior, shot by Polokov
Rachael Rosen-android that believes she is human and the niece of Eldon Rosen, sleeps with Deckard and kills his goat
Eldon Rosen-president of the Rosen Association
J.R. Isodore-"special" that assists the last three androids
Pris Stratton-android that lives in Isodore's building, same model as Rachael, retired by Deckard
Max Polokov-android that shot Holden, Deckard's first retirement of the novel
Luba Luft-opera-singing android, calls the police on Deckard, retired by Resch
Crams-officer that responds to Luft's call, brings Deckard to alternative police station
Garland-android, officer at alternative police station, on Deckard's list to retire, retired by Resch
Phil Resch-bounty hunter at alternative police station, believed to be an android but is human, retires Garland and Luft
Irmgard Baty-android, married to Roy, retired by Deckard
Roy Baty-android, married to Irmgard, leader of the eight androids that came to Earth, last to be retired by Deckard
Author-Philip K. Dick:
1928-1982: Born in Chicago and attended the University of California at Berkeley. He did not finish college but went on to write thirty-six novels and five short story collections. Dick earned many awards before his early death due to heart failure after a stroke.
Eight of his works have been turned into films:
Blade Runner
Total Recall
The Minority Report
Screamers
Imposter
Confessions d’un Barjo (French film based on the novel, Confessions of a Crap Artist)
