Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

For a kid who remembers (and was a full participant in) the Star Wars insanity of the late 1970s and early 1980s, I am surprised I never developed a taste for science fiction. One of the many benefits I've derived from following the List is it gives me the opportunity to delve into some genres I've neglected.

Most people are familiar with the early 80s feature film Blade Runner which starred Harrison Ford fresh from his Star Wars gig as Han Solo. The film, based on this novel, has become something of a cult classic and has been reedited and recut several times in the ensuing years.

The novel, by Philip K. Dick, is really a detective novel set in the future on an earth that has been depopulated. Most citizens have joined a colony on Mars, leaving a decrepit and decaying society behind. Rick Deckard is a bounty hunter who hunts incredibly life-like androids who have sneaked off of Mars and infiltrated Earth societies. There are certain tests that will allow Deckard to detect whether or not the 'person' he is pursuing is actually an android. Deckard wants to do an excellent job, make some money, and replace his electric sheep with a real live animal (most of whom seem to have died off). The main part of the action revolves around Deckard's pursuit of four or five extremely high quality androids and he begins to wonder how human he is himself.

There's a great sense of paranoia about the novel, as well as the usual themes of identity and ethics that seem to be present in a lot of sci fi. I enjoyed the book; it was a quick read and had some nice action sequences. It didn't make me turn the corner to becoming a full-fledged sci fi fan, but it didn't push me further away either.