We Can Build You in Philip K Dick

Oct 21, 2019 RJ - Slayer of Trolls rated it liked it · review of another edition

Is this the unsung prequel to Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? The story about a company who begins to manufacture artificial humans after losing market share to a company who manufactures "mood organs" was actually written prior to DADoES, although published later, and it touches a lot of familiar notes for fans of PKD's most popular novel, including the infancy of offworld living as well as mutations caused by radioactive fallout. Dick explores his favorite philosophical theme, the definit ...more

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Aug 30, 2011 Maureen rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011, novels

We Can Build You, as a novel, is perhaps as schizophrenic as its characters are. It begins by introducing the narrator, Louis Rosen, co-owner of a not entirely legitimate distributor of organ and spinet pianos with Maury Rock aka Frauenzimmer. Maury's daughter, eighteen-year old Pris has recently been let out of a mental hospital on an out-patient basis: in this world radiation has not only caused physical deformities but mental ones and a large segment of the population functions (or doesn't, a We Can Build You, as a novel, is perhaps as schizophrenic as its characters are. It begins by introducing the narrator, Louis Rosen, co-owner of a not entirely legitimate distributor of organ and spinet pianos with Maury Rock aka Frauenzimmer. Maury's daughter, eighteen-year old Pris has recently been let out of a mental hospital on an out-patient basis: in this world radiation has not only caused physical deformities but mental ones and a large segment of the population functions (or doesn't, as the case may be) with one or both conditions. Pris has 'phrenia (the short form PKD uses to imply how common the disorder really is) and she is also a brilliantly creative mind. She comes up with a new idea for their business, since organs aren't selling so well anymore. She suggests they sell civil war simulacra and they begin with Edward M. Stanton, Abraham Lincoln's war secretary, before recreating Lincoln himself. So that's the beginning: Louis is as normal as they come, his brother Chip, on the other hand, has an upside-down face. Chip and their scholarly father run the organ factory that is failing to sell organs and they are convinced to begin the manufacture of simulacra instead. Pris has the idea of interesting the rich entrepreneur Sam K. Barrows in their product, and you expect that the book will all be about what nefarious purposes he plans for the simulacra.

But that's not what the book ends up really being about. Some might say that it becomes a love story, and I supposed that's partly true, but I think what the book really ends up doing, is showing that normal isn't necessarily normal, and how precarious sanity can really be. I have to admit I wasn't sure what was happening when the novel seemed to veer off course, but then I realized it was making me feel as crazy as the people in the book were: that's the power of PKD's writing at work. Luckily this time I manage to cling to the edge without toppling over.

4.5 stars for some of his best dialogue, and messing with my head. again. and for reminding me how powerful a mood stimulator classical music can be. ...more

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May 22, 2009 Simon rated it liked it

Shelves: sf

A mish-mash of themes and ideas in this book with occaisional flashes of brilliance but never quite weaved together as expertly as he has done elsewhere.

Themes explored in this book include those that he has examined in other books such as simulacrums ("Do Androids dream of Electric Sheep", "The Simulacra"), what it means to be alive and mental illness/breakdown ("A Scanner Darkly").

Certainly the focus of the book seems to shift from the former to the latter which leaves one with the impression ...more

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Apr 04, 2009 James rated it really liked it

Read in one day. After reading this I am confused about the "true" story herein. I'm unclear if the reader was crazy at the beginning or at the end. Maybe somewhere in the middle? I love Abraham Lincoln! ...more

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Dec 02, 2012 Charles Baudelaire rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorite-author, fav-novel

this may not b top three...actually it prob is. it starts off kinda funky, but it has the sexiest PKD relationship

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Aug 05, 2011 Themistocles rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: p-k-dick, scifi

A rather confused book to tell the truth, and probably a case of PKD having some great ideas and then cobbling them together. But still, PKD's brilliance shines through. ...more

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