Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, vol. 5, by Philip K. Dick and Tony Parker 7.75

This particular volume of ‘Do Androids Dream…’, filled me with sadness. I’m not sure why, exactly, but I think it’s because there appears to be very little hope for anyone in this part of the story: it’s full of imminent death – both physical and spiritual.

The key strength of this volume is the bond that grows between Deckard and Rachel Rosen. Their exchanges were a relish, the core of which is about the connection between human and non-human beings. I found this absorbing. That, and the existential questions that generally permeate the whole book.

Then there’s the art. I’m not going to harp on it, because my opinion has not changed one iota since the last four volumes. All I can say is: Move along, there’s nothing to see here. Move along, move along.

But a part of me would like to read the novel and see if Dick’s descriptions fill in the blanks better than Parker’s work does. The story is quite good, but I keep getting the impression that we’re missing out on a lot due to this series’ lacklustre visual rendering.

Still, this graphic novel rendition of ‘Do Androids Dream…’ is moving along nicely. I can’t wait to see how it wraps up in the next volume. Stay tuned.