Discussion Topics
for
Stories from I, Robot, “Alpha Ralpha Boulevard,” and “The Last Day”
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? and Blade Runner

Stories from I, Robot by Isaac Asimov

General
What are the 3 laws of robotics?
How do people relate to robots?
What situations impact how robots behave?
How do people run into problems?
Why aren’t robots allowed on Earth?
What is the style of the stories?
Who is Susan Calvin? What kind of woman is she?
Is a robot an invention or a creation? How is this decided?
When can a robot truly be said to “think”?
What distinguishes a robot from a human being?
What are human beings like in these stories?
How can you relate the robots to previous non-human beings (Frankenstein's creature. the Maria-bot, etc.)?

“Reason”
How does Cutie reinvent Cartesian philosophy?
Apply “I think, therefore I am” to this story?
What philosophy does Cutie develop? How does he understand his world?
Why are Powell and Donovan unable to convince him he is wrong?
How does this impact the way in which they seem their own world?
Is it important that Cutie understand the truth? Why or Why not?
Can you apply the laws of robotics to this story?

“Liar!”
How does the introduction of thought and emotion impact the laws of robotics?
Why does Herbie prefer novels to mathematics?
Why does he seem to be a very poor mathematician to Bogert?
What else occurs in this vein? Why?
Why won’t he tell them how he became psychic?
How does Susan punish him? Why?
What elements of Susan Calvin’s personality are highlighted in this story?

“Evidence”
How might the laws of robotics be applied to politics?
What are the advantages or disadvantages of a robot politician?
What kind of politician is Quinn?
How do Quinn and Byerley use publicity?
How does Quinn attempt to prove his point?
How is this “proof” countered?
Why won’t Byerley eat a meal or allow himself to be x-rayed?
Who are the Fundamentalists?
What does Susan Calvin mean when she says that robots are “essentially decent?” (216)
How are the rules of robotics applied here?
Can a district attorney be a robot and uphold the laws? Why or why not?
Can we know if Stephen Byerley is a robot?

“Alpha Ralpha Boulevard” by Cordwainer Smith

Why is a world without danger or risk unattractive?
How is risk freedom? What else does it bring with it?
What is a “nightmare of perfection?” “The Rediscovery of Man?”
What does being French have to do with anything? How does one become French?
What is regained with the French language?
Who are the Instrumentality?
Who are the homunculi? What is their role in this world? The machines?
What is love like in the new world?
Should it matter if Virgina’s affection for Paul is simply programmed in?
What is fate? The soul?
What kind of authority is the Abba-dingo?
What does Monsieur Macht want? What kind of person is he?
What is fear?
What is Alpha Ralpha Boulevard?
What does it mean to have words inscribed on one’s body?
What do the words mean?
What do the animals, machines and homunculi of the world think of the people?
Is the memory of this day important to Paul? Why or why not?
What is the difference between fate and free will? Does it matter?
How are people distinguished from machines?
Compare this future world with others we have read about or watched.

“The Last Day” by Gene Wolf

What is the role of religion in this story? What is worshipped?
What is the position of technology in this future world?
How do these robots and machines compare with Asimov’s? Others we have read?
Is this the last day? Why or why not?
What does that imply about humanity?
What might be lost?

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Philip K. Dick

The New Earth
What is earth like in Dick’s novel? What has happened?
What has become of the natural world?
Why are there no owls?
Where have all the people gone?
What are the off-world colonies like?
What effect does the dust have on the Earth and its inhabitants?

Humans
How do the humans on Earth live?
What do Penfield mood organs do?
What does it mean to be “special”?
Are chickenheads and antheads considered human?
How does anyone know that they are human?

Androids
How are androids different from robots?
For what purpose were androids created?
How is it possible to tell androids apart from human beings?
Why is it important to tell androids from human beings?
Why are androids illegal on Earth?
What is the empathy test?
What is the bone marrow test?
What is Roy Baty’s philosophy?
Can you relate any of this to Asimov’s robots?
Do you think androids have souls?

Bounty Hunters
What work do bounty hunters do?
Does this go against the tenets of Mercerism?
What about Phil Resch disgusts Rick?
How do bounty hunters talk about androids?
What does the appearance of Mercer to Rick mean?
Why does Rick go into the wilderness at the end?

Pet Ownership
What does pet ownership or lack thereof signify in this world?
How is this different than our world?
How does one relate to a sheep? An electric sheep?
Why might Rachael feel resentment towards the goat?

Value of Life / Life Values
What makes life valuable?
What informs the values with which we live our lives?
Of what value is art?
What significance does the visit to the museum have?
How does Munch’s The Scream contribute to the story?
Is Luba Luft’s death a greater loss because she was an artist?

Mercer and Mercerism
Who is Wilbur Mercer?
Who does Mercer seem to be, and who does Buster Friendly claim he is?
How do the empathy boxes work? Do they reaffirm humanity?
What is the path of Mercer?
Why are the wounds real?
Who are the killers?
Why are animals sacred to Mercer?
Does it matter if Mercer is a fraud or not? Why or why not?
Why is the toad artificial?

Empathy and Loneliness
What does it mean to have empathy for another creature?
How can empathy be tested?
What does empathy really mean?
Is this world lonely? Why is loneliness a problem?
What is “kipple?”
What is “the void?”

Media
Who is Buster Friendly?
What role does he fill in this world?
How does he serve as a counterpart to Mercer?

Human Relationships
Are there any children in the novel? What might their presence or absence mean?
What kind of relationships does Rick have with his coworkers? With Iran?
What does he think of Iran?
How does Iran relate to her husband and to the world?
Why are they married? What does their marriage mean?

Android Relationships
Do androids have meaningful interpersonal relationships?
Is Irmgard a warm person?
Can you characterize the relationship between Roy and Irmgard Baty? Rachael and Pris?
Can androids have friends?

Android/Human Relationships
Why is it a problem that Rick feels empathy for some androids?
Why does Rick feel the need to sleep with Rachael?
Can you see relations between this desire and desire in other stories?
Why is it important to him that she love him?
Who is Rachael? Why are we given several possible histories for her?
Why does she do what she does?
How does J.R. Isidore relate to the androids in general? To Pris?

Being Human / Being Artificial
What kinds of things does the novel imply about human beings?
What does it mean to be human?
In what ways is humanity artificial?
Is there a possibility for birth or rebirth?
Are the characters less lonely at the end?
Can the entire novel be read as a metaphor?
What is the significance of the title?

Blade Runner

The City/The Planet: Where are we? How is this city different from the Los Angeles we know today? What is the weather like. What languages are spoken. What kind of cultural influences are obvious? Why are some people still on earth?

The People: What characterizes the people still on earth? Where are other people? Do you notice class distinctions? What is the role of the media and corporations in this world? How do people relate to the replicants?

Replicants: What or who are the replicants? How are they different from robots? Different from people? What are they used for? Why aren’t they allowed on earth? How do you tell the difference between people and replicants? How is the test conducted and what does it measure? How is a replicant retired?

Deckard: Who is Deckard? What kind of man is he? How does he relate to people and replicants?

Rachael: Who is Rachael? How does she look and act? What impression do you take from her? What is the importance of her memories?

Blade Runners: What is a Blade Runner? Why do they do what they do?

More Human than Human: A White Zombie song and the Tyrell Corporation motto. What does it mean? Are there varying ways to read it?

Memory: How do we know are memories are real? Compare this with The Matrix, Total Recall, Dark City, Strange Days, Johnny Mnemonic, etc. Why the recent emphasis on memory?

The Virtual vs. The Real: Is the owl real? What about the snake? How do you tell the difference between the virtual and the real?

The Future: What kind of image of the future is this? What has happened in the word? Have we read or seen other films/works with this kind of image?

Allusions: Are any allusions made to previous literature? Biblical imagery?

Vision: How is visual representation complicated in this film? What do you eyes tell you? What can’t they tell you? Look at visual images. Notice the importance of photographs and images of the eye.

Music: Notice the music in the film. The themes for the various characters. How is your response to the scenes and characters manipulated?

Film Noir: What is film noir? What aspects of film noir are presented here? Is there a femme fatal?

Women, Men and Relationships: What kind of relationships do people have here, both romantic and familial? What is Deckard’s relationship to Rachael? Rachael’s with her mother? The replicant and Tyrell? Roy’s with Priss? Roy and Deckard? Are there any children in the film?

Representations: Why the origami? What do people call the replicants and why?

Identity: What is identity? How do you know your identity is your own? What does it mean to live in fear?

The Novel and the Film

What are some of the significant changes between the novel and the film?
How do you feel about the characters in the two versions?
Is the change from Luba to Zhora significant?