Really interesting ideas sandwiched in a bit of a weird trip.
I'm sure there's an English studies thesis for this book, but I'm utterly unqualified. This book was, kind of all over the shop.
I'm very familiar with Blade Runner (both director's cut and OG) and I'd known ahead of time that the book it was based on was not the same.
There's actually a fairly coherent string of plot that's similar to the ideas of the movie: identity and self awareness.
The middle section of the book is actually pretty linear to follow.
It's mostly the sections that involve Mercer and the mind fusing that the characters go through. Specifically when there's no purposeful fusing - in that two characters, Deckard included, seem to just start tripping and interacting with Mercer, or... having "thought" stones thrown at them... I'm not sure.
The Mercer sections, I found myself reading for the ride, but not really knowing what was going on.
I'm glad I've finally got a Philip K. Dick book under my belt, though I was warned that this particular book probably isn't the best choice for a first.
What does stand out is for a book written in 1968, it reads like something that was written recently (perhaps with the exception of the flying cars still using petrol!).
Originally published on Remy Sharp's b:log