One of Phillip K Dick's best. I am probably in the minority in preferring it to Bladerunner - apparently even PK Dick preferred the noir film to his original manuscript. Like in The Kraken Wakes I find the 'whimper not a bang' narrative a lot more satisfying and realistic than a dystopia. There is a theme of veneration of animals, along with a steady degeneration of humans on earth, who pretend it's not happening in order to preserve their sanity. The government are frantically promoting mass emigration to the colonies, along with promotion of a new religion, Penfield organs that improve mood, and a worldwide syndicated television show, all of which solace and soothe the population. There's a great exploration of what it means to be human; comparing humanoid androids, humans, humans who have had their brains damaged by radioactivity, animals and electric animals. It measures empathy and intelligence against one another in a kind of arena of worth.