Bladerunner: Was Deckard a replicant?

Re: "More Human Than Human"

Thanks for your speculations Whitestar, much appreciated and I like your attention for detail Mcmurphy. The book leaves the reader questioning Deckards humanity right? The film did the same. Then surely Scotts statement that Deckard is a replicant should not be taken to heart by those who enjoy pondering the question. Personally I feel this question is the culmination of everything the movie/novel was trying to bring across to us, who really has the right to decide that something that feels and thinks is any less human than us.

It is especially interesting in light of the very real question of clones.
 
Re: "More Human Than Human"

I am enjoying this debate as well. Another theory I had was after Deckard got exposed to the Nexus 6 model Replicants, this jaded seen-it-all cop was genuinely shocked at the realism of these replicants and bewildered at Rachels total ignorance to her true origins.

I think it would frighten a lot of people into questioning their own humanity and mortality as to whether they were truly born or not. Perhaps the paranoia was a heavy burden to bear for him and a part of Deckard quietly began resigning itself to accept that it was a replicant as well.

I mean, did he ever have any doubts before taking on this case?
 
Re: "More Human Than Human"

As he had quit the force, and only took the case under duress, i'd deff say he'd been questioning before he met the nexus 6 models or racheal. as shown in his sadness at killing zorah, basicaly an unarmed woman running for her life, by shooting her in the back. I'd say that made him feel very unmanly.
 
For me, the story (and film) posed a question more about our own so-called humanity than whether Deckard was a replicant. After all, often when we talk about 'Humanity' we mean feelings of compassion, love etc. And the way we treat others reflects our own Humanity.

Going around destroying sentient beings (whether manufactured or otherwise) or condoning such a thing as Deckard's whole society basically does, poses more questions about ourselves as a People rather than Deckard as an individual.
 
Good point, Foxbat - the primary question in the film was "What makes us human?"

Roy letting go of the dove when he died was a metaphor for the soul leaving the body - which added extra poignancy to the replicant characters.
 
trying to get hold of a copy of the book, went online to e-bay and amazon, found a copy, online for £400 starting bid!
honestly
 
I've found my copy and finished it. It seems that there is a hell of a lot of difference between the book and film. But what to expect?
Anyway, in the book, its very deffinatly stated, on several occasions that deckard isn't a replicant. In fact. it goes out of its way to point out why he isn't, and that it doesn't make him a better being.
The unicorn doesn't feature at all, and the only dream mentioned is fom the empathy boxes. I found the book very niave and innocent, even although it tried to be grown up and cynical. No Gaff either. and there were eight replicants on earth. the first blade runner got two and got knocked out of action by a third. Deckard had to track down the other six and retire them. There was no precinct of replicant police on the city payroll, rather the replicants had set up a police station to help each other out.
 
If you want mopre of the same universe (or quite similar enough), check Flow my tears, said the policeman, Still K Dick, still replicant problem. A lot less naive.
 
Personally I don't see what sence it would make for Deckard to be a replicant. Like there had to be more than 6 or 8 replicants in existance, it would be reasonable to assume that the hunting of replicants was not a new thing. He had to study them like any law enforment and and even became obsessed with them. (like any hollywood-cop-baddie movie)

Just I question was there a follow up book because I think I had a Blade runner book when I was young of which I only read fist few chapters and it went like "Decker and Rachael was on the run/hiding out in a cabin in the mountains and the cabin was surrounded by cops".

any idea?
 
Tomk1 said:
Just I question was there a follow up book because I think I had a Blade runner book when I was young of which I only read fist few chapters and it went like "Decker and Rachael was on the run/hiding out in a cabin in the mountains and the cabin was surrounded by cops".
Click to expand...
There is
Blade Runner 2 The Edge of Human
Blade Runner 3 Replicant Night
Blade Runner 4 Eye and Talon
all by K W Jeter
 
I say Replicant because in the fighting scenes, while Deckard and his opponents fought in regular speed, the background slowed down; and replicants I think are fast.
 
I recently wrote an essay on the book. The main theme of the book (and all of Dick's works), is that there *cannot* be one base reality experienced by everyone. Every person's reality is equally valid as they experience it.

Running throughout the book is Deckard's questioning of his own humanity and a strange duality; Chaos and order/life and death/human or synthetic/ real or unreal - also please look into the 'phantom twin' motif explored in many of his works; he was born with a twin sister who dies shortly after birth; this loss haunted his works :)

In one chapter Deckard is arrested by a cop who claims he has no record of Deckard on file as a registered blade runner. He takes him to a parallel police HQ, which turns out to be run entirely by androids, with a human blade runner working (the only blade runner and human in the department). Therefore with these themes of duality/mirror realities it is strongly suggested that it is entirely possible that Deckard is in fact a replicant himself, albeit one with implanted memories to make him think he is human. - He may well be the only <i>replicant</i> working in a department full of humans! It all depends on whose viewpoint you choose to take.

-- see also 'Impostor' and 'A Scanner Darkly' for more extreme examples of this same running theme in Dick's work.

Androids are indeed illegal on earth, however; Rachael is living legally on earth as she is technically the property of the Rosen Association. As a programmed android working for the police department (or maybe also for the Rosen association to clear up the mess and bad publicity caused by some of their creations running amok), Deckard would also then technically be allowed on earth.

The book strongly implies that Rick may or may not be synthetic, but is strongly ambiguous. This is to emphasize the point that reality is totally subjective. The film isn't nearly as confrontational in this respect, although the final cut does do more justice to the book in this respect.

Anyway I am producing a series of illustrations for the book (4 plus cover) based around the themes stated earlier; Chaos and order/life and death/human or synthetic/ real or unreal, and would really appreciate anybodies feedback and especially suggestions on where I could take this or suggested passages from the book.

- Look forward to some input guys :)
 
Picture a world were there can make a machine that can think like a human and is stronger than a human.

What else might then have invented? Maybe they can for example implant dreams into someone. Maybe the want him to think he was a replicant.

if anyone can see a flaw in this please point it out.
 
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