Science Fiction
Dictionary
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Latest By
Category:
Armor
Artificial
Intelligence
Biology
Clothing
Communication
Computers
Culture
Data Storage
Displays
Engineering
Entertainment
Food
Input Devices
Lifestyle
Living Space
Manufacturing
Material
Media
Medical
Miscellaneous
Robotics
Security
Space Tech
Spacecraft
Surveillance
Transportation
Travel
Vehicle
Virtual
Person
Warfare
Weapon
Work
"It was [H.G. Wells'] adolescent fiction, his imaginative stories, that live forever - and yet are not acknowledged in literature classes as being great literature. So to hell with the academics!"
- Greg Bear
 |
| Mood Organ | ||
| A device which allows you to dial the mood you would like to have. |
It is not clear, from the novel, exactly how the mood organ works. It seems to produce some sort of wave that acts selectively on different parts of the brain; the heart of the device is the Penfield Wave Transmitter.
In this excerpt, Rick Deckard is having an argument with his wife, and is looking for the right "tune" from his mood organ.
| At his console he hesitated between dialing for a thalamic suppressant (which would abolish his mood of rage) or a thalamic stimulant (which would make him irked enough to win the argument). "If you dial," Iran said, eyes open and watching, "for greater venom, then I'll dial the same." |
| From Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?,
by Philip K. Dick. Published by Doubleday in 1968 Additional resources -
|
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep is a novel that makes use of androids (created beings that are organic, and are essentially identical to people). During the course of the novel, the reader is often moved have feelings about these artificial beings, and then forced to compare their feelings toward the "real" humans. The mood organ is a fascinating way for Dick to accomplish a kind of dehumanization of the fully human characters, blurring the distinctions for the reader.
Here is another quote that shows how the mood organ is used:
My favorite setting for the mood organ is 888, which creates the desire to watch TV no matter what is on. I seem to be able to manufacture whatever neurochemicals are necessary for this mood without resort to artifice, but, gosh, it would be nice if everyone could.
'So I left the TV sound off and I sat down at my mood organ and I experimented. And I finally found a setting for despair… So I put it on my schedule for twice a month; I think that's a reasonable amount of time to feel hopeless about everything...' How much time do you set aside each month for specific moods?"
Comment/Join this discussion ( 5 ) | RSS/XML | Blog This |
Additional
resources:
More Ideas
and Technology from Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
More Ideas
and Technology by Philip K. Dick
Tech news articles related to Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
Tech news articles related to works by Philip K. Dick
Mood Organ-related
news articles:
- Thync Mood Alteration Like PKD's Mood Organ
- Thync Mood-Changing Wearable Device
- Deep Brain Stimulation Soon Without Surgery
| Do Aliens Have A 'Non-Interference' Prime Directive? |
| Collie Dog Suit Fulfills His Dream - Of Walking In Public As A Dog |
| Jonathan Swift in 1726 Predicted AI-Generated Crap Overwhelming Amazon In 2023 |
| Virtual Reality: Is Technology Alone Enough To Fully Enter A New World? |
Want to Contribute an
Item?
It's easy:
Get the name of the item, a
quote, the book's name and the author's name, and Add
it here.
| <Previous | Next> |
|
|
|
Technovelgy (that's tech-novel-gee!) is devoted to the creative science inventions and ideas of sf authors. Look for the Invention Category that interests you, the Glossary, the Science Fiction Invention Timeline, or see what's New.
|
Science Fiction
Timeline
1600-1899
1900-1939
1940's 1950's
1960's 1970's
1980's 1990's
2000's 2010's
'Robots have worse problems than anybody.' (A Present for Pat)
'... the frosted glass squares began, one by one, to show the faces and shoulders of a peculiar type of young men.'
'When the colony was established, the whole interior was carved out with atomic burners...'
'The machine scans the patterns of the mind; ...Impress these same waves on a robot computer.'
'... ravished with joy, I gazed at the giant suns, Arcturus and Betelguese, and the red Antares, and at systems of double and triple and quadruple suns...'
'Skarwold pushed a switch and Katz’s autodoc sprayed sedative into his lungs.'
'... it is remarkable that the long leverages of their machines are in most cases actuated by a sort of sham musculature.'
'The tree ended its wild larruping, stood like a dreaming giant liable to wake into frenzy at any moment.'
