JR Isidore

John Isidore, classified as a “special” due to genetic damage from radiation exposure, occupies a marginalised position in society. He lives alone in a crumbling building and works as a driver for an electric animal repair shop. His mental limitations prevent him from immigrating to off-world colonies or fully participating in society, leaving him isolated and alienated. Despite his disadvantages, John demonstrates openness and kindness rarely found in others. His interactions with androids show his unconditional compassion, as he values their existence regardless of their artificial nature. John devotes himself to finding connection, and his embrace of Mercerism betrays a need for shared experiences and purpose. His decaying surroundings, filled with the ever-spreading “kipple,” mirror his loneliness and the broader entropy of Earth. Yet, John maintains hope, always reaching out to others.

John R. Isidore is a lonely man whose primary goal in the novel is to find companionship. Isidore’s utter isolation is multi-layered. Deemed a “special” by the powers that be, it is illegal for him to reproduce, and he is shunned by human society on Earth. Isidore lives all alone in a vast abandoned apartment complex. Even his senses are dulled by the radioactivity permeating his body and brain, which further isolates him from the world around him. Thus, when Pris Stratton and the other renegade androids come to his building, Isidore excitedly seeks companionship with them. 

Isidore is eager to help, even after discovering their status as artificial life forms, which shows how desperate he is for connection. He reasons that if society has shunned him for his cognitive abilities, he can accept other individuals upon whom society has turned its back. Isidore’s reasoning and empathy indicates that he is more emotionally intelligent, and less “damaged,” than many of the other characters in the novel, despite his disability. Yet, Isidore’s mind is a simple one and his faith in Mercerism is complete. He uses his empathy box often and feels a strong connection to the unending cycle of Mercer’s climb from the tomb world to the top of the mountain. Just as Mercer preaches, Isidore considers all life precious. Thus, when the androids torture a living spider, his faith in his new friends is shattered. He finds himself in the tomb world once again, where everything around him crumbles to death and dust.