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Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

Pages
270
Published
1968
Language
English

Synopsis

In a post-apocalyptic San Francisco, bounty hunter Rick Deckard is tasked with 'retiring' escaped androids who are nearly indistinguishable from humans. As he hunts them down, the lines between man and machine begin to blur, forcing him to question his own humanity and the nature of life itself.

About the author

P
Philip K. Dick

Philip Kindred Dick was an American novelist, short story writer, and essayist whose published work during his lifetime was almost entirely in the science fiction genre. Dick explored sociological, political and metaphysical themes in novels dominated by monopolistic corporations, authoritarian governments, and altered states. In his later works, Dick's thematic focus strongly reflected his personal interest in metaphysics and theology. He often drew upon his own life experiences and addressed t...

Characters

Rick DeckardProtagonist

A bounty hunter for the San Francisco police department, tasked with "retiring" escaped Nexus-6 androids passing as human.

Roy BatyAntagonist

The leader of the six escaped Nexus-6 androids that Deckard is assigned to hunt down in San Francisco.

John IsidoreSupporting

A radiation-damaged "chickenhead" who lives alone and befriends the escaped androids hiding in his apartment building.

Rachael RosenSupporting

A Nexus-6 android who works for the Rosen Association and forms a complicated relationship with Deckard over the course of his investigation.

Phil ReschSupporting

A bounty hunter at the Mission Street police station who works with Deckard while investigating an unfamiliar second precinct.

All characters in Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

Frequently asked questions

  • Is Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? the book Blade Runner is based on?

    Yes. Ridley Scott's 1982 film Blade Runner is a loose adaptation of Philip K. Dick's 1968 novel, and many later reissues of the book have been retitled "Blade Runner" to match the film.

  • Did Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? win any awards?

    It was a finalist for the 1968 Nebula Award for Best Novel but lost to Alexei Panshin's Rite of Passage. In 2011 it was voted onto NPR's Top 100 Science Fiction and Fantasy Books list.

  • Are there sequels to Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

    Philip K. Dick never wrote a sequel, but after his death author K. W. Jeter wrote three authorized continuations - Blade Runner 2: The Edge of Human (1995), Blade Runner 3: Replicant Night (1996), and Blade Runner 4: Eye and Talon (2000) - that continue Rick Deckard's story.

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