Wiktor Wise
The 1968 novel 'Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?' by Philip K. Dick has inspired several screen adaptations, including the 1982 film 'Blade Runner' and its 2017 sequel, 'Blade Runner 2049'. The novel also influenced a 10-episode sci-fi anthology series, 'Philip K. Dick's Electric Dreams', which was released in 2017-2018. While the series explores similar themes to the novel, each episode is a standalone adaptation of a different short story written by Dick.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Electric Dreams |
| Year | 2017-2018 |
| No. of episodes | 10 |
| Based on | Short stories by Philip K. Dick |
| Genre | Science fiction |
| Streaming platforms | Amazon Prime Video, Channel 4 |
| Country | UK, US |
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What You'll Learn
'Electric Dreams' TV series (2017-2018)
Electric Dreams is a science fiction anthology TV series based on the works of Philip K. Dick. The series explores humanity through 10 standalone episodes, each inspired by a different short story written by Dick. The episodes are set in unique worlds, ranging from 5 to 5000 years in the future, and question what it means to be human. The series was a co-production between the UK's Channel 4 and Amazon Prime Video, with the first six episodes airing weekly on Channel 4 in 2017 and the remaining episodes premiering on Amazon in 2018.
The series features an all-star cast that changes with each episode, including Bryan Cranston, Steve Buscemi, Greg Kinnear, Timothy Spall, Anna Paquin, Maura Tierney, Annalise Basso, Essie Davis, Liam Cunningham, and Ruth Bradley. The episodes were filmed in England and Chicago, with various locations in Kent, England, featured prominently. The series has received generally favourable reviews, with a 72% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a weighted average score of 68 out of 100 on Metacritic.
The first episode, "Safe and Sound," stars Maura Tierney and Annalise Basso. The second episode, "Human Is," features Bryan Cranston, Essie Davis, Liam Cunningham, and Ruth Bradley. The fourth episode, "Crazy Diamond," was filmed in the Dungeness estate and the Cheyne Court wind farm in Kent, England. The series features a main title theme and episode scores by composers such as Harry Gregson-Williams, Ólafur Arnalds, and Bear McCreary.
While the series has been praised for its production values and optimistic tone, some critics have noted that it lacks originality and tonal cohesion, drawing comparisons to other science fiction anthology series such as Black Mirror. However, the series has also been described as a "worthy entertaining piece" and a "meditation on the kind of question that might underpin a fairytale." The writing and direction have received some criticism, with some reviewers noting that it does not live up to the genius of Philip K. Dick's original stories.
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'Blade Runner' film (1982)
The 1982 film Blade Runner is a loose adaptation of Philip K. Dick's 1968 novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? Set in a dystopian future Los Angeles of 2019, the film is a sci-fi noir about a cop named Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) who is forced to "retire" (i.e. kill) four genetically engineered cyborgs, known as "Replicants". The Replicants, led by Roy Batty (Rutger Hauer), have escaped from an off-world colony and returned to Earth to find their creator, whom they want to force to expand their pre-determined four-year life span.
The film was directed by Ridley Scott and written by Hampton Fancher and David Peoples. It initially flopped at the box office and polarised critics, but has since become a widely acclaimed cult classic. Blade Runner is known for its hauntingly possible depiction of a future Los Angeles, as well as its powerful visuals, brilliant acting, and thought-provoking plot and symbolism. The film's soundtrack, composed by Vangelis, was also nominated for a BAFTA and a Golden Globe in 1982.
The special effects engineers who worked on the film are often praised for the innovative technology they used to produce and design certain aspects of the visuals. In some scenes, the set was lit, shot, the film rewound, and then rerecorded over with different lighting. In some cases, this was done up to 16 times. The cameras were frequently motion-controlled using computers, and many effects used techniques that had been developed during the production of Close Encounters of the Third Kind.
The novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? is set in a post-apocalyptic San Francisco after a global war that has rendered Earth's atmosphere highly radioactive, causing most animal species to become endangered or extinct. The main plot follows Rick Deckard, a bounty hunter who must "retire" six escaped Nexus-6 model androids. The book served as the basis for the film Blade Runner, and many elements and themes from it were used in the film's 2017 sequel, Blade Runner 2049.
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'Blade Runner 2049' film (2017)
The 2017 American neo-noir science fiction film "Blade Runner 2049" is a sequel to the 1982 film "Blade Runner", which was based on the 1968 novel "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Philip K. Dick. "Blade Runner 2049" was directed by Denis Villeneuve and stars Ryan Gosling as a replicant and blade runner named K, alongside Harrison Ford, Ana de Armas, Sylvia Hoeks, Robin Wright, and Jared Leto. The screenplay was written by Hampton Fancher and Michael Green, expanding on the themes of the original film and exploring larger questions about humanity and its challenges.
In the film, K uncovers a long-buried secret that threatens to destabilize society and lead him to track down former blade runner Rick Deckard, who has been missing for thirty years. The story delves into the nature of what it means to be human and explores the vulnerability of replicants, who are designed with human-like frailties. The film's pace is deliberately slow, allowing the audience to immerse themselves in the visuals and the depth of the story.
"Blade Runner 2049" received critical acclaim for its performances, directing, cinematography, and faithfulness to the previous film. It was praised for its visual grandeur and narrative satisfaction, standing out for its uniqueness and originality. The film premiered on October 3, 2017, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles and was released in the United States on October 6, 2017, by Warner Bros. Despite the positive reception, it underperformed at the box office, failing to reach its estimated break-even point.
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'Dust to Dust' comic book prequel
The 2010 comic book "Dust to Dust" is an eight-issue prequel mini-series to the 1968 novel "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Philip K. Dick. Written by Chris Roberson and illustrated by Robert Adler, the comic book takes place in the days immediately after World War Terminus, focusing on the aftermath of the war that poisoned the planet, causing people to move off-world, killing most animals, and creating a purpose for androids to be built.
The main plot of the issue revolves around Charlie Victor, an android hunter who discovers he is an android himself, and Malcolm Reed, an empath who can feel the emotions of others. Together, they work to hunt down a group of rogue androids, although Reed is reluctant to help and wishes to dull his abilities with medication. The comic also introduces Samantha Wu, a scientist who is on the hunt for the truth behind a religious cult.
The artwork in "Dust to Dust" is impressive, with Adler altering his style for each character. He employs a minimalist, cartoony style for Samantha, a sketchier and rougher style for Reed, who appears inhuman and off-balanced, and a style that falls between the two for Victor. While some critics found the first issue to be heavy-handed, providing too much background on the world, others praised it for capturing the tone of Dick's world while adding new elements, such as references to contemporary technology.
Overall, "Dust to Dust" provides an intriguing prequel story that expands the universe of "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" and explores the themes of androids, empathy, and the post-apocalyptic world in which the story is set.
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'Black Mirror' TV series
Black Mirror is a critically acclaimed British anthology television series created by Charlie Brooker. The series explores various genres, with most episodes set in near-future dystopias containing sci-fi technology. The series is inspired by The Twilight Zone and uses the themes of technology and media to comment on contemporary social issues. Most episodes are written by Brooker, with involvement from executive producer Annabel Jones.
The series has been praised for its originality and unique storytelling, with each episode telling a different story about the modern world and the role of technology in it. The stand-alone episodes are filled with suspense and drama, exploring techno-paranoia and the collective unease about the modern world. Black Mirror has been compared to The Twilight Zone, with some reviewers claiming that it is even better.
The series has received numerous accolades, including being named one of the best television series of the 2010s by several publications. It has also won several awards, including the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Television Movie three times consecutively for "San Junipero", "USS Callister", and "Bandersnatch". Black Mirror has been credited with reviving the anthology television format, and many of its episodes have been deemed prescient by the media.
The first two series of Black Mirror aired on the British network Channel 4 in 2011 and 2013, with subsequent series released on Netflix. The seventh series was released on 10 April 2025. In addition to the seven series, there is also an interactive film, Black Mirror: Bandersnatch (2018), and two related webisode series produced by Netflix. A companion book to the first four series, Inside Black Mirror, was also published in 2018.
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Frequently asked questions
'Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep' is a 1968 dystopian science fiction novel by American writer Philip K. Dick. It is set in a post-apocalyptic San Francisco, where Earth's life has been greatly damaged by a nuclear global war. The novel follows Rick Deckard, a bounty hunter who has to kill six escaped Nexus-6 model androids.
The novel was loosely adapted into the 1982 film 'Blade Runner', directed by Ridley Scott. A sequel, 'Blade Runner 2049', was released in 2017. The novel also inspired the 2017-2018 TV series 'Philip K. Dick's Electric Dreams'.
'Electric Dreams' was broadcast on Channel 4 in the UK, Amazon Prime in the US, Space in Canada, and the streaming service Stan in Australia.
'Electric Dreams' is a 10-episode science-fiction anthology series. Each stand-alone episode is inspired by a different short story written by Philip K. Dick and explores unique worlds and what it means to be human.
'Electric Dreams' features an all-star cast that changes with each episode, including Bryan Cranston, Steve Buscemi, Greg Kinnear, Timothy Spall, and Anna Paquin.
