Beatrice Lang
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? is a 1968 science fiction novel by Philip K. Dick that was adapted into the 1982 film Blade Runner, directed by Ridley Scott and starring Harrison Ford. The film has since become a franchise, with a sequel, Blade Runner 2049, released in 2017. The novel is set in a post-apocalyptic world populated by human and android characters and explores themes of empathy and machine intelligence. It raises questions about what it means to be human and the ethical dimensions of androids.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Title | Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? |
| Author | Philip K. Dick |
| Year of Publication | 1968 |
| Genre | Science fiction |
| Adaptation | Blade Runner (1982) and Blade Runner 2049 (2017) |
| Setting | Post-apocalyptic world |
| Themes | Empathy, machine intelligence, human identity, society, morality, and existence |
| Main Character | Rick Deckard |
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What You'll Learn
The moral crisis of Rick Deckard
Rick Deckard, the protagonist of Philip K. Dick's 1968 novel "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" and its 1982 film adaptation "Blade Runner", directed by Ridley Scott, undergoes a moral crisis that is central to the story. Deckard is a bounty hunter with a license to kill, specialising in tracking down and exterminating androids that have escaped their life of servitude and are living among humans on Earth.
Deckard's moral crisis revolves around the questionable morality of hunting down androids. While they are machines, they also possess human-like qualities, such as living, thinking, and having feelings and aspirations. Deckard's crisis is further complicated by his relationship with Rachael, a female replicant who becomes his lover and, in the film, the mother of his child. Deckard's connection with Rachael causes him to develop empathy towards androids and question the morality of their "retirement".
The ambiguity of Deckard's own nature adds another layer to his moral crisis. In the film, it is left ambiguous whether Deckard is a human or a replicant himself, with evidence supporting both possibilities. This ambiguity blurs the lines between humans and replicants, further challenging Deckard's sense of morality and identity.
Deckard's moral crisis is reflected in the larger themes of the story, which explore the value we place on life, the nature of humanity, and the boundaries between humans and machines. The question of where the "moral agency of conscience-endowed humanity ends and the amoral automatism of psychopathic inhumanity begins" is a central theme in both the novel and the film.
Deckard's journey through the story is one of self-discovery and evolving morality. He begins as a selfish and self-involved individual who sees no value in android life, but his experiences, including his relationship with Rachael, lead him to develop empathy and question his previous beliefs. By the end of the story, Deckard finds himself considering the possibility that he might be a replicant, reflecting his moral transformation and crisis of conscience.
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Human anxiety about androids
The 1968 science fiction novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick explores themes of human anxiety about androids. The novel is set in a post-apocalyptic world where human and android characters yearn for better lives, and it brings up relevant themes of empathy and machine intelligence. The story is filled with examples of human hypocrisy and digressions on the nature of chaos and entropy. The novel also explores the moral crisis of Rick Deckard, a bounty hunter who hunts down almost-human androids in a nuclear fallout-clouded future San Francisco.
The novel raises questions about the nature of humanity and the distinctions between humans and machines. The androids in the novel perform a "doubling function", reflecting the self but on a social scale, which leads to human anxiety about the uncertainty of human identity and society. This anxiety is further heightened by the presence of the body, as the debate over distinctions between humans and machines often fails to acknowledge the physicality of the human experience.
The novel also critiques the artificiality of distinctions used in American culture to exclude certain groups from ethical consideration, such as animals and "animalized" humans. In the world of the novel, owning real animals has become a status symbol, while poor people can only afford realistic electric robotic imitations. This dynamic further blurs the lines between human and machine, contributing to human anxiety about the loss of humanity and the increasing "quasi-alive" nature of the human-made world.
The movie adaptations of the novel, Blade Runner (1982) and Blade Runner 2049 (2017), also engage with these themes of human anxiety about androids. The movies depict a world where androids are so realistic that they are nearly indistinguishable from humans, raising questions about the nature of consciousness and the ethical treatment of machines. The title "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" is itself a provocative question that challenges the boundaries between human and machine, suggesting that androids may have dreams, aspirations, and feelings akin to those of humans.
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The role of animals
The novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick explores the role of animals in a post-apocalyptic world. The story is set in a future where a global war has rendered the Earth's atmosphere highly radioactive, leading to the extinction of most animal species. In this world, owning real animals has become a status symbol, with only the wealthy able to afford them. The protagonist, Rick Deckard, is a bounty hunter who dreams of owning a large real animal but can only afford an electric sheep.
The novel raises questions about the ethical treatment of animals and the distinction between humans and machines. Deckard's job is to hunt down and exterminate androids, which are machine-like beings with human-like qualities, such as the ability to think and feel. The novel suggests that the lines between humans, animals, and machines are blurred, and that the treatment of animals and "animalized" humans in American culture is often exclusionary and lacking in empathy.
The movie adaptations of the novel, Blade Runner (1982) and Blade Runner 2049 (2017), also engage with the role of animals, although in different ways. The film Blade Runner, for example, does not include the constant presence of dust and the associated radiation concerns from the novel. Instead, the film focuses on the relationship between humans and androids, exploring the moral crisis of a bounty hunter dealing with almost-human androids. The film retains the novel's exploration of what it means to be human and the ethical dimensions of androids, but through a different lens.
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The creation of 'Andys'
The Andys, or androids, are a central part of the plot of both the novel and the movie. In the novel, the Andys are not very confrontational or aggressive, and they are not designed to be killing machines. They possess superior intelligence and a limited lifespan of four years due to their inability to regenerate cells. The novel explores the ethical dimensions of androids, questioning what makes us human, both biologically and morally.
In the movie, the Andys are referred to as replicants and are portrayed as more aggressive and confrontational, with a tendency to go rogue. The movie adaptation, titled "Blade Runner," takes place in Los Angeles in the year 2019, while the novel is set in a post-apocalyptic San Francisco in 1992 (2021 in later editions). The movie also explores the theme of human identity and society, as the androids serve as a "mirror image" of humans, highlighting the uncertainties and anxieties surrounding the distinction between human and machine.
The creation of the Andys in the novel is a key element that distinguishes them from humans. They are described as "living, thinking beings" with souls, yet they are also machines designed to outperform humans physically. This blurs the lines between human and machine, raising questions about empathy and the treatment of androids.
In the movie, the creation of the Andys is not explicitly addressed, but their presence and behavior suggest advancements in robotics and artificial intelligence. The movie's portrayal of the Andys as more aggressive and rogue adds to the tension and suspense, further emphasizing the need to retire or kill them. The Andys in the movie continue to raise similar questions about human identity, morality, and the definition of life.
Overall, the creation of the Andys in both the novel and the movie serves as a thought-provoking exploration of the complexities surrounding artificial life and the implications it has on our understanding of humanity.
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The world of the story
The world of Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? is a post-apocalyptic one, set in a futuristic 1992 (2021 in later editions) after a global war that has left the Earth's atmosphere highly radioactive. Radioactive dust has killed off most animal species, and the dust is still everywhere, along with masses of "kipple", or rubbish that seems to grow by itself. The remaining humans are encouraged to move to off-world colonies, with the incentive of free androids—robot servants that look incredibly similar to humans.
In this world, owning real animals has become a fashionable and expensive status symbol, while the poor can only afford realistic electric robotic imitations. The protagonist, Rick Deckard, is a bounty hunter for the San Francisco Police Department. His job is to hunt down and "retire" androids that have escaped their life of servitude on Mars to live among humans on Earth in the guise of humans. Deckard dreams of owning a large real animal but has to settle for an electric sheep.
The novel is filled with eerie, almost dreamlike moments, from Deckard's interactions with the seductive and unsettling Rachael Rosen to the tragic arc of J.R. Isidore, a lonely man who finds unexpected kinship with androids. It is a satirical work, highlighting the hypocrisies of human existence, and the question of what makes us human—not just biologically, but morally and emotionally.
The novel was adapted into the 1982 film Blade Runner, directed by Ridley Scott, and starring Harrison Ford. The film takes place in Los Angeles in the year 2019, and while it retains many of the novel's themes, it does not include the constant presence of dust, the Penfield Mood Organ, empathy box, Buster Friendly, or Mercerism.
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Frequently asked questions
The movie 'Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep' is based on the 1968 novel of the same name by Philip K. Dick.
The plot of the movie is set in a post-apocalyptic world populated by humans and androids. It explores themes of empathy and machine intelligence, focusing on the moral crisis of Rick Deckard, a bounty hunter who stalks almost-human androids.
The movie takes place in Los Angeles in the year 2019, while the book is set in San Francisco in the year 1992 (2021 in later editions). The movie also lacks the constant presence of radioactive dust, which is a key feature of the book's atmosphere.
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