Content levels
Trigger warnings
Positive tags
Hero archetypes
Protagonist archetypes
Themes
Synopsis
The classic sci-fi novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, which inspired two major motion pictures: Blade Runner and Blade Runner 2049 By 2021, the World War has killed millions, driving entire species into extinction and sending mankind off-planet. Those who remain covet any living creature, and for people who can’t afford one, companies build incredibly realistic simulacra: horses, birds, cats, sheep. They’ve even built humans. Immigrants to Mars receive androids so sophisticated they are indistinguishable from true men or women. Fearful of the havoc these artificial humans can wreak, the government bans them from Earth. Driven into hiding, unauthorized androids live among human beings, undetected. Rick Deckard, an officially sanctioned bounty hunter, is commissioned to find rogue androids and “retire” them. But when cornered, androids fight back—with lethal force. Praise for Philip K. Dick “[Philip K. Dick] sees all the sparkling—and terrifying—possibilities . . . that other authors shy away from.” — Rolling Stone “A kind of pulp-fiction Kafka, a prophet.” — The New York Times
Tags
Is Blade Runner: Originally published as Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? appropriate for my child?
Suitable for most readers 16 and up.
This philosophical sci-fi novel contains violence including lethal combat between humans and androids, existential themes about consciousness and mortality, and mature exploration of what defines humanity in a dying world.
What to know going in
This book has strong violence, mild sexual content, and moderate language. Content notes include murder, death, and violence (see the full list above).
Who'll love this
Teens interested in deep philosophical questions about consciousness, identity, and what makes us human will find this thought-provoking classic rewarding.