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Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? #3
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? 3
The book that inspired the film Blade Runner continues! Sci-fi author Philip K. Dick's award-winning Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? has been called "a masterpiece ahead of its time, even today" and served as the basis for Ridley Scott's film Blade Runner. Boom! Studios presents the complete novel transplanted to the comic book medium, mixing all new panel-to-panel continuity with the actual text from the novel in an innovative, ground-breaking series experiment illustrated by acclaimed artist Tony Parker! Collects issues 9–12, including Jonathan Lethem's essay on being a Philip K. Dick fan.
144 pages, Hardcover
First published November 2, 2010
About the author
Philip K. Dick
1,934 books23.1k followersPhilip Kindred Dick was a prolific American science fiction author whose work has had a lasting impact on literature, cinema, and popular culture. Known for his imaginative narratives and profound philosophical themes, Dick explored the nature of reality, the boundaries of human identity, and the impact of technology and authoritarianism on society. His stories often blurred the line between the real and the artificial, challenging readers to question their perceptions and beliefs.
Raised in California, Dick began writing professionally in the early 1950s, publishing short stories in various science fiction magazines. He quickly developed a distinctive voice within the genre, marked by a fusion of science fiction concepts with deep existential and psychological inquiry. Over his career, he authored 44 novels and more than 100 short stories, many of which have become classics in the field.
Recurring themes in Dick's work include alternate realities, simulations, corporate and government control, mental illness, and the nature of consciousness. His protagonists are frequently everyday individuals—often paranoid, uncertain, or troubled—caught in surreal and often dangerous circumstances that force them to question their environment and themselves. Works such as Ubik, The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch, and A Scanner Darkly reflect his fascination with perception and altered states of consciousness, often drawing from his own experiences with mental health struggles and drug use.
One of Dick's most influential novels is Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, which served as the basis for Ridley Scott's iconic film Blade Runner. The novel deals with the distinction between humans and artificial beings and asks profound questions about empathy, identity, and what it means to be alive. Other adaptations of his work include Total Recall, Minority Report, A Scanner Darkly, and The Man in the High Castle, each reflecting key elements of his storytelling—uncertain realities, oppressive systems, and the search for truth. These adaptations have introduced his complex ideas to audiences well beyond the traditional readership of science fiction.
In the 1970s, Dick underwent a series of visionary and mystical experiences that had a significant influence on his later writings. He described receiving profound knowledge from an external, possibly divine, source and documented these events extensively in what became known as The Exegesis, a massive and often fragmented journal. These experiences inspired his later novels, most notably the VALIS trilogy, which mixes autobiography, theology, and metaphysics in a narrative that defies conventional structure and genre boundaries.
Throughout his life, Dick faced financial instability, health issues, and periods of personal turmoil, yet he remained a dedicated and relentless writer. Despite limited commercial success during his lifetime, his reputation grew steadily, and he came to be regarded as one of the most original voices in speculative fiction. His work has been celebrated for its ability to fuse philosophical depth with gripping storytelling and has influenced not only science fiction writers but also philosophers, filmmakers, and futurists.
Dick's legacy continues to thrive in both literary and cinematic spheres. The themes he explored remain urgently relevant in the modern world, particularly as technology increasingly intersects with human identity and governance. The Philip K. Dick Award, named in his honor, is presented annually to distinguished works of science fiction published in paperback original form in the United States. His writings have also inspired television series, academic studies, and countless homages across media.
Through his vivid imagination and unflinching inquiry into the nature of existence, Philip K. Dick redefined what science fiction could achieve. His wor
Raised in California, Dick began writing professionally in the early 1950s, publishing short stories in various science fiction magazines. He quickly developed a distinctive voice within the genre, marked by a fusion of science fiction concepts with deep existential and psychological inquiry. Over his career, he authored 44 novels and more than 100 short stories, many of which have become classics in the field.
Recurring themes in Dick's work include alternate realities, simulations, corporate and government control, mental illness, and the nature of consciousness. His protagonists are frequently everyday individuals—often paranoid, uncertain, or troubled—caught in surreal and often dangerous circumstances that force them to question their environment and themselves. Works such as Ubik, The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch, and A Scanner Darkly reflect his fascination with perception and altered states of consciousness, often drawing from his own experiences with mental health struggles and drug use.
One of Dick's most influential novels is Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, which served as the basis for Ridley Scott's iconic film Blade Runner. The novel deals with the distinction between humans and artificial beings and asks profound questions about empathy, identity, and what it means to be alive. Other adaptations of his work include Total Recall, Minority Report, A Scanner Darkly, and The Man in the High Castle, each reflecting key elements of his storytelling—uncertain realities, oppressive systems, and the search for truth. These adaptations have introduced his complex ideas to audiences well beyond the traditional readership of science fiction.
In the 1970s, Dick underwent a series of visionary and mystical experiences that had a significant influence on his later writings. He described receiving profound knowledge from an external, possibly divine, source and documented these events extensively in what became known as The Exegesis, a massive and often fragmented journal. These experiences inspired his later novels, most notably the VALIS trilogy, which mixes autobiography, theology, and metaphysics in a narrative that defies conventional structure and genre boundaries.
Throughout his life, Dick faced financial instability, health issues, and periods of personal turmoil, yet he remained a dedicated and relentless writer. Despite limited commercial success during his lifetime, his reputation grew steadily, and he came to be regarded as one of the most original voices in speculative fiction. His work has been celebrated for its ability to fuse philosophical depth with gripping storytelling and has influenced not only science fiction writers but also philosophers, filmmakers, and futurists.
Dick's legacy continues to thrive in both literary and cinematic spheres. The themes he explored remain urgently relevant in the modern world, particularly as technology increasingly intersects with human identity and governance. The Philip K. Dick Award, named in his honor, is presented annually to distinguished works of science fiction published in paperback original form in the United States. His writings have also inspired television series, academic studies, and countless homages across media.
Through his vivid imagination and unflinching inquiry into the nature of existence, Philip K. Dick redefined what science fiction could achieve. His wor
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
February 28, 2022
When the tables are turned on Rick, he (and we) begin to question our protagonist and the validity of his humanity.
After Deckard confronts the next replicant on his list, she calls a cop who then suspects Deckard himself of being a replicant. After phoning the police department and finding no record of Deckard, he is taken to a police building that Deckard has never seen or heard of before. I mean, how can there be another police department that doesn't have any knowledge of Deckard's department? Really the only options are either the new department has replicants or Deckard is a replicant himself. And this volume explores this notion further. The lines are blurring between replicant and human, and its evident even more so here, when this situation presents itself.
Once the truth is known, the story becomes much more tense, as Deckard has to align himself with a possible replicant who is unsure of who - or what - he is anymore. The partnership is short lived, but thoughtful nonetheless. It shows how human the replicants can be, and not just in the eyes of others but in their own eyes; they feel, think, dream, and remember just like we do. So when the reality of them being a replicant is realized, it's heartbreaking if they didn't know. Yet another layer of the story that Phillip K. Dick adds to the story.
I really like this adaptation of the story, as its episodic nature lets us ponder the themes a bit more. I'm looking forward to continuing this story.
After Deckard confronts the next replicant on his list, she calls a cop who then suspects Deckard himself of being a replicant. After phoning the police department and finding no record of Deckard, he is taken to a police building that Deckard has never seen or heard of before. I mean, how can there be another police department that doesn't have any knowledge of Deckard's department? Really the only options are either the new department has replicants or Deckard is a replicant himself. And this volume explores this notion further. The lines are blurring between replicant and human, and its evident even more so here, when this situation presents itself.
Once the truth is known, the story becomes much more tense, as Deckard has to align himself with a possible replicant who is unsure of who - or what - he is anymore. The partnership is short lived, but thoughtful nonetheless. It shows how human the replicants can be, and not just in the eyes of others but in their own eyes; they feel, think, dream, and remember just like we do. So when the reality of them being a replicant is realized, it's heartbreaking if they didn't know. Yet another layer of the story that Phillip K. Dick adds to the story.
I really like this adaptation of the story, as its episodic nature lets us ponder the themes a bit more. I'm looking forward to continuing this story.
August 7, 2021
Good bye, Luba Luft. Luba - I'm not sure if it is a German word. Aber Luft ist "air" auf Deutsch. Ja. -Luft is "Air" in German.
It is an interesting experience to read the graphic novel immediately after having finished the written text.
For one, I've mentioned that it feels way fast. It is like reading on steroids because you merely recall what have happened in the written version and it is really easy to skim the graphic.
Second, just like comparing a novel and a film, you may have different interpretations - how characters look, their vehicles, their tools, and setting, etc. Some events are even mired by both our experiences and that who interprets the novel. Given that I've watched Blade Runner (both films) and I love dystopic science fiction, my interpretation of neo-California is really but a wasteland. The graphic novel had the same tone but the world I created in my head is far complex and futuristic.
I guess, what I can get from this is a confirmation that people do have different perspectives and interpretations. With that, written text is beautiful as it allows us to build our own worlds using the manuscript as a guide. As for graphic novels, I would compare it to movies that provide us a visual spectacle.
It is an interesting experience to read the graphic novel immediately after having finished the written text.
For one, I've mentioned that it feels way fast. It is like reading on steroids because you merely recall what have happened in the written version and it is really easy to skim the graphic.
Second, just like comparing a novel and a film, you may have different interpretations - how characters look, their vehicles, their tools, and setting, etc. Some events are even mired by both our experiences and that who interprets the novel. Given that I've watched Blade Runner (both films) and I love dystopic science fiction, my interpretation of neo-California is really but a wasteland. The graphic novel had the same tone but the world I created in my head is far complex and futuristic.
I guess, what I can get from this is a confirmation that people do have different perspectives and interpretations. With that, written text is beautiful as it allows us to build our own worlds using the manuscript as a guide. As for graphic novels, I would compare it to movies that provide us a visual spectacle.
January 15, 2018
Con il terzo volume si entra nel vivo della vicenda, affrontando le due tematiche di fondo del romanzo: chi decide cosa è reale? Qual è il fattore che caratterizza gli esseri umani? La seconda questione è quella che viene maggiormente approfondita in questo episodio in cui, a mio parere, si raggiunge il giusto equilibrio tra testo e immagini.
Come sempre, il volume si conclude con articoli in cui scrittori, fumettisti, sceneggiatori raccontano il loro incontro con Dick e l’influenza sui loro lavori successivi; in particolare, in questo volume c’è un lungo articolo di Jonathan Lethem molto interessante: peccato la pessima traduzione e i refusi di stampa.
Come sempre, il volume si conclude con articoli in cui scrittori, fumettisti, sceneggiatori raccontano il loro incontro con Dick e l’influenza sui loro lavori successivi; in particolare, in questo volume c’è un lungo articolo di Jonathan Lethem molto interessante: peccato la pessima traduzione e i refusi di stampa.
August 21, 2022
The third volume of six. The art by Tony Parker is incredible. He brings Dick's original idea to life. Protagonist and bounty hunter Rick Deckard is still in search of the androids that it is his job to "retire." And then Deckard is accused of being an android by an android, and we question if any of the humans are actually alive. The story gets better as it goes.
February 26, 2011
Eagerly anticipating volume #4. I forgot how much the story and the movie differed, while still keeping the same overarching feel and themes.
December 27, 2022
Things rather pick up in this volume, particularly for the continuing adventures of Decker. His role as a bounty hunter of wayward androids hiding among humans reveals a most surprising shadow organization that acts as an alternate police force - but one run by androids. And how they can leverage this role to keep themselves safe from the likes of Decker makes for an interesting paradigm.
I really enjoyed how this story ended and it made the whole book really hit harder then you'd expect. Great stuff.
I really enjoyed how this story ended and it made the whole book really hit harder then you'd expect. Great stuff.
March 13, 2017
VOLUME 3
Disclaimer:
“The characters and events depicted herein are fictional. Any similarity to actual persons, demons, anti-Christs, aliens, vampires, face-suckers or political figures, whether living, dead or undead, or to any actual or supernatural events is coincidental and unintentional. So don't come whining to us.”
BOOK NINE:
“Conscious of his defect and failure, Rick settled back. And, helplessly, waited for what can next.”
BOOK TEN:
Phil: “What is the basis if your Voigt-Kampff test, Mr. Deckard?”
Rick: “Empathetic response. In a variety of social situations. Mostly having to do with animals.”
BOOK ELEVEN:
“The android flees, where the bounty hunter pursues.”
“Mr. Resch, you're an android … You've everything we jointly abominate. The essence of what we're committed to destiny.”
BOOK TWELVE:
“The Andy is unable to keep the animal alive.
Animals require an environment of warmth to flourish.”
Upon seeing Edvard Munch's 'The Scream':
“At an oil painting Phil Resch halted, gazed intently. The painting showed a hairless, oppressed creature with a head like an inverted pear, its hands clapped in horror to its ears, its mouth open in a vast, soundless scream. Twisted ripples of the creature's torment, echoes of its cry, flooded out into the air surrounding it; the man or woman, whichever it was, had become contained by its own howl. It had covered its ears against its own sound. The creature stood on a bridge and no one else was present; the creature screamed in isolation. Cut off by — or despite — its outcry.”
“Cadaverous” = very pale, thin, or bony.
“Do you think androids have souls?”
- - -
Disclaimer:
“The characters and events depicted herein are fictional. Any similarity to actual persons, demons, anti-Christs, aliens, vampires, face-suckers or political figures, whether living, dead or undead, or to any actual or supernatural events is coincidental and unintentional. So don't come whining to us.”
BOOK NINE:
“Conscious of his defect and failure, Rick settled back. And, helplessly, waited for what can next.”
BOOK TEN:
Phil: “What is the basis if your Voigt-Kampff test, Mr. Deckard?”
Rick: “Empathetic response. In a variety of social situations. Mostly having to do with animals.”
BOOK ELEVEN:
“The android flees, where the bounty hunter pursues.”
“Mr. Resch, you're an android … You've everything we jointly abominate. The essence of what we're committed to destiny.”
BOOK TWELVE:
“The Andy is unable to keep the animal alive.
Animals require an environment of warmth to flourish.”
Upon seeing Edvard Munch's 'The Scream':
“At an oil painting Phil Resch halted, gazed intently. The painting showed a hairless, oppressed creature with a head like an inverted pear, its hands clapped in horror to its ears, its mouth open in a vast, soundless scream. Twisted ripples of the creature's torment, echoes of its cry, flooded out into the air surrounding it; the man or woman, whichever it was, had become contained by its own howl. It had covered its ears against its own sound. The creature stood on a bridge and no one else was present; the creature screamed in isolation. Cut off by — or despite — its outcry.”
“Cadaverous” = very pale, thin, or bony.
“Do you think androids have souls?”
- - -
May 17, 2018
Nice read, good story, fun book.
August 9, 2024
Story in this book has a twist! It was fantastic. At one moment, I did doubt if everything was true in that narrative.
April 25, 2011
Issue after issue, I find these comics impossible to put down. I finished reading Volume 3 today and immediately went to order Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep Vol. 4. I suggest reading my reviews of Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep Vol. 1 and Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep Vol. 2 if you're not sure about buying or reading these, because I think I'm going to take a different path this time.
The art is still superb, and of course Philip K. Dick's writing is as sharp as ever. I had actually forgotten all about the sub-plot that's covered in this volume, so I got to be surprised all over again. It's magical.
What I'd like to focus on this time though, is not the comics, but some of the special features that make the graphic novels something to pick up over the individual comics. After you turn the page of the final issue in each volume, you're not finished. The fine folks at Boom! Studios have seen fit it include interviews with those involved in the comics and others that have been deeply affected by PKD. I feel a sense of camaraderie when I read these - I realize I'm not the only one who has been so touched by this writer. And I learn that others have been affected far more than I by his brilliance and penmanship. These additions really make me glad that I waited for the graphic novels (plus they look nicer on my shelves).
When you grab your copies of the Androids? graphic novels, be sure not to skip these revealing and interesting looks into the lives of some kindred spirits in the world of Dick.
The art is still superb, and of course Philip K. Dick's writing is as sharp as ever. I had actually forgotten all about the sub-plot that's covered in this volume, so I got to be surprised all over again. It's magical.
What I'd like to focus on this time though, is not the comics, but some of the special features that make the graphic novels something to pick up over the individual comics. After you turn the page of the final issue in each volume, you're not finished. The fine folks at Boom! Studios have seen fit it include interviews with those involved in the comics and others that have been deeply affected by PKD. I feel a sense of camaraderie when I read these - I realize I'm not the only one who has been so touched by this writer. And I learn that others have been affected far more than I by his brilliance and penmanship. These additions really make me glad that I waited for the graphic novels (plus they look nicer on my shelves).
When you grab your copies of the Androids? graphic novels, be sure not to skip these revealing and interesting looks into the lives of some kindred spirits in the world of Dick.
November 15, 2016
Okay, given how faithfully this series follows the source material, I will not get into specifics about the plot or themes or everything else we already know and love about the original novel, but rather regard the art style. Also, since I can't just review issue by issue, as they are part of a whole, I'll just copy/paste the following for each one. The art is, to put it simply, gorgeous, and in perfect harmony with the aesthetic Philip K. Dick attempted to imprint into his work through an, admittedly, rather stoic prose which left a lot of things open to interpretation (as envisioned by Ridley Scott's Blade Runner, my favorite movie of all time). The balance between color and shade, as well as the vivid representation of scenes we could only but interpret in the novel makes this dystopic future come alive in the best possible way while differentiating itself from the aforementioned movie adaptation. This is, indeed, a whole new way to experience and all-too-familiar story, revisit its themes and thought-provoking imagery, and appreciate it all over again. Thoroughly enjoyed this comic book adaptation, I really did.
August 27, 2012
This was our bookclub selection and having already read the story and seen Bladerunner which is based off this story (but not really the same story), I decided to revisit the story through a different artistic interpretation - the graphic novel. It was really beautiful and the artist purposefully did not keep the aesthetic similar to the movie version. 6 volumes to tell the story. Every word from Philip K Dick's book is in the graphic series.
October 20, 2012
A faithful adaptation of the story... actually, I believe the story is written word-for-word as PKD had scripted it.
add to that some very nice artwork in graphic novel style and you merge two of my favorite things. PKD + G.N.
add to that some very nice artwork in graphic novel style and you merge two of my favorite things. PKD + G.N.
March 18, 2013
Probably the best in the series so far. Had anticipated one thing from the conclusion of the last book, and yet the story turned out to be better.
It really makes you wonder who the androids are, even fleshing out possible ways Deckard himself could be an android.
It really makes you wonder who the androids are, even fleshing out possible ways Deckard himself could be an android.
February 24, 2011
Great graphic novelization of the book. Excellent!
March 14, 2011
Read in individual issues.
February 16, 2012
Another strong volume in the DADoES? series. The authors do a good job contrasting Deckard's growing disbelief with realistic, detailed artwork.
August 20, 2012
Book three of the outstanding graphic novel adaptation of the classic PKD sci-fi novel. Half-way through!
March 11, 2013
Continuing to stay completely in line with the original story by Dick, the artwork is excellent. I though the bounty hunter Resch looked just the lead actor from Breaking Bad.. lol.
May 16, 2014
See review on #1 of this series.
October 5, 2015
So is he or isn't he? That's the question. This graphic adaptation is building the tension and I am loving it.
July 25, 2016
Great illustration and very true to the original book. Very well done graphic novel.
February 5, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews