Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? is a 1968 science fiction novel set in a post-apocalyptic San Francisco where nuclear war has devastated Earth. The protagonist, Rick Deckard, is a bounty hunter tasked with identifying and "retiring" (killing) androids who have escaped from off-world colonies and infiltrated human society. The novel explores the boundary between human and artificial consciousness, asking whether androids with implanted memories and emotions are truly alive.

Dick's narrative weaves together Deckard's investigation with philosophical questions about empathy, identity, and what constitutes authentic human experience. The novel introduces Mercerism, a quasi-religious movement centered on shared empathic experience, as a counterpoint to the androids' apparent lack of genuine feeling. As Deckard hunts his targets, he becomes increasingly uncertain about the moral justification for his work and whether the androids' desire to live makes them fundamentally human.

The novel became a foundational text in science fiction and philosophy of mind, influencing decades of discourse on artificial intelligence and consciousness. It was adapted into the 1982 film Blade Runner, which became equally iconic and introduced the novel to wider audiences. The work remains central to debates about AI ethics, personhood, and the nature of consciousness.