Thinking About Thinking Machines: Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

Past Present Future

Today’s episode in our series on the history of thinking about thinking machines explores the novel that inspired Blade Runner: Philip K. Dick’s Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (1968). David talks to Shannon Vallor about what the book has that the film lacks and how it comprehensively messes with the line between human and machine, the natural and the artificial. What is the meaning of the electric sheep?

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Next time: Becky Chambers’ Monk & Robot series.

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