Retrofitting Blade Runner: Issues in Ridley Scott's Blade Runner and Philip K. Dick's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

by Judith B. Kerman (Editor)

This book of essays looks at the multitude of texts and influences which converge in Ridley Scott's film Blade Runner , especially the film's relationship to its source novel, Philip K. Dick's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? Essays consider political, moral and technological issues raised by the film, as well as literary, filmic, technical and aesthetic questions. Contributors discuss the film's psychological and mythic patterns, importance political issues and the roots of the film in Paradise Lost , Frankenstein , detective fiction, and previous science fiction cinema.

Genres: Film, Nonfiction, Criticism, Speculative Fiction, Literature, Literary Criticism

332 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 1991

Reviews

[Allana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of these essays are really inspired, giving the reader new ways of "reading" the movie Blade Runner. A lot of them, however, are dated, and they refer to the first version of the movie. A good reading, however, to anyone curious about the movie and science fiction in general.

[D.M. · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book couldn't have been much better titled. 'Retrofitting' refers to tacking on new technology (or whatever) to the old to update/change/modify/what-have-you the old stuff without doing anything to it. That's exactly what this collection of essays does: it takes what was clearly just a cobbled-together science-fiction entertainment that happened to be beautifully made, and nails on a few more planks of symbolism and analysis that are most often unbecoming. The essays themselves range from painfully overwritten academic treatises by the appropriate eggheads, to a haphazard 'take that, little sister' snipe from an undergrad. In the middle of all this, all of which tend to ignore the technical aspects of the film (best left to Sammon's 'making of' book), is the minor treasure that is William Kolb's timecoded trivia-track commentary to the Criterion laserdisc. This piece, though, is not in keeping with the ivory-tower tone of the rest of the book, and is not really anything more than geek culture pandering.
While there are interesting comments on various aspects of the film herein, for the most part I found more interesting notes on things the writers couldn't have dreamt was coming in their own futures (e.g., the changes in technology right around the bend; Scott's eventual repeated tampering with a film he released in a 'final, director-approved' version already; the future of the Star Wars series...). Unfortunately, these essays provide no real in-depth insight into the film, only manage to expound on the already obvious elements any fan of Blade Runner has already taken in.
Strangely, the Bibliography provided some of the most entertaining reading here, showing how almost universally panned this movie was on release.
Not a book I'd recommend to even more hardcore Blade Runner fans than me.

[Noiresque · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is only for people who are very keenly interested in Blade Runner, either the book or movie (are there people who honestly enjoyed both?)

Me, I am happily obsessed with the movie, and this book is like taking 1 or 2 decent, elitist intelligentsia type college courses on the movie and book. Some of the authors' credentials are a bit shaky, but the writing and thought processes are quite credible. It took me a long time to finally finish this book, but it is worth the read, especially if you want to intellectually eviscerate one of your favorite pieces of media.

[Almeda Riley · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read the actual 1968 Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, which was the recommended book for all in-coming freshmen at Cornell last year. What I'd like to know is, Why?

It was an interesting premise, about the people who have so far survived the destruction of Earth as a place to live by WWT (Terminal). Also, there are artificial people, animals, etc., and many questions about their interaction, etc. Given when it was written, it's interesting as fantasy. I guess I'd like to know what people find interesting about it.

[Irem Altan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite insightful and fun to read, but most essays focus on the first version of the film with the voiceovers and the ridiculous "ride into the sun" ending. It did help me realize, however, the reasons for there not being so many high quality science fiction films -- in contrast to books and short stories. Also, it helped me make peace with BR 2049 by making me realize that the themes sequel are not as disconnected from the original movie as I initially thought.

A must-read for anyone interested in sci-fi and filmmaking.

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you love the Novel and everything that comes from Philip K. Dicks mind and you cant stop watching the film then this is def the book for you, I have read it a few times and still continue to read it.

[Aurora]

"è la condizione fondamentale della vita essre costretti a far violenza alla propria personalità"

"bisogna stare con gli altri, pensò, per vivere. voglio dire, prima che arrivassero loro, riuscivo a sopportarlo, di starmene tutto solo in questo palazzo. adesso, però, è diverso. non si può tornare indietro, pensò. non si può andare dalla compagnia alla non-compagnia. in preda al panico, pensò: sono io a dipendere da loro. grazie a dio si sono fermati qui."

[Al Such · Rating 5 out of 5]

A collection of interesting philosophical essays exploring themes in Blade Runner.