Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? is a science fiction novel by American writer Philip K. Dick. First published in 1968, the book served as the primary basis for the 1982 film Blade Runner.
The novel is set in a post-apocalyptic near future, where Earth and its populations have been damaged greatly by nuclear war during the end of a nuclear World War III. Most types of animals are endangered or extinct due to extreme radiation poisoning. To own an animal is a sign of high social status, but what is emphasized more is the empathy that real humans feel toward living creatures.
The main plot follows Rick Deckard, a bounty hunter who is faced with "retiring" six escaped Nexus-6 model android, the latest and most advanced model, while a secondary plot follows John Isidore, a man of sub-par IQ who aids the fugitive androids. In connection with Deckard's mission, the novel explores the issue of what it is to be human. Unlike humans, the androids possess no sense of empathy.