Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? Risk Society and Distopia

Abstract

This study seeks to investigate the work titled “Do The Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?” a cult science fiction work written by Philip K. Dick in 1968, in terms of Ulrich Beck’s “Risk Society” theory. Although the overall aim is to analyse the work based on the relevant theory, another aim of the study is to interpret and evaluate the elements that have the characteristics of “Dystopia”, the events and concepts in this context. In the study, the events and phenomena caused by the global disasters that occurred in the Postmodern era during the post third Terminus World War were discussed within the scope of Risk Society theory along with examination of the damages caused by the risks that emerged after the mentioned war in the natural environment, fears, uneasiness and future concerns reflected in the social sphere. The dystopian characteristics of the work and whether the author’s imagination and fiction is an expected fiction in the future were examined. The findings were interpreted sociologically, and the elements reflected in the science-fiction genre were evaluated in terms of dystopian fiction and literature. This study includes comparative analyzes of the findings in terms of dystopian fiction and Ulrich Beck’s Risk Society theory. © 2022 Cyprus International University. All rights reserved.