Books Like Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

The dystopian science fiction novel, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick was first published in 1968 and has been hugely influential. The 1982 Ridley Scott film, Blade Runner, was based on the novel as well as the 2017 sequel. The story features robot servants named androids that are identical to humans, which leads to all kinds of ethical questions about their existence. Androids continue to be a fascinating topic in science fiction, and many other authors have based their stories around these humanoid robots. For more novels where androids play a central role, look at the following books like Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

All Systems Red

by Martha Wells

All Systems Ready by Martha Wells is the first book in her award-winning Murderbot Diaries series. The novel is set in the future, where spacefaring is common but dominated by corporations instead of governments. Any planetary missions that are undertaken must first be approved and supplied by the Company, which also provides security androids to protect the exploratory teams. Unfortunately, contracts are based on the lowest bids and not safety. This leads to a situation where a team of scientists conducting surface tests on a distant planet ends up with a scornful android that has hacked its own governor module. The self-aware android would prefer being left alone by the humans, so it can figure out who it is, but then a neighboring mission goes dark, and it has to help the scientists discover what's going on.

Gridlinked

by Neal Asher

Gridlinked is the first novel in the Agent Cormac series by Neal Asher. It stars the legendary investigator, Agent Ian Cormac, who is assigned to figure out why a portal to other planets exploded. Thousands of people were killed in the explosion, and the blast obliterated an entire terraforming project, so Earth Central Security suspects sabotage. However, Cormac has more than enough problems of his own. His humanity has been eroded by the amount of time he has been linked to an AI network, and his last mission also haunts him. Not only did it end in disaster, but it left him with a psychopath and a murderous android with revenge on their minds tracking him across the galaxy.

Skinned

by Robin Wasserman

Skinned by Robin Wasserman is the story of Lia Kahn, a beautiful and popular girl who was destined for success until she almost died in a horrific accident. After the accident, she wakes up in a body that is actually a machine designed to look and feel human. Her memories have also been downloaded to her body, which means Lia will never feel pain or age, and as long as she backs up her memories, she'll never die either. However, when Lia attempts to resume her everyday life, she finds that people are shutting her out, and even her family has a hard time dealing with the situation. This causes Lia to be drawn to others like her who are recklessly testing the limitless options of their bodies.

Android Karenina

by Ben H. Winters

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy is frequently cited as one of the greatest works of literature ever written. Android Karenina by Ben H. Winters is a unique spin on the classic tale that turns everything upside down with the inclusion of robots. It is set in an alternate version of 19th-century Russia, where robot companions are commonplace. In this world, the noblewoman Anna and her enigmatic Android Karenina abandon a loveless marriage in favor of the daring, handsome Count Vronsky. Unfortunately, their scandalous affair causes chaos when it is mixed up with dangerous futuristic villainy.

Mindscan

by Robert J. Sawyer

Mindscan is a 2005 novel by the Hugo Award-winning author Robert J. Sawyer. In this story, a man named Jake Sullivan discards his doomed biological body and inhabits an android form after copying over his consciousness. He also falls in love with another Android named Karen, who has also left her physical body behind. However, their joy is short-lived as Karen's son sues her for becoming immortal and denying him a chance at his inheritance. Jake is also shocked to learn that his original version, who was supposed to die on the far side of the moon, has taken hostages there instead and demanded that his personhood rights be restored.

The Mad Scientist's Daughter

by Cassandra Rose Clarke

The Mad Scientist's Daughter by Cassandra Rose Clarke is a science fiction fairy tale that was nominated for the Phillip K. Dick Award. The protagonist, Cat Novak, was a young girl when her father brought an experimental android named Finn home. Although Finn looks and acts human, he has no desire to be one. Finn is programmed to assist his owners and perfectly perform his duties, which included tutoring Cat. In the process, he becomes her constant companion and friend as she grows up. When the government begins to grant rights to androids like Finn, he struggles to find his place in the world, and there is also the small matter of Cat falling in love with him.

Crossover

by Joel Shepherd

Crossover by Joel Shepherd is the first novel in his Cassandra Kresnov series following the adventures of the titular protagonist. Cassandra is an android created by the League who is in an interstellar war against the more powerful, conservative Federation. Cassandra is an experimental design, unlike other androids, which makes her more intelligent, creative, and dangerous than her predecessors. However, her intellect also causes a moral awakening, which causes her to desert the League and search for a new life in Federation territory. It is here that her past catches up with her, and Cassandra is forced to forge new friendships with old enemies if she wants to survive.