Adapting Literature

CONTENTS OF CURRICULUM UNIT 07.01.07

  1. Unit Guide
  1. Introduction
  2. Rationale
  3. Objectives
  4. Strategies
  5. Film and Visual Representation
  6. Classroom Activities
  7. Notes
  8. Resources
  9. Appendices

Blade Runner Redux: Teaching a Sci-Fi Meta-Art Classic

Clary W. Carleton

Published September 2007

Tools for this Unit:

Resources

Bibliography

Booker, Will. The Blade Runner Experience: The Legacy of a Science Fiction Classic. London: Wallflower P, 2005. Essays (mostly from British academics) focus on adapting Philip K. Dick, identity, and the postmodern city. More current issues like gaming and fandom are also explored.

Kerman, Judith B. ed. Retrofitting Blade Runner: Issues in Ridley Scott's Blade Runner and Philip K. Dick's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? Boling Green, OH: Bowling Green UPP, 1991. An excellent collection of essays. Focus is on themes, genre, adaptation, and aesthetics. Criticism based on theatrical release rather than Director's Cut.

Kolb, William M. "Blade Runner: An Annotated Bibliography." Literature/ Film Quarterly, 18: 1 (Jan 1990): 19-64. A comprehensive resource for all your Blade Runner needs. Summarizes sources and categorizes by source type.

Sammon, Paul. M. Future Noir: The Making of Blade Runner. New York: HarperPrism, 1996. A fun, behind-the-scenes read on the complex production and post-production of the film. More trivia than insightful analysis.

Filmography

Blade Runner: The Director's Cut. DVD. Directed by Ridley Scott. 1991; Burbank; Warner Home Video. There are a few versions of Blade Runner, including the original 1982 theatrical release. This cut is now the most common, but a "Final Cut" is planned for DVD release in December 2007.

Student Resources

Dick, Philip K. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? New York: Ballantine, 1968. The novel can be found in a number of different editions, but this was cheap enough to buy a class set. This edition is actually titled Blade Runner with the original title in parenthesis—an indication of how much the film has provoked a reassessment of the novel.

"Philip K. Dick: The Official Site." http://www.philipkdick.com (accessed 26 July 2007).

Materials for Classroom Use

1 Class set of novel

2 DVD of Blade Runner: The Director's Cut

3 Computer with media player

4 LCD projector and screen

5 Internet access

6 Large chart paper

Comments:

Jennifer Mcdonald

January 1, 2018 at 11:09 am

Helpful overview

I've been planning updates to our dystopic literature unit and found this unit very helpful. I had never head of DADES, and was looking for some fresh titles and connections to film. I had also been looking for a way to use Bladerunner, and am thrilled to see it broken down so well for me that I could likely utilize this in the upcoming semester and feel prepared (as there is never time to plan in my world). I'd love a thorough training/workshop on using dystopic literature in class, if one is ever offered. It is paramount that we bring the themes of such works to the future generations.

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