The late science fiction writer Philip K. Dick wrote so many short stories and more than 40 novels that included so many creative and futuristic elements that a television series based on his works alone could run as long as The Twilight Zone.  Best known for the novel and story that became Blade Runner and Total Recall and the award-winning novel The Man in the High Castle which recently became an Amazon series, Dick’s works are finally getting adapted in a new television anthology series.

Sony Entertainment announced this week a 10-part series is in the works, Electric Dreams–The World of Philip K. Dick, starring Breaking Bad’s Bryan Cranston, with noted Star Trek writer Ronald D. Moore producing and writing the series.  Each episode will be a standalone story derived from Dick’s works.  We’re expecting something like an ensemble cast like that used in the Nero Wolfe TV series, with Cranston playing different parts in each story.

Haven’t read any of Dick’s books?  You’ve likely seen several of the movies based on his works: In addition to Blade Runner and Total Recall, The Adjustment Bureau, Minority Report, Paycheck, Next, A Scanner Darkly, Screamers, Radio Free Albemuth.  Check out our reviews of his novels, previously posted at borg.com here and our archive of hundreds of images of pulp covers created for his works we preserved here.  Many have read his novels, but Dick’s real genius is in his short stories, where in only a few pages he shared ideas of a future and parallel worlds that will make your head spin.

No U.S. network has picked up the series yet, but we’re guessing it is a prime candidate for the Syfy Channel.

“As a long-time fan of Philip K. Dick’s work, it’s a tremendous honor and thrill to be part of this series,” Moore said.  “His short stories are a treasure trove of material for artists to draw from and I think this will be a very exciting project.”

“This is an electric dream come true.  We are so thrilled to be able to explore and expand upon the evergreen themes found in the incredible work of this literary master,” said Cranston.

We hope the series includes some adaptations from these great works: Dick’s first story, “Roog,” as well as “The Mold of Yancy,” “Meddler,” “The Father-Thing,” “Nanny,” “The Commuter, “Souvenir,” and novels Time Out of Joint, and his incredible non-science fiction novel In Milton Lumky Territory.

The series does not yet have a release date.

C.J. Bunce
Editor
borg.com