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Blade Runner (a movie)
Encyclopedia
Blade Runner is a science fiction
novella
by Beat Generation
author William S. Burroughs
, first published in 1979. The novella began as a story treatment for a proposed film adaptation of The Bladerunner
, a novel by Alan E. Nourse
. (Some sources erroneously describe Burroughs' work as a closet screenplay
.) A later edition published in the 1980s changed the formatting of the title to Blade Runner, a movie.
No film eventuated; however, the title Blade Runner was later bought for use in the 1982 Ridley Scott
science fiction film, Blade Runner
. The plot of that film was based upon the Philip K. Dick
novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
and not the Nourse/Burroughs source material, although the film does incorporate the term "blade runner" into dialogue.
Burroughs' treatment is set in early 21st century and involves mutated viruses and what the back cover of the 1990 edition describes as "a medical-care apocalypse". The term "blade runner" referred to a smuggler of medical supplies, e.g. scalpel
s.
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
novella
Novella
A novella is a written, fictional, prose narrative usually longer than a novelette but shorter than a novel. The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America Nebula Awards for science fiction define the novella as having a word count between 17,500 and 40,000...
by Beat Generation
Beat generation
The Beat Generation refers to a group of American post-WWII writers who came to prominence in the 1950s, as well as the cultural phenomena that they both documented and inspired...
author William S. Burroughs
William S. Burroughs
William Seward Burroughs II was an American novelist, poet, essayist and spoken word performer. A primary figure of the Beat Generation and a major postmodernist author, he is considered to be "one of the most politically trenchant, culturally influential, and innovative artists of the 20th...
, first published in 1979. The novella began as a story treatment for a proposed film adaptation of The Bladerunner
The Bladerunner
The novel The Bladerunner is a 1974 science fiction novel by Alan E. Nourse.-Plot:The novel's protagonist is Billy Gimp, a man with a club foot who runs "blades" for Doc as part of an illegal black market for medical services...
, a novel by Alan E. Nourse
Alan E. Nourse
Alan Edward Nourse was an American science fiction author and physician. He wrote both juvenile and adult science fiction, as well as nonfiction works about medicine and science. His SF works generally focused on medicine and/or psionics.-Biography:Alan Nourse was born August 11, 1928 to...
. (Some sources erroneously describe Burroughs' work as a closet screenplay
Closet screenplay
Related to closet drama, a closet screenplay is a screenplay intended not to be produced/performed but instead to be read by a solitary reader or, sometimes, out loud in a small group....
.) A later edition published in the 1980s changed the formatting of the title to Blade Runner, a movie.
No film eventuated; however, the title Blade Runner was later bought for use in the 1982 Ridley Scott
Ridley Scott
Sir Ridley Scott is an English film director and producer. His most famous films include The Duellists , Alien , Blade Runner , Legend , Thelma & Louise , G. I...
science fiction film, Blade Runner
Blade Runner
Blade Runner is a 1982 American science fiction film directed by Ridley Scott and starring Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, and Sean Young. The screenplay, written by Hampton Fancher and David Peoples, is loosely based on the novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K...
. The plot of that film was based upon the Philip K. Dick
Philip K. Dick
Philip Kindred Dick was an American novelist, short story writer and essayist whose published work is almost entirely in the science fiction genre. Dick explored sociological, political and metaphysical themes in novels dominated by monopolistic corporations, authoritarian governments and altered...
novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? is a science fiction novel by American writer Philip K. Dick first published in 1968. The main plot follows Rick Deckard, a bounty hunter of androids, while the secondary plot follows John Isidore, a man of sub-normal intelligence who befriends some of the...
and not the Nourse/Burroughs source material, although the film does incorporate the term "blade runner" into dialogue.
Burroughs' treatment is set in early 21st century and involves mutated viruses and what the back cover of the 1990 edition describes as "a medical-care apocalypse". The term "blade runner" referred to a smuggler of medical supplies, e.g. scalpel
Scalpel
A scalpel, or lancet, is a small and extremely sharp bladed instrument used for surgery, anatomical dissection, and various arts and crafts . Scalpels may be single-use disposable or re-usable. Re-usable scalpels can have attached, resharpenable blades or, more commonly, non-attached, replaceable...
s.