Prime Video's Black Mirror Replacement Has 72% On Rotten Tomatoes And Comes From A Sci-Fi Master

Published May 30, 2025

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every season of Black Mirror brought something new to the table. That's exactly why viewers may appreciate another new set of standalone adventures, this time from an even more established creator.

British satirist Brooker rightly told the Black Mirror season 7 episodes airing on April 10, 2025. Ronald D. Moore and Michael Dinner teamed up to develop a show similarly based on the many emotionally taxing anxieties presented by modern-day technology. This show is Philip K. Dick's Electric Dreams, also known as Electric Dreams. Originally broadcast on Channel 4 in the UK, its best moments are as good as Black Mirror.

Prime Video's Electric Dreams Is A Sci-Fi Anthology Based On Philip K. Dick's Work

Electric Dreams Has Many Parallels With Black Mirror

Just like the best Black Mirror episodes, Electric Dreams courts visions of alternate realities and future societies, examining the power and danger of technology. As per its title, it is based on the work of Philip K. Dick, the legendary American science fiction novelist. Dick penned A Scanner Darkly and Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, on which Blade Runner is based. No TV show can quite replicate the power of Dick's written work, but Electric Dreams has some unforgettable highlights, with each episode based on a Philip K. Dick short story.

"Autofac," however, is based on a novelette, starring American singer and actress Janelle Monáe as an android in a dark cautionary tale about consumerism when technology runs wild. "Autofac" diverges from Dick's writing significantly, but successfully adds its own spin, bringing the story into the 2010s. This generally goes for a fair few of the episodes, which play fast and loose with their source material, often to brilliant effect. Black Mirror and Electric Dreams both have horror and thriller elements, but "Real Life" is Electric Dreams at its most brutal and impressive.

Philip K. Dick's Electric Dreams Is The Perfect Anthology Show For Fans Of Black Mirror

Electric Dreams Brings Dystopian Drama In Spades

Lewis Gribben as Cameron in Black Mirror's Plaything.

Fans of Black Mirror have many reasons to watch Electric Dreams. As Black Mirror predicted the future numerous times, Philip K. Dick was well ahead of his time, and it shows in his short stories. Both series have an uncanny insight into the problems technology presents in contemporary society and how these problems often masquerade as solutions. Brooker was heavily influenced by Dick's work, and it makes sense for Black Mirror fans to enjoy the context of its creation. Black Mirror centers on human drama, and Electric Dreams does this too, at its best.

Collage of Paul Giamatti in Black Mirror and Kate Winslet and Jim Carrey in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

If You Loved Black Mirror Season 7's Eulogy Episode, You Need To Watch Kate Winslet's Classic Sci-Fi Romance With 92% On RT

Black Mirror season 7's tragic sci-fi romance, "Eulogy," has a lot in common with Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind's trip down memory lane.

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Although Electric Dreams lacks the raw power of some of the Black Mirror episodes with a "happy" ending or unexpected twists at the end, it captures the same queasy feeling. Plus, importantly, both series are anthologized, making them incredibly accessible to sci-fi fans. Terry Pratchett's Discworld books grasped the same basic concept - if each story is a standalone, it is far easier for consumers to dive into a series. Electric Dreams is remarkably easy to watch, with no prequels or sequels to episodes. Like with Black Mirror, viewers can start watching it from any episode.

Source: BBC