Neon Dystopia Archive

The Birth of "Venus": an Exclusive Interview with Andrew McGee

shadowlink — Thu, 02 Jun 2022 17:15:50 +0000

Contrary to what you might believe, it’s not every day that we have creators and artists with cyberpunk clout under their belt asking our seedy little corner of the web for exposure. So, it was delightful to hear from Andrew McGee, British-born independent filmmaker, recently in regards to his …

The Cyber-Femme: Woman in the Machine

S.C. Jensen — Tue, 01 Mar 2022 12:29:27 +0000

By S. C. Jensen

Cyberpunk exists as a kind of liminal space in the imagination, the hazy middle ground where dichotomies come to play. Cyberpunk settings often manage to be both dystopian-futurist and unnervingly close to present day realities. Aesthetically we have the contrast between dark alleys and black markets …

Digital Health: COVID-19 and the Rise of Biosurveillance

Anna Davis — Sat, 20 Nov 2021 14:22:04 +0000

Biosurveillance is the process of tracking medical and health data for clues about a possible health event like an outbreak. Historically, it’s a normal and necessary part of public health. But COVID-19 took everyone off guard, and now our governments will be looking for ways to strengthen future biosurveillance …

Carbon & Silicon: a neuromantic tale by French author Mathieu Bablet

Antoine St. Epondyle — Mon, 25 Oct 2021 07:00:00 +0000

More than any others, one work deserves the qualifier of “post-cyberpunk”: Carbon & Silicon, from awarded French author Mathieu Bablet. However, the label itself has no importance, as this new entry in a genre that has found itself rooted in the past has one merit that stands out among its peers …

Post-Human Capitalism and Revolution: Detroit and Blade Runner 2049

Taylor Dorrell — Sat, 17 Jul 2021 23:46:02 +0000

The cyberpunk of the late 20th century was not just fiction nor just a response to late capitalism, but hidden within cyberpunk lies dormant political theory for the present and the future — leading the late Mark Fisher to call cyberpunk ‘cybernetic theory-fiction’. The 2017 film Blade Runner 2049 and the …

Cyberbilly: A Guide to Surviving the Rural Wasteland

shadowlink — Mon, 26 Apr 2021 07:00:00 +0000

A little over three and a half solar cycles ago user jbains asked us on how to live a cyberpunk life in the country. This was a subject that connected with me because I have basically lived that life as a child–outcast by my so-called community at a young …

Alternate realities in the every day: extremism, the internet, and the death of truth

John Farrell — Sat, 20 Mar 2021 08:00:00 +0000

There’s a dangerous contradiction inherent to the Information Age, and one that’s pushing extreme ideologies to the fore. Our access to information vastly outpaces our ability to interpret it, and that dichotomy is having disastrous effects. Many times you have come across an individual online whose ideology is …

Boss Rush: Cloudpunk

shadowlink — Thu, 04 Mar 2021 07:00:00 +0000

Welcome back to Boss Rush, the only column on the internet that will only stop when somebody buys me Cyberpunk 2077 and a console to play it on. Getting sick of me yet? Then pay up, bitch.

Today we’re taking a break from the murder spree simulator hemisphere of …

Nowpunk, Mr Robot & The Importance of Representation in Cyberpunk

Ruth Holder — Fri, 12 Feb 2021 07:00:00 +0000

Cyberpunk has given creatives a medium to explore and discuss the possibilities of the future, the dangers and prospects of technological advancement, corporate corruption and much more. But like many genres, Cyberpunk media struggles to fully represent humanity within its stories. Since the genre’s conception, the majority of leads …

Greek Punk – a Review of a Cyberblade: City of Five Skies

John Farrell — Sat, 23 Jan 2021 07:00:00 +0000

Cyberblade: The City of Five Skies is a strong showing from a first author, but I can’t shake the feeling that it needed a little longer in the oven. It has huge ideas and shows strong creative vision, but if anything sticks out as a flaw is that the …

Boss Rush: Until I Have You

shadowlink — Wed, 13 Jan 2021 07:00:00 +0000

Hello again, you beautiful murderborgs. I know, I know, you’re feeling your programming starting to itch, and if you don’t get your hands on another simulator soon, all those little violent urges might spill out into reality. Fortunately for you, Wormwood Studios has you covered with their 2016 …

The L0WL1F3 Podcast: a Neon Dystopia production

Steven J. Matos (Scum) — Wed, 06 Jan 2021 03:22:50 +0000

After long last, Neon Dystopia is proud to present our first ever podcast! The L0WL1F3 podcast! A podcast where Oldman Coinops, Shadowlink, and Scum talk news, movies, music, games, politics, chaos, and insanity all through the lens of cyberpunk. Think of it like hanging out with your buds and discussing …

Must Play Cyberpunk Interactive Fiction Games

StoryFix Media — Mon, 21 Dec 2020 06:00:42 +0000

This is a guest post from our friends over at StoryFix Media.

With CD Projeckt Red’s hotly anticipated Cyberpunk 2077 on the horizon, it’s time to dive into the shady underworld of Cyberpunk interactive fiction games and text adventures to (re)discover some of the must-play titles that …

Boss Rush: Katana Zero

shadowlink — Mon, 14 Dec 2020 06:00:10 +0000

The time upon us, fellow gaming addicts, to witness the release of the game that will more likely than not break the back of the AAA gaming industry. I’m of course referring to Cyberpunk 2077, which somehow still has a massive-yet-wearied hype train attached to it, as the game …

Soylent Green: Cyberpunk's Horrifying Apotheosis

John Farrell — Tue, 01 Dec 2020 06:00:00 +0000

Soylent Green, believe it or not, is the pinnacle of the cyberpunk ethos, and not really about cannibalism (not entirely anyway). For those of you that have yet to watch the film, your cultural knowledge probably only extends to its final, climactic revelation: Soylent Green is people! The more you …

Acid Techno: Drugs, squats, and protest

Craig Gordon — Mon, 16 Nov 2020 13:30:25 +0000

By Craig Gordon

Cyberpunk music. Which tones and rhythms embody Cyberpunk? Which style defines the genre? As a Cyberpunk, which sound pulses relentlessly through your brain? Vaporwave perhaps? Maybe some Drum and Bass? Or are you chippin’ in?

But when you strip away the sonics, and you look at the …

Neon Dystopia: Open Call for Submissions!

Steven J. Matos (Scum) — Wed, 30 Sep 2020 07:00:00 +0000

Submissions are open! What’s different from before? Not much, except now we PAY our writers. Every accepted submission will pay the writer $20 via Paypal. So if your article has been accepted by us you will need a Paypal to receive payment from us. We are really excited to …

Saga, Siron, and synth pop: The Music of BEKIMACHINE

Steven J. Matos (Scum) — Wed, 08 Jul 2020 14:00:00 +0000

With soothing synths and killer beats, Kent/London DJ BEKIMACHINE brings a fresh take to the synthpop genre via her new single Saga.

Synthpop isn’t something I often frequent, with most of the music I consume ranging from the calming to the schizophrenic. Vocals are often a foreign concept …

Classics, Class, and Code: The unlikely presence of the ancient world in cyberpunk literature

Ross Clare — Tue, 23 Jun 2020 06:00:00 +0000

Classical antiquity, or classics – the study of the ancient Mediterranean, its history, culture, art, literature – is just about the fanciest thing in the history of the western world. It was, and to some extent is, the domain of the upper class, and for centuries has formed the bedrock of the …

Last Week in Cyberpunk: The Black Lives Matter edition

ND Team — Wed, 10 Jun 2020 17:04:44 +0000

WARNING: We are going to be talking about and showing images and videos of police brutality that may not be suitable for everyone. There is violence. There is blood. We at Neon Dystopia feel it would have been disingenuous of us to just talk about the protests, and not show …

Street Level: May 29th, 10:58 PM Grand Rapids, MI

shadowlink — Fri, 05 Jun 2020 06:00:32 +0000

I arrive in downtown near Rosa Parks Square with fire pulsing through my veins, having never been part of an active protest before. Following a throng of civilians, I soon realize that I’ve arrived a little late for a purely peaceful gathering, the crowds bristling with anger outside the …

Matrix, or the Death of Cyberpunk.

Pascal Rioux-Couillard (VSilhouette) — Mon, 01 Jun 2020 06:00:00 +0000

There is no denying that the Matrix franchise holds an important position in the history of cyberpunk. At the time of its released in 1999, it was the first convincing rendition of the genre in any medium to reach a diverse audience since Blade Runner (1982) and Neuromancer (1984), and …

Pills, Laughs, Dystopia, and SkullFuck: a review of Drugs and Wires

O F Cieri — Thu, 21 May 2020 13:51:54 +0000

Close your eyes and picture the nineties. Imagine the Windows 94 logo as if on a black computer screen, jagged with thick pixels and bleached by the bright light of the cathode tube behind the monitor. Let it bounce over the surface of your mind just like it did in …

Panopticon Pending

Lord Tuesday — Sat, 25 Apr 2020 12:00:00 +0000

“You never let a serious crisis go to waste. And what I mean by that it’s an opportunity to do things you think you could not do before.” – Rahm Emanuel

This quote and the sentiment contained within it get thrown around a lot in the more cynical parts of …

The Extraordinary Life and Influence of Philip K Dick

Alex V Woods — Tue, 14 Apr 2020 13:00:00 +0000

Philip K Dick, The Prolific Science-Fiction Writer

Philip K Dick published a whopping 44 novels and 121 short stories before he died at the early age of 53. That’s about 44 novels more than most aspiring science fiction writer write in their lifetime.

The main theme in his writing …

Dystopia as a State of Mind

shadowlink — Fri, 31 Jan 2020 12:00:45 +0000

Somehow, human society has limped its way into 2020. Last year was a particularly prophetic one as far as cyberpunk goes– both Blade Runner and Akira, both staples of the genre, take place in 2019. I’ll be the first to admit that neither gets much right in terms of …

Resurrected: What we know so far about Matrix 4

Alex V Woods — Mon, 20 Jan 2020 12:00:11 +0000

The ending to Matrix Revolutions seemed pretty final, right? And yet, following Hollywood’s penchant for sequels, Variety broke the news last August that The Matrix trilogy would finally be getting the sequel treatment as well. For now it’s only known as Matrix 4, but feel free to guess …

The Mythology of Technology: Astral Tales' new album, The Last Resplendent

Pascal Rioux-Couillard (VSilhouette) — Wed, 04 Dec 2019 12:00:04 +0000

Astral Tales’ new release, The Last Resplendent, marks the end of the Red Iris Saga. Or should I say the beginning? I have presented Astral Tales’ body of work here, but let’s recap the story so far. The band’s first album and the core of the narrative, Landing …

Decrypting Dystopia: The Cyber Noir Spectrum

shadowlink — Thu, 19 Sep 2019 08:09:39 +0000

Sometimes, it’s good to kick back and watch a good, old-fashioned noir. Wrapping yourself up in tales about scoundrels, femme fatales, crooks, and regular joes who just found themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time scratch an itch in the deepest, darkest bowels of the soul that …

Posthuman, Alas! – New Romancer (DC/Vertigo, 2015)

Pascal Rioux-Couillard (VSilhouette) — Fri, 06 Sep 2019 08:25:13 +0000

Alexia “Lexy” Ryan is a programmer down on her luck. Despite being genetically engineered with brain enhancements by her her scientist dad, she is merely coding match-making algorithms for a third-rate dating website, New Romancer. But Lexy doesn’t mind, because she is also a hopeless romantic, obsessed with 19 …

The Cyberpunk Red Jumpstart Kit: More of the Same, for Better and for Worse

Albino Prassa — Thu, 29 Aug 2019 00:00:38 +0000

I recently had a chance to play an introductory scenario from the Cyberpunk Red Jumpstart Kit—a preview pack for the upcoming new edition of the classic Cyberpunk role-playing game. After slipping on our mirrorshades and breaking open a case of Smash, three of us huddled around the table as …

‘It’s not my department’: A Review of Brazil

Dann Lewis — Wed, 28 Aug 2019 00:00:42 +0000

Terry Gilliam’s Brazil has eluded me for many years now. After having read, watched, and played through many dystopian worlds, I have finally decided to watch the cult 80’s film. Needless to say, the movie was something I felt warranted another examination. In an earlier review we analysed …

Genetic Recode: Looper

shadowlink — Thu, 01 Aug 2019 02:22:18 +0000

These days, it’s nearly impossible to find futuristic science fiction that doesn’t include familiar cyberpunk tropes. This is particularly true of sci-fi that takes place on a future Earth or otherwise Earth-like planet. We’ve long discarded the notion that, provided society doesn’t collapse before then, the …

Decrypting Dystopia: How Cyberpunk Corrupted the Space Opera

shadowlink — Thu, 25 Jul 2019 12:00:19 +0000

Because I have nothing better to do than to illegally connect to the ‘net via brain implant in my iso-cube, I like to spend my time researching obscure subjects. The countless, sleepless hours I’ve spent scouring cyberspace for any morsel of data concerning media genres and subgenres have all …

Soundtracks to a Dying World: Summer Singles

shadowlink — Wed, 17 Jul 2019 12:00:21 +0000

After a grueling night shift in a factory that seems to have more robotic employees than human, you wake coated in sweat. Has it always been this hot this time of year? Your memory seems to escape you—you have more important things to worry about than the weather. Like …

Conspiracy on the Red Planet: The Return of Denver Moon

shadowlink — Tue, 09 Jul 2019 12:00:30 +0000

Man, it hasn’t even been a year and Warren Hammond and Josh Viola have given us another blessing in their new entry into the Mars-based cyberpunk series Denver Moon. Including a graphic novel prequel, a soundtrack, short stories, PS4 themes, and even an IPA (unfortunately no longer in production …

“You work with what you got, not what you hoped for.” – Review of Hotel Artemis (2018)

Pascal Rioux-Couillard (VSilhouette) — Mon, 01 Jul 2019 12:00:18 +0000

The Hotel Artemis is a black-market hospital supplying sketchy high tech services to subscribing members, that is, criminals wealthy enough to pay, with the guidance of the reclusive Nurse (Jodie Foster, who should be remembered for the punk classic Taxi Driver if nothing else) and her assistant Everest (Dave Bautista …

Crossing the Uncanny Valley – Perturbator, Société des Arts Technologiques (Montréal), May 13th, 2019.

Pascal Rioux-Couillard (VSilhouette) — Fri, 28 Jun 2019 12:00:03 +0000

Perturbator is without a doubt the best known synthwave artist presently active. What is less known, however, is that Perturbator is James Kent, son of Nick Kent, journalist for the seminal British music magazine New Musical Express. Back in 1976, Nick Kent had a tense relationship with the emerging UK …

Soundtracks to a Dying World: Disasterpeace

shadowlink — Mon, 24 Jun 2019 12:00:15 +0000

If you think about it, the histories of video game and cyberpunk culture are closely intertwined. Both began gestating in the late 1970s and began leaving their marks on pop culture in the ‘80s. The “punk” element in modern dystopian fiction typically manifests itself in the hacker archetype, who rebels …

“We’ve Got a City to Burn” – The Best of E3 2019

ND Team — Sat, 22 Jun 2019 11:10:45 +0000

While in recent years the E3 conference may have devolved from a beautiful smorgasbord showcasing dozens of new, innovative games worth getting excited over to a deflating hype machine populated largely by AAA corporations almost exclusively churning out sequels, updates, and other creatively bankrupt enterprises, each year there are a …

Synth Riders VR Presents the FiXT Essentials Playlist, Vol. 1

shadowlink — Thu, 20 Jun 2019 14:10:56 +0000

Hey. Hey kid. You like VR? How about synthwave? Do you like soaring across the vast, vector-graphic landscapes of the Grid? Of course you do, it’s the 21st century. Lucky for you, I got a new, 100% chem-free, A/V hyper-stim that might be up your alley.

Me? I …

Soundtracks to a Dying World: Metric

shadowlink — Tue, 18 Jun 2019 19:03:03 +0000

“He’s really reaching now,” you’re probably thinking. “He can’t keep reeling in synthpop bands forever. I want more industrial, fucker.” And sure, Metric, the four-piece new wave revival band hailing from Toronto, may appear strictly modern, having painted the alt scene gold and black with their 2009 …

“Do I Look Civilized to You?” – the John Wick Series’ Parallels to the Cyberpunk Genre

shadowlink — Mon, 03 Jun 2019 23:33:57 +0000

I am very, very excited for tonight. I’ve got my tickets to go see John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum and am prepared to watch Keanu Reeves do what he does best on the silver screen: massacre his way through dozens of armed assailants at once. The first film, directed …

Last Week in Cyberpunk 4/24/19

Steven J. Matos (Scum) — Wed, 24 Apr 2019 02:08:52 +0000

We stumble out of yet another sleepless night on the tail of end of a night shift, eyes aching and brain buzzing. How long has it been? Months? Years? We boot up the vid screen either way, craving sweet release, ramming the smooth metal of the connector jack into our …

Last Week in Cyberpunk 4/16/19 – The Harsh Reality Week

Steven J. Matos (Scum) — Tue, 16 Apr 2019 14:17:07 +0000

Cyberpunk Reality

Organ Harvesting: the Latest Horror in Dystopian Reality for Uyghurs in Chinese Concentration Camps

Source: Extranewsfeed.com

Back in January CNN broke the story of alleged re-education (read: concentration) camps that the Chinese government were placing Muslim Uyghur minorities in (China’s government prefers the term ‘vocational training …

Last Week in Cyberpunk 4/9/19 Short and Sweet

Steven J. Matos (Scum) — Tue, 09 Apr 2019 09:00:22 +0000

We got something short and sweet to keep all of our ever shrinking attention spans. News update on the flesh and blood Akira, a new way to play with Altered Carbon, and on who’s who on the Bebop.

Movies

Live Action Akira Adaptation May Break Free of Development Hell …

Last Week in Cyberpunk 4/2/2019

Steven J. Matos (Scum) — Tue, 02 Apr 2019 21:24:13 +0000

Can you hear me? Is this on? Did the pollution and radiation pumping from hearts and minds scramble this transmission? Because we got Aliens coming for you, Megazones to inhabit, a musical Junkie, and couple of Youngbloods showing us what to do with a Nazi in this Last Week in …

Recipe for hate – a review of Genocidal Organ (anime adaptation, 2017)

Pascal Rioux-Couillard (VSilhouette) — Fri, 29 Mar 2019 12:00:24 +0000

The year is 2020 and since a nuclear terrorist attack on Sarajevo in 2015, the first world has gone in full on surveillance mode. Faces, brainwaves and heartbeats are monitored by various devices at every intersections, and “terror” has dropped to almost non-existence. In developing countries, that’s another story …

Soundtracks to a Dying World: Death Grips

shadowlink — Wed, 27 Mar 2019 19:15:28 +0000

If you’ve been on any music sites in the last five years, chances are you know about Death Grips. Hitting the music industry like a bat with nails spiked into it through a Tesla windshield, the three-piece Sacramento-based outfit is arguably the last “true” high-profile punk band, constantly subverting …

Last Week in Cyberpunk 3/25/19

shadowlink — Tue, 26 Mar 2019 00:33:44 +0000

Welcome back, hackers, punks, loners, and aspiring cyborgs. This past week we’ve been keeping an eye on those who are keeping an eye on us, a proposed bill in California that will allow consumers to take back their technology, and a flood of new content from the teams working …

Last Week in Cyberpunk – 3/4/19 to 3/17/19 the two week special

Steven J. Matos (Scum) — Thu, 21 Mar 2019 02:41:01 +0000

Through hiccups and crashes and the ever present screeching of white noise we are broadcasting to you from the digital wasteland. We are back to a regular scheduled program and bringing you two weeks worth of news to fill your tired vacant eyeholes with. We are bringing you hacking heroes …

Ruiner: Eviscerate Your Way into the Depths of Cyber-Hell

shadowlink — Fri, 15 Mar 2019 12:00:51 +0000

It took me way too long to get around to playing Ruiner. The day it came out I nabbed myself a copy and… let it gather bits on my library’s shelf since. Recently, however, I felt the inexplicable desire to go on a violent, Hotline Miami–esque mutilation spree …

Last Week in Cyberpunk 2/25/19

Steven J. Matos (Scum) — Mon, 25 Feb 2019 12:00:41 +0000

Fresh off the digital presses (with only a hint of radiation), we bring you the latest in Last Week in Cyberpunk for all your weekly cyberpunk needs. This week we got a fresh cast for Altered Carbon, the possibility of further Alita flicks, and enough reading to keep you busy …

Saga of the Killing Angel: A Review of Gunnm

shadowlink — Mon, 18 Feb 2019 12:00:56 +0000

I’m not much of a manga reader. For some reason, I find it difficult to focus on digest-sized pages printed in black and white, and sometimes it’s difficult to follow the action if there’s too much going on in a single panel. So at first, I was …

Last Week in Cyberpunk 2/16/19

Steven J. Matos (Scum) — Sat, 16 Feb 2019 22:28:26 +0000

The beautiful sound of genetic engineering fills your data streams as we upload a new batch of weekly data packets into your headmeat. In this Last Week in Cyberpunk genetic engineering is indeed going down (who owns it is another matter), some more books to keep your aforementioned headmeats healthy …

“Alice”: A Glimpse into Pylot’s Future

shadowlink — Thu, 14 Feb 2019 10:00:50 +0000

Great news for synthwave fans: indie label FiXT Neon has just given Neon Dystopia the honor of showcasing the first single off Pylot’s upcoming EP. Clean our those earholes of yours and fill them back up with a healthy dose of retro guitars and synths, just as the back-alley …

Last Week in Cyberpunk 2/11/19

Steven J. Matos (Scum) — Mon, 11 Feb 2019 18:00:05 +0000

Welcome back to another Last Week in Cyberpunk, where the news is hot but the pixels are cold. This time around we bring you updates from the Yellow Vest Protests, a fresh book to upload into your brain meats, and LARPing experience like no other.

Cyberpunk Reality

More French Protests …

Alita: Battle Angel, A Manga Adaptation That Doesn't Suck

Isaac L. Wheeler (Veritas) — Tue, 05 Feb 2019 12:00:34 +0000

Battle Angel Alita by Yukito Kishiro, also known as Gunnm (Gun Dream), was one of my early exposures to the cyberpunk genre and at that time in my teens, I fell in love with the characters, the world they inhabited, and to be honest this manga is probably responsible for …

Last Week in Cyberpunk 2/2/19

Steven J. Matos (Scum) — Sun, 03 Feb 2019 12:00:26 +0000

Welcome back another Last Week in Cyberpunk you technological smooth criminals. We have the latest reason to change every password you have, some good news on the Terminator front, more Alita news, and an audio book that your toaster may not enjoy.

Cyberpunk Reality

Hackers are Passing Around a Leak …

Soundtracks to a Dying World: Phantogram

shadowlink — Thu, 31 Jan 2019 12:00:14 +0000

Trip hop is a tricky genre to get your head around if you’re a filthy casual listener. In more ways than one, it feels like it was beamed back to us from the future–it draws influence from what seems like every living category of music, culminating in something …

Clean water cleanses the Self – a review of Slow River by Nicola Griffith

Pascal Rioux-Couillard (VSilhouette) — Tue, 29 Jan 2019 18:00:18 +0000

In Slow River we follow the destiny of Frances Lorien “Lore” van de Oest, youngest child of the world-famous van de Oest dynasty and heiress to the family’s corporate empire. Based in their native Netherlands, van de Oest Entreprises cash in billions in the field of water treatment all …

Last Week in Cyberpunk 1/27/19

Steven J. Matos (Scum) — Sun, 27 Jan 2019 18:00:09 +0000

Welcome back to another Last Week in Cyberpunk, you neon drenched computer junkies. We have another fix for you in the shape of political revolution, some new tabletop games to keep you happy, and some new Alita news.

Cyberpunk Reality

Venezuelan Opposition Leader Juan Guaido Names Himself President

This is …

Cyberpunk Mon Amour: What The Genre Misses About The Real Future Of Sex

M.Christian — Wed, 23 Jan 2019 18:00:15 +0000

For a genre that often really tries to ground itself in, if not a realistic, then at least a vaguely probable future, cyberpunk misses more than it hits when it comes to human sexuality: especially considering the technological and social changes that are taking place right now.

These too-often misses …

Last Week in Cyberpunk 1/19/19

Steven J. Matos (Scum) — Sat, 19 Jan 2019 18:00:56 +0000

Hello you beautiful digital angels. We are back with another Last Week in Cyberpunk, bringing you news of the latest massive privacy breach, a killer new short film by Keiichi Matsuda, and some upcoming anime that will hopefully makes its way from Japan to the rest of us.

Cyberpunk Reality …

When the Eye Sees Itself: A Bright Future in a Fragmented Mirror

Albino Prassa — Wed, 16 Jan 2019 12:00:49 +0000

When the Eye Sees Itself is the debut novel of Eric Borgerson. Released in January of 2018, the story attempts to gel Borgerson’s interests and background in law, political activism, philosophy, and spiritual traditions into a single narrative. Conceptually, most of the threads and ideas are compelling and brimming …

Last Week in Cyberpunk 1/12/19

Steven J. Matos (Scum) — Sat, 12 Jan 2019 18:00:10 +0000

We are back on track punks with this week’s installment of LWIC. We got Cyberpunk Jesus Keanu Reeves back in a new film, some sick video games coming our way, current events to make you cringe, and a new biological book to keep you company these cold months.

Cyberpunk …

Is cyberpunk a sentient light bulb? – A review of Gravity’s Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon.

Pascal Rioux-Couillard (VSilhouette) — Wed, 09 Jan 2019 18:00:34 +0000

Thomas Pynchon is widely regarded as one of the most influential of American novelists. Famously secretive, little is known of his whereabouts, save from two memorable cameos in The Simpsons. Gravity’s Rainbow (1973) is his magnum opus and is often quoted as a major influence on cyberpunk. Author Richard …

Soundtracks to a Dying World: Depeche Mode

shadowlink — Tue, 08 Jan 2019 18:00:26 +0000

Sometimes, it’s difficult to pinpoint exactly what makes certain kinds of music fall under the cyberpunk umbrella. If the scope is too broad, you risk lumping in modern music genres with heavy electronic leanings that don’t quite seem to fit the bill, such as techno, certain derivatives of …

Neon Dystopia's Best of 2018

shadowlink — Wed, 02 Jan 2019 18:00:49 +0000

Say goodbye to a truly dystopian year, cyberpunks, and say hello to the ominous 2019. Since we at Neon Dystopia (and apparently, the rest of the internet) have been occupied with keeping our existential holiday angst at bay, instead of publishing Last Week in Cyberpunk articles that would, frankly, have …

On Mirror Shades: a Staple of High Tech Lowlife Style

shadowlink — Thu, 20 Dec 2018 12:00:37 +0000

So last week I spent what remained of my paltry monetary units from my occupation as a corporate wage slave on six pairs of mirrored sunglasses. Why, you ask? Because, dear reader, one of the many constants of cyberpunk are the mirror shades. For some reason, all cyberpunk works seem …

Reaching the Truth with Blade Runner 4: Eye and Talon

shadowlink — Wed, 19 Dec 2018 18:00:34 +0000

One experimental, dangerous, and possibly-illegal medical procedure that allows me to download digital information directly into my brain later, I’ve done it. I’ve gotten through the last of the Blade Runner sequel novels.

Accurate portrayal of my current living conditions.

Fortunately, mentally poring through the last episode in …

A Comprehensive Guide to Budget Cyberpunk Gaming – Part 9

shadowlink — Thu, 13 Dec 2018 12:00:32 +0000

Just for you punks, I’ve saved the best for last. Since you’ll probably be spending what’s left of your dwindling savings on mass-produced goods in a frenzy of debaucherous spending as per the custom demanded by our consumer gods, I come to you with an offering of …

Red Iris: a synthwave saga – presenting Astral Tales

Pascal Rioux-Couillard (VSilhouette) — Tue, 11 Dec 2018 12:00:26 +0000

In the avalanche of synthwave released in the last decade or so, artists have to be inventive to stand out. Hailing from Spain, Astral Tales had the good idea to tell a story. On the course of three full-length albums, Landing, Raytracers and Seafari, is presented to us the epic …

A Comprehensive Guide to Budget Cyberpunk Gaming – Part 8

shadowlink — Mon, 10 Dec 2018 12:00:40 +0000

It’s been a long time coming, but at last–at last–I’ve returned from my quest of poring through every last nook and cranny I could find of cyberpunk games under $5 (including itch.io’s list of 800-or-so games) to provide you with two final installments of …

Last Week in Cyberpunk 12/7/18

Steven J. Matos (Scum) — Fri, 07 Dec 2018 16:47:36 +0000

Hey punks, this Week in Cyberpunk the story of the rogue scientist in China deepens, we got riots in France that are expected to keep on going, and a lot of new books to keep you warm this coming winter. Stay warm out there, and try not to derez.

Cyberpunk …

“…let us steal their souls.” Ritual Debasement by Varigator

Steven J. Matos (Scum) — Thu, 06 Dec 2018 12:00:14 +0000

With 9 tracks of in-your-face darkwave, Varigator’s first album Ritual Debasement is here to spread some sweet electronic corruption.

Ritual Debasement. The name caught me before the synths did. With a title you’d expect on a blackmetal album, Varigator brings heavy bass tunes with sampling from video games …

Of Mere Being: A Look Back At Wild Palms

M.Christian — Wed, 05 Dec 2018 12:00:36 +0000

The palm stands on the edge of space.
The wind moves slowly in the branches.
The bird’s fire-fangled feathers dangle down.

From “Of Mere Being” By Wallace Stevens

You have to give Oliver Stone’s 1993 mini-series Wild Palms more than a little credit: trying to merge cyberpunk with …

Killtopia: A Fresh Neon-Splattered Cyberpunk Comic

Alex V Woods — Tue, 04 Dec 2018 12:00:15 +0000

Have you sold your ballsack to attend Wreck-Fest X yet? Not to worry, reading Killtopia is the next best thing.

No seriously, this psycho fan did it in the first few pages of the comic. What’s your excuse?

Killtopia is the new upcoming graphic novel by Dave Cook and …

Inside the Pages of Blade Runner 3: Replicant Night

shadowlink — Mon, 03 Dec 2018 12:00:04 +0000

K.W. Jeter must have been in a bad place when writing his second novelized sequel to the cyberpunk codifier, Blade Runner. I say this because, after a year’s hiatus from reading not only the decanonized series but all literature in general, I dove right back in, head first …

Last Week in Cyberpunk 11/30/18

Steven J. Matos (Scum) — Fri, 30 Nov 2018 12:00:03 +0000

Happy Shitgiving! Hope you punks out there had a tolerable holiday. This Last Week in Cyberpunk we are giving you news from this week and last week, covering injustice, genetic engineering, and some new releases in media that may have flown past your radar.

Cyberpunk Reality

Congress has refused to …

Pictures at 11 by Norman Spinrad: Media manipulation in a pre-internet era

Albino Prassa — Thu, 29 Nov 2018 12:00:41 +0000

KLAX Action News team taken hostage! Eco-terrorists demand halt to construction of nuclear desalination plants off the coast of Los Angeles! Pictures at 11!

Norman Spinrad is arguably best known in cyberpunk circles for his novel Little Heroes, but his 1994 thriller, Pictures at 11, delves into themes that should …

State of Mind – An Adventure into Metaphysical Dystopia

BruteForceBot — Mon, 26 Nov 2018 12:00:42 +0000

I spent a long time thinking about what I could say about State of Mind. It’s hard to begin discussing this game without saying too much, but I could also ramble endlessly about how beautiful and intriguing the story, setting, and characters feel. It took me about a month …

A Cyberpunk’s Take on Drug Culture

shadowlink — Mon, 26 Nov 2018 12:00:33 +0000

We’ve seen a lot of changes in 2018, many of them for the worse. There are constant reminders that the shadow of corporate and governmental fascism hangs over us. Technological anxiety grows as automation continues to drive the value of human labor in all its forms below the poverty …

Last Week in Cyberpunk 11/17/18

Steven J. Matos (Scum) — Sat, 17 Nov 2018 15:06:52 +0000

This Week in Cyberpunk we see the data collection of a nation, the bending media to create a new type of reading experience, some exciting new content coming to Netflix, and a new book of sci-fi noir by Amanda Bridgeman.

Cyberpunk Reality

How ZTE helps Venezuela create China-style social control …

Technology as a Tool for Alienation: an Analysis of Cyberpunk's Core

shadowlink — Mon, 12 Nov 2018 18:00:08 +0000

Preface

Having dabbled in creative writing, I often find myself dissecting categories of fiction to isolate what makes them unique. It’s my belief that every mode of storytelling can be boiled down to a central concept, growing more refined as the scope narrows into genres and subgenres. All storytelling …

The Anix Works in the Shadows to Stoke the Flames of a Movement

Steven J. Matos (Scum) — Thu, 25 Oct 2018 22:55:21 +0000

Back in August, we interviewed Brandon Smith, the sole member of The Anix, about his musical inspirations and his then upcoming album Shadow_Movement. Now unleashed upon the world in its entirety, Shadow_Movement is an electro-pop journey into the dirtiest/sleekest aspects of science fiction and music.

As someone who listens …

"Audible even over the gunfire": A Review of A Song Called Youth Trilogy

Pascal Rioux-Couillard (VSilhouette) — Tue, 23 Oct 2018 21:38:23 +0000

There has been some debate about the nature of politics in cyberpunk. The punk suffix should give it away, but then again, the politics of punk do not form a consensus. Just as listening to any The Clash song should clear that out, reading John Shirley’s cyberpunk trilogy A …

‘All dreams come to an end’: A Review of Total Recall (1990)

Dann Lewis — Mon, 15 Oct 2018 21:16:57 +0000

Re-watching Paul Verhoeven’s Total Recall feels like a breath of canned air from the early nineties. A hulking protagonist, copious amounts of violence, snappy one-liners, dramatically evil villains, and wonderful prosthetics and miniatures. Total Recall is a special film that I fondly recall during a science fiction slump or …

Denver Moon: Mars in Monochrome

Isaac L. Wheeler (Veritas) — Tue, 09 Oct 2018 21:40:47 +0000

Denver Moon: The Minds of Mars is the first installment in the universe of science fiction noir, cyberpunk series Denver Moon, the brainchild of Josh Viola and Warren Hammond and published by Hex Publishers. If Viola’s name sounds familiar, it may be because we did a review of his …

Domain, The Post-Apocalyptic Social Network

Pascal Rioux-Couillard (VSilhouette) — Tue, 25 Sep 2018 20:52:07 +0000

There is an outbreak of lethal influenza and people are taking refuge in underground bunkers. We’ve been there before, right? Except for this time, to prevent any form of contagion from the “Saharan flu”, the 500 000 persons who have randomly won their ticket to salvation are completely isolated …

‘Maybe it was software in my head all along’: A Review of Cyberpunk Dreams: Cincinnati Stories

Dann Lewis — Mon, 17 Sep 2018 20:35:49 +0000

Cyberpunk Dreams: Cincinnati Stories is a collection of short stories, written and compiled by science fiction writer and game designer, Rob Chant. After a successfully backed Kickstarter, Chant’s vision is now available.

Set in the near-wasteland of Cincinnati, Chant’s world is bleak, barbaric, and borders on social decay …

Zwaremachine’s Be a Light: Love of Industrial

Steven J. Matos (Scum) — Thu, 13 Sep 2018 19:09:53 +0000

Breaking a 7 year hiatus, Zwaremachine is back with their new album Be A Light. Churning out dark ebm/industrial music reminiscent of early Nine Inch Nails and Skinny Puppy, the album is 7 tracks of old school industrial goodness with 14 tracks of remixes.

Managing to avoid the more …

Beneath Red Light – Glitch Mode Decode Tour

Isaac L. Wheeler (Veritas) — Tue, 11 Sep 2018 00:35:33 +0000

We crossed into the San Francisco Bay across a fog laden bridge and surrounded by the diffuse red lights of brakes from our large numbers of companions on this journey. Over us towers the city’s skyscrapers, their peaks lost in the Bay fog. We hit the streets and pull …

Death Machine Session – Glitch Mode Decode Tour Interview

Isaac L. Wheeler (Veritas) — Tue, 11 Sep 2018 00:33:35 +0000

I step into the maw of the RV that has been the home of the Glitch Mode Decode Tour for the last few weeks. It is parked in a glistening late night San Francisco street, and illuminated by the glow of a local curry restaurant. The Elbo Room lays just …

Shinobi – Code Elektro's, Love Letter to the 80s

Steven J. Matos (Scum) — Thu, 06 Sep 2018 20:34:36 +0000

The year is 2753, and this a story of one woman’s revenge for the loss of her girlfriend at the hands of a mega corporations president. Have you heard this plot before? I hope so punk.

Danish synthwave outfit Code Elektro has packed as much nostalgia, cyberpunk, and 80s …

Neon Dystopia’s Reaction to Cyberpunk 2077’s Gameplay Reveal

Dann Lewis — Tue, 28 Aug 2018 22:10:52 +0000

Oh boy, how long have we been waiting for this? It seems like forever, hasn’t it? But here it is in all its glory, the Cyberpunk 2077 gameplay footage. Before you continue, I strongly urge you to watch the footage before reading this article. Otherwise, here are my thoughts …

Tetsuo Double Feature: Body Hammer and The Bullet Man (Review)

shadowlink — Mon, 27 Aug 2018 21:48:53 +0000

If you wired in last week, you know everything you need to about the horrific scrap-ridden drug trip that is Tetsuo: The Iron Man. But the copious amounts of body horror don’t stop there, oh no. Japanese cult film director Shinya Tsukamoto wrote and directed the second installment in …

Escape Reality: Sci-Fi Thrillers on Netflix, Part 2

shadowlink — Sat, 25 Aug 2018 00:13:42 +0000

Well, well, well. If you caught the first half of this two-parter, then I must be doing something right to have you coming back for more. If you haven’t, well, let’s just say I’ve gone down a bit of a rabbit hole with science fiction flicks on …

Meet the Cyberpunk Confluence that is The Anix

Isaac L. Wheeler (Veritas) — Thu, 23 Aug 2018 15:43:32 +0000

The Anix is a band that have been walking the streets of our cyberpunk present, while creating sounds of the future, since the turn of the century, Y2K itself – the year 2000. In the years hence, The Anix has transformed from a three-member solid alternative rock band to a solo …

Industrial Nightmares Come to Life in Tetsuo: The Iron Man

shadowlink — Wed, 22 Aug 2018 12:42:09 +0000

Longtime readers know we here at Neon Dystopia like to refer to Tetsuo: The Iron Man quite a bit. However, it occurred to me recently that we haven’t given Shinya Tsukamoto’s cult series a proper review. Personally, I first learned of the Tetsuo series after watching an impeccably-edited …