Your neural connection to this week in Cyberstopia
Trailer and Preview – New Ghost in the Shell Animated Series
The new Ghost in the Shell animated series comes to Amazon Prime Video on July 7th, and this weekend there’s been a TV event preview in cinemas here in the UK, giving us the chance to check out the first two episodes over a week early. We toyed with going, but ultimately we figured it would be more fun to experience the weekly episode releases in real time with the majority of viewers.
The new animated series is produced by Science SARU, based on Masamune Shirow’s 1989 manga series, which was first brought to the screen in Mamoru Oshii’s 1995 animated movie. This new animation, written by EnJoe Toh and directed by Mokochan, is hand drawn, which we love, and seemingly follows the same Puppet Master storyline as the 1995 movie, though based on the trailer, this looks like it will be more accessible, with humour and a brighter colour palette.
Based on reaction to the first two episodes, the series is a committed adaptation of the original manga, closer than the movie both visually and tonally, which will be good news to avid fans of the source material.
New Comic Series – Xeno Gaia Revolt
Last month saw Eric Malikyte’s cyberpunk battle manga comic, Xeno Gaia Revolt, fully funded on Kickstarter.
Every year, the Underground Fight Circuit sees thousands of fighters from all over the Corporate Confederacy risk their lives in a deadly contest of skill and power. Their hope? To gain enough fame and money to escape the daily grind and hustle of everyday life in Shengli, an underground mega-city built beneath the irradiated ruins of Chicago.
We’ve read the first two chapters, and had a preview of Chapter Three, and it’s the kind of thing we love here at Cyberstopia. Chapter One opens with our introduction to Ke’lan, the half human half Syn’dala protagonist. The opening panels thrust us immediately into the underground city at the heart of Xeno Gaia Revolt. The art has vibrant colours, whilst still conveying the gloom of the underground setting. The background detail situates you in this cyberpunk setting, populated by humans, aliens, and cyborgs, with the hustle and bustle of the busy city shown around the fringes of the main action of the panels.
Straight away Ke’lan’s personal struggles, which are what bring him to the fight circuit, are introduced, whilst the larger elements at play are hinted at. Malikyte, however, is quick to provide more substance and context to the overarching plot of the series, and the plot moves along at a snappy pace. By the end of Chapter One, we are left in no doubt that there are much larger struggles to come for our hero.
You can now check out the first 8 pages free, buy a PDF of Chapter 1, and even order a signed physical copy at Eric’s website, www.ericmalikyte.com We recommend checking it out.
Eric says that Xeno Gaia Revolt is a cyberpunk battle manga that is perfect for fans of Dragon Ball, Akira, and gritty 90s anime and manga, and that Astral Lands Media LLC is aiming to put out chapters monthly.
You can check out the trailer here –
First Trailer – Klara and the Sun
The first trailer for Taika Waititi’s next movie was released this week, and adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro’s novel, Klara and the Sun. A meditation on love and humanity through the eyes of Klara, an ‘Artificial Friend’, set in an isolated dystopian future.
The dystopian setting of the novel is not readily apparent in the trailer, and we’re a bit dubious about how Waititi’s particular brand of whimsy will mesh with the source material. He did a great job of combining humour and pathos in 2019’s Jojo Rabbit, but his last major project was the much maligned Thor: Love and Thunder, which was categorised much more by its puerile humour, and was guilty of minimising the involvement of its most interesting character, Gorr the God Butcher.
Klara and the Sun is due for release on October 23rd 2026, by Sony Pictures Releasing.
Short Film – My Only Friend Is a Robot Named Beans
If you’re interested in the concept of artificial friends, you don’t need to wait for the release of Klara and the Sun. This past week, writer director Anika Kan Grevstad’s short film, My Only Friend Is a Robot Named Beans, was released on YouTube, courtesy of Dust.
This delightful film is a comedic tale of loneliness and friendship. Ruby has a lonely lifestyle, until a new friend appears in the form of a mail order robot companion, which she names Beans. Ruby is reluctant to open herself to the new relationship at first, but friendship soon blossoms.
My Only Friend Is a Robot Named Beans is a refreshing take on the AI companion subject, at a time where most cinematic exploration of the concept is a lot darker, with films like The Companion, Subservience, Wifelike, and Megan taking more of a horror/slasher movie route, painting intelligent robots as something to be feared, or the humans who encounter them as cold and abusive. This film instead explores the possibilities of forming a genuine bond with an artificial companion, with fun and humour, whilst asking questions about the sustainability of such a relationship, and whether the mechanical objects can truly be considered a being in their own right. Do these robots really have thoughts and emotions, or is it just clever design and programming?
Anika Kan Grevstad’s writing injects both humour and pathos into the film, and visually it looks fantastic, with high production values. Anika tells us she is currently in pre-production for her next short film, called Copy Cat, which is due for release in 2027. You can find out more about Anika on her website https://anikakan.com/
Dust is a curated Youtube channel of independent short films, all in the science fiction genre, and they have a wide selection of well produced, thought provoking sci-fi films, all available to watch for free. We highly recommend checking them out.
https://www.youtube.com/@watchdust/featured
Book Release – Shadowrun: Imre Grey
The latest Shadowrun novel was released this week, Shadowrun: Imre Grey, written by Jennifer Brozek. Shadowrun is a high-tech cyberpunk setting, with fantasy and magical elements a part of the everyday world.
Imre Dahl, the manager of an exclusive members club, is reaching the end of his exile from Rabat. All he has to do is survive one last political event, a feat which appears to be getting harder with each passing moment. Whilst life in the shadows can be dangerous, he has long since discovered it can be a lot more deadly living a successful life out in the open.
Shadowrun: Imre Grey, published by Catalyst Game Labs, is available now in digital form from all good booksellers.
https://books2read.com/ShadowrunImreGrey
Cyberpunk Podcast – Hosts in the Shell
The latest episode of Hosts in the Shell is available now. This week, hosts Jon Richter and Matt Adcock take a look at last year’s TV show set in the Alien universe, Alien: Earth. With the series, the Alien franchise really doubles down on the influence of Androids in its world, along with the machinations of large corporate entities, and the guys discuss how this IP has been pulled firmly into the cyberpunk genre as a result, evaluating the first season as a whole in the process. Alien: Earth is available to watch on Hulu and Disney+.
The Hosts in the Shell podcast is a cyberpunk podcast where Jon and Matt discuss the genre’s greatest work, often alongside a notable guest, and they have over 50 episodes available. You can find the Hosts in the Shell podcast at the link below, and all good podcast platforms.
https://www.buzzsprout.com/1930485/episodes/19409935
As well as being podcasters, Jon and Matt are also authors with cyberpunk related titles amongst their novels.
You can find out more about Jon’s work here – https://www.jon-richter.com/
You can find out more about Matt’s work here – www.completedarknessnovel.com/
Cyberstopia
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