TV – The Ghost in the Shell Episode 4
This week, the 4th episode of the new animated Ghost in the Shell series released on Prime Video. The new animated series is produced by Science SARU, based on Masamune Shirow’s 1989 manga series. The series began airing on 7th July on a simultaneous global release schedule, with weekly episode drops, giving the worldwide community the chance to discuss the series episode by episode.
So far, the episodes have mostly furthered The Puppet Master arc, whilst simultaneously world-building. We’ve had the inception of Section 9, after a bit of a false start, then a couple of cases of mistaken identity with regards to The Puppet Master. There have been a couple of good action scenes, and a bit of philosophising over the line between human and non-human, and the nature of the ‘ghosts’ of the title. All the while, whilst the animation has been great, some of the episodes have been oddly structured, with a lot of jumping around.
Episode 4 did not have the same issues with jumping around, and was the most ‘complete’ episode yet, concentrating on one plot. The storyline of episode 4 was self-contained. It was vaguely referencing, perhaps, the interlude last week with the Fuchikoma discussing a robot uprising, as this episode featured a series of robots malfunctioning and harming humans. After one specific incident, the team recover one of the affected robots, and track the cause to the manufacturer, Hanka Precision Instruments.
We got some character development with Batou and Togusa, as they investigate, and we were once again reminded of Togusa’s family commitments, which suggests perhaps some foreshadowing. It was, for us, the best episode so far, with an interesting story, some more world-building, with riots in the streets, and great action scenes. A long series with standalone episodes like this would be great, and though we don’t know what may or may not come after this series, we hope to see more episodes like this.
What did you think of episode four? Did you enjoy the standalone nature of the story, or would you rather they focused fully on the overarching plotline of The Puppet Master? Let us know in the comments.
You can watch the new Ghost in the Shell series on Prime Video with a valid subscription, and episodes will be released every Tuesday. You can enjoy the show’s opening sequence below –
Boardgame – Ghost in the Shell RPG
The new The Ghost in the Shell: Tabletop Roleplaying Game, a fully licensed Ghost in the Shell RPG by Mantis Games, finally hits Backerkit this week. Based on Ghost in the Shell creator Shirow Masamune’s original manga, this is a faithful tabletop adaptation designed by Alessio Cavatore, and award-winning TTRPG writer Zak Barouh.
From the publisher –
Mantic Games is very proud to announce The Ghost in the Shell: Tabletop Roleplaying Game, based on the pioneering cyberpunk manga by legendary artist Shirow Masamune, published by Kodansha Ltd.
Scheduled for launch in the summer of 2026, this landmark release invites players to explore the world of Section 9 through an authentic and deeply faithful tabletop experience.
The Ghost in the Shell: Tabletop Roleplaying Game brings the franchise’s iconic blend of cybernetics, espionage, and existential mystery to life like never before with a bespoke roleplaying system.
The game is a sophisticated bespoke design by highly-respected creators, legendary games designer Alessio Cavatore and award-winning TTRPG writer Zak Barouh. This immersive RPG combines fast-paced, narrative-driven mechanics with the philosophical depth and visual flair that define The Ghost in the Shell. The rulebook is crammed full of amazing illustrations from the original manga!
The Ghost in the Shell: Tabletop Roleplaying Game offers character creation, allowing you to play as your own Section 9 trainee. The rulebook, which includes many of the original manga’s beautiful art, offers detailed rules for the combat mechanics of the game. In the theme of the manga, there is also a comprehensive hacking mechanic, along with a large selection of tech, gear, cybernetic upgrades and, of course, weapons.
The game promises to be narrative-driven, with profiles for all the major characters you know and love, and the distinctive visual style of the Ghost in the Shell IP. Looking at the pictures, the miniatures look beautiful, and faithful to the character design in the original manga.
If you backed the game on launch day, you will receive the full digital rulebook PDF as soon as the campaign ends. If you’re interested to find out a bit more about the rulebook, you can download a teaser on the game’s Backerkit page.
Mantic Games are not new to licensed games, having previously produced boardgames like Hellboy: The Board Game, Assassin’s Creed: Animus, and The Walking Dead: All Out War. They have released several videos for The Ghost in the Shell: Tabletop Roleplaying Game, including character creation, and also the game mechanics, which you can watch below –
Event – Gencon
This weekend, one of the biggest gaming conventions in the world, Gencon, returned for its 2026 programme of events. Running from July 30th through August 2nd, this year’s event takes place at the Indiana Convention Center & Lucas Oil Stadium Indianapolis, in IN. Indianapolis. Gen Con 2026 was expected to draw a sold-out crowd of nearly 72,000 unique attendees, with over 500 exhibitors.
From the organisers –
Originating in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, in 1968, Gen Con is the largest and longest-running annual celebration of tabletop gaming culture.
This vibrant convention invites attendees to explore and experience games from hundreds of exhibiting companies, while offering thousands of ticketed events that showcase an exciting array of board games, card games, roleplaying games, seminars, cosplay, and entertainment.
Embrace the adventure, community, and creativity that await you in this unique gathering of passionate gamers!
Cyberpunk and dystopia have always featured heavily amongst boardgame releases, so there’s sure to be some big news and reveals that are relevant to Cyberstopia at the event. Some things that were going on include –
- Cyberpunk TCG: The crowdfunded Trading Card Game will be demoing at the show, and attendees can compete for promo cards like the exclusive Rebecca promo.
- Cyberpunk Legends: A cooperative, story-driven card game where your crew and choices shape every run through the Sprawl.
- Friday Night Lights: A dark cyberpunk 2079 setting where you play as an Emergency Response Team.
- Trask Punk: Making its public debut, this sci-fi RPG takes place on a planet-sized landfill overrun by mutants and mad-rad kill-bots. Attendees will receive a free quickstart guide.
- Ghost in the Shell: Tabletop Roleplaying Game: Mantic Games is debuting a preview of this major upcoming RPG.
- Cyberpunk: Edgerunners – Hunted: Hosted by No Loading Games Inc., this is a brand-new, cooperative, timer-based board game. Players take on the roles of Lucy, David, Rebecca, or Maine
- Mike Pondsmith’s Golden Ticket Event: R. Talsorian Games is running an ultra-exclusive, high-stakes Cyberpunk RED event titled “Mike Pondsmith Kills Your Character.
We will keep our ears to the ground, and bring you any major news from the show as it is revealed.
Book – The Worst Survive
This week, Phil Williams’ dystopian action thriller The Worst Survive was released. The first of a planned action thriller series, the book sees protagonist Scully, a man used to working in the shadows and under the radar, sticking his neck out and coming to the attention of some very dangerous people.
From the publisher –
The Worst Survive is a frenetic, self-contained action thriller in which Scully is unwittingly thrust into a conspiracy of militant corporations hunting down a man with the potential to save the world.
Scully is mostly just interested in getting paid, so he can buy more booze – but when he sets his mind to something like getting paid, he’ll let no one stop him.
Along with his band of eclectic mercenary friends, Scully embarks on a madcap roadtrip from New Oak City’s slums out to the decaying wasteland and back, piecing together a puzzle that could spell hope or doom for the American Remnant. With a lot of violence along the way.
The first of a planned series of action thrillers titled the Faergrowe series, The Worst Survive is set in an alternate future that diverged from our timeline in the 90s, when a violent war broke out. Scully is a remnant from that war, and makes his way in the world by working as a mercenary, hoping each time to earn just enough to keep himself in copious amounts of booze.
The worst survive is best described as a modern western. Scully hangs out in a bar in a fairly rural area, with alcohol running through his veins at all times. Scully has done some questionable things, killed a lot of people, and on the surface is only a little bit troubled by that, though his alcoholism suggests it has affected him a lot more than he would like.
The world around him is laid out slowly over the course of the book rather than by a lot of upfront exposition, which is great for keeping the pace of the story moving,t hough may leave some readers wanting a little bit more hand-holding. Much like its main character, though, the book doesn’t want to waste time with that, and what we get is a quickly escalating situation that goes from bad to worse real quick.
If you need your protagonists to be likeable, you may struggle a bit with The Worst Survive, because at best Scully could be called a bit rough around the edges. He has a quick temper, doesn’t always work well with others, and is definitely his own worst enemy. Thankfully, he has some ‘better’ people around him to help out, which makes it easier to route for the good guys, and gives the story a lot more depth. Everyone has their own reasons for being invested in the outcome. And the stakes ARE high. The mission has risks, actions have consequences, and the damage is permanent. Williams has built a well thought out, interesting future dystopia, and the plot of the story is relevant within it, so all the world building feels necessary, and the whole thing keeps moving forwards throughout.
Author Phil Williams has an impressive backlist of novels, including dark military fantasy series The Blood Scouts, urban fantasy series the Sunken City Trilogy, contemporary fantasy The Ikiri Duology, steampunk dystopia in The Estalia series, and more. You can find out all about his books, and buy them, on his website at https://phil-williams.co.uk/
Videogame – Midnight Moments
This week, cosy cyberpunk building game Midnight Moments was released for PC on Steam. Developed and published by Happy Volcano, it’s the perfect game for focusing your creative cyberpunk dreams into a dark, neon-lit reality.
From the publisher –
A small, cyberpunk diorama-building game where you create cozy rain-soaked backstreets, glowing apartment blocks, or quiet neighbourhood corners. Decorate your designs with props and place citizens, crafting stories that bring your city to life. At your own pace. No goals. Just vibes.
If you like the cyberpunk aesthetic, but aren’t looking for guns and explosions, Midnight Moments looks perfect. Starting with a bare, isometric square grid, you can begin placing buildings at will, dress them up with lighting and adornments, and then move on to adding street furniture. You can choose to just create your dream cyberpunk home, or put together whole neighbourhoods, as the suitably moody rain falls on your creations. Then, you can sit back, and admire your work from all angles.
A demo for Midnight Moments is available on Steam at https://store.steampowered.com/app/4666090/Midnight_Moments/
You can enjoy the trailer below.
Rewind – A Scanner Darkly
20 years ago this week, Richard Linklater’s adaptation of a Philip K. Dick novel began its wide theatrical release run. An ambitious animated movie using live action actors, it’s almost a miracle it got made at all. On 28th July 2006, A Scanner Darkly hit movie screens around the world.
Philip K. Dick’s original novel, A Scanner Darkly, didn’t start life as a science fiction story, but concerned it wouldn’t be commercial enough in its original form, he added science fiction elements. What it really is is an anti-drug story, based on Philip K. Dick’s experiences with drugs, and the friends he lost to them. Because of this, it’s clearly his most personal story, which is perhaps the reason why Richard Linklater became interested in it.
Linklater chose to shoot A Scanner Darkly in live action, and then use rotoscoped animation, which he had previously used for his 2001 film Waking Life, and which was perhaps most famously used for Ralph Bakshi’s 1978 animated The Lord of the Rings. Quite why Linklater chose to make the movie this way is open to speculation. It is a long and expensive process, requiring a large team of animators to take the original live action footage and animate elements. This meant the project went way over budget, and dragged on far beyond the expected post-production schedule. With the live action footage available, it’s perhaps surprising that the studio execs didn’t at any point take the opportunity to wrench control of the project and put it out as a live action movie instead.
So does the animated effect work? A Scanner Darkly is a movie about an undercover cop, Keanu Reeves’ Bob Arctor, who is living in a house with drug addled housemates, as he attempts to discover the origin of a dangerous drug called Substance D. In order to effectively work undercover, he must join them in the use of the drug. In the process, however, he begins to lose sight of who he really is. Or, are his memories of his ‘real’ life just hallucinations caused by the drug use? As his grasp on reality slips away, both the protagonist and the audience find themselves questioning what the real story is.
For a movie with drug-addled characters disoriented by constant bad trips, the animated style contributes greatly to the atmosphere of confusion. It enables Linklater to smoothly integrate the more unnatural visual elements into the movie – both the story and the animation have a hallucinatory quality, which feeds perfectly into the themes of the movie. Reeves’ famous monologue from the movie, ‘What does a scanner see? Into the head? Clearly or darkly?’ We’re not sure ourselves, because the animation means we’re not able to easily discern what is real, and what is illusion.
Is A Scanner Darkly actually a sci-fi dystopia movie, though? It was sold as such by Dick, but aside from the scramble suit, he was seeing only 15 minutes into the future. And that vision was our current, real world dystopia. The war on drugs, the surveillance state, corporations playing both sides, we’re well into that world. Well past it in fact.
The question on whether A Scanner Darkly is an entertaining movie is much harder to answer, as it’s going to differ from everyone. I It starts as a fun, counter-culture drug movie, but as it becomes obvious the paranoia of the characters’ conspiracy theories isn’t unfounded, the movie becomes a lot darker. The cast of A Scanner Darkly really offers the stoner nature of the movie a real authenticity, and it’s testament to Linklater’s vision that such a talented cast wanted to do it, even though they all had good reason not to. Woody Harrelson being typecast, again, as a stoner. The same goes for Reeves, who had just started getting away from those roles. Winona Ryder had had issues with drugs, and Robert Downey Jr. must have surely wanted the world to forget his. Yet they all took on the roles anyway, and played them perfectly. This is possibly Keanu Reeves best acting performance, expertly selling the sad story of a man who loses everything, including his mind and soul. It’s a highly effective anti-drug story, showing how it’s all fun and games, until it isn’t.
A Scanner Darkly maybe isn’t cyberpunk, and it maybe isn’t even dystopia, but it is a little miracle of a film, underrated, important, and effective. We recommend giving it a watch, if you haven’t already.
Book – Hard Carry
The latest novel from author J.S. Holloway, Hard Carry, has now been officially released. Hard Carry, like Holloway’s previous The Veil novel trilogy, is a gritty, hard boiled cyberpunk novel. The author has a keen interest in how humans live alongside technology, and how that will evolve, and this latest novel continues to explore that subject.
From the publisher –
The job looked simple: take the data, make the drop, collect the money, and be back in time to get the girl.
But when the clinic gets hit, the broker dies, and the route burns behind him, Felix has one night to cross Neu Berlin’s underbelly before the package leaks and cooks his brain from the inside. Hunted by a corporate recovery team, revolutionaries, and the Mob, can Felix survive this hard carry, or will he end up as just another body on the streets of a City that doesn’t care?
Neu Berlin is the city they promised would save the future. But only one thing is certain: you fight back, or you leave in a body bag.
Hard Carry is fast-paced, gritty and fun Cyberpunk that hits the “punk” hard and never lets up.
Neu Berlin.
The city they promised would save the future.
But one thing is certain: you fight back, or you leave in a body bag.
Felix is a human courier, using the most secure data storage method available – his own body, by way of a courier implant in his arm. The problem with this, though, is storage space isn’t infinite, and when someone is intent on stealing your cargo, it’s your own personal well-being at risk – there’s no option to cut and run. So when the situation goes immediately south, Felix is forced to endure an odyssey, of sorts, as he navigates the shady streets, canal paths, and underground trails around Neu Berlin.
In the process, Felix encounters friends who might be foe, and foe who might be friends. When you’re a courier working for the undesirables in a big city like Neu Berlin, you’re forced to negotiate with some powerful and unpleasant characters. The data in his courier implant begins to take its toll on him, and as time threatens to run out, he has big decisions to make. Who can he trust? Who DARE he trust?
Hard Carry’s first scene is an intense race against time, and from that point on the novel never lets up. Hard Carry is a relatively short novel, which allows Holloway to turn the screws tight on his protagonist, and keep the story moving along at a clip. Hard Carry is quick and dirty, cyberpunk the hard way, just how we like it. The plot forces Felix to be constantly on the run, moving ever forward. Any time he thinks he might find some respite, his grim situation comes crashing back in on him, literally.
This is the very definition of a bad night. Not only does our hero have to make his way to the arranged drop point, he has to dodge bullets, placate some powerful people, and as the story progresses, get to grips with an increasingly complicated situation. Each event is more brutal than the last, and political intrigue is introduced, a broader conspiracy comes to light, all building to a fitting climax.
We had the chance to talk to J.S Holloway about the book, and his writing.
What led to you becoming a writer?
Almost an accident. I hyperfixate on serial hobbies anyway, but I had ruptured my Achilles so I couldn’t do anything for ages, and I thought I might as well try a book. My interests were more comics and movies, especially 90s Cyberpunk, so I used those as my kickoff, which is probably why my writing style is a bit leftfield at times.
The topic of ‘wearable tech’ is taken to the next step in Hard Carry. Was this element of your novel inspired by something specific? And do you think something like this is likely to be a reality sooner or later?
I had just come off the back of writing my Veil trilogy, which has Wetware and a Parasitic AI in it. Which was heavily inspired by the real-world work on Organoids. Did you know they grew brain organoids in space and put them in spider robots like nothing would ever go wrong with that! Some of them spontaneously grew eyes (This is all real; you can Google it). Anyway, Veil was super epic, and I wanted something more small-stakes, and what could be more small-stakes than one man in a race against time? It’s existential to him, but if he dies, the world keeps turning. There’s an obvious nod to Johnny Mnemonic in the Data Courier trope, but it really does its own thing after that.
Wearable tech will definitely increase. I feel extremely uneasy about smart glasses and what that means to our human rights, but I think what will really be the conversation to have is how much do we trust the corporations selling them and what happens to our data (something Felix comes across in Hard Carry).
What are 5 facts about yourself you’d like your readers to know?
I work in tech now, hence the content
I train in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
I have a 22-year-old cat called Deedee
Under a different alias, I produced music and was once on a compilation album with Chuck D from Public Enemy
The most influential author to me is not a cyberpunk great but is actually Michael Moorcock. He gives a masterclass in Pacing and Plotting 100% would recommend. Plus he could cocaine a whole novel in three days, which is pretty impressive.
What are your Cyberpunk/Dystopian influences?
Most of my influences come from movies, especially 90s action sci-fi movies and Japanese cyberpunk, so I’m talking Johnny Mnemonic, Nemesis, Split Second, and obviously the anime like Akira and GiTS, and movies like Tokyo Gore Police, Meatball Machine, etc. I love all that.
What are you working on next?
Hard Traffic, the sequel to Hard Carry, is written and edited. I’m just waiting for the cover, and I’m just now writing Hard eXit, which is book 3.
You can see the 90’s movie influence in the names, and also I’m printing them all in 4.25 x 7, the old mass market paperback size.
J.S Holloway’s previous cyberpunk novels include The Veil Trilogy of Neon Veil, the Ascendant, and Analogue Dreams.
Hard Carry was released on 31st July, and is available to order, at his website, www.jsholloway.com
PODCAST – HOST IN THE SHELL EPISODE 62: Hugh Howey
The latest episode of Hosts in the Shell is available now. This week, hosts Jon Richter and Matt Adcock interview Hugh Howey, creator of the fantastic Silo novel series, which has been adapted into an Apple TV series.
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.
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 –
You can find out more about Matt’s work here – www.completedarknessnovel.com/
CYBERSTOPIA
For more of the latest news on cyberpunk and dystopia media, stay tuned to Cyberstopia here on Substack, and across social media. If you have a Cyberstopian project or release, or there’s something you think we should be covering, please let us know here in the comments, on your social media platform of choice, or at our website www.cyberstopia.com
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