Everything You Should Read While You Wait for Cyberpunk 2077

Cyberpunk 2077 has undoubtedly reinvigorated the cyberpunk genre thanks to its phenomenal presence at E3 this year. Unfortunately, fans may not get the chance to actually play the game in the near future. Speculation suggests that the title may not make it until 2020 at the earliest, where it may be considered a cross-generational game. Regardless, there are plenty of books out there that cyberpunk fans can delve into in the meantime. The list below covers the genre’s prominent novels and Japanese influences. Each is guaranteed to give you a feel of the leather-studded, gritty future that awaits us. It’ll also help ease the wait for Cyberpunk 2077 enough to keep your normal life together.

Cyberpunk 2077 Books – Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

Philip K Dick’s Do Androids Dream of Electric Sleep? follows the story of Rick Deckard as he hunts down a group of errant androids who wish to be free at any cost. As Deckard interacts with his targets, otherwise known as Nexus-6 replicants, the line between androids and humans begins to blur. Themes of survival and of rights to liberty are constantly raised. It’s ultimately a reflection on what it truly means to be alive.

Readers have come back to the book decades after its release to explore its philosophical musings. Its story may start slow, but this post-apocalyptic San Francisco setting is rife with cyberpunk imagery to keep you constantly engaged. What’s more is that its themes may suggest what Cyberpunk 2077‘s narrative will evoke. If the game manages to fit half of the imagination and discourse that Electric Sheep touches on, it’ll be one of the most intelligent and compelling titles the medium has ever seen.

Cyberpunk 2077 Books – Akira

Chances are that you’ve heard of Akira somewhere. This critically acclaimed franchise was the first complete manga series to be published in English, after all. Authored by Katsuhiro Otomo, Akira sought to discuss Japan’s fear of atomic warfare following World War II. It also talks about isolation in modern society. Needless to say, it tackled complex subject matter and issues that the manga community did not have at the time. In many ways, Akira was an evolution of both the medium and the cyberpunk genre.

Akira touches on the lives of different people living in squalor in Neo-Tokyo. Its main protagonist is Tetsuo, however, a boy born with telekinetic powers. As the narrative unfolds, gangs, the military, and other gifted individuals come together to stop the birth of Akira, a creative capable of destroying all life as we know it. The manga is gripping, tense, and insightful, if only to understand how it continues to inspire artists today.