Netflix’s Altered Carbon: The Perfect Cyberpunk Show Sci-Fi Fans Must See

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It’s often difficult to successfully adapt cyberpunk science fiction for television, but Netflix’s two-part series impressively pulls it off with its compelling adaptation of a highly acclaimed book series.

Netflix has become known for its innovative and captivating science fiction series, including shows like Dark, Sense8, The OA, and Black Mirror. However, within its extensive collection of original content, only one series fully embodies the cyberpunk genre. Though it was unfortunately canceled after just two seasons, this show stands out as one of Netflix’s most visually impressive and daring sci-fi endeavors.

I really think that show, even though it was sadly cut short, perfectly nailed the cyberpunk aesthetic for television. It showed everyone exactly how to do cyberpunk right on the small screen.

Altered Carbon Is A Delight For Sci-Fi Fans

While the second season of Altered Carbon isn’t as strong, the first season is brilliantly unsettling. The show cleverly uses the concept of ‘sleeves’ – digitized consciousness transferred into new bodies – to explore a future where death doesn’t define the end of life, and where ideas about who we are, what’s fair, and even what’s right and wrong become deeply twisted.

Visually, Altered Carbon manages to create a *Blade Runnerinspired look, even with a limited budget for a TV series.

As a huge fan of cyberpunk, I’ve always felt it’s a genre that needs a big budget to really work on screen. And honestly, Altered Carbon nails it. The world they’ve created – those dirty, detailed cityscapes and all the bright, flashing holograms – feels so real. But it’s not just visually stunning; the show also hooked me with a really clever mystery. It’s like a classic ‘who done it?’ woven into this incredible futuristic setting, which makes the whole thing even more captivating.

Netflix’s Altered Carbon sometimes seems to focus more on looking good than telling a meaningful story, particularly in its second season. However, it generally trusts viewers to follow along without over-explaining things, which is a refreshing change from many popular science fiction series.

How Altered Carbon Captures The Essence Of Cyberpunk

When people think of “cyberpunk,” they often picture bright, futuristic cities filled with advanced technology. But at its core, cyberpunk is about a world where incredible technology exists alongside deep social problems – a “high tech, low life” scenario. While Altered Carbon certainly has impressive visuals, what truly makes it a standout cyberpunk series, particularly in its first season, is its depiction of the huge gap between the rich and the poor in a futuristic society.

I was completely captivated by the stark contrast in this series. You have these unbelievably wealthy people – they call them The Meths – living in this perfect, futuristic world up in the clouds. But then you’re pulled down to Bay City, and it’s just… heartbreaking. It’s always raining, everything’s crammed together, and the atmosphere is so bleak. The author perfectly described it – the sky over the harbor isn’t even a natural color, it looks like an old TV tuned to a static channel. It really stuck with me.

In the world of this story, the Cortisol Stack represents the peak of advanced technology. However, it also creates a deeply unfair system where those without resources can be stuck waiting centuries for a new body, leading to tragic consequences.

Altered Carbon Deserved More Seasons

Beyond its depiction of a glamorous but gritty future, Altered Carbon embraces familiar cyberpunk themes, like the idea that technology will always be repurposed in unexpected ways – a concept popularized by William Gibson. However, despite tackling a complex story, the show only explores a fraction of the depth and scope found in Richard Morgan’s original novel across its two seasons.

The series’ premise allowed for a fresh start with each season, as the story could follow Takeshi Kovacs in a different body. This meant each installment could feature a new, well-known actor and explore different mysteries set even further in the future.

Richard Morgan’s Altered Carbon also has two follow-up books:

  1. Broken Angels
  2. Woken Furies

The show had the potential to fully adapt the source material by exploring storylines from the remaining two books. However, Netflix canceled it prematurely, preventing it from reaching its full potential.

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2026-02-08 05:09