‘Altered Carbon’: A spoiler-free primer
The 10-episode cyberpunk-noir mash-up series is a retelling of Richard K Morgan’s seminal 2002 book
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ltered Carbon, Netflix’s latest foray into original content, has caught the attention of hardcore cyberpunk fans around the world. Based on Richard K Morgan’s seminal debut novel of the same name, the story is set in the 24th century and infuses hardboiled cyberpunk with elements of detective noir. Think Blade
Runner meets Watchmen . Or Matrix meets Batman. The show is set in a world where humans don’t have to die when their bodies stop functioning. Through the adoption of alien technology, humans have learnt to transfer their personality/consciousness from one body to the other, effectively making them immortal. Altered Carbon follows the story of Takeshi Kovacs (Will Yun Lee of The Wolverine fame), a former special forces soldier-turned-private eye, whose consciousness is forcibly transferred into the body of a white man (Joel Kinnanman, House of Cards and Suicide Squad) by Laurens Bancroft (James Purefoy), one of the richest men on the planet, who needs help solving his own murder. With the help of Lieutenant Kristin Ortega (Martha Higareda), Kovacs must solve this mystery while keeping memories from his own violent past at bay.
It’s a mind-bending ride that promises to keep the thrills coming while you ponder deep existential questions about the soul, free will and human greed.
To help you get a basic understanding of this rich world, here’s a (spoilerfree) glossary.
Guests at the Gulf News chalet at the Dubai Desert Classic, held at Emirates Golf Club, Dubai.