Cyberpunk is experiencing a resurgence, largely due to the success of the Cyberpunk 2077 game. While most cyberpunk stories revolve around a dystopian future trope set in the usual urban locations, author Malon Edwards adds his own twists in his story collection, If Wishes Were Obfuscation Codes.
Malon’s Cyberfunk dystopia takes place in a unique setting; the Sovereign city of Chicago. See in this alternate future, John Baptiste Pointe du Sable, the founder of Chicago, did not abandon his settlement. Instead he remained to nurture it into an advanced technological powerhouse, a city that is close to armed conflict with the State of Indiana. In this new future, the technology exists to bring individuals from the dead . . . for a price. It is in this world that Edwards’ story exists.
As an author, I can tell when an author is having fun in his world, and Edwards certainly is. He introduces us to a host of characters, many rooted in Haitian Creole culture like the author. The sound of Haitian patois and hip hop cadence meshes with the technical vernacular created by the author to give a fresh feel to this cyberpunk world. Edwards also focuses on how this immortality technology affects not only the wealthy, but those far less fortunate.
I truly enjoyed this collection. Edwards creates a world that contains enough cyberpunk to capture loyal readers of the genre yet at the same time offers a fresh perspective that challenges and engages the reader. I recommend it for any diehard cyberpunk reader and as an essential read for Cyberfunk fans.
You can order If Wishes Were Obfuscation Codes today from MVmedia or anywhere books are sold.