Marc Laidlaw's 40-Year-Old Cyberpunk Story Adapted into Netflix's Love, Death & Robots Episode

Marc Laidlaw's journey as a writer is a fascinating one, marked by unexpected turns and enduring legacies. At the age of 21, he penned "400 Boys" in 1981, long before he became known as Valve’s lead writer and a key figure in the creation of the Half-Life series. The short story first saw the light of day in Omni magazine in 1983 and later gained broader recognition when it was included in the anthology Mirrorshades: The Cyberpunk Anthology. Interestingly, Laidlaw notes on his website that "400 Boys" has likely been read by more people than any other work of his, except perhaps the seasonal ad copy for Dota 2. While the gaming community recognizes him primarily for his contributions to Half-Life, his creative output spans far beyond video games. It's a testament to how unpredictable the trajectory of a creative career can be.

"The inspiration for it just came out of walking around," Marc recalls. "I lived in Eugene, Oregon, and there were always these phone poles plastered with names of bands playing in town. It was just name after name of super cool bands, and I wanted to capture that energy. So, I came up with the idea of using gangs in the story as a way to invent all these different names. It was fun and became a driving force behind the narrative."

Decades after its initial publication, "400 Boys" has been transformed into an episode in the fourth season of Netflix's acclaimed animated anthology series, Love, Death and Robots. Directed by Robert Valley, who also directed "Zima Blue" in Season 1 and "Ice" in Season 2, and written by Tim Miller, the episode features the voice talents of John Boyega, known for his role as Finn in Star Wars. This adaptation marks a significant revival for "400 Boys," bringing it to a new audience in a visually stunning format.

"The story kind of faded out, but cyberpunk kept going and I didn't really think about it that much," Laidlaw shares in a video call just before the launch of Season 4. The journey to this adaptation was not straightforward; around 15 years ago, Tim Miller from Blur expressed interest in turning "400 Boys" into a project, but it never materialized due to studio changes.

After moving to Los Angeles in 2020, Laidlaw met Tim Miller at various events, and a year ago, he received the long-awaited email about optioning "400 Boys." Laidlaw had minimal involvement in the production but was thrilled to see how the story was adapted. "John Boyega and the characters, the accents, and the setting are just so cool to me. They made the story much more fun visually," he enthuses.

"400 Boys" is a work from a "different me from lifetimes ago," Laidlaw reflects. Written over 40 years ago when he was young, he remains proud of it. After a period of relative quiet, Laidlaw joined Valve in 1997 during the development of Half-Life, which catapulted him into the gaming industry.

Laidlaw "retired" from Valve in 2016, but his retirement was more of a shift in focus rather than a complete withdrawal from creative work. He now makes music and has embraced sharing his projects on his terms. Reflecting on his time at Valve, especially with the release of Half-Life 2 anniversary documentaries, Laidlaw finds it therapeutic to reconnect with old colleagues and reminisce about past achievements.

Looking to the future, Laidlaw remains open to writing for video games, albeit with a sense of humor about his availability. He expresses a playful frustration at not being approached by Hideo Kojima for Death Stranding, indicating his willingness to contribute to projects that excite him. However, he is firm about not returning to work on a potential Half-Life 3, acknowledging that the industry needs fresh perspectives and that he's no longer in the right place to contribute effectively to such a project.

"The fact that I got into the cyberpunk thing before it was called cyberpunk, and then I came across this sort of beginning game company that ended up making Half-Life… I've been lucky to be a part of these things that just kind of become phenomena," Laidlaw muses, reflecting on his diverse and impactful career.