While it is hard not to look forward to Prime Video’s upcoming Blade Runner show, Apple TV+‘s new cyberpunk series seems like an even more exciting addition to the sci-fi genre. Since Blade Runner 2099 will be set after the two acclaimed movies in the franchise, it carries the heavy weight of legacy and expectations.

Owing to this, if the series turns out to be good and proves it is a worthy successor to the films, it will be remembered as a rare triumph in television history and also cement the Blade Runner franchise’s ability to evolve across many a generation. However, an upcoming Apple TV+ cyberpunk show could have an even bigger impact on the sci-fi genre.

The Apple TV+ sci-fi show in question is based on an iconic sci-fi book that has deserved an adaptation for quite some time. For decades, the book was considered for both small and big-screen adaptations, but none saw the light of day. Fortunately, Apple TV+ has finally moved the rusty cogwheels of its adaptation forward to bring it to the small screens.

Apple TV+’s Neuromancer Can Be The Perfect Response To Prime Video’s Blade Runner 2099

Both Shows Will Be Similar In More Ways Than One

While Prime Video is all set to expand the lore of an iconic sci-fi franchise with Blade Runner 2099, Apple TV+ is taking an even bolder route by bringing a TV adaptation of one of the most influential cyberpunk novels, Neuromancer. Even though Neuromancer has never been adapted before, it has often earned comparisons with Blade Runner.

Interestingly, since Neuromancer, too, dabbles with complex ideas surrounding sentient artificial intelligence and blurs the lines between man and machine, its writer, William Gibson, had to justify that Blade Runner was not a conscious influence on the book.

Since the writer, too, could not help but notice parallels between Neuromancer and Blade Runner, audiences will undoubtedly spot the similarities when both shows land on competing streamers. Blade Runner 2099 benefits from being an extension of a modern movie franchise, which will likely boost its viewership.

However, what gives Neuromancer a significant edge is that its source material was among the few works that helped shape cyberpunk’s identity as a recognizable subgenre. William Gibson’s original novel coined terms like “cyberspace” and “jacking in” that later laid the foundation for iconic movies like The Matrix and Ghost in the Shell.

Neuromancer Will Bring Cyberpunk Back To Its Gritty Roots

The World Of Neuromancer Brims With Rust And Decay

Cyberpunk movies and shows from recent years have been defined by “clean” and hyper-stylized visuals. Even movies like Blade Runner 2049 feature neon-lit skylines and polished futuristic technology. These visuals are striking, but they slightly strip away the grime that made the sub-genre the perfect combination of unsettling and appealing.

As its source material suggests, Neuromancer will likely bring back the grit, rust, and decay that made cyberpunk iconic in its early years. The opening line in the original book — “The sky above the port was the color of television, tuned to a dead channel.” — paints the picture of a harrowing techno-saturated world, which would be enthralling to watch in the live-action medium.

It would be fair to say that both the Blade Runner spinoff and the Neuromancer adaptation are equally exciting. However, Apple TV+‘s Neuromancer, like its source material, could reinvent cyberpunk from the ground up.