Shadows In Neon City - Volume One [8.5x11 Printed Book]

from Utopia District

Book/Magazine

Shadows In Neon City - Volume One [8.5x11 Printed Book] main photo

Shadows in Neon City is a vaporwave-inspired cyberpunk written fictional series that follows the interconnected lives of multiple characters and their stories in Neon City. The first volume follows Murph Bell, an average worker and brand-new resident of Neon City. Follow Murph through this full color 80+ page novella and find out what lay within this expansive world.

In Volume One, Murph discovers that Neon City is quietly being run by a megacorporation that controls everything from military to public services, quietly enslaving all citizens within. Will Murph take things into his own hands? Does everything have a price? Is Murph willing to pay?

Volumes Two and Three are already in development. They will build off of the world of Volume One, but are not direct sequels. In addition to an enticing written narrative, each volume will continue to include stunning artwork from visual artists in the vaporwave community.

Volume One’s artists include:
Javaplaza
Allure Artworks
Beefant
Mallbert
Hydra ヒドラ
Nicolas with a Fake Name

Dimensions: 8.5x11
Language: English
Soft Cover Booklet - 88 Pages, Glossy

Published by Utopia District
utopiadistrict.com

Written by Zack Latino
twitter.com/DrunkonMedia

Copy Editing & Assembly by I__bags
twitter.com/I__bags

Excerpt from the author:

Why was Shadows in Neon City written?
Neon City sits at the crossroads of my favorite genres and storytelling aspects: cyberpunk, vaporwave, and serialized non-sequential fiction. I have always held that the best way to really experience a fictional world was to look at it from multiple angles. Perhaps it's because of my short attention span, but I can never focus on one character at a time, even if I am invested in their arc. I am always thinking “I wonder how [insert secondary character] is doing while all this is going on?”

Perhaps the best example of this is in the epic fantasy series “The Wheel of Time.” In this massive 15-book series, the reader gets to follow dozens (maybe even hundreds?) of named characters’ stories. I will probably never reach that level of detail and storytelling, but I wanted to try.

Above all else, I want to be upfront and honest with my inspirations. I am excited to be able to wear my passions proudly when it comes to storytelling. Cyberpunk has always inspired me, so I chose to write Shadows in Neon City because of the rich potential for adventure, history, aesthetics, and political implications, and with diverse points of view.

Why Vaporwave?
So the cyberpunk angle makes sense, but where does vaporwave come from? Aside from being an aesthetic cousin to cyberpunk, the vaporwave scene is one of the finest communities I’ve been part of.

Unlike my other niches and hobbies, vaporwave seems to be a truly diverse community with people from all walks of life. Without stopping at the discussion of prevailing and changing meta of a particular aspects of vaporwave, people come to add their lived experiences to a growing collective of memory and appreciation.

Yes, vaporwave has been expressed through music and visuals, but I've always felt it could cater to stories too. Ever since I found myself in this scene I have wanted to give something back. Sadly I am not musically or visually gifted, but I am a writer. So, Shadows in Neon City is my love letter to the scene in my own way. I just hope it is received in kind.

By the end of this experience, if anything, my wish is to have left behind a memorable cyberpunk world, that readers can have just as much fun reading it as I had writing it.

Thank you,
Zack