The High Tech Low Life Podcast: A Cyberpunk Media Retrospective

The High Tech Low Life podcast is a review of cyberpunk media throughout the ages. Books, movies, TV, and even games and music are all on the table. The show takes a deep dive into the subject of each episode, relates it to modern life, and just for fun, gives it a rating based a number of criteria. The hosts are lifelong fans of the genre, and hope to revisit some beloved properties, and maybe shine some light on a few that slipped through the cracks.

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Episodes

Episode 7 - Tron

A Disney classic on High Tech Low Life? In the near... past? A video arcade owner hacks into the mainframe of his ex-employer, looking for the paydata that proves he is the rightful creator of the world's most popular video game. Unfortunately the artificial intelligence running security for the mega corp has other ideas, and transports our hero into the machine, where he discovers a world of programs being oppressed by the fascist A.I. Sounds pretty cyberpunk when you put it that way, right? Sp...

Mar 08, 2023•2 hr 13 min•Season 1Ep. 7

Episode 6 - Upgrade

In the near future, a technophobe and his wife find themselves the victims of a brutal attack that leaves him paralyzed, and his wife dead. Soon, however, he is able to seek revenge after the gift of an incredible spinal implant that seems to have a mind of its own. In this episode we break down the film Upgrade, and give our opinions on the choices, and lack of choices, made by the filmmaker. The High Tech Low Life Podcast is a retrospective of cyberpunk fiction across all forms of media. Film,...

Mar 01, 2023•1 hr 44 min•Ep. 6

Episode 5 - Max Headroom Part 2

The thrilling conclusion of our dive into the 80's dystopia that was Max Headroom: 20 Minutes Into the Future has your hosts cramming two seasons of bonkers-insane television into 5 days, then attempting to record their thoughts amidst the worst technical difficulties of their 7 year podcasting careers. Don't worry though, we powered through and delivered on a subject that we both went into fairly ignorant, and came out the other side as big fans. The High Tech Low Life Podcast is a retrospectiv...

Feb 22, 2023•1 hr 45 min•Season 1Ep. 5

Episode 4 - Max Headroom Part 1

This week we watch Max Headroom: 20 Minutes Into The Future, originally airing on the UK's Channel 4. Hotshot reporter Edison Carter is pursuing a story that could get his own bosses in trouble. However, an accident while on location renders him temporarily comatose, which gives the 14 year old mad scientist at his network a chance to upload his consciousness to a computer, and Max Headroom is born. The High Tech Low Life Podcast is a retrospective of cyberpunk fiction across all forms of media....

Feb 15, 2023•1 hr 32 min•Season 1Ep. 4

Episode 3 - Strange Days

This week we dive into the 1995's version of 1999 in the movie Strange Days directed by Kathryn Bigelow. The movie follows an ex-cop turned memory-dealer, Lenny, who is sucked into a murder cover-up when a friend gives him the recording of a high-profile black musician being executed by a cop. Lenny attempts to get to the bottom of the situation while dealing with his own demons, all while the city of L.A. is a powder keg of racial tension and end-of-the-millennium fervor. Unfortunately still re...

Feb 08, 2023•1 hr 47 min•Season 1Ep. 3

Episode 2 - Neuromancer Part 2

The second half of our deep dive into the world of Neuromancer talks about the origins of the author, how the book would go on to influence science fiction, and how the dystopia of Gibson's sprawl compares to our modern dystopia. We also give the book a rating as if we have any authority to do so. The audacity. The High Tech Low Life Podcast is a retrospective of cyberpunk fiction across all forms of media. Film, Television, Literature, Games, and Music are all on the table. In each episode we w...

Feb 01, 2023•1 hr 35 min•Ep. 2

Episode 1 - Neuromancer Part 1

In this inaugural episode of High Tech Low Life, we begin with one of the most seminal works of cyberpunk fiction: Neuromancer. In Part 1 we introduce ourselves before recapping the plot and characters of the book. The High Tech Low Life Podcast is a retrospective of cyberpunk fiction across all forms of media. Film, Television, Literature, Games, and Music are all on the table. In each episode we will revisit the property, it's influences, it's prescience, and enshrine it in the chrome and neon...

Jan 25, 2023•1 hr 55 min•Season 1Ep. 1

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