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

Marc Laidlaw penned his short story "400 Boys" in 1981 at the age of 21, long before he became Valve's lead writer and a key figure in the creation of the Half-Life series. The story first saw the light of day in Omni magazine in 1983, and later found a broader audience when it was included in the anthology "Mirrorshades: The Cyberpunk Anthology." On his website, Laidlaw notes that "400 Boys" has likely been read by more people than any other work of his, save perhaps the seasonal ad copy for Dota 2. While the gaming community knows him best for his contributions to Half-Life, Laidlaw's creative output extends far beyond video games. It's fascinating how life's journey can take unexpected turns.

In a post-apocalyptic city where rival gangs adhere to a bushido-like code of honor, the emergence of the 400 Boys gang compels these factions to unite. This narrative, blending beauty and brutality, was brought to life by Canadian director Robert Valley, whose episode "Ice" from the series LDR won an Emmy for Outstanding Short Form Animation.

Reflecting on the inspiration behind "400 Boys," Laidlaw shares, "The inspiration for it just came out of walking around. I lived in Eugene, Oregon, and there were always these phone poles plastered with the names of bands playing in town. It was just name after name of super cool bands, and I wanted to replicate that feeling. So, I came up with the idea of having multiple gangs in the story, allowing me to invent all these different gang names, which was a lot of fun. That was a big driver of the story."

Now, over 40 years since its initial publication, "400 Boys" has been adapted into an episode of the fourth season of Netflix's acclaimed animated anthology series, Love, Death and Robots. Directed by Robert Valley, who also helmed "Zima Blue" and "Ice" in previous seasons, and written by Tim Miller, the episode features the voice talent of John Boyega, known for his role as Finn in Star Wars. This adaptation marks a significant moment for Laidlaw's work, something he never anticipated.

"The story kind of faded out, but cyberpunk kept going, and I didn't really think about it that much," Laidlaw explains during a video call just before the launch of Season 4 of Love, Death and Robots on Netflix.

Forty years is a long time for a story to be transformed, but it almost happened 15 years earlier when Tim Miller from Blur, a company known for creating high-quality video game cutscenes, expressed interest in adapting "400 Boys." However, the project fell through due to studio changes, a common fate for many creative endeavors.

Then, in March 2019, Love, Death and Robots burst onto the scene, offering a unique blend of adult-oriented, edgy animation that captivated audiences. Laidlaw was impressed with the series, especially noting Miller's involvement. "I always say, I can't imagine anybody else who would've turned The Drowned Giant, this J. G. Ballard story, into an episode of an animated feature," Laidlaw remarks, expressing his admiration for Miller's creative vision.

After moving to Los Angeles in 2020, Laidlaw occasionally crossed paths with Miller at local events. While he didn't push for "400 Boys" to be adapted, he hoped that if Love, Death and Robots continued, his story might find its way back into consideration. A year ago, that hope materialized when he received an email asking if he would be interested in optioning "400 Boys."

Laidlaw had discussions with Miller, who took on the scriptwriting, about staying true to the original story while incorporating visual elements to enhance the narrative. He also had a few conversations with director Robert Valley, recommending the "400 Boys" audiobook that Laidlaw himself had narrated during the pandemic. Despite these interactions, Laidlaw's involvement was minimal. "It was fun to sit back and not have to be involved in the trenches on something for once," he says. "I just wanted to enjoy it when it was done and see what they made of it."

Laidlaw has seen the episode and is thrilled with the result. "John Boyega and the characters, the accents, and the setting are just so cool to me. They made the story so much more fun visually, I think."

Describing "400 Boys" as a work from "a different me from lifetimes ago," Laidlaw reflects on its creation over 40 years ago. "I'm still pretty happy with it considering how young I was when I wrote it."

"And then there was a long time of not much happening," he continues. In 1997, Laidlaw joined Valve during the development of Half-Life, which marked the beginning of a new chapter in his career. "And that whole thing happened…"

Laidlaw "retired" from Valve in 2016, but his departure felt like a complete exit from the industry. In reality, he's now in a position to choose projects that interest him and share them on his terms. "I think I retired too hard," he admits, emphasizing his desire to remain creative. The publishing industry had changed during his time at Valve, and new game projects were out of reach without a team. "I can't do games without a bunch of people. I can't make a game myself."

Currently, Laidlaw explores music, gaining some attention after Valve's Half-Life 2 anniversary documentary and the release of a lost development video on his YouTube channel. "I'm like, I'm in the wrong business!" he jokes. "I should just be leaking information about my old employer."

Reflecting on his time at Valve for the documentary, Laidlaw found it therapeutic. "It was good for me to just kind of process and put a bow on that stuff, see a bunch of old friends, think about that, the whole thing," he says. "I hadn't talked to or seen a lot of those people for a long time. I still stay in touch with a few folks, but they're also not really there anymore. It was fun to hang out with people and talk it over, and it was therapeutic."

With the Half-Life and Half-Life 2 anniversary documentaries complete, the only Valve game Laidlaw might discuss in the future is Dota 2, which is now 12 years old. He muses, "I could speak to Dota. That's the only thing left," unless Valve decides to revisit Alien Swarm, a project he contributed to.

Discussing the future of Half-Life, Laidlaw is clear about not knowing the current team at Valve or any potential plans for Half-Life 3. He remains open to writing for video games again, humorously suggesting Hideo Kojima should have contacted him during the development of Death Stranding. "When Death Stranding came out, I just was grinding my teeth. Like, does he know I'm available? I'd be happy to help do the last polish of dialogue on your script and not wreck anything, but just make it lines that actors would sound better coming out of their mouth."

Laidlaw's "hard retirement" seems to have made the industry overlook him for new projects. "When I see the Miyazaki stuff, the From studio stuff, of course you go to George R. R. Martin first if you could. Nobody needs my name on their project to sell copies. But I mean, that kind of thing to me is exciting."

The lack of compelling offers after leaving Valve was surprising. "I did kind of expect more interesting offers of stuff to do afterward and was kind of like, 'this is weird: somebody wants me to write their synopsis for their mobile phone laser tag game.' It's like, they don't know what I do."

When asked about returning for Half-Life 3, Laidlaw is definitive. "I would not do that," he says. "Even when I was there, I started to feel like, 'Oh, now I'm the old guy shooting stuff down.' I think at some point you need to let the people who are the fans and the creators who've come in because of what they learned from you maybe, and let them have that. We need new stuff. We didn't need me going, 'Well, the G-Man wouldn't do that in my day.' And I found I had to restrain myself. People would get enthusiastic about stuff, and I felt like it was becoming a negative force on some of the creative process."

He hasn't played Half-Life: Alyx, Valve's VR game, and feels disconnected from the current creative process. "I haven't played the VR Half-Life: Alyx, so I don't really feel like I can. I don't know what's going on with anything. And it is not really my place. God knows what it's doing in terms of creative process of how to get a great experience that will surprise people. And you have to be right at the edge of what you can do in a moment. And I'm not on that edge anymore. That's not what's interesting to me at this point. So I don't think I'd be good."

Additionally, the workload involved in game development no longer appeals to him. "Plus, I'm one of the older guys, maybe not the oldest, but it's so much work. I mean, I don't think I could do that anymore. I get into my own things, but it's not on anyone else's schedule. And yeah, I'm pretty much done. I mean, maybe not done with games altogether, but definitely the Half-Life part of my life is way behind me."

While Half-Life and Marc Laidlaw have parted ways, his past works continue to resonate. The adaptation of "400 Boys" by Netflix after 40 years is a testament to the enduring relevance of his early writing. Perhaps one day, Netflix might approach Valve about turning Half-Life into a new project, bringing Laidlaw full circle once more.

"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."