Marc Laidlaw's 40-Year-Old Cyberpunk Tale Transforms into Netflix's Love, Death and Robots Episode

Marc Laidlaw's journey in the creative world has been nothing short of fascinating. At just 21 years old, he penned the short story "400 Boys" in 1981, long before his tenure as Valve's lead writer and a key figure in the creation of the Half-Life series. The story, initially published in Omni magazine in 1983, later found a broader audience through its inclusion in Mirrorshades: The Cyberpunk Anthology. On his website, Laidlaw humorously notes that "400 Boys" has likely been read by more people than anything else he's written, save perhaps for his seasonal ad copy for Dota 2. While he's best known in the gaming community for his work on Half-Life, Laidlaw's contributions extend far beyond video games, showcasing his versatility as a writer.

"The inspiration for it just came out of walking around," Laidlaw recalls. Living in Eugene, Oregon, he was inspired by the phone poles plastered with flyers advertising local bands. "I just wanted a way to do that," he says. "I just wanted to make up lots of band names." This playful desire to create led to the invention of numerous gang names within the story, driving much of its narrative.

Over four decades later, "400 Boys" has been adapted into an episode for the fourth season of Netflix's acclaimed animated anthology series, Love, Death and Robots. Directed by Robert Valley, who also directed the Emmy-winning "Ice" episode in Season 2, and written by Tim Miller, the episode features a voice cast including John Boyega, known for his role as Finn in Star Wars. This adaptation marks a significant moment for Laidlaw's early work, which he never anticipated would gain such renewed attention.

"The story kind of faded out, but cyberpunk kept going and I didn't really think about it that much," Laidlaw shared in a recent video call, just before the launch of Season 4. The journey to this adaptation was long, with an earlier attempt by Tim Miller from Blur around 15 years ago that fell through due to studio changes.

After moving to Los Angeles in 2020, Laidlaw reconnected with Miller at various events. Although he didn't push for the adaptation of "400 Boys," he hoped that the success of Love, Death and Robots might bring it back into consideration. His hope was realized when he received an email a year ago asking if he'd be interested in optioning the story for the series. Laidlaw had some input, pointing Valley to an audiobook he narrated during the pandemic, but overall, he enjoyed stepping back and seeing what the creative team would do with his work.

Reflecting on the episode, Laidlaw appreciates the visual enhancements and the performances, particularly Boyega's. "400 Boys" represents a different era of his life, written when he was young, yet he remains pleased with it. "I'm still pretty happy with it considering how young I was when I wrote it," he says.

Laidlaw's career took a significant turn in 1997 when he joined Valve and worked on Half-Life. After "retiring" from Valve in 2016, he initially stepped away from the industry, though he admits, "I think I retired too hard." He missed being creative and wanted to return to writing, but found the publishing industry had changed during his time in gaming. While he's open to writing for video games again, he's been disappointed by the lack of compelling offers.

When asked about the possibility of returning for Half-Life 3, Laidlaw is clear: "I would not do that." He feels that new creators should take the helm, and he's no longer in touch with the current developments at Valve. "I haven't played the VR Half-Life: Alyx, so I don't really feel like I can," he explains, emphasizing that his creative interests have shifted.

Laidlaw now focuses on music, gaining a new audience following the release of a lost development video from the early days of Half-Life 2 on his YouTube channel. He humorously remarks, "I'm like, I'm in the wrong business! I should just be leaking information about my old employer."

Looking back at his time at Valve, Laidlaw found the anniversary documentaries to be a therapeutic experience, reconnecting with old colleagues. As for future projects, he remains open but selective, mentioning that he'd be interested in contributing to projects like Hideo Kojima's Death Stranding.

Despite his firm stance on not returning to Half-Life, Laidlaw acknowledges the serendipity of his career, from his early foray into cyberpunk to his pivotal role in a game company that became a phenomenon. With "400 Boys" now on Netflix, he reflects on the unexpected turns his work has taken, leaving open the possibility that other past creations might one day see a similar resurgence.