Atlanta's MV Media Focuses On The Future With Cyberfunk Anthology

This February, a decidedly different tone of cyberpunk science fiction will be made available to fans. Atlanta-based MV Media has made their mark by bringing a Black perspective to many prose genres — fantasy, steampunk, space opera, superheroes, and now their new Cyberfunk! anthology gives the sci-Fi sub-genre an ethnic upgrade.

"I've always been a Cyberpunk fan, mainly from a visual aspect," Davis told Bleeding Cool. "Like other genres I enjoyed, I was bothered by the lack of Black main characters. Cyberfunk! has been on my mind for some time, and I finally decided to make it happen," said Milton Davis, publisher, and owner of MV Media. "I'd say I got more stories this time that although they were great, they didn't fit the criteria of what I consider Cyberfunk! However, those stories will be the foundation of another Funk anthology I'm announcing later this year."

The company has a de facto series of anthologies in this vein, from Steamfunk! to Dieselfunk! and more. Davis talked about some of the stories fans can expect to find in this collection.

"Like all of my anthologies, Cyberfunk contains stories from first-time authors to well known," he said. "Eisner winner John Jennings introduces us to Cyber Trap in his story 'Flesh of My Flesh.' The Jones Brothers are hired to find the culprits behind the cloning of a popular megachurch pastor's daughter."

"Up and coming Afro-Australian author Eugen Bacon's 'Unlimited Data' tells the perils of desperate people agreeing to unproven tech to make ends meet. Nicole Given-Kurtz shares a cyberfunk story from the world of P.I. Cybil Lewis. Cybil is hired to help a hatchling, a manufactured human, find the donors of her genetic material. Balogun Ojetade's Lailai asks the question, is it possible to fall in love with an AI being?"

Bleeding Cool's own Hannibal Tabu also has a story in this collection, featuring the same character he writes about in his Noir is the New Black story.

This latest assemblage of authors putting a new spin on classical science fiction concepts further broadens the industry in ways that some may not find acceptable, but that continues to make advancements.

CyberFunk can be pre-ordered now and will officially go on sale on February 19th.