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

In 1981, at the age of 21, Marc Laidlaw penned the short story "400 Boys," long before he became Valve's lead writer and a key creator behind the Half-Life series. The tale found its initial publication in Omni magazine in 1983 and later gained broader recognition when included in the anthology "Mirrorshades: The Cyberpunk Anthology." On his website, Marc notes that "400 Boys" has likely reached more readers than any other work of his, save perhaps for his seasonal ad copy for Dota 2. While the gaming community knows him for his contributions to Half-Life, Marc's creative endeavors extend far beyond video games, illustrating the unpredictable nature of a writer's journey.

In a post-apocalyptic city where rival gangs adhere to a bushido-like code of honor, the emergence of the 400 Boys gang compels them to unite. This tale, blending beauty and brutality, was brought to life by Canadian director Robert Valley, renowned for his Emmy-winning short "Ice" from the LDR series.

Marc recalls the inspiration behind "400 Boys," stemming from the vibrant music scene in Eugene, Oregon. "I lived in Eugene, and the phone poles were plastered with names of bands playing in town," he shares. "I just wanted to create a lot of band names. So, I thought, if I have all these gangs in the story, I can invent names for them, and that would be fun. That was a driving force behind the story."

Marc Laidlaw has moved on from Half-Life, yet remains active online. Photo credit: Mimi Raver.

Now, over four decades after its initial publication, "400 Boys" has been transformed into an episode in the fourth season of Netflix's acclaimed animated anthology series, Love, Death and Robots. Directed by Robert Valley, who previously helmed "Zima Blue" and "Ice," and written by Tim Miller, the episode features voice acting by John Boyega, known for his role as Finn in Star Wars. This adaptation marks a significant resurgence for "400 Boys," much to Marc's surprise.

"The story kind of faded out, but cyberpunk continued to evolve," Marc reflects in a recent video call, just days before the premiere of Season 4. "I didn't think about it much."

It's been a long wait for "400 Boys" to reach this point, with a potential adaptation discussed 15 years ago by Tim Miller from Blur, a company known for its video game cutscenes. However, that project fell through due to studio changes. The landscape shifted dramatically with the debut of Love, Death and Robots in March 2019, an anthology series that captivated audiences with its bold and varied storytelling. Marc admired Tim Miller's previous work, particularly his adaptation of J.G. Ballard's "The Drowned Giant."

400 Boys is now an episode of Love, Death and Robots on Netflix. Image credit: Netflix.

After relocating to Los Angeles in 2020, Marc met Tim at various events as the pandemic subsided. He hoped, albeit passively, that "400 Boys" might find its way back into the spotlight through Love, Death and Robots. A year ago, his wish was granted with an email asking if he'd be interested in optioning "400 Boys." The project was finally underway.

Marc had discussions with Tim, who took on the scriptwriting duties, ensuring the episode remained faithful to the original while enhancing its visual appeal. He also connected with director Robert Valley, recommending the "400 Boys" audiobook he narrated during the early days of the pandemic. However, Marc chose to step back and enjoy the process from a distance. "It was fun to sit back and not have to be involved in the trenches for once," he says. "I just wanted to enjoy it when it was done and see what they made of it."

Having viewed the episode, Marc is thrilled with the result. "John Boyega's performance, the characters, the accents, and the setting are just so cool," he remarks. "They made the story so much more fun visually."

Marc acknowledges that "400 Boys" reflects a "different me from lifetimes ago," written when he was much younger. "I'm still pretty happy with it considering how young I was when I wrote it."

Following a period of relative quiet, Marc entered the gaming industry in 1997, joining Valve during the development of Half-Life. "And that whole thing happened…"

Marc "retired" from Valve in 2016, which felt like a complete withdrawal from the industry. In reality, he's been able to pursue projects at his own pace. "I think I retired too hard," he admits. Despite stepping away from game development, Marc remains creative, now focusing on music. His audience grew after Valve released a Half-Life 2 anniversary documentary last year, prompting him to share a lost development video on his YouTube channel. "I'm like, I'm in the wrong business!" Marc jokes. "I should just be leaking information about my old employer."

Reflecting on the Valve documentary, Marc found it therapeutic to reconnect with old colleagues and reminisce about his time at the company. "It was good for me to process and put a bow on that stuff," he says. "I hadn't talked to or seen a lot of those people for a long time."

With the Half-Life and Half-Life 2 documentaries behind him, the only Valve game Marc might discuss in the future is Dota 2, now 12 years old. "I could speak to Dota. That's the only thing left," he notes, unless Valve considers revisiting Alien Swarm, on which he contributed.

Discussing Half-Life with Marc is inevitable, but with the documentaries released, there's little left to say about the past. The future of Half-Life remains uncertain, but Marc is open to writing for video games again, even suggesting Hideo Kojima might have considered him for Death Stranding. "When Death Stranding came out, I just was grinding my teeth. Like, does he know I'm available?"

Marc's "hard retirement" has led to fewer industry offers than expected. "I did kind of expect more interesting offers," he says. "Instead, I got requests like writing a synopsis for a mobile phone laser tag game. It's like, they don't know what I do."

Despite the lack of compelling game offers, Marc remains open to the right project. "People think of me as someone who can write a lot for a game," he says. "But do you notice how little writing there was in Half-Life? The point was I hated reading in games."

Finally, if Valve were to approach Marc about reuniting for Half-Life 3, his answer is clear. "I would not do that," he states firmly. "Even when I was there, I started to feel like the old guy shooting stuff down. At some point, you need to let the new fans and creators take the lead. We need new stuff."

Marc hasn't played Half-Life: Alyx and feels disconnected from the current creative processes at Valve. "I'm not on that edge anymore," he explains. "That's not what's interesting to me at this point. Plus, I'm one of the older guys, and it's so much work. I don't think I could do that anymore."

With his Half-Life chapter closed, Marc looks forward to other creative endeavors. The success of "400 Boys" on Netflix is a testament to his diverse contributions. Perhaps in the future, Netflix might approach Valve about adapting Half-Life, allowing Marc to relive this experience. "I've been lucky to be a part of these things that just kind of become phenomena," he reflects on his journey through cyberpunk and gaming.