The best biopunk stories of 2020

It’s been a strange year for biopunk fans, as a global pandemic dominated our lives for almost all of the year. Suddenly, the type of plots we love to read became a frightening reality we had to live with. But that did not stop a plethora of biopunk stories being released in 2020, or dampen their popularity. Here are some of the best biopunk stories of the year:

Invisible Man (film)

Invisible Man was one of the best films of recent years, let alone 2020. Moss was perfectly suited to the role and brought one of her best performances to date. But the direction helped make ‘the invisible man’ stalking Moss’s character truly terrifying, rather than a farcical ghost. It was a modern and progressive interpretation of the classic science-fiction novel.

Available on Amazon for UK audiences.

Harrow The Ninth (book)

A sequel to the superb Gideon The Ninth, the latest instalment became even more obsessed with manipulating souls, bones, genetic material, flesh and bodies. There was even a (sort of?) bio-engineered baby and deliberate reconfiguration of the brain. While not as engaging or revealing as the first book, Harrow The Ninth captured how haunted its protagonist is and sets up the next instalment perfectly. But please let Gideon be present. Her dialogue is much needed in a universe quite so bleak.

Away (TV show)

Okay, this is a show about space but, boring physics aside, this show deals with different disabilities, the importance of plant-life, the threat of a virus and how awful dehydration is. Biological issues are examined just as much as the mechanical issues. The first episode is a bit of a rollercoaster, but once the show gets going it is one of the best series around. The decision to cancel the show after only one season has raised yet more questions about Netflix’s direction.

Available on Netflix for UK audiences.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin (comic)

The Last Ronin is one of the best instalments to the well known TMNT series. It is a heartbreaking ride for long-time fans, particularly when the identity of ‘the last ronin’ is revealed. The art is stunning, and the dialogue opens all kinds of wounds. It’s a must-read for any comic fan.

Final Fantasy VII Remake (PS4 game)

The remake of FFVII was one of the better games of the last year. There is a wonderful section where the player must make their way through a frankly ridiculous laboratory where evil experiments are carried out. The perceived mutant lion, Red XII, steals the latter part of the story. Introduced in the lab, the audience are left to question whether he is a mutant experiment or an entirely new species – or even a combination – and whether that distinction at all matters.

The game sets up the sequel fantastically. Yet, FFVII is often talked about with total revere that it arguably does not deserve, if only because games discussions tend to leave very little room for criticism. And there is worthy criticism: the characterisation of Barrett in particular is incredibly stereotypical and drags the game down. Yet, he is still the driving force of a spectacular show and if criticisms can be spoken, listened to, and learned from, then we might just be in for one hell of a finale.