Welcome to the Lieben Cycle
AI Queen Meets Gene-Spliced Biological Machines
Cyberpunk Series
Futurist Tech. AI. Artificial Sapience. Genetic Engineering. Control vs Anarchy.Novels & Short Fiction between 2079 - 2310AD meant to punch you in the heart and hack you back to life.
Not the kids sci-fi. This shit is ours.
"I never thought a science fiction story could be so beautiful.
I’ve seen movies and read plenty of stories where man triumphs over machine, which can be heartfelt. NEON Lieben by Sapha Burnell is much more than that. Granted, sometimes the beauty is brutal, but that just adds to the richness and complexity of the story. This is one of those rare tales that will have you thinking about the characters and what they stand for long after you finish reading the book. In short, it’s everything that you’d expect from a science fiction book and nothing like you’ve ever read."
Artisan Book Reviews
The Lieben Cycle is an insane, diabolical roller coaster of novels, short fiction & in-development multimedia projects by cyberpunk author & artist Sapha Burnell. An Amazon bestseller in Cyberpunk and Genetic Engineering Science Fiction, NEON Lieben started us off with a novel reviewers called "a masterpiece with prose that captures the mind’s eye with artistic strokes", and "properly descriptive when it comes to the violence, it keeps classy by not sinking to gratuitous horror genre shock factor".
This World is a companion for readers and encyclopedia for myself, filling in the gaps while helping me keep my head straight.
Bare feet padded along the grey shore of Ucluelet, British Columbia. All but the bravest locals were long indoors, as raucous waves crashed across the reef. The tang of salt water made the monolith spit on the grass. He sniffed the air, feet pressed against the earth as if waiting for it to pitch and yaw. The disequilibrium of life on the sea sloshed at rung ears. No wave or bend came to the solid ground, nor did he see the dim electric signs wobble in the storm.
'Storm Warning. Please Remain Indoors. Call For Emergency. Storm Warning...'
The script played in sigils Aderastos lived in ignorance of; no context for surf shops, boba tea & coffee cafe's. Neither the few vehicles on the street, tethered to blue glowing stands with battery icons.
'Haven'
Above all signs in ubiquitous scripts, a crown of fluctuant purple and pink neon light. The only recognizable thing in Aderastos’ mind was the crown.
The Lieben Cycle
The Published Works of the Lieben CycleTwo short stories, one novel, a graphic novel project & sequel in the works.
Demyan Anastas is free after 8 years of war. As free as a hacker on the wrong side of victory can be with the secrets of the world in his pocket.
2024.
“In order for any of Dieter’s vision to succeed, one rule must be paramount. Any decision must be Lieben’s to make. If I’d sent Katherine, Percival and Cillian with strict orders to return here, or some form of safe-house, the girl would’ve rebelled faster than my son sniffing powder at a Berlin rave. All of this, shifting the world’s wealth, eradicating the borders which thank you, do cause quite a bit of trouble to certain interests of mine, it folds apart. Our task is not to control Lieben. It’s to guide. I knew Dieter. Knew him half my adult life, and although I have been honoured to see his machine as none on this planet have for years in isolation, I learned that Lieben is a knife’s edge. She must make those decisions for herself. I had several safe-houses lined up tonight. Eyes on that flat above Demyan Anastas’ bookshop, Kaoru’s tea room. Do you think the Conglomerate will be pleased, now? Knowing their miracle machine was in one of their own palms this entire time? That I hid her away out of an old man’s fancy, or a collector’s adamance? If this plan fails, my head will hit the guillotine far sooner than yours, Master Kimbedjian. They know where I live.”
Main Characters
The Lieben Cycle is a wealth of deep, evocative characters from sapient artificial intelligences like Lieben to genetically engineered super soldiers like the Assets, to wide-eyed youths like Max Allard.
For a deeper look at the characters, please click the article below.
Themes
AI Sapience
Dr. Karnak's beloved android Lieben is the first artificial sapience on planet Earth. Launched as a corporate toy for the elite, Lieben's debut was the catastrophe which heralded the public's harrowed question to prove whether Dr. Karnak created artificial life. In 2155, Lieben has taken over a portion of humanity with her fleet of NEOs. Is Lieben a life form? What happens when self-learning algorithms build AI past our specifications?
We'd better hope the AI who does is Lieben.
Genetic Memory
Epigenetics v genetics. How much of our predilections come from genetic precursors? Can the human genome be used as a sort of encyclopedia of person, a memorized record of genetically connected lives? Will genetic memory be the transhumanist's reincarnation, trading silicone chips for DNA strands? If the next generation is augmented to remember the past, does that make them the same person?
How much data can we store in humanity's future generations, and is the world the interface?
Control vs Freedom
Can Society function without guidelines and rules makers? What happens when anarchists like the Idless push for absolute freedom? Are our lives better with multinational corporations pouring wealth into R&D, medical cures and ecological curios? Where is the balance between oligarchical societal control and abject freedom? The Idless believe in absolute freedom, consequences be damned, while the Conglom pushes unity in beurocracy.
If progress is communally led, how far does the freedom to live a quiet life equate?
“Who do we have for Asset backup?”
“Rachel, Tristram and…”
“And!?” Rammage watched another comm officer take the seat, put their headphones against the outside of their ear, before turning down the gain.
“Ka, Sir.”
“… did we seriously only hold back the dragon, the normie and the tree?”
“Yes, Sir… Yes, we did.” Commander Retik pursed his lips, as the officers in Command leaned closer, kept conspicuously silent. “Orders?”
“We need eyes before we deploy any more of our crew. Activate the misfit dragon. Order Rachel to fly recon and return.”
“You want to send the dragon into battle?”
“… with the tree. Yes.”
“… we’re sending a tree and a dragon into battle…”
Factions
The Conglom is one of a few post-multinational corpocracies, whose planned takeover of sovereign authority began in the 2070's - 2090's. With their HQ's in Vancouver and London, their main focus has been on technological superiority and data conservation.
In 2085, the Conglom debuted their prototype NEO-N, the android known as Lieben. The debut was a disaster. The Chairman sent Tara to retrieve his prized machine... at any cost.
Lieben's domain, the origins of Haven are embroiled in the events of 2096. The upcoming Emptiness at the Centre shows how Lieben went from AI on the run from the company which made her, to Queen Tyrant of High Technology, and the keeper of the world's military weapons codes.
A collective of communal centres, agricultural towers, islands and wilderness across the world, all who come and contribute receive food, lodging, communication, education, medicine and leisure free of charge. The catch? One receives their needs from NEOs and their algorithmic monarch.
Anti-establishment anarchists, who believe freedom in its purest state has no concept of ownership, and thus no use for definition, the Idless carry no identification and are beholden to no corporate contract, nation-state or other person.
By 2085, they were convinced the method to break all corporations and remaining governments was to entice Lieben to join as a true believer.
The Idless continue to be a thorn at the Conglom & Syndicate's sides in Emptiness at the Centre.
Comments
Author's Notes
Thanks to Emily Armstrong for CSS help on the Flip Cards & Character Cards.