Altered Carbon

Altered Carbon is an American cyberpunk science-fiction television series created by Laeta Kalogridis and based on Richard K.

Altered Carbon is an American cyberpunk science-fiction television series created by Laeta Kalogridis and based on Richard K. Morgan’s 2002 novel of the same name. It premiered on Netflix in 2018 and ran for two seasons before being cancelled in 2020. The series is set in a future where human consciousness can be digitized, stored, and transferred into different bodies, called "sleeves."

Premise

The series follows a world where death is no longer permanent for the wealthy, because human minds can be transferred between bodies. This technology shapes the show’s detective plot and its themes of class inequality, identity, and immortality.

Production and release

Altered Carbon was created by Laeta Kalogridis and adapted from Richard K. Morgan’s novel. It debuted on Netflix in 2018, returned for a second season in 2020, and was cancelled later that year.

Main characters

The central figure is Takeshi Kovacs, portrayed by different actors in different seasons because the character inhabits different bodies. The series also features Laurens Bancroft and several recurring police, rebel, and corporate characters.

Setting and themes

The series takes place in a far-future cyberpunk society where bodies are treated as replaceable "sleeves." Its narrative explores inequality, violence, memory, and the social effects of extreme longevity.