Manga like Ghost in the Shell: 5 perfect cyberpunk stories to read next
Masamune Shirow's Ghost in the Shell remains a cornerstone of the cyberpunk genre, exploring themes of identity and artificial consciousness through the story of Major Motoko Kusanagi and Public Security Section 9. As fans await a new anime adaptation by Science Saru, the article recommends five cyberpunk manga that capture similar dystopian and philosophical tones. These include foundational works like Battle Angel Alita and Biomega, which delve into identity, survival, and surreal futures.
- ▪Ghost in the Shell was originally released in 1989 and has inspired multiple film, television, and live-action adaptations.
- ▪Battle Angel Alita follows an amnesiac cyborg named Alita who becomes a bounty hunter to recover her past.
- ▪Biomega is set in the year 3000, where a virus turns humans into biomechanical zombies and a synthetic human named Zoichi Kanoe fights to find immune survivors.
- ▪The new Ghost in the Shell anime series is being developed by Science Saru and is set to premiere in July 2026.
- ▪Yukito Kishiro’s Battle Angel Alita draws thematic inspiration from Philip K. Dick’s Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?.
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Follow Followed Like Thread Link copied to clipboard Add us on By Debopriyaa Dutta Published May 2, 2026, 10:01 AM EDT Polygon Lists While you wait for the new anime adaptation, descend into the bowels of these strange dystopian cityscapes { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": "1", "name": "Home", "item": "https://www.polygon.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position":"2", "name": "Polygon Lists", "item": "https://www.polygon.com/lists/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position":"3", "name": "5 cyberpunk manga worth reading if you love Ghost in the Shell", "item": "https://www.polygon.com/manga-like-ghost-in-the-shell-sci-fi-cyberpunk/" } ] } Related 5 new sci-fi and fantasy books to read this May The most…
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