Martyr Loser King

Incisive questions about capitalism, colonialism, and the future of technology abound in this cyberpunk fable from visionary poet, performer, and director Saul Williams.

Can you name the ghost in your machine? The precious ore coltan can be found in every cell phone and computer on earth. And in a small East African country, both the Black population and the land are exploited for this precious resource—the people as a source of cheap, expendable labor; the land as a mining site and international dumping ground for defunct technology.

Yet from the rubble, creativity and rebellion rise. An encounter between a miner and an otherworldly stranger named Neptune results in the birth of a hacker named MartyrLoserKing, and the launch of a global cyberattack. Their plan will rock the world to its foundations, upend centuries of institutional abuse, and, perhaps, usher in a new age of understanding.

Steeped in mythology and history and inspired by present-day events, this cyberpunk fable from visionary poet, musician, and director Saul Williams is both a cautionary tale and a hopeful vision of the future.