Cyam is a graphic novel written at the turn of the century by Monde Gleese. At its debut the story earned little attention but gained a cult following after the suicide of Gleese. Decades later, Cyam came to be known as an artistic triumph. It has since been developed into film and television series across several countries and become a cultural touchstone for many young people across the globe.
Plot
The plot of Cyam revolves around a city of the same name within a post-dystopian, unnamed world. Outside of two other named cities and references to other countries, Cyam appears to be the only feasible living space. The main story focuses several characters who impact the city's growth over a period of years.
Within the city of Cyam there is a secret war between the criminal elite. The fighting is centered around twelve 'Extremists' who control much of how life is lived in the city. They have gotten along peacefully for years, but the recent success of a company called Eons has caused massive infighting. Eons, the brainchild of Clove Talik, is the first of any Cyam industry to begin dealing internationally. Eons is a medical company that specialized in synthetic organics; they replace and in some cases enhance parts of the body, usually internal organs, allowing for longer life and youth. Those who helped to fund Eons now jealously guard their stake while other Extremists look for ways to get their share. However, in the widely segregated city of Cyam, not all are happy with this influx of wealth, and Eons had become notorious among those living in poverty. This urges a young man named Micheal Keaton to lash out. He plans a protest during an Eons' sponsored holiday party. To appear more organized he asks for anyone arriving to wear the same outfit; a skeleton shirt and black pants. Micheal himself will be carrying a large scythe prop to distinguish himself as leader. The demonstration suffers from lack of organization and quickly falls into chaos, ending in confused fighting and several casualties. Micheal himself is injured. During his recovery, however, he sees a news story about himself and the now called 'Strange Eon Rioters' who have been branded as a serious, organized street gang. He officially forms the gang some time later, keeping and enhancing the idea of theatrics with costumes, props, and more. Police reaction to this new presence is harsh. Eventually, other gangs begin to form in opposition to Rioters, some purely criminal and others desperately fighting to maintain a viable lifestyle. Others are created specifically by the Extremists to both monitor the situation and prevent their own enterprises from suffering.
With so many new gangs turf wars become a serious problem. Recruitment to gangs is rampant, prompting further need for Micheal to distinguish himself stylistically. The more he pushes the boundaries the further others follow him, until well-known gang members have costumes, weapons, and styles resembling superheros. At this time special weapons creators called Synths are highly desired and fiercely protected by anyone immersed in gang life. Despite the noise they make publicly, the Extremists see these gangs as passing fads. It isn't until one of their own is killed that they begin to fear the situation they helped create.
As gang fame grows, so does the attraction of the lifestyle. This prompts several young people from wealthy families to join up in what they call 'costuming'. Another faction appears around the same time. Referred to as 'assassins' by gangs, these elite fighters are thought to be used to police the worst of the gang violence. They also appear to be 'Splinters'; people who has had so much of their body replaced that the law is unclear whether they are person or machine. Clove, and his Extremist-assigned body guard HJ, are deeply disturbed by the arrival of these Splinters. Clove does use willing and paid test subjects, but claims to have nothing to do with these 'half-alive things'. However, the public continues to suspect Eons is responsible for the Splinters, who can be unpredictable and violent.
Meanwhile, infighting among gang leaders, originally for personal disputes, is mistaken for turf wars. A second Extremist is killed and those who attend his funeral are as well, causing the Extremists to begin an all-out war against the now unstable gangs of Cyam. To make a point, their first target is Micheal Keaton. However, with the hero of every costuming gang now deceased, chaos takes over. In response to this new outburst of senseless violence, wealthy landowners come together and agree to turn off the power in all affected neighborhoods to force the fighting to cease. The plan backfires. Violence erupts in every corner of the city. Many leave Cyam in caravans, hoping to make it to another city.
Clove is afraid for his life.
After two weeks of riots, the new head of the Strange Eon Rioters is able to smuggle himself and explosives into the main building, killing himself and everyone inside. Clove, HJ, and a young Synth maker escaped just hours before. The remaining Extremists approach Clove to ask how long it will take to rebuild and advise him to take the young synth as an apprentice. In the final moments of the series, Clove and HJ discuss the latter's progressing illness. Over the course of the story they have become friends, but Clove still expresses a wish to bring HJ back to life when he dies. HJ hopes that he won't.
Themes
“Violence begets violence. That's all there is to it.”
“Yes, but is that so unhealthy?”
Cyam has been praised for Gleese's unconventional use of archetype. It has been argued, for example, that violence is the 'main character' of the novel. Violence, itself a force, shares the principals of a classic hero or anti-hero. It is admired and idealized by those who recognize the power behind it and those who are enmeshed with it are know as courageous. Violence, more than any other character, has outstanding achievements within the story (perhaps the only 'character' to have any lasting achievement). Many see it as noble, despite being neither a force for good or evil. This force is certainly the most powerful and influencial within the story, taking over the lives of those participating in crime and those hoping to avoid it. This is most clearly seen in conversation between jaded Clove and devil-may-care HJ as the later attempts to convince Clove that the violence in Cyam is necessary.
"We will find our way in the dark just as we did for twelve years, we will find it with violence and theft and a mad will to survive, we may forget how to be good but we will not forget how to live, and by daylight you’ll see that it isn’t much different than how we were before."
How characters view this force; tragic, generational, restorative, natural, necessary, useful, wasteful, even heroic, quickly becomes the central focus of the novel. As the force evolves and changes so too do the characters, all of whom are eventually led to the same path of absolute destruction. However, the story does not end with the note that violence is evil or wrong. Clove, who begins as a pacifist, is left with a disturbing attitude toward death that frightens the ideals of HJ, who always believed violence was necessary. The role reversal does not end peaceably for either but does allow the reader to decide which philosophy, if any, was the more complete. Most obviously, the novel ends with the mention of a poem on a public statute erected several years after the ultimate destruction of the gangs;
"The red rain came and it was pretty,
great architects of our fair city,
pure bone and alabaster pen,
we pray they don't come back again."
Recurring Characters
Reception
Adaptations
Cyam has been adapted twelve times in multiple countries. Chronologically, these are;
The Rise and Fall of Cyam, television
Cyam, TV movie
Cyam, television
The Extremists of Cyam, television
Gangland, Inc., film
Cyam, film
The Rise and Fall of Cyam, film
Fast Furies and Death, film (loose adaption)
Ruthless Cyam, film
Cyam, television
Monde Gleese's Cyam, television
Cyam, film