Readers know, even in the era of fancy collector’s editions and aesthetic bookshelf setups, at the end of the day, a book isn’t just a product—it’s a destination.
If you’re looking for somewhere to go, I have a recommendation for you. I’ve discovered a new place and time—a rare one, not overcrowded with tourists and hyped-up by reports from all your friends who went last summer without you. The world of Dronefall is something new, fascinating, and full of rich detail you’ll want to come back to for a second look.
So, what have you got to look forward to? What does 2040’s Budapest, with its historic architecture and drone-swarmed skies, have to offer the traveling reader?
Well, there’s more than I can tell you in a blog post, but let me give you my top recs for things to do on your first trip to the world of Dronefall.
7 Things You Must Do When Visiting Cyberpunk Budapest in the 2040’s
- Travel by “Blindworm” (jumping off not advised)
You won’t have much choice on this one, since the automated hydrogen train system has all but replaced any other form of transportation in the city. Still, you’ll find “Blindworm” travel extremely smooth and hassle-free. Coaches are comfortable and usually kept immaculately clean, and each one is furnished with both a speaker-system and an HD digital screen to keep commuters informed on the upcoming stops.
On the outside, the trains are sleek beautiful—white and silver, and always breaking out billows of fog through the “gills” of their water-vapor exhaust system. Their haunting wails can be heard echoing through the city from far away.
2. Drone-watch
In case you haven’t heard, most major cities in the world of Dronefall are ruled by drones. They watch the streets at all times, from all angles, constantly pacing along their preprogramed grid-lines. Aside from surveillance, drones are also utilized for basically everything else that could possibly be done by a UAV. Drones run deliveries, make repairs, put out fires, clean windows, and handle search and rescue operations all day and all night.
They come in a dazzling variety of models, and at night, their lights make streetlights redundant in busy areas. From an apartment balcony or rooftop bar, you can watch them flowing by like a river of colorful fireflies. But don’t get too nosy about where they came from and where they’re going. Tracking drones is illegal.
3. Ask random people on the street what Ambassadors of Humanity is doing
This one’s a bit tongue-in-cheek, but you can actually do it if you’re brave enough, I suppose. Mostly, it’s just going to get you a lot of weird looks. With all the public support for the elusive organization in Budapest, you’d think somebody might be able to tell you something about exactly what they do. Nobody can.
They can’t even tell you why the Ambassadors are buying up the whole city, bit by bit. It seems like people would want to know. It seems like they would be asking. But they don’t ask. Maybe you shouldn’t either. Disregard this one, if you want.
4. Visit the Barracks Café at midnight
Let’s move out of the bustle of the heart of the city a bit. There’s a sort of run-down neighborhood between District 3 and District 4 on the Buda side of the river. This is where it’s at, secretly. The locals here will tell you the cool kids hang out at a place they call the Barracks Café. It’s called that because of the rather unaesthetic building that houses it, which sort of looks like some kind of military housing.
Inside, however, you’ll find a surprisingly vibey place to chill, lurk and consume caffeine at all hours of night. It’s a lot like some of the city’s famous ‘ruin bars,’ but instead of serving the nightlife crowd who’s off work for the day, they typically serve the crowd that is just starting their work as the sun goes down. Don’t be intimidated by this crowd. They keep to themselves.
5. Go Roof-topping in District 3.5
But if you strike up a conversation, you might want to ask for these people’s recommendations on the best roof-topping spots in the area. Large stretches of housing and business properties in District 3.5 are abandoned. If you’re into scaling buildings and free-running while enjoying beautiful Budapest nightscapes, you should take the opportunity to go roof-topping in this neighborhood. (3.5 is mostly unwatched by drones, so do what you can get away with!)
From one location on a roof toward the edge of the residential area, you can get a fantastic view of the airport where, very occasionally, one of the huge space-planes from the world’s only commercial Exoliner airline will take off or land.
6. Seek out secretive Christian communities
If you can find them, some of the most welcoming places in the whole city are the ones the authorities will likely warn you to stay away from. Though not technically illegal, Christianity is no longer socially acceptable to mainstream culture in the West. This has forced believers to form quiet communities where they can live and worship God in peace from the privacy of their homes.
Barred from the city’s many beautiful historic churches, they have formed their own house-churches, where they gather weekly in supportive thriving groups of friends and family. Though they tend to be close-knit, they always welcome visitors.
7. Sneak out at night—who knows what you’ll see
The fact slips by many people who stick to normal routines, but the city isn’t even the same world at night. If you thought 2040’s Budapest was a little strange during the day, wait until after midnight. Things come to life and start to wander around, hunting. Drones fly low and lurk by windows. Mysterious sirens echo through empty streets.
Be careful. Nothing is safe when everything is anonymous. But don’t you wonder…?
Ready to Book Your Ticket?
Lucky for you, I’m paying your fare if you decide to sign up for my email list within the month of October ’24. If you join what I’m calling the October Club—my exclusive pre-release book club for the newly rewritten Dronefall, you will get the ebook free before anybody in the general public has access to it. I know. Not fair. But you’re invited.
