Ghost in the Shell

Very stylish anime set in a future where the boundaries between the virtual and real worlds are blurred, and hence the concept of existence too. In this world where bodies are interchangable you are generally considered a person if you have a "ghost line"; special code that cannot be artifically created. The comic discussed different kinds of intelligence and had a fair amount of political commentary. The final appendix opened the very real idea that major Kusanagi, the lead role, must have died along time ago by being copied. Heavily influenced by Bladerunner, the first ever Cyberpunk novel and arguably the first ever science fiction novel.