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Tendrils of Chrome #1
Falling Into Oblivion
MODIFICATIONS COME AT A PRICE.
Detective Sol Harkones is tangled in the wires of a deadly conspiracy involving defective body modifications causing permanent brain damage. A suspect is known, but something more dangerous may be lurking in the shadows.
A city plagued by waste.
Violence fills the streets.
Oblivion is within reach.
Falling Into Oblivion is the electrifying first book in the Tendrils of Chrome cyberpunk sci-fi series. If you're a fan of William Gibson's Neuromancer, HBO's True Detective, or Philip K. Dick’s Blade Runner, you will love Aaron M. Payne’s rapid-fire saga.
Detective Sol Harkones is tangled in the wires of a deadly conspiracy involving defective body modifications causing permanent brain damage. A suspect is known, but something more dangerous may be lurking in the shadows.
A city plagued by waste.
Violence fills the streets.
Oblivion is within reach.
Falling Into Oblivion is the electrifying first book in the Tendrils of Chrome cyberpunk sci-fi series. If you're a fan of William Gibson's Neuromancer, HBO's True Detective, or Philip K. Dick’s Blade Runner, you will love Aaron M. Payne’s rapid-fire saga.
247 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 4, 2024
21 people are currently reading
493 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews
October 4, 2024
This review was originally published on Grimdark Magazine
Aaron M. Payne comes blazing onto the scene full throttle with Falling Into Oblivion, a dark and electrifying cyberpunk murder mystery with an air of danger, urgency, and intrigue that is so addictive, it should honestly be criminal. It’s giving a bit of Dresden Files mixed with Neuromancer set against the backdrop of a neon-infused version of Batman’s Gotham City, and yet it is somehow also totally its own unique thing.
Through the eyes of local police detective Sol Harkones, we are sucked into the dark and deceptively alluring underworld of Nox City where corruption and danger lurk around every grimy corner. After another unrewarding day of work, he wants nothing more than to go home to read his young daughter her bedtime story, but his latest job turns out to be something altogether more elaborate and sinister. Soon, Sol finds himself tangled in an intricate web of conspiracies involving defective bodily modifications and deadly drugs, and he would rather risk his life than turn a blind eye.
Look, I can count on one hand the number of cyberpunk novels I have read, so it should come as no big surprise that Falling Into Oblivion felt like an excitingly refreshing story to me. The way that Payne brought this futuristic city to life in all its darkness and its glory immediately captured my imagination, and I loved how the deceptively alluring yet disturbingly unsettling ambiance just bled off every page; I truly felt like I was right there with Sol walking the dirty alleys and hunting for the next new mind-boggling clue in the investigation.
While I can see how some readers might be caught off guard by the unfiltered first person present tense narration, I personally found it to be extremely immersive and engaging. Even though I didn’t feel as emotionally invested in Sol as I would have wished for, I did feel like I understood him on a deep level, and I really enjoyed how his strong personal motivations, unwavering contrarian convictions, and relatable spiralling thoughts kept me grounded throughout this increasingly wild romp.
Moreover, Payne cleverly works a riveting ‘ticking clock’ element into the narrative through Sol’s burning desire to return home before his daughter’s bedtime, which not only organically raised the tension and personal stakes, but also added a surprising amount of heart to Falling Into Oblivion. Yet, at the same time, I also can’t deny that I felt like the breakneck pacing hindered the development of the side characters a bit, which took away some of the impact of a few twists and betrayals for me.
Still, for a narrative that spans only one frenetic afternoon and evening, it’s honestly quite astounding how much Payne was able to pack into these pages, especially in terms of layered world building and plot development. Interwoven throughout all the pulse-pounding chases, tense interrogations, and flashy fights are some seriously thought-provoking and cautionary themes on the risk of tech advancements, bodily modifications, the relentless greed of big corporations, and the devastating effects of expanding class division, which is exactly what will make Falling Into Oblivion linger on in my mind despite its short length. Also, we’ve got mech monsters and a cybernetic dragon, and if that doesn’t make this story memorable and prove that it stands out from the crowd, then I don’t know what will.
While this first instalment in the Tendrils of Chrome series has a relatively self-contained arc and wraps up its core mystery in a satisfying if slightly abrupt way, I am still left with so many burning questions and already can’t wait to return to Nox City to dig even deeper into this world and its characters. Whether you are a cyberpunk aficionado or a newbie to the genre, I think Falling Into Oblivion is a must-read for anyone who just wants to escape into a short yet unforgettable romp that is bursting with imagination, action, mystery, and heart.
3.5/5 stars
Thank you to the author for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Aaron M. Payne comes blazing onto the scene full throttle with Falling Into Oblivion, a dark and electrifying cyberpunk murder mystery with an air of danger, urgency, and intrigue that is so addictive, it should honestly be criminal. It’s giving a bit of Dresden Files mixed with Neuromancer set against the backdrop of a neon-infused version of Batman’s Gotham City, and yet it is somehow also totally its own unique thing.
Through the eyes of local police detective Sol Harkones, we are sucked into the dark and deceptively alluring underworld of Nox City where corruption and danger lurk around every grimy corner. After another unrewarding day of work, he wants nothing more than to go home to read his young daughter her bedtime story, but his latest job turns out to be something altogether more elaborate and sinister. Soon, Sol finds himself tangled in an intricate web of conspiracies involving defective bodily modifications and deadly drugs, and he would rather risk his life than turn a blind eye.
Look, I can count on one hand the number of cyberpunk novels I have read, so it should come as no big surprise that Falling Into Oblivion felt like an excitingly refreshing story to me. The way that Payne brought this futuristic city to life in all its darkness and its glory immediately captured my imagination, and I loved how the deceptively alluring yet disturbingly unsettling ambiance just bled off every page; I truly felt like I was right there with Sol walking the dirty alleys and hunting for the next new mind-boggling clue in the investigation.
While I can see how some readers might be caught off guard by the unfiltered first person present tense narration, I personally found it to be extremely immersive and engaging. Even though I didn’t feel as emotionally invested in Sol as I would have wished for, I did feel like I understood him on a deep level, and I really enjoyed how his strong personal motivations, unwavering contrarian convictions, and relatable spiralling thoughts kept me grounded throughout this increasingly wild romp.
Moreover, Payne cleverly works a riveting ‘ticking clock’ element into the narrative through Sol’s burning desire to return home before his daughter’s bedtime, which not only organically raised the tension and personal stakes, but also added a surprising amount of heart to Falling Into Oblivion. Yet, at the same time, I also can’t deny that I felt like the breakneck pacing hindered the development of the side characters a bit, which took away some of the impact of a few twists and betrayals for me.
Still, for a narrative that spans only one frenetic afternoon and evening, it’s honestly quite astounding how much Payne was able to pack into these pages, especially in terms of layered world building and plot development. Interwoven throughout all the pulse-pounding chases, tense interrogations, and flashy fights are some seriously thought-provoking and cautionary themes on the risk of tech advancements, bodily modifications, the relentless greed of big corporations, and the devastating effects of expanding class division, which is exactly what will make Falling Into Oblivion linger on in my mind despite its short length. Also, we’ve got mech monsters and a cybernetic dragon, and if that doesn’t make this story memorable and prove that it stands out from the crowd, then I don’t know what will.
While this first instalment in the Tendrils of Chrome series has a relatively self-contained arc and wraps up its core mystery in a satisfying if slightly abrupt way, I am still left with so many burning questions and already can’t wait to return to Nox City to dig even deeper into this world and its characters. Whether you are a cyberpunk aficionado or a newbie to the genre, I think Falling Into Oblivion is a must-read for anyone who just wants to escape into a short yet unforgettable romp that is bursting with imagination, action, mystery, and heart.
3.5/5 stars
Thank you to the author for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
November 26, 2024
*Originally reviewed on SFF Insiders Blog
If you have an itch to read something new and different that’s outside your typical genres, don’t hesitate to pick up this fast paced cyberpunk thriller!
I’m long overdue in reviewing this beauty I read back in August. Where do I begin? I guess firstly by stating that I am completely unfamiliar with everything this book is compared to :P So I can’t attest to the accuracy of those comparisons, but what I can tell you is that I thoroughly enjoyed this book! Even without having seen the inspirations that helped this book take seed and bloom, the idea of cyberpunk has always appealed to me so I of course had to get this book in my hands!
Now what Falling Into Oblivion makes me think of is a slightly different take possibly, but it’s got that futuristic Sci-Fi civilization vibe of what you see in the Guardians of the Galaxy movies, or in the reboot movies of the OG Star Trek paired with all the things I love about crime shows. The flashy hovercraft-type vehicles are reminiscent of Back to the Future (yes, I’m dating myself a bit here) or even Star Wars, the body modifications made me think of the Borg in ST: Next Gen or Nebula from Guardians of the Galaxy. Those are the influences my brain was pulling from while I read this, all of which are some of my favorites, so naturally I loved Falling Into Oblivion.
The way Payne wrote the cityscape, the way he plotted out the crime Sol Harkness was trying to solve, and the implications of everything involved with high tech futuristic drugs seemed all too realistic with heavy implications of just what our real world could look like in the future. It feels so highly tangible you can almost smell the stinky garbage piled in the street gutters and alleyways, and hear all the vehicles flying overhead.
Payne writes an incredibly immersive tale of a city plagued by crime, drugs, and illegal trade, and all Sol, our lead character, wants is to make enough money to keep his family out of the poor district. He wants a better future for his young daughter, to pay for a school that will give her the possibilities of more. Sol’s internal worries over money, his feelings of failure about keeping his promises because his job keeps him away from home too much, of all he puts himself through just to keep the debt collectors away, all of this makes him such a relatable character and truly humanizes him.
The bionic implants and body modifications that people utilize in this world are super cool. I’ve joked before that I wish we had the capabilities of bionic implants, just thinking purely of the benefits, but what Mr. Payne has done is gone a step further and shown us the repercussions of such things; the need for fully licensed individuals to do the implants, the drug market that creates the anti-rejection drugs (why did I never think that you would need such??? It just makes plain sense!) and all those greedy souls who profit from it all; the black market, pharmaceutical companies, the crime bosses, etc. Payne thought of every aspect of the effect these kinds of things would have on a civilization, no detail was too small to not get his full attention to make it all as realistic as possible. I appreciated this so much!
Now let’s discuss the crime/mystery. I can’t tell you how many crime shows I’ve watched over the years, but it’s seriously A LOT, including Murder She Wrote when I was a small kid. Based on that you can assume I love a good brain puzzle to try to untangle as I read. The best ones manage to catch me unawares with some reveals, though as I’ve stated after years of watching crime shows I’m pretty good at figuring things out most of the time. But in Falling Into Oblivion the mystery element is written soooo damn well!! There were some things and people I was suspicious of, some of which proved I had a right to be though I hadn’t a clue to just how much those things or people were involved. And then I did fall for a red herring or two, which dude. Well played, Mr. Payne! Well played. I totally didn’t see some of that coming or how hard it would hit!
The author’s last name just hit. Payne…rhymes with Wayne. Like Bruce Wayne, and he wrote us a story about his own version of Batman fighting crime in a cyberpunk Sci-Fi version of Gotham City :D Sorry, the nerd references just keep coming. I’ll see myself out.
In all seriousness though, if you love sci-fi, cyberpunk, crime novels, etc. then go pick this book up. If you’re new to any of the genres mentioned above and don’t know where to start to dip your toes in, this is also an excellent choice! It’s a highly captivating read with a plot that launches to warp speed!
If you have an itch to read something new and different that’s outside your typical genres, don’t hesitate to pick up this fast paced cyberpunk thriller!
I’m long overdue in reviewing this beauty I read back in August. Where do I begin? I guess firstly by stating that I am completely unfamiliar with everything this book is compared to :P So I can’t attest to the accuracy of those comparisons, but what I can tell you is that I thoroughly enjoyed this book! Even without having seen the inspirations that helped this book take seed and bloom, the idea of cyberpunk has always appealed to me so I of course had to get this book in my hands!
Now what Falling Into Oblivion makes me think of is a slightly different take possibly, but it’s got that futuristic Sci-Fi civilization vibe of what you see in the Guardians of the Galaxy movies, or in the reboot movies of the OG Star Trek paired with all the things I love about crime shows. The flashy hovercraft-type vehicles are reminiscent of Back to the Future (yes, I’m dating myself a bit here) or even Star Wars, the body modifications made me think of the Borg in ST: Next Gen or Nebula from Guardians of the Galaxy. Those are the influences my brain was pulling from while I read this, all of which are some of my favorites, so naturally I loved Falling Into Oblivion.
The way Payne wrote the cityscape, the way he plotted out the crime Sol Harkness was trying to solve, and the implications of everything involved with high tech futuristic drugs seemed all too realistic with heavy implications of just what our real world could look like in the future. It feels so highly tangible you can almost smell the stinky garbage piled in the street gutters and alleyways, and hear all the vehicles flying overhead.
Payne writes an incredibly immersive tale of a city plagued by crime, drugs, and illegal trade, and all Sol, our lead character, wants is to make enough money to keep his family out of the poor district. He wants a better future for his young daughter, to pay for a school that will give her the possibilities of more. Sol’s internal worries over money, his feelings of failure about keeping his promises because his job keeps him away from home too much, of all he puts himself through just to keep the debt collectors away, all of this makes him such a relatable character and truly humanizes him.
The bionic implants and body modifications that people utilize in this world are super cool. I’ve joked before that I wish we had the capabilities of bionic implants, just thinking purely of the benefits, but what Mr. Payne has done is gone a step further and shown us the repercussions of such things; the need for fully licensed individuals to do the implants, the drug market that creates the anti-rejection drugs (why did I never think that you would need such??? It just makes plain sense!) and all those greedy souls who profit from it all; the black market, pharmaceutical companies, the crime bosses, etc. Payne thought of every aspect of the effect these kinds of things would have on a civilization, no detail was too small to not get his full attention to make it all as realistic as possible. I appreciated this so much!
Now let’s discuss the crime/mystery. I can’t tell you how many crime shows I’ve watched over the years, but it’s seriously A LOT, including Murder She Wrote when I was a small kid. Based on that you can assume I love a good brain puzzle to try to untangle as I read. The best ones manage to catch me unawares with some reveals, though as I’ve stated after years of watching crime shows I’m pretty good at figuring things out most of the time. But in Falling Into Oblivion the mystery element is written soooo damn well!! There were some things and people I was suspicious of, some of which proved I had a right to be though I hadn’t a clue to just how much those things or people were involved. And then I did fall for a red herring or two, which dude. Well played, Mr. Payne! Well played. I totally didn’t see some of that coming or how hard it would hit!
The author’s last name just hit. Payne…rhymes with Wayne. Like Bruce Wayne, and he wrote us a story about his own version of Batman fighting crime in a cyberpunk Sci-Fi version of Gotham City :D Sorry, the nerd references just keep coming. I’ll see myself out.
In all seriousness though, if you love sci-fi, cyberpunk, crime novels, etc. then go pick this book up. If you’re new to any of the genres mentioned above and don’t know where to start to dip your toes in, this is also an excellent choice! It’s a highly captivating read with a plot that launches to warp speed!
January 6, 2025
This detective story set in a Cyberpunk setting is a really good debut from Aaron M. Payne. He really gets the feel of detective stories, particularly the mystery elements of 2022's "The Batman", as well as Cyberpunk settings that we see in many video games and books.
The book tackles themes about corruption among cops (again with the comparison to "The Batman") and actually has the reader wondering if our main character (Sol Harkonnes) should become corrupt, and it creates such an interesting moral dilemma.
The book is obviously the start of a series, but it also can kind of be read as a standalone. I am interested to see where it goes.
I must warn, this book is full of fowl langauge. Some of it I understood, but it was WAY over the top in some places. It absolutely could have and should have been cut down.
Overall, I did really enjoy the book and the mystery it presented and look forward to reading the sequel when it comes out. 8 out of 10.
The book tackles themes about corruption among cops (again with the comparison to "The Batman") and actually has the reader wondering if our main character (Sol Harkonnes) should become corrupt, and it creates such an interesting moral dilemma.
The book is obviously the start of a series, but it also can kind of be read as a standalone. I am interested to see where it goes.
I must warn, this book is full of fowl langauge. Some of it I understood, but it was WAY over the top in some places. It absolutely could have and should have been cut down.
Overall, I did really enjoy the book and the mystery it presented and look forward to reading the sequel when it comes out. 8 out of 10.
August 13, 2024
This review was originally posted on SFFINSIDERS.COM
Falling Into Oblivion, the debut novel by Aaron M Payne (who you might know on YouTube as BiblioTheory), is an outstanding example of cyberpunk fiction, with a focus on the drudgery of life in a city propelled by an ever expanding class division and unparalleled technological advancements. In this world, modifications to the body or ‘modis’ are sold both legally and under the radar to expand the usual limitations of human potential, and that is where the conflict is hinged.
In its bare form, there are immediate connections to two of my favourite stories ever told: Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and its spiritual twin, Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner (which is of course adapted from Philip K Dick’s Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?). However, one of the driving tropes behind the story is the duty-driven detective, which I loved immediately. Sol Harkones is a kind of Batman figure in a city not dissimilar from Gotham, and he is as reluctant and brooding as he is duty-bound and determined in all the right places. Payne does a great job of throwing Harkones into an endless spiral of dastardly scenarios, throughout which he barely escapes with his life, and each one more deadly and suspenseful than the last. What separates Harkones from Bruce Wayne, however, is his loveability: his need to secure his family, and therefore, his finances, calls for him to stay the hard line, and this unwavering perseverance really shone through his characterisation. I found myself rooting for him the entire time.
Aside from Harkones and his supporting cast of cop-colleagues and villains alike, Payne also weaves an unpredictable mystery. The book reminded me of what I love about police procedurals, such as PD James’ brilliant Cordelia Gray Mysteries and Matthew Reilly’s page-turning thrillers. I hope Falling Into Oblivion will be the start of a long, serial series that I can binge my way through, and the format Payne has found in this shorter novel is perfect. I couldn’t stop turning the pages, and I’m certain this book will carry a legacy forward that would be comparable to The Dresden Files in the SFF world.
Lastly, the concept of body modification and its legalities utterly enthralled me, and I found myself needing to know more about how they affected the world and altered societal norms and mores. The boundary between a legal and illegal modi is central to the story, so I won’t spoil anything, but I hope readers will come to the same conclusion I did: even on a subtextual level, this story works so well. There’s a lot more to explore, but just enough here to have kept me guessing, as well as give me the foundations I needed to understand the world without being overloaded with information and in-world jargon.
Do not be fooled when you learn this is the author’s first foray into publishing. It might be his first published work, but this book is a sign of his innate talent for managing plot and characters incredibly well. The ending is a cornerstone of great crime stories, in my mind, and opens Sol Harkone’s story up for much further consideration. I can’t wait to see where Aaron M Payne takes this series next.
Falling Into Oblivion, the debut novel by Aaron M Payne (who you might know on YouTube as BiblioTheory), is an outstanding example of cyberpunk fiction, with a focus on the drudgery of life in a city propelled by an ever expanding class division and unparalleled technological advancements. In this world, modifications to the body or ‘modis’ are sold both legally and under the radar to expand the usual limitations of human potential, and that is where the conflict is hinged.
In its bare form, there are immediate connections to two of my favourite stories ever told: Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and its spiritual twin, Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner (which is of course adapted from Philip K Dick’s Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?). However, one of the driving tropes behind the story is the duty-driven detective, which I loved immediately. Sol Harkones is a kind of Batman figure in a city not dissimilar from Gotham, and he is as reluctant and brooding as he is duty-bound and determined in all the right places. Payne does a great job of throwing Harkones into an endless spiral of dastardly scenarios, throughout which he barely escapes with his life, and each one more deadly and suspenseful than the last. What separates Harkones from Bruce Wayne, however, is his loveability: his need to secure his family, and therefore, his finances, calls for him to stay the hard line, and this unwavering perseverance really shone through his characterisation. I found myself rooting for him the entire time.
Aside from Harkones and his supporting cast of cop-colleagues and villains alike, Payne also weaves an unpredictable mystery. The book reminded me of what I love about police procedurals, such as PD James’ brilliant Cordelia Gray Mysteries and Matthew Reilly’s page-turning thrillers. I hope Falling Into Oblivion will be the start of a long, serial series that I can binge my way through, and the format Payne has found in this shorter novel is perfect. I couldn’t stop turning the pages, and I’m certain this book will carry a legacy forward that would be comparable to The Dresden Files in the SFF world.
Lastly, the concept of body modification and its legalities utterly enthralled me, and I found myself needing to know more about how they affected the world and altered societal norms and mores. The boundary between a legal and illegal modi is central to the story, so I won’t spoil anything, but I hope readers will come to the same conclusion I did: even on a subtextual level, this story works so well. There’s a lot more to explore, but just enough here to have kept me guessing, as well as give me the foundations I needed to understand the world without being overloaded with information and in-world jargon.
Do not be fooled when you learn this is the author’s first foray into publishing. It might be his first published work, but this book is a sign of his innate talent for managing plot and characters incredibly well. The ending is a cornerstone of great crime stories, in my mind, and opens Sol Harkone’s story up for much further consideration. I can’t wait to see where Aaron M Payne takes this series next.
September 17, 2024
A neon-soaked noir thrill ride that grabs you with an augmented fist from the first line. Following in the footsteps of cyberpunk greats, Payne paints a prescient picture of a futuristic city plagued by dehumanization, inequality and technological change.
While this novel didn’t necessarily break new ground in the cyberpunk/near-future genres, it was an excellent story with fast pacing, wild tech, an engaging mystery, and an oppressive/interesting setting. Overall, a very solid debut!
While this novel didn’t necessarily break new ground in the cyberpunk/near-future genres, it was an excellent story with fast pacing, wild tech, an engaging mystery, and an oppressive/interesting setting. Overall, a very solid debut!
September 23, 2024
A solid debut with some nice touches. I particularly appreciated the near future world building, the feel of the city with the mix of neon and pollution added to the gritty noir, cyber vibe of the piece.
I think it's fair to say there isn't anything groundbreaking from the perspective of the genre, but that's not always necessary.
The story moves quickly and is told from the POV of the main character. It has all the hallmarks of a detective noir thriller that fits the cyberpunk genre well.
I think this book serves as a good introduction to a world and MC, where there are opportunities for developing both, either as a series or a series of standalones.
This would make a fine graphic novel series too, as the visual elements of the world and action are the standouts for me, which is brilliantly depicted in the striking cover art.
Overall, I think this would be a safe introduction to the genre or for anyone who has not delved deeper into the cyberpunk hemisphere to dip their feet into.
I think it's fair to say there isn't anything groundbreaking from the perspective of the genre, but that's not always necessary.
The story moves quickly and is told from the POV of the main character. It has all the hallmarks of a detective noir thriller that fits the cyberpunk genre well.
I think this book serves as a good introduction to a world and MC, where there are opportunities for developing both, either as a series or a series of standalones.
This would make a fine graphic novel series too, as the visual elements of the world and action are the standouts for me, which is brilliantly depicted in the striking cover art.
Overall, I think this would be a safe introduction to the genre or for anyone who has not delved deeper into the cyberpunk hemisphere to dip their feet into.
Read
May 11, 2025I'm a pretty big fan of this book. Why? Well, after 1 million button clicks on my keyboard, I am extremely happy with the end result.
I wanted to tell a cyberpunk thriller that touched on the tropes you expect to find within the genre while making it relatable and fun. I aimed to capture the essence of the lengths people will go to in order to provide for and protect their loved ones.
In the story, you follow our main character, Sol Harkones, a detective for the Nox City Police Department. You, as the reader, are dropped into the middle of an ongoing investigation into somebody installing defective or counterfeit modifications that cause people to become permanently brain-dead.
I hope you have as much fun reading the story as I did writing it. 🦾
(Also, I have no idea if it was 1 million keyboard clicks, but that's what it felt like😂)
I wanted to tell a cyberpunk thriller that touched on the tropes you expect to find within the genre while making it relatable and fun. I aimed to capture the essence of the lengths people will go to in order to provide for and protect their loved ones.
In the story, you follow our main character, Sol Harkones, a detective for the Nox City Police Department. You, as the reader, are dropped into the middle of an ongoing investigation into somebody installing defective or counterfeit modifications that cause people to become permanently brain-dead.
I hope you have as much fun reading the story as I did writing it. 🦾
(Also, I have no idea if it was 1 million keyboard clicks, but that's what it felt like😂)
March 21, 2025
Falling Into Oblivion starts in the midst of an action-packed chase scene amid Nox City. The layout of this futuristic city plagued by toxic air is described in an exciting way and delivers a first glimpse into our main character.
Sol is a detective for the Nox City Police Department. He isn’t made out to be some incredible, unrelatable superhero but an average guy. He has a family, bills, debt, and he just wants to get the job done so that he can return to his family. Except at every turn throughout his day, something delays him.
Falling Into Oblivion takes us down a twisting and turning path as Sol investigates a series of deaths. Each time he gains some insight, something sends him a few steps backward. This story takes us into the depths of a sinful nightclub, a crime scene with seemingly reluctant victims, a swampland, and an insidious warehouse.
The futuristic aspects of this book were enjoyable and understandable without being complicated or requiring explanation. Payne uses imagery and context rather than info dumps to portray things like weaponry, armor, and electronics.
One of the aspects I found so unique about this book was the idea of modifications. A person could have something installed within them to alter themselves. This could range from internal changes, such as stronger organs and fortified bones, to modifications to appearance. Some characters even had weapons or high-tech gear installed.
One of my favorite themes of this book was Sol’s resistance to the modifications, along with a world that would rather live virtually than enjoy what the real world has to offer. There are many similarities in our own society—the measures people take to become someone else and the time people spend on a fictional online persona.
Sol’s ultimate goal is to close this case so he can read his daughter Zinny a bedtime story and not worry his wife Raena. His debts are piling up and the sooner he solves the murders, the sooner he can be paid. Except what I loved about Sol was that he chose the right thing over the easy thing. He never let his personal desires get in the way of being righteous and doing what was best for the citizens of Nox City.
Payne paints an exciting and curious city, offers explosive action, and a mystery that kept me turning the pages long after my bedtime. If you’re a fan of crime thrillers set in a cyberpunk world, this one is for you.
A FanFi Addict Review
Sol is a detective for the Nox City Police Department. He isn’t made out to be some incredible, unrelatable superhero but an average guy. He has a family, bills, debt, and he just wants to get the job done so that he can return to his family. Except at every turn throughout his day, something delays him.
Falling Into Oblivion takes us down a twisting and turning path as Sol investigates a series of deaths. Each time he gains some insight, something sends him a few steps backward. This story takes us into the depths of a sinful nightclub, a crime scene with seemingly reluctant victims, a swampland, and an insidious warehouse.
The futuristic aspects of this book were enjoyable and understandable without being complicated or requiring explanation. Payne uses imagery and context rather than info dumps to portray things like weaponry, armor, and electronics.
One of the aspects I found so unique about this book was the idea of modifications. A person could have something installed within them to alter themselves. This could range from internal changes, such as stronger organs and fortified bones, to modifications to appearance. Some characters even had weapons or high-tech gear installed.
One of my favorite themes of this book was Sol’s resistance to the modifications, along with a world that would rather live virtually than enjoy what the real world has to offer. There are many similarities in our own society—the measures people take to become someone else and the time people spend on a fictional online persona.
Sol’s ultimate goal is to close this case so he can read his daughter Zinny a bedtime story and not worry his wife Raena. His debts are piling up and the sooner he solves the murders, the sooner he can be paid. Except what I loved about Sol was that he chose the right thing over the easy thing. He never let his personal desires get in the way of being righteous and doing what was best for the citizens of Nox City.
Payne paints an exciting and curious city, offers explosive action, and a mystery that kept me turning the pages long after my bedtime. If you’re a fan of crime thrillers set in a cyberpunk world, this one is for you.
A FanFi Addict Review
July 31, 2024
Into Oblivion is a cyberpunk mystery thriller that rings reminiscent of The Dresden Files mixed with Stephen King's The Running Man. With witty dialogue and concise prose, Payne presents a dark underworld of crime and deceit, and guides you through the dirty streets and grimey bars into a neon jungle populated with monsters, villains, and corrupt corporations. A fast paced plot and working-man MC mixed with an illegal drug involved mystery make Payne's debut novel legally un-putdownable.
This debut entry to what will surely be an incredibly fun series was an A+ start by this new author. I can't wait to see what comes next.
This debut entry to what will surely be an incredibly fun series was an A+ start by this new author. I can't wait to see what comes next.
November 7, 2024
Gritty. Dark. Electric. This series opener was a lot of fun!
I definitely got Blade Runner & Tron vibes from this book with a character you want to root for in a futurist city filled with violence and corruption.
The plot was easy to follow, characters developed, and world-building vibrant. It definitely led me to “see” the city easily and experience it as we follow the main character on his quest.
I was left with a few questions at the end, and there were some repeated phrases and plot elements that stuck out to me in the writing, however, overall an entraining world I look forward to jumping back into!
Note: some violence, descriptions of gore, and strong language. 18+
My rating: 3.5*
I definitely got Blade Runner & Tron vibes from this book with a character you want to root for in a futurist city filled with violence and corruption.
The plot was easy to follow, characters developed, and world-building vibrant. It definitely led me to “see” the city easily and experience it as we follow the main character on his quest.
I was left with a few questions at the end, and there were some repeated phrases and plot elements that stuck out to me in the writing, however, overall an entraining world I look forward to jumping back into!
Note: some violence, descriptions of gore, and strong language. 18+
My rating: 3.5*
September 7, 2025
Check out the FULL review at SFF Insiders
Falling Into Oblivion is a fast-paced, cyberpunk romp in mysterious body modifications and hard-boiled detectives that leaves you craving for your next hit. Aaron has a strong showing with his debut novel, incorporating many of the common themes of futuristic, gritty cyberpunk novels while infusing a breath of fresh air into the poisonous atmosphere of Nox City.
The reader is thrust into the simultaneously foul-mouthed and lovingly paternal mind of Detective Sol Harkones from page one. He’s a classic stalwart of the old guard, refusing to participate in the rush for body modifications that are raging in the decrepit city around him. He’s given a quick case, something that he expects will take him just a few hours and allow him to earn enough money to keep the creditors off his back and finance his daughter’s school. He quickly becomes entangled in a conspiracy surrounding potentially faulty body mods that are causing users to slip into comas with permanent brain damage.
Payne has written a firecracker of a debut novel that sparks the imagination about what the future holds while staying true to classic detective fiction. I eagerly look forward to the sequel!
Falling Into Oblivion is a fast-paced, cyberpunk romp in mysterious body modifications and hard-boiled detectives that leaves you craving for your next hit. Aaron has a strong showing with his debut novel, incorporating many of the common themes of futuristic, gritty cyberpunk novels while infusing a breath of fresh air into the poisonous atmosphere of Nox City.
The reader is thrust into the simultaneously foul-mouthed and lovingly paternal mind of Detective Sol Harkones from page one. He’s a classic stalwart of the old guard, refusing to participate in the rush for body modifications that are raging in the decrepit city around him. He’s given a quick case, something that he expects will take him just a few hours and allow him to earn enough money to keep the creditors off his back and finance his daughter’s school. He quickly becomes entangled in a conspiracy surrounding potentially faulty body mods that are causing users to slip into comas with permanent brain damage.
Payne has written a firecracker of a debut novel that sparks the imagination about what the future holds while staying true to classic detective fiction. I eagerly look forward to the sequel!
March 1, 2025
Finally got around to reading (listening) to this book, and I wish I'd done it earlier. Payne really keeps the momentum up in this cyberpunk mystery and it's a blast for most of the ride.
Payne made sure so many of the hallmarks of cyberpunk noir thrillers made it into the pages of Falling Into Oblivion from neon lights to down-on-their luck detectives, interesting and futuristic tech to dirty cops.
I had a lot of fun with this book and can honestly say I wish there was more to it. Payne trimmed the fat, which is good, but I think it could have easily been a little longer and still been a great read.
Payne made sure so many of the hallmarks of cyberpunk noir thrillers made it into the pages of Falling Into Oblivion from neon lights to down-on-their luck detectives, interesting and futuristic tech to dirty cops.
I had a lot of fun with this book and can honestly say I wish there was more to it. Payne trimmed the fat, which is good, but I think it could have easily been a little longer and still been a great read.
December 4, 2024
4/5 Stars
Neon lights shine in a bleak world filled with corruption, noxious air, and desperate people trying to escape it all, no matter the cost. Falling Into Oblivion captures a decent man caught in a corrupted world.
Aaron M. Payne brings an entertaining and intoxicating story to the pages through the POV of Detective Sol Harkones. While investigating the possible connection of body modifications to a brain dead kid, Sol finds himself caught in a chain of cases and something far above his pay grade.
Following Sol made for a wild ride. As detective for the Nox City Police, he’s trying to pay his debts, and keep his daughter in a good school giving her a chance at a better future. Throughout the story, he just wants to get home to his family after a long day but continues to get pulled into a string of cases. Each case only raises more questions, keeping him from going home and you can’t help but feel for him.
I loved how Sol’s character was done, a decent guy trapped in a terrible city where few are rich and everyone else scrapes to get by. His life is filled with hard choices, yet he finds joy and happiness in his daughter's smile. The choices he does make are all for her sake and that of his wife. The cast of characters we meet along the way include a variety of personalities from the plucky tech wiz to the grizzled senior detective and a host of modded criminals.
It’s safe to say there was never a dull moment. Packed with action, suspense and rising stakes, there is always something propelling the story forward giving it that binge worthy feeling. While it felt like a mix of character and plot driven storytelling, it was all fun. Falling Into Oblivion mixes those intense scenes with mystery, and a gritty world with witty characters, running jokes, and familiar tropes to balance the tone.
In terms of the writing, it’s immersive and accessible making it easy to fall into the world and characters. One thing I would have preferred was more subtlety to the foreshadowing as some hints felt a bit repetitive. Regardless, I still found myself surprised by the conclusion and wanting more.
As usual, I immersion read this using a physical copy of the book while listening to the audiobook. The Narrator Steven Hinriches brings life to Sol’s character and the overall story through an excellent performance.
Simply put, this is the type of read that you can kick back and get lost in. If you’re looking for your next binge read, Falling Into Oblivion is worth the read.
Note: I received a physical copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. I personally purchased the audiobook.
Neon lights shine in a bleak world filled with corruption, noxious air, and desperate people trying to escape it all, no matter the cost. Falling Into Oblivion captures a decent man caught in a corrupted world.
Aaron M. Payne brings an entertaining and intoxicating story to the pages through the POV of Detective Sol Harkones. While investigating the possible connection of body modifications to a brain dead kid, Sol finds himself caught in a chain of cases and something far above his pay grade.
Following Sol made for a wild ride. As detective for the Nox City Police, he’s trying to pay his debts, and keep his daughter in a good school giving her a chance at a better future. Throughout the story, he just wants to get home to his family after a long day but continues to get pulled into a string of cases. Each case only raises more questions, keeping him from going home and you can’t help but feel for him.
I loved how Sol’s character was done, a decent guy trapped in a terrible city where few are rich and everyone else scrapes to get by. His life is filled with hard choices, yet he finds joy and happiness in his daughter's smile. The choices he does make are all for her sake and that of his wife. The cast of characters we meet along the way include a variety of personalities from the plucky tech wiz to the grizzled senior detective and a host of modded criminals.
It’s safe to say there was never a dull moment. Packed with action, suspense and rising stakes, there is always something propelling the story forward giving it that binge worthy feeling. While it felt like a mix of character and plot driven storytelling, it was all fun. Falling Into Oblivion mixes those intense scenes with mystery, and a gritty world with witty characters, running jokes, and familiar tropes to balance the tone.
In terms of the writing, it’s immersive and accessible making it easy to fall into the world and characters. One thing I would have preferred was more subtlety to the foreshadowing as some hints felt a bit repetitive. Regardless, I still found myself surprised by the conclusion and wanting more.
As usual, I immersion read this using a physical copy of the book while listening to the audiobook. The Narrator Steven Hinriches brings life to Sol’s character and the overall story through an excellent performance.
Simply put, this is the type of read that you can kick back and get lost in. If you’re looking for your next binge read, Falling Into Oblivion is worth the read.
Note: I received a physical copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. I personally purchased the audiobook.
September 28, 2024
Falling Into Oblivion by Aaron M. Payne
adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful reflective sad tense
Fast-paced
Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25 Stars
First off, I love this genre. It is one of my favourites...of all-time. Cyberpunk is gritty and dystopian, but there's also this "boot strap" idea, that if I "mod-up", I can get out from under the "boot" of the corporate overlords. So, there's this individualism feeling of power. The little guy, with gumshoe grit, and his/her smarts...will overcome EVERYTHING that is put in front of him. Yeah.
My first forray into this genre was with William Gibson's Neuromancer. Then we see Ridley Scott's BladeRunner. Dekkard is not perfect, but he's just trying to "get by".
I've read a lot of Richard K. Morgan novels (Altered Carbon), Neal Stephenson's many books in this genre (The Diamond Age, Snow Crash), Charles Stross, Elizabeth Bear, Malka Older, Philip K. Dick, and Greg Bear...just to name a few.
I've also played many hours of ShadowRun (RPG by FASA), and Cyberpunk (RPG by R. Talsorian Games), and the many others that came out.
This current novel took the Noir detective story, and places Sol Harkones in a city (Nox), with a family and young child, and puts him in the ever increasing seduction...to cave to the "easy" way of doing his job. Ugh. I feel for him. IF he was alone (like Dekkard...and many that had come/gone before him, he could push back, but he's in debt (like a serf/endentured servant...to the corporations), barely making end's meat. Oh, I feel for him.
The mystery of the case, and his dogged-ness is intoxicating, but also shows the system is rigged against him. The more he pushes back and holds to his morality and ethics, the more the corruptness and greed of the corporate culture smothers him.
There are clues along the way, that show the reader what is ACTUALLY going on, but we hope and pray it isn't so.
The final scene of this book, both heartwarming and heartbreaking (at the same time)...gives a foundation for future novels to jump off from. I cannot wait to read further in and explore both the city and world, and what Sol will do next.
So many thoughts.
Thank you for the privilege to read the eArc copy, and to give me the opportunity to share my opinion on story and the characters. Thank you. So glad to help Self-Published and Indie authors...share the love of their stories.
adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful reflective sad tense
Fast-paced
Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25 Stars
First off, I love this genre. It is one of my favourites...of all-time. Cyberpunk is gritty and dystopian, but there's also this "boot strap" idea, that if I "mod-up", I can get out from under the "boot" of the corporate overlords. So, there's this individualism feeling of power. The little guy, with gumshoe grit, and his/her smarts...will overcome EVERYTHING that is put in front of him. Yeah.
My first forray into this genre was with William Gibson's Neuromancer. Then we see Ridley Scott's BladeRunner. Dekkard is not perfect, but he's just trying to "get by".
I've read a lot of Richard K. Morgan novels (Altered Carbon), Neal Stephenson's many books in this genre (The Diamond Age, Snow Crash), Charles Stross, Elizabeth Bear, Malka Older, Philip K. Dick, and Greg Bear...just to name a few.
I've also played many hours of ShadowRun (RPG by FASA), and Cyberpunk (RPG by R. Talsorian Games), and the many others that came out.
This current novel took the Noir detective story, and places Sol Harkones in a city (Nox), with a family and young child, and puts him in the ever increasing seduction...to cave to the "easy" way of doing his job. Ugh. I feel for him. IF he was alone (like Dekkard...and many that had come/gone before him, he could push back, but he's in debt (like a serf/endentured servant...to the corporations), barely making end's meat. Oh, I feel for him.
The mystery of the case, and his dogged-ness is intoxicating, but also shows the system is rigged against him. The more he pushes back and holds to his morality and ethics, the more the corruptness and greed of the corporate culture smothers him.
There are clues along the way, that show the reader what is ACTUALLY going on, but we hope and pray it isn't so.
The final scene of this book, both heartwarming and heartbreaking (at the same time)...gives a foundation for future novels to jump off from. I cannot wait to read further in and explore both the city and world, and what Sol will do next.
So many thoughts.
Thank you for the privilege to read the eArc copy, and to give me the opportunity to share my opinion on story and the characters. Thank you. So glad to help Self-Published and Indie authors...share the love of their stories.
August 18, 2024
I received an ARC of this book from the author in exchange for a honest review.
3.5, closer to 3 than a 4.
Falling Into Oblivion, Aaron M. Payne's (Also known as BiblioTheory on Youtube) debut novel was, although not adding any twists to its genre, a pleasant read. If you had any kind of interaction with cyberpunk genre, the worldbuilding of this book will feel familiar to you. It has all the tropes most of the cyberpunk stories have, like big corperations having all the power, clash between the lower class and upper class, body modifications, virtual reality and so much more. Does this make this a bad book? Absolutely not, but it doesn't have that twist or hook to make me fall in love with the setting of the story.
Like the setting, the story is not that unique as well, but that doesn't say that I didn't enjoy it. It hits most of the notes it needed to hit for the story to work. Characters' motivation, although somewhat underbaked for some because of the relative short length of the book, feels beliveable. I really liked our main character Sol. It is hard to hate a man who is doing everything he can for his family's well-being.
This might be a little spoilery for some, so if you don't want to know please stop reading,
I really liked the ending of this book though, it sets up the sequel while ending in a way you wouldn't see coming.
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes the cyberpunk genre. You won't get anything groundbreaking, but you will get a solid and short story you can squueze between your massive books, just like I did.
3.5, closer to 3 than a 4.
Falling Into Oblivion, Aaron M. Payne's (Also known as BiblioTheory on Youtube) debut novel was, although not adding any twists to its genre, a pleasant read. If you had any kind of interaction with cyberpunk genre, the worldbuilding of this book will feel familiar to you. It has all the tropes most of the cyberpunk stories have, like big corperations having all the power, clash between the lower class and upper class, body modifications, virtual reality and so much more. Does this make this a bad book? Absolutely not, but it doesn't have that twist or hook to make me fall in love with the setting of the story.
Like the setting, the story is not that unique as well, but that doesn't say that I didn't enjoy it. It hits most of the notes it needed to hit for the story to work. Characters' motivation, although somewhat underbaked for some because of the relative short length of the book, feels beliveable. I really liked our main character Sol. It is hard to hate a man who is doing everything he can for his family's well-being.
This might be a little spoilery for some, so if you don't want to know please stop reading,
I really liked the ending of this book though, it sets up the sequel while ending in a way you wouldn't see coming.
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes the cyberpunk genre. You won't get anything groundbreaking, but you will get a solid and short story you can squueze between your massive books, just like I did.
September 11, 2024
"As the sun descends, neon remains."
Falling Into Oblivion is a rip-roaring debut. It's a cyberpunk thriller that affords its protagonist, Detective Sol Harkones, little room to breathe -- especially given the smog and reek of Nox City, the story's remarkable setting.
The strongest aspect of this book for me was, by far, that setting. From the opening pages you're immersed in a neo-noir metropolis with all of the rugged world-building you'd expect of the genre. "High tech, low life," as they say.
As a new author I think that Aaron M. Payne has plenty of room to grow, but this is a solid debut that promises even greater things to come.
(Many thanks to the author for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review!)
Falling Into Oblivion is a rip-roaring debut. It's a cyberpunk thriller that affords its protagonist, Detective Sol Harkones, little room to breathe -- especially given the smog and reek of Nox City, the story's remarkable setting.
The strongest aspect of this book for me was, by far, that setting. From the opening pages you're immersed in a neo-noir metropolis with all of the rugged world-building you'd expect of the genre. "High tech, low life," as they say.
As a new author I think that Aaron M. Payne has plenty of room to grow, but this is a solid debut that promises even greater things to come.
(Many thanks to the author for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review!)
October 13, 2024
“I am not corrupt. I just want answers, and I want to go home.”
This was pretty damn good. Really appreciate the world building and plot structure. The progression from chasing a low-tier bounty into an Illuminati-like drug plot was very well done.
Harkones is an excellent protagonist. The father/daughter dynamic is sweet, and it justifies a lot of his choices, particularly at the end of the book. Also appreciate how as the plot progressives in complexity, he scolds himself for staying out later and missing his family. It’s all good stuff. It’s pretty relatable in this day and age to work yourself to death trying to give your family a better life, and *maybe* resorting to morally questionable routes when there is no other road.
Very minor complaints. I thought Aaron relied a bit too heavily on the “Verbing, I went to the thing and verbed” sentence structure. I think he realized this, since a lot of “With a thing in my hands, I verbed” made their way into the prose, but I understand the eternal struggle to avoid too many I sentences in first person (first person present, which would make Mike Mollman proud) Not a big deal or incorrect way, just something that caught my attention
Overall an excellent first book. Some well done plot twists, and the emotional stakes always kept me vested. With a grim cyber world like this it’s very important to root for the MC or it gets bland quick. Very much looking forward to see what happened next.
Deep in the belly of sin, I stare up to the kingdom of heaven.
This was pretty damn good. Really appreciate the world building and plot structure. The progression from chasing a low-tier bounty into an Illuminati-like drug plot was very well done.
Harkones is an excellent protagonist. The father/daughter dynamic is sweet, and it justifies a lot of his choices, particularly at the end of the book. Also appreciate how as the plot progressives in complexity, he scolds himself for staying out later and missing his family. It’s all good stuff. It’s pretty relatable in this day and age to work yourself to death trying to give your family a better life, and *maybe* resorting to morally questionable routes when there is no other road.
Very minor complaints. I thought Aaron relied a bit too heavily on the “Verbing, I went to the thing and verbed” sentence structure. I think he realized this, since a lot of “With a thing in my hands, I verbed” made their way into the prose, but I understand the eternal struggle to avoid too many I sentences in first person (first person present, which would make Mike Mollman proud) Not a big deal or incorrect way, just something that caught my attention
Overall an excellent first book. Some well done plot twists, and the emotional stakes always kept me vested. With a grim cyber world like this it’s very important to root for the MC or it gets bland quick. Very much looking forward to see what happened next.
Deep in the belly of sin, I stare up to the kingdom of heaven.
Read
September 28, 2025This is an entertaining, easy to read, mystery novel in a futuristic setting. It is action-packed, and perfect for readers who enjoy police mysteries/thrillers. It is the start of a trilogy, but it works quite well as a standalone.
In Falling into Oblivion, we follow protagonist Sol—a detective/officer working for the local police department. The story is told from his point of view, and narrated in first person with present tense. As a result, the prose leans towards a nonchalant approach which suits the story well, given both the setting and the fact that we're constantly reading Sol's thoughts.
The narrative style makes everything feel closer and more personal to Sol, since we are always getting the "Sol filter" of reality. Namely, this is a heavily biased narrator, who is also unreliable because: (a) he's "at the bottom of the chain" (just a low-ranking detective), (b) there is a lot he doesn't know, and (c) the boy has opinions. This ends up having some effect on the plot, which I found to be quite realistic.
A highlight for me was the pacing. In short, we are following Sol in (quite a literal) race against time, and the plot spans about 12 hours (at the most; I didn't calculate it exactly); with that in mind, I found every scene to be of the right length, building both the plot and a bit of the setting as the pages went by. It also conveyed the passage of time, with the narrator (Sol himself) becoming more aware of his own exhaustion.
Because of this short in-book timespan (roughly ~12 hours of action), Sol's interactions with secondary characters were appropriate to the situation—namely, focused on the task at hand and often limited to exchanging information about the case at hand. This limited how many details we could get from those secondary characters, but it is a common approach for mysteries/thrillers.
With regards to the mystery itself, it had enough twists and turns to keep a reader hooked throughout the story. I did guess several of the twists ahead of, but it didn't prevent me from enjoying the story. For full disclosure, I read an eARC and, after speaking with the author, I understand that some parts may be changed in the final version, which may affect how foreseeable some of these twists are for readers of the final (published) version. Even with those, it was quite enjoyable and entertaining.
Another key point is that this book is the first one of a trilogy, however, it works quite well as a standalone. It has a strong ending, closing the book's plot while also paving the way for the subsequents installments. I'll give more detailed comments regarding the ending within spoiler tags; it includes minor spoilers about plot structure, not specific events. If you don't want the spoilers, know that it is a positive comment.
Something that I wasn't fond of is Sol's opinion of his own wife, Raena. Since this touches on a minor subplot, I'll leave my comments within spoiler tags.
Overall, I think this debut novel was both entertaining and easy to read, well-paced and giving enough closure to make it work as a standalone, while also leaving enough room for the plot to grow into a series.
Disclosure: I received an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
In Falling into Oblivion, we follow protagonist Sol—a detective/officer working for the local police department. The story is told from his point of view, and narrated in first person with present tense. As a result, the prose leans towards a nonchalant approach which suits the story well, given both the setting and the fact that we're constantly reading Sol's thoughts.
The narrative style makes everything feel closer and more personal to Sol, since we are always getting the "Sol filter" of reality. Namely, this is a heavily biased narrator, who is also unreliable because: (a) he's "at the bottom of the chain" (just a low-ranking detective), (b) there is a lot he doesn't know, and (c) the boy has opinions. This ends up having some effect on the plot, which I found to be quite realistic.
A highlight for me was the pacing. In short, we are following Sol in (quite a literal) race against time, and the plot spans about 12 hours (at the most; I didn't calculate it exactly); with that in mind, I found every scene to be of the right length, building both the plot and a bit of the setting as the pages went by. It also conveyed the passage of time, with the narrator (Sol himself) becoming more aware of his own exhaustion.
Because of this short in-book timespan (roughly ~12 hours of action), Sol's interactions with secondary characters were appropriate to the situation—namely, focused on the task at hand and often limited to exchanging information about the case at hand. This limited how many details we could get from those secondary characters, but it is a common approach for mysteries/thrillers.
With regards to the mystery itself, it had enough twists and turns to keep a reader hooked throughout the story. I did guess several of the twists ahead of, but it didn't prevent me from enjoying the story. For full disclosure, I read an eARC and, after speaking with the author, I understand that some parts may be changed in the final version, which may affect how foreseeable some of these twists are for readers of the final (published) version. Even with those, it was quite enjoyable and entertaining.
Another key point is that this book is the first one of a trilogy, however, it works quite well as a standalone. It has a strong ending, closing the book's plot while also paving the way for the subsequents installments. I'll give more detailed comments regarding the ending within spoiler tags; it includes minor spoilers about plot structure, not specific events. If you don't want the spoilers, know that it is a positive comment.
Something that I wasn't fond of is Sol's opinion of his own wife, Raena. Since this touches on a minor subplot, I'll leave my comments within spoiler tags.
Overall, I think this debut novel was both entertaining and easy to read, well-paced and giving enough closure to make it work as a standalone, while also leaving enough room for the plot to grow into a series.
Disclosure: I received an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
March 21, 2025
Review originally posted on SFF Insiders website:
Neon light? Check. Cyberpunk feel? Check. Gizmos, gadgets, and futuristic tech? Double check. Falling Into Oblivion has all of this and a lot more. There is a lot to love in this wonderful sci-fi detective novel. I was immediately pulled into it with the setting of a complete cyberpunk city scene that unfolds more and more with each turn of the page. The mystery is something that is easily accessible and allows the readers to be absorbed without even knowing how deep down the rabbit hole they are descending. I kept finding myself just wanting to read a little more before I stop in order to find out more of what is going on. There is a lot of thought and effort that goes into creating a world such as this, but it still captured the detective noir feel of many old types of private investigators.
The strength of the novel was the detective that takes center stage and the creatures that pop up at times throughout the novel. Mechanical, creepy, crazy monstrosities that seem to be unstoppable in many different ways. I found these sequences to be extremely engaging, often keeping me on the edge of my seat as I waited to see how the hero could possibly overcome the odds stacked against him. That is all I can really say on the matter, for to do more, would take away from the magic that was created in experiencing them as a reader. The main character of the detective is very deep and has a lot of personal mystery hanging off of him as well. I was able to relate to him appropriately enough that I was able to understand the decisions that were made by the character. There are also a lot of references to troubles within his personal life that hint at much more to come in the future. I look forward to discovering more of what the solutions to some of these things could possibly be. The one personal issue that I found was the repetition of some of the foreshadowing. This could be that my brain latched onto it and would not let it go, but it did leave some of the “surprises” a little more flat than I am sure they were intended to be. This did not detract from my enjoyment of the story in any way.
This is a great debut novel from an author that clearly has some fantastic ideas and is able to convey them in a very dynamic way. It is a fast paced, pedal to the metal, sci fi detective thriller that will please a wide variety of readers and leave them eager for more. If only it were possible to purchase some personal upgrades to speed up the time until the sequel is here for all of us to enjoy and discover more of this wonderfully dark world. I highly encourage readers to give this one a shot as the thrills will keep you glued to the pages for far longer than you would bargain for. Trust me, it is very well worth it.
Thank you for taking the time to read my review. As always, happy reading and Stay Great!!
Neon light? Check. Cyberpunk feel? Check. Gizmos, gadgets, and futuristic tech? Double check. Falling Into Oblivion has all of this and a lot more. There is a lot to love in this wonderful sci-fi detective novel. I was immediately pulled into it with the setting of a complete cyberpunk city scene that unfolds more and more with each turn of the page. The mystery is something that is easily accessible and allows the readers to be absorbed without even knowing how deep down the rabbit hole they are descending. I kept finding myself just wanting to read a little more before I stop in order to find out more of what is going on. There is a lot of thought and effort that goes into creating a world such as this, but it still captured the detective noir feel of many old types of private investigators.
The strength of the novel was the detective that takes center stage and the creatures that pop up at times throughout the novel. Mechanical, creepy, crazy monstrosities that seem to be unstoppable in many different ways. I found these sequences to be extremely engaging, often keeping me on the edge of my seat as I waited to see how the hero could possibly overcome the odds stacked against him. That is all I can really say on the matter, for to do more, would take away from the magic that was created in experiencing them as a reader. The main character of the detective is very deep and has a lot of personal mystery hanging off of him as well. I was able to relate to him appropriately enough that I was able to understand the decisions that were made by the character. There are also a lot of references to troubles within his personal life that hint at much more to come in the future. I look forward to discovering more of what the solutions to some of these things could possibly be. The one personal issue that I found was the repetition of some of the foreshadowing. This could be that my brain latched onto it and would not let it go, but it did leave some of the “surprises” a little more flat than I am sure they were intended to be. This did not detract from my enjoyment of the story in any way.
This is a great debut novel from an author that clearly has some fantastic ideas and is able to convey them in a very dynamic way. It is a fast paced, pedal to the metal, sci fi detective thriller that will please a wide variety of readers and leave them eager for more. If only it were possible to purchase some personal upgrades to speed up the time until the sequel is here for all of us to enjoy and discover more of this wonderfully dark world. I highly encourage readers to give this one a shot as the thrills will keep you glued to the pages for far longer than you would bargain for. Trust me, it is very well worth it.
Thank you for taking the time to read my review. As always, happy reading and Stay Great!!
November 19, 2024
This was an action-packed ride from start to finish. Really enjoyed the crime noir and sci-fi mash-up. Loaded with great dialog, cybernetic mods, a mech dragon, and a crime mystery vibe, this was a great debut. Looking forward to what's coming next.
October 11, 2024
So, another book is read.
That was quite a quick and easy read for me, thrilling detective story in bright and shiny cyberpunk setting.
I won't talk about the plot. I don't want to make a review reciting the story, kinda makes no sense for me. What makes sense is to highlight strong sides of the novel and explain why it is a not five-star read.
Let's start from the world-building. That's the strong part of the book. Nox City is written out in detail, some key locations were explicitly described and in general, the world is living and breathing being in the book. Night club, Swamplands the rich ass' apartments... sometimes you even understand how it smells there just based on the descriptions.
Setting. Cyberpunk in its best. Modifications, neon, new unknown drugs, cyberpets, all-inclusive. High tech low life as it should be. Big corporations, a couple of big criminal groups (very distinctive from each other), non-existence of social warranties and a couple of highly ethical questions raised. I liked it much.
Let's move to the pace. Wow! That's actually 6 out of 5. I haven't expected that the whole book is about less than 24 hours. It's amazing how much of action you can stuck into such a small period of time. Action-packed, high-adrenaline detective story that will keep you tense all the time.
Now, the prose. ehmm, that's difficult. The language and words used look like a right tool for this case. Not really sophisticated, rough, even simple sometimes. But that's an action novel, it should be that way. I'd prefer more exquisite expressions, especially for different characters. They kind of sound the same. Sometimes you need to return a couple of lines backwards to check who says what.
Characters. Not protagonist, everyone else. They are well-written, with clear motivations and goals. I liked most of them. Mirk is very believable and annoying, Coleson is challenge-motivated and not really about material compensation. They are organically part of the world and feel real. Of course, you cannot open and connect a lot of them. There isn't much time for that.
Aaaand the weakest part in the book for me. It's Sol. His thoughts, his actions, his demeanor. Some moments were utterly "facepalmy" for me. Like the most of night club interactions, for example. Those flashbacks were supposed to build the backbone of motivation for the main character, but for me he looked like emotionally very unstable person. Let's say it so, I wouldn't give a gun to this grown-up child. I tried to connect somehow with him, but I failed.
Overall conclusion: Did I like the novel? Hell yeah! Great world-building, amazing well-paced story, immersive cyberpunk setting, all is here. I hope in the next books author will put more effort in the main character development. And yes, I'm waiting for the next book and I'll definitely buy it.
That was quite a quick and easy read for me, thrilling detective story in bright and shiny cyberpunk setting.
I won't talk about the plot. I don't want to make a review reciting the story, kinda makes no sense for me. What makes sense is to highlight strong sides of the novel and explain why it is a not five-star read.
Let's start from the world-building. That's the strong part of the book. Nox City is written out in detail, some key locations were explicitly described and in general, the world is living and breathing being in the book. Night club, Swamplands the rich ass' apartments... sometimes you even understand how it smells there just based on the descriptions.
Setting. Cyberpunk in its best. Modifications, neon, new unknown drugs, cyberpets, all-inclusive. High tech low life as it should be. Big corporations, a couple of big criminal groups (very distinctive from each other), non-existence of social warranties and a couple of highly ethical questions raised. I liked it much.
Let's move to the pace. Wow! That's actually 6 out of 5. I haven't expected that the whole book is about less than 24 hours. It's amazing how much of action you can stuck into such a small period of time. Action-packed, high-adrenaline detective story that will keep you tense all the time.
Now, the prose. ehmm, that's difficult. The language and words used look like a right tool for this case. Not really sophisticated, rough, even simple sometimes. But that's an action novel, it should be that way. I'd prefer more exquisite expressions, especially for different characters. They kind of sound the same. Sometimes you need to return a couple of lines backwards to check who says what.
Characters. Not protagonist, everyone else. They are well-written, with clear motivations and goals. I liked most of them. Mirk is very believable and annoying, Coleson is challenge-motivated and not really about material compensation. They are organically part of the world and feel real. Of course, you cannot open and connect a lot of them. There isn't much time for that.
Aaaand the weakest part in the book for me. It's Sol. His thoughts, his actions, his demeanor. Some moments were utterly "facepalmy" for me. Like the most of night club interactions, for example. Those flashbacks were supposed to build the backbone of motivation for the main character, but for me he looked like emotionally very unstable person. Let's say it so, I wouldn't give a gun to this grown-up child. I tried to connect somehow with him, but I failed.
Overall conclusion: Did I like the novel? Hell yeah! Great world-building, amazing well-paced story, immersive cyberpunk setting, all is here. I hope in the next books author will put more effort in the main character development. And yes, I'm waiting for the next book and I'll definitely buy it.
September 27, 2024
Falling Into Oblivion by Aaron M. Payne is a cyberpunk crime story you don't want to miss! I loved how this read like I was watching a Criminal Minds episode in a sci-fi dystopian future!
Detective Sol is just trying to scrape by and earn enough to pay his debts and make the city a little better. He's thrust into a case that goes beyond expectations and has deadly consequences! I don't read this genre very often, but I love each one I've read, so maybe I should pick them up more!
I can't wait to see what new case will be thrown Sol's way!
Detective Sol is just trying to scrape by and earn enough to pay his debts and make the city a little better. He's thrust into a case that goes beyond expectations and has deadly consequences! I don't read this genre very often, but I love each one I've read, so maybe I should pick them up more!
I can't wait to see what new case will be thrown Sol's way!
October 31, 2024
I blew through this book. I started and finished this in less than 2 days. It's fast-paced, action-packed from page one and it never lets up. This book reminds me of all the reasons I love a good cyberpunk story. There are so many cool ideas at play here. One of my favorites was The Descent - and I actually wish he would have spent more time exploring this place. The last 100 pages had me sucked in hard, to the point that I knew I had to finish the book in that same sitting. And that ending! I am 100% down with Sols decision and can't wait to see what happens in the next installment.
Fucking amazing debut and I look forward to what Aaron puts out next.
Fucking amazing debut and I look forward to what Aaron puts out next.
December 5, 2024
Every chapter is action packed!
Packed with nonstop action, Falling into Oblivion makes for a quick and entertaining read. Though not my usual genre, this read much more like a detective thriller with futuristic aspects. The world building is too north and I can’t wait to see what’s next for Sol. Strong start to a series!
Packed with nonstop action, Falling into Oblivion makes for a quick and entertaining read. Though not my usual genre, this read much more like a detective thriller with futuristic aspects. The world building is too north and I can’t wait to see what’s next for Sol. Strong start to a series!
January 13, 2025
Fast paced cyberpunk
Fast paced detective cyberpunk story you won't want to put down!
Lots of familiar elements woven together into a cop story that feels fresh and exciting.
Action packed front to back with a likable main character with just the right touch if moral grayness.
Fast paced detective cyberpunk story you won't want to put down!
Lots of familiar elements woven together into a cop story that feels fresh and exciting.
Action packed front to back with a likable main character with just the right touch if moral grayness.
August 31, 2024
Disclaimer - I received an ebook version of the advance reader copy in exchange for an unbiased review.
Full review to come up on my YouTube channel next week, but I really really enjoyed this one, a fantastic setting, with a really enjoyable mystery.
Full review to come up on my YouTube channel next week, but I really really enjoyed this one, a fantastic setting, with a really enjoyable mystery.
October 17, 2024
Falling Into Oblivion is a cyberpunk crime thriller. It follows a down on his luck foul-mouthed detective who is trying to solve a mystery of the death of a young man who dies mysteriously from complications from cybernetic body modifications. It is written in the first person which allows you to see the mystery through the main character’s point of view. Being in his head, you are able to see what motivates him which is his family, specifically getting home to read a bedtime story to his little girl. Falling Into Oblivion starts at a breakneck speed and maintains that fast pace but not so fast that you don’t get some great character building moments along the way.
Something the author does a great job of in this book is writing the setting in a very cinematic way. His descriptive writing puts you in the scene with the characters. Being new to cyberpunk I wasn’t sure if the genre would be for me, but Aaron has done a great job introducing me to it with this outstanding debut novel.
Something the author does a great job of in this book is writing the setting in a very cinematic way. His descriptive writing puts you in the scene with the characters. Being new to cyberpunk I wasn’t sure if the genre would be for me, but Aaron has done a great job introducing me to it with this outstanding debut novel.
December 22, 2024
Solid 4 Stars
This book is like if the show "24" took place in the world of Blade Runner. It's a real kick in the teeth (in the best way!) of a good-natured cop struggling to solve a mystery in a filthy neon world.
The absolute most impressive thing about the book is the pace - I absolutely flew through it without hardly a breath. Another great thing is some of the really off-the-wall stuff in here that may seem like too much but honestly I loved it. Metallic ogres, mechanical dragons, a man literally shooting off his fists as weapons... Most of this stuff we've seen before if you've read any cyberpunk... but never all at once!
Highly recommend if you like cyberpunk thrillers.
This book is like if the show "24" took place in the world of Blade Runner. It's a real kick in the teeth (in the best way!) of a good-natured cop struggling to solve a mystery in a filthy neon world.
The absolute most impressive thing about the book is the pace - I absolutely flew through it without hardly a breath. Another great thing is some of the really off-the-wall stuff in here that may seem like too much but honestly I loved it. Metallic ogres, mechanical dragons, a man literally shooting off his fists as weapons... Most of this stuff we've seen before if you've read any cyberpunk... but never all at once!
Highly recommend if you like cyberpunk thrillers.
October 8, 2024
Note: I was provided a free copy by the author for review; however, I will do my best to provide an honest and unbiased review. Thank you to Aaron M. Payne for the opportunity to read and review this book!
This is a solid debut novel! There are a few things here and there that I wasn’t into, but overall this was a fun and largely enjoyable read.
First things first, I really enjoyed the action here. It’s fun, fast, and exciting to read. Considering that there’s a pretty large amount of action in the book, the fact that it’s done well is certainly a good thing. I also really liked the setting work, which paints a good picture of this cyberpunk world. This isn’t usually the sort of setting I’m into, but I do think it was well done. I enjoyed the investigation aspect as well, which is pretty much the whole premise—the main character, a detective, is investigating a number of strange cases of body modifications causing bad outcomes for those who get them. It’s a good premise, and I thoroughly enjoyed almost all the investigation scenes. I also have to give special praise to the ending, which is satisfying, thematic, and hints towards what’s to come in future books.
There were a few things here I didn’t care for. First, the writing style, which is first-person, present tense, and very descriptive. I found this interesting because this is the exact style I used when writing short stories in college, but evidently I don’t enjoy actually reading it very much. The writing’s good, it’s just not my taste. I also found a lot of the characters to be serviceable but not terribly compelling—this is one of those books where I think the strengths lie in the worldbuilding and plot rather than characters. The book also took some time to really draw me in. I would say it probably took until about halfway through, but at that point I was pretty interested.
Overall this is an enjoyable debut that shows a lot of promise and potential for the future. I wouldn’t say anything here is particularly spectacular, but in general it is well-executed and makes for a good read.
Rating: 7/10
This is a solid debut novel! There are a few things here and there that I wasn’t into, but overall this was a fun and largely enjoyable read.
First things first, I really enjoyed the action here. It’s fun, fast, and exciting to read. Considering that there’s a pretty large amount of action in the book, the fact that it’s done well is certainly a good thing. I also really liked the setting work, which paints a good picture of this cyberpunk world. This isn’t usually the sort of setting I’m into, but I do think it was well done. I enjoyed the investigation aspect as well, which is pretty much the whole premise—the main character, a detective, is investigating a number of strange cases of body modifications causing bad outcomes for those who get them. It’s a good premise, and I thoroughly enjoyed almost all the investigation scenes. I also have to give special praise to the ending, which is satisfying, thematic, and hints towards what’s to come in future books.
There were a few things here I didn’t care for. First, the writing style, which is first-person, present tense, and very descriptive. I found this interesting because this is the exact style I used when writing short stories in college, but evidently I don’t enjoy actually reading it very much. The writing’s good, it’s just not my taste. I also found a lot of the characters to be serviceable but not terribly compelling—this is one of those books where I think the strengths lie in the worldbuilding and plot rather than characters. The book also took some time to really draw me in. I would say it probably took until about halfway through, but at that point I was pretty interested.
Overall this is an enjoyable debut that shows a lot of promise and potential for the future. I wouldn’t say anything here is particularly spectacular, but in general it is well-executed and makes for a good read.
Rating: 7/10
March 6, 2025
Sol is a first person character that will intrigue you, pull you into his story of body mods & drugs! Cyberpunk fun! It’s short & quick. Sol is a police detective in Nox City and his story emits Blade Runner vibes like crazy. What moves the story in chunks is his wish to get home quick to read his daughter a bed time story, will he get home in time to tuck her in plus solve the crimes on deck today.
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