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Spreadsheet Cultists
"A savage satire of contemporary society."
-Self-Publishing Review
"A dystopian world that will enter the mind of the reader and not let go."
-Authors Reading
"fast-paced and energetic"
-Reader's Favorite
In 2393, world peace has been achieved, climate change stopped, cancer cured, and it's all thanks to AI. But when it comes to survival, the odds are stacked in against anyone with less than a few million shares of Red or Blue, the last corporations still standing.
Gangs own the streets. The lucky survive on scams. Most rent out their brains to the corporations—as cheap processing power. For Elton Gaius, a college dropout, a stroke of luck lands him a job with PEEG, a secretive private policing subsidiary of Red. It’s more than just a job—it’s a ticket out of destitution.
Armed with cheap, half-baked AI, Elton must navigate a minefield of glitchy tech and ludicrous office politics. It’s a gamified world where the incompetent get promoted and the efficient get axed. But as Elton digs deeper into his role, he realizes that he’s just another pawn in a much larger, more dangerous game.
As his partner, Rose, conspires with a rebel militia to bring down the corporate overlords, Elton finds himself torn between loyalty, survival, and the chance to change the world.
If you’re ready to explore a dystopia where reality is as twisted as the tech, Spreadsheet Cultists is your next must-read
"What stands out the most is the remarkable depth of detail and the flawless way this disturbingly credible vision of the future is depicted"
-Reader's Favorite
"Overall, Spreadsheet Cultists is a brilliant, biting, and irresistibly strange novel that turns the future of work into a thrilling act of rebellion. I cannot wait to see what else comes from the brilliant mind of this highly recommended author."
-Reader's Favorite
"I yearned to know the ending."
-Reedsy Discovery
-Self-Publishing Review
"A dystopian world that will enter the mind of the reader and not let go."
-Authors Reading
"fast-paced and energetic"
-Reader's Favorite
In 2393, world peace has been achieved, climate change stopped, cancer cured, and it's all thanks to AI. But when it comes to survival, the odds are stacked in against anyone with less than a few million shares of Red or Blue, the last corporations still standing.
Gangs own the streets. The lucky survive on scams. Most rent out their brains to the corporations—as cheap processing power. For Elton Gaius, a college dropout, a stroke of luck lands him a job with PEEG, a secretive private policing subsidiary of Red. It’s more than just a job—it’s a ticket out of destitution.
Armed with cheap, half-baked AI, Elton must navigate a minefield of glitchy tech and ludicrous office politics. It’s a gamified world where the incompetent get promoted and the efficient get axed. But as Elton digs deeper into his role, he realizes that he’s just another pawn in a much larger, more dangerous game.
As his partner, Rose, conspires with a rebel militia to bring down the corporate overlords, Elton finds himself torn between loyalty, survival, and the chance to change the world.
If you’re ready to explore a dystopia where reality is as twisted as the tech, Spreadsheet Cultists is your next must-read
"What stands out the most is the remarkable depth of detail and the flawless way this disturbingly credible vision of the future is depicted"
-Reader's Favorite
"Overall, Spreadsheet Cultists is a brilliant, biting, and irresistibly strange novel that turns the future of work into a thrilling act of rebellion. I cannot wait to see what else comes from the brilliant mind of this highly recommended author."
-Reader's Favorite
"I yearned to know the ending."
-Reedsy Discovery
426 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 2, 2024
37 people are currently reading
53 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
July 27, 2024
Thank you to BookSirens for this ARC, which is a really great dystopian novel. I found the narrative, the world, and the beaurocracy of PEEG totally compelling. I loved the nonbinary normalisation, and I adored Sydney. Even the middle-to-upper class white collar characters had some intrigue and interest. I'd absolutely recommend this to anyone who likes a techy dystopia.
September 9, 2024
I received an advance review copy for free from BookSirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This is exactly what you want when you crave a dystopian-futuristic novel where tech is at the center of the plot.
Elton as a main character is all of us, he is just a cog in the machine trying to play the game to survive, and opposite him Rose is the rebel, the idealist that wants to explode it all and build it back up again.
This book is incredibly funny, it's this futuristic critique of corporate culture and of AI and technology replacing humans where they are most needed.
I cannot recommend this book enough!
This is exactly what you want when you crave a dystopian-futuristic novel where tech is at the center of the plot.
Elton as a main character is all of us, he is just a cog in the machine trying to play the game to survive, and opposite him Rose is the rebel, the idealist that wants to explode it all and build it back up again.
This book is incredibly funny, it's this futuristic critique of corporate culture and of AI and technology replacing humans where they are most needed.
I cannot recommend this book enough!
July 5, 2025
🧠 Genre & Themes
Genre: Cyberpunk satire, dystopian fiction, speculative sci-fi
Themes: Automation, AI ethics, corporate bureaucracy, labor exploitation, rebellion, identity, surveillance, and the illusion of progress
🧩 Summary
Set in a hyper-automated, AI-dominated future, Spreadsheet Cultists follows Elton Gaius, a failed Machine Intelligence Engineering student turned scammer, who lands a job at PEEG (Piracy Evaluation and Elimination Group), a private security contractor. As Elton navigates the absurdities of corporate life, his partner Rose becomes entangled with a rebel group (AAG) fighting against the system that enslaves “copperbrains”—humans used as biological processors to power the metrax, a virtual reality world.
The story unfolds through a mix of satire, social commentary, and thrilling espionage, culminating in a massive copperbrain labor strike that brings society to the brink of collapse.
🔍 Strengths
1. World-Building
Sullivan crafts a richly detailed dystopia that feels disturbingly plausible. From the metrax (a VR metaverse) to copperbrain hotels and gamified corporate metrics, the world is immersive and chillingly reflective of current tech trends.
2. Satirical Edge
The book is a razor-sharp satire of:
Corporate culture and bureaucracy (e.g., endless forms, gamified productivity)
AI worship and techno-utopianism
Late-stage capitalism and wealth inequality
Performative inclusivity and HR doublespeak
It’s reminiscent of Black Mirror, Office Space, and 1984 all at once.
3. Character Complexity
Elton is a compelling everyman—idealistic, naive, and slowly disillusioned.
Rose is a standout: a rebel torn between love, loyalty, and revolution.
Dilbert, the middle manager, is both tragic and hilarious, embodying the soul-crushing absurdity of corporate life.
4. Philosophical Depth
The novel explores:
The nature of sentience (via bots like Margaret)
The ethics of rebellion and terrorism
The cost of comfort vs. the price of freedom the illusion of progress in a world run by algorithms
🧠 Final Thoughts
Spreadsheet Cultists is a brilliant, biting, and bleakly funny critique of our algorithmic future. It’s a must-read for fans of speculative fiction who enjoy deep philosophical questions wrapped in sharp satire and thrilling narrative. Sullivan’s vision is both a warning and a mirror—one that reflects the absurdities of our present through the lens of a terrifyingly plausible future.
Genre: Cyberpunk satire, dystopian fiction, speculative sci-fi
Themes: Automation, AI ethics, corporate bureaucracy, labor exploitation, rebellion, identity, surveillance, and the illusion of progress
🧩 Summary
Set in a hyper-automated, AI-dominated future, Spreadsheet Cultists follows Elton Gaius, a failed Machine Intelligence Engineering student turned scammer, who lands a job at PEEG (Piracy Evaluation and Elimination Group), a private security contractor. As Elton navigates the absurdities of corporate life, his partner Rose becomes entangled with a rebel group (AAG) fighting against the system that enslaves “copperbrains”—humans used as biological processors to power the metrax, a virtual reality world.
The story unfolds through a mix of satire, social commentary, and thrilling espionage, culminating in a massive copperbrain labor strike that brings society to the brink of collapse.
🔍 Strengths
1. World-Building
Sullivan crafts a richly detailed dystopia that feels disturbingly plausible. From the metrax (a VR metaverse) to copperbrain hotels and gamified corporate metrics, the world is immersive and chillingly reflective of current tech trends.
2. Satirical Edge
The book is a razor-sharp satire of:
Corporate culture and bureaucracy (e.g., endless forms, gamified productivity)
AI worship and techno-utopianism
Late-stage capitalism and wealth inequality
Performative inclusivity and HR doublespeak
It’s reminiscent of Black Mirror, Office Space, and 1984 all at once.
3. Character Complexity
Elton is a compelling everyman—idealistic, naive, and slowly disillusioned.
Rose is a standout: a rebel torn between love, loyalty, and revolution.
Dilbert, the middle manager, is both tragic and hilarious, embodying the soul-crushing absurdity of corporate life.
4. Philosophical Depth
The novel explores:
The nature of sentience (via bots like Margaret)
The ethics of rebellion and terrorism
The cost of comfort vs. the price of freedom the illusion of progress in a world run by algorithms
🧠 Final Thoughts
Spreadsheet Cultists is a brilliant, biting, and bleakly funny critique of our algorithmic future. It’s a must-read for fans of speculative fiction who enjoy deep philosophical questions wrapped in sharp satire and thrilling narrative. Sullivan’s vision is both a warning and a mirror—one that reflects the absurdities of our present through the lens of a terrifyingly plausible future.
September 16, 2024
Spreadsheet Cultists by Dane Sullivan
Elton has accepted a job that may ease his fears in a world where just surviving has challenges. Proof that money can't solve all problems.
The world in future times appears bleak. The Red and Blue corporations have taken over the world and the hope of humanity. Submission has gripped the population, where individuals must use their brains as a source of processing power akin to modern-day computer chips. The author, Dane Sullivan, predicts an abysmal forecast. Seen through the eyes of Elton, a surreal landscape emerges. Elton strikes gold and receives a job with PEEG, which pays handsomely and eliminates the need to continue scamming his way to survivability. Rose, Elton's love interest, resumes fighting the good fight against those in authority. Their worlds collide in an unforeseen manner, one which will test moral ethics versus a desire to live comfortably.
A world in which civilians eat crickets to survive? People pimped into small rooms and wired up to keep the machinery running? Unfathomable, I say. Absurdity! Yet this read as a futuristic horror story. It is eerily conceivable that our government renders citizens helpless with the threat and push of AI development. Dane Sullivan has perfectly captured the definition of the apocalypse. Smatterings of sarcasm while describing futuristic office rules and disciplines regarding pronouns read with hilarity. Comedic relief in a treacherous world.
Putting the book down at the midway point, I wondered if I should finish. My anxiety was trickling through my fingertips, achingly flipping pages. Perhaps this is the book's undoing. The subject matter itself is brutal. Slapped in a face kind of harshness, a truth I am unwilling to accept. I yearned to know the ending. I had invested my time, and to be fair, the author had done his job of making me feel emotions.
As I completed a round of deep breathing, I bravely began to process my thoughts. I found the writing to be interesting. It is vivid and plops the reader straight into the abyss. The ideas conveyed were crafted thoughtfully. The book focuses heavily on invoking emotion, not overburdening itself with technological speak. A friendly warning is given to potential readers easily triggered by doomsday scenarios. This book gets 4 out of 5 stars.
Many thanks to the publisher for the free ARC through Reedsy. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion.
Elton has accepted a job that may ease his fears in a world where just surviving has challenges. Proof that money can't solve all problems.
The world in future times appears bleak. The Red and Blue corporations have taken over the world and the hope of humanity. Submission has gripped the population, where individuals must use their brains as a source of processing power akin to modern-day computer chips. The author, Dane Sullivan, predicts an abysmal forecast. Seen through the eyes of Elton, a surreal landscape emerges. Elton strikes gold and receives a job with PEEG, which pays handsomely and eliminates the need to continue scamming his way to survivability. Rose, Elton's love interest, resumes fighting the good fight against those in authority. Their worlds collide in an unforeseen manner, one which will test moral ethics versus a desire to live comfortably.
A world in which civilians eat crickets to survive? People pimped into small rooms and wired up to keep the machinery running? Unfathomable, I say. Absurdity! Yet this read as a futuristic horror story. It is eerily conceivable that our government renders citizens helpless with the threat and push of AI development. Dane Sullivan has perfectly captured the definition of the apocalypse. Smatterings of sarcasm while describing futuristic office rules and disciplines regarding pronouns read with hilarity. Comedic relief in a treacherous world.
Putting the book down at the midway point, I wondered if I should finish. My anxiety was trickling through my fingertips, achingly flipping pages. Perhaps this is the book's undoing. The subject matter itself is brutal. Slapped in a face kind of harshness, a truth I am unwilling to accept. I yearned to know the ending. I had invested my time, and to be fair, the author had done his job of making me feel emotions.
As I completed a round of deep breathing, I bravely began to process my thoughts. I found the writing to be interesting. It is vivid and plops the reader straight into the abyss. The ideas conveyed were crafted thoughtfully. The book focuses heavily on invoking emotion, not overburdening itself with technological speak. A friendly warning is given to potential readers easily triggered by doomsday scenarios. This book gets 4 out of 5 stars.
Many thanks to the publisher for the free ARC through Reedsy. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion.
December 3, 2024
World peace has been achieved and life is good but for only those who own a few million shares of one of two companies. He is down on his luck so he was grateful when he got a job with one of the companies. He is about to learn life is not what he thought it was. See what he will learn
I received an advance copy from hidden gems and it will make think about the future
I received an advance copy from hidden gems and it will make think about the future
March 15, 2025
An amazing hard science fiction critique of monopolistic capitalism in the future. This end state of our current economy shows the weaknesses of capitalism. This is a warning of what happens when you have billionaires running the world. Purchased this edition on March 13, 2025, for free. Read Kindle book using Alexa audio asset.
October 30, 2024
Decided this was not my cuppa... I give the author credit for extrapolating current business trends and such, but after a while I just found it so depressing (in spite of the humor.) YMMV.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews