Dark Circuitry

by Kirk Bueckert

In the wake of a devastating global pandemic, sixty-million people take refuge in fortified bunkers across the Quarantine Zone. While their physical bodies lie frozen in cryostasis, their virtual avatars populate a sprawling cyber-colony known as the Hive; but this “New Reality” is no utopia. Rival gangs wage war on the streets. Religious zealots manipulate the masses. A corrupt ruling class pulls the strings behind the scenes. Veteran cop Luke Duncan-Epsilon sends money to the daughter he left back in Reality Prime. His name is well-known throughout the Gaming Sector, where he spends his nights trying to win enough to reunite his family once and for all. That is until a wanted cyberterrorist who calls herself “the Prophet” infiltrates the Hive, forcing him to confront the dark secrets of his past—and the uncertain future of humanity.

Genres: Horror

286 pages, Paperback

Published June 24, 2025

About the author

Kirk Bueckert is a poet and playwright living on the occupied territory of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations. His work has been published by Dark Matter, Coffin Bell, Tyche Books, Timber Ghost Press, and the League of Canadian Poets (LCP). He was shortlisted for the ScreenCraft Cinematic Short Story Prize in 2021.

Reviews

[The Void Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dark Circuitry by Kirk Bueckert
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5)

I was invited by the author to check out Dark Circuitry, and what a pleasant surprise. Bueckert delivers a richly imagined cyberpunk dystopia where the stakes are personal, political, and existential. The Hive—a sprawling digital refuge for cryogenically frozen survivors of a global pandemic—is no utopia. It’s a volatile playground of gang warfare, religious manipulation, and systemic corruption.

Veteran cop Luke Duncan-Epsilon anchors the story with grit and heart. His nightly grind in the Gaming Sector, driven by the hope of reuniting with his daughter in Reality Prime, adds emotional weight to the neon-lit chaos. When “the Prophet,” a rogue cyberterrorist, breaches the Hive, Luke is forced to confront buried truths and reckon with humanity’s fractured future.

The world-building is immersive, the characters layered, and the pacing kept me locked in to the very end. If you’re into gritty sci-fi with emotional depth and a dash of noir, this one’s worth plugging into.

Happy reading 🤖📚

[Kylee Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

*3.5
In Dark Circuity, a pandemic has spread across the world, leading many survivors to be cryogenically frozen and plugged into the Hive, a virtual colony that could have been everything. Instead, humans turned it into a volatile, cyberpunk-esque purgatory full of corruption and chaos.

The story is absolutely wild, and I never knew what to expect. I adored the world and the characters, and at times it felt like I was right there in the Hive with them, searching for the Prophet.

Unfortunately, the book became overwhelming for me at points. There was so much information that I often lost track of characters and struggled to keep up with the twists and reveals.

Overall, while it wasn’t quite for me, I can definitely see this being a book that many people would really enjoy, especially readers who appreciate dense world-building, immersive cyberpunk settings, and big reveals.

Thanks to the author for a copy to read and review!

[Aeroreader · Rating 5 out of 5]

What if everyone in The Matrix knew they were in a simulation and desperately wanted to be plugged in? In Dark Circuitry, a plague is wiping out human existence and the only solution is to plug in to the hive while being cryogenically frozen while waiting for a cure. Despite the perfect opportunity to create utopia, humans stay human and create a tiered class society, to deadly results.

Dark Circuitry cleverly makes the reader take an honest look at humanity and the flaws of how societies are maintained. Beyond that, it’s a fun sci-fi mystery and adventure. Despite this not being a genre I usually read, I had a great time with this book. I also loved all of the small references to Canada.

I received a copy of this book as a gift from the author. All opinions are my own.