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CyberPub: Tales of the Crossroads Tavern Regulars
151 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 20, 2026
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Review of advance copy received from Author
The roots of what would eventually become the literary subgenre called cyberpunk can be traced back to writers such as William Gibson and the late Philip K. Dick. Fusing the shadowy essence of pulp detective stories with sleek science fiction tropes, books like Dick’s Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (later adapted into film as Blade Runner), and Gibson’s seminal, genre-defining 1984 novel Neuromancer, gave the shiny backdrop of classic sci-fi a grittier, seedier underbelly. Cyberpunk is retro crime noir sent to the future, where technology has outpaced human morals, information is a weapon, and nothing is off limits.
Beginning with the publication of the 2022 novel Body and Blood, Plattsburgh, New York based author Michael Gallagher has established himself as a modern indie master of the cyberpunk-action-horror thriller, a reputation upheld with his latest Seven Sorrows Publishing release, CyberPub (Available on Amazon March 20). Subtitled Tales of the Crossroads Tavern Regulars, CyberPub isn’t a traditional novella, but a group of interconnected stories set on the rough-and-tumble planet Resnick VII. In that far-flung, scantly regulated corner of the galaxy, every killer-for-hire, private eye, working stiff, and plain old desperate soul eventually comes through Resnick’s most notorious bar, the Crossroads Tavern. Boniface ‘Bonnie’ Ahern owns the joint, pours the drinks, and connects people with problems with those that solve them—for the right price.
CyberPub’s opening segment revolves around Kaz, a leg-breaker sent to wring cash from the employee of a company on the verge of going public with a series of life-sized, more-human-than-human ‘joy dolls’. When Kaz inadvertently discovers that some of the animatronic dolls are intended to be marketed to pedophiles and, worse yet, that each android’s implanted memories are taken from kidnapped children, he sets out to punish those responsible.
A socially inept shut-in hacker named Richard who spends all his income on a futuristic AI version of Only Fans is the central figure of the novella’s next two-part installment. When Richard’s Erosploit account is frozen in retaliation for hacking a gamer troll’s profile, the company’s thugs come to collect his balance, and during the ensuing confrontation, Richard’s cowardice leads to the death of his sole real-life human contact. Filled with rage, Richard is finally spurned into action, and during the story’s second half takes his retribution to Erosploit’s headquarters, only to learn the truth behind his online fantasies are uglier than he ever suspected.
The novella’s third section details the harrowing evening of Graves ‘Mac’ MacNamara, a tough-as-nails P.I. hired to locate the kidnapped daughter of a powerful chemical magnate. Following the breadcrumb trail of clues from Resnick VII’s slums to its rich gated communities and back again, Mac’s night goes from bad to worse as he finds himself neck deep in trouble. The sci-fi noir elements are strongest in this installment, and Gallagher outdoes himself instilling a Raymond Chandler-meets-Issac Asimov vibe perfectly suited for Mac’s world. The revelation of the kidnapper’s identity is a surprising narrative masterstroke, and goes a long way to making this the novella’s most fulfilling segment.
A seemingly innocuous school crossing guard named Rusty is the protagonist of CyberPub’s final story. When the kids he oversees at the crosswalk suddenly go missing en masse, Rusty, a retired cop in witness protection, blows his cover to search for them, only to find they’ve been abducted by members of an extraterrestrial demon-worshiping cult. This installment leans heavily into futuristic horror scenarios recognizable from films such as Event Horizon; unlike CyberPub’s other leads, Rusty isn’t motivated by money or revenge so much as loyalty to the children who have become his surrogate family. With such stakes, Rusty’s journey is more personal, the risks more perilous, and the climax, when it comes, is perhaps the most intense of the entire book.
Building on the momentum of the aforementioned Body and Blood and a series of exciting anthology appearances in Crucifixion Press’s Shoot the Devil series and Mistcreek Publishing’s Rock and Roll Mercenaries, CyberPub represents Gallagher’s strongest work to date. Utilizing the Tavern as the central meeting place ties each segment together in a way that feels like Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales by way of Pulp Fiction. Gallagher possesses an effortless knack for drafting hard-boiled characters that still have personalities, foibles, and vulnerabilities that make them both relatable and sympathetic to the average reader. Particularly impressive is the novella’s world-building: Resnick VII feels like a complete, fully-functioning society, and Gallagher doesn’t flinch when it comes to the darker elements common to cyberpunk; every segment is uncompromising in its narrative conceits, with plenty of pulpy, noir atmosphere, yet the author never forgets to allows his trademark wink-and-nod humor to shine through (An alien bar patron with a physiology similar to taffy is nicknamed Gumby, for instance).
With its tight storytelling, hard-scrabbled characters, and two-fisted action, CyberPub is a hazy glimpse at a world that’s becoming uncomfortably nearer to our own with each passing technological advancement. Whether or not the author’s vision is prophetic or not is for a future generation to determine; for our own, these tales from the Crossroads Tavern offer exciting, adrenaline-fueled fun that more than earns a 4 (Out of 5) here on Goodreads. I sincerely hope Gallagher continues writing more misadventures set on Resnick VII. Leads such as Kaz, Mac, and Bonnie would make superb protagonists in a CyberPub sequel, or even individual solo novels. Here, bartender! Another drink!
Beginning with the publication of the 2022 novel Body and Blood, Plattsburgh, New York based author Michael Gallagher has established himself as a modern indie master of the cyberpunk-action-horror thriller, a reputation upheld with his latest Seven Sorrows Publishing release, CyberPub (Available on Amazon March 20). Subtitled Tales of the Crossroads Tavern Regulars, CyberPub isn’t a traditional novella, but a group of interconnected stories set on the rough-and-tumble planet Resnick VII. In that far-flung, scantly regulated corner of the galaxy, every killer-for-hire, private eye, working stiff, and plain old desperate soul eventually comes through Resnick’s most notorious bar, the Crossroads Tavern. Boniface ‘Bonnie’ Ahern owns the joint, pours the drinks, and connects people with problems with those that solve them—for the right price.
CyberPub’s opening segment revolves around Kaz, a leg-breaker sent to wring cash from the employee of a company on the verge of going public with a series of life-sized, more-human-than-human ‘joy dolls’. When Kaz inadvertently discovers that some of the animatronic dolls are intended to be marketed to pedophiles and, worse yet, that each android’s implanted memories are taken from kidnapped children, he sets out to punish those responsible.
A socially inept shut-in hacker named Richard who spends all his income on a futuristic AI version of Only Fans is the central figure of the novella’s next two-part installment. When Richard’s Erosploit account is frozen in retaliation for hacking a gamer troll’s profile, the company’s thugs come to collect his balance, and during the ensuing confrontation, Richard’s cowardice leads to the death of his sole real-life human contact. Filled with rage, Richard is finally spurned into action, and during the story’s second half takes his retribution to Erosploit’s headquarters, only to learn the truth behind his online fantasies are uglier than he ever suspected.
The novella’s third section details the harrowing evening of Graves ‘Mac’ MacNamara, a tough-as-nails P.I. hired to locate the kidnapped daughter of a powerful chemical magnate. Following the breadcrumb trail of clues from Resnick VII’s slums to its rich gated communities and back again, Mac’s night goes from bad to worse as he finds himself neck deep in trouble. The sci-fi noir elements are strongest in this installment, and Gallagher outdoes himself instilling a Raymond Chandler-meets-Issac Asimov vibe perfectly suited for Mac’s world. The revelation of the kidnapper’s identity is a surprising narrative masterstroke, and goes a long way to making this the novella’s most fulfilling segment.
A seemingly innocuous school crossing guard named Rusty is the protagonist of CyberPub’s final story. When the kids he oversees at the crosswalk suddenly go missing en masse, Rusty, a retired cop in witness protection, blows his cover to search for them, only to find they’ve been abducted by members of an extraterrestrial demon-worshiping cult. This installment leans heavily into futuristic horror scenarios recognizable from films such as Event Horizon; unlike CyberPub’s other leads, Rusty isn’t motivated by money or revenge so much as loyalty to the children who have become his surrogate family. With such stakes, Rusty’s journey is more personal, the risks more perilous, and the climax, when it comes, is perhaps the most intense of the entire book.
Building on the momentum of the aforementioned Body and Blood and a series of exciting anthology appearances in Crucifixion Press’s Shoot the Devil series and Mistcreek Publishing’s Rock and Roll Mercenaries, CyberPub represents Gallagher’s strongest work to date. Utilizing the Tavern as the central meeting place ties each segment together in a way that feels like Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales by way of Pulp Fiction. Gallagher possesses an effortless knack for drafting hard-boiled characters that still have personalities, foibles, and vulnerabilities that make them both relatable and sympathetic to the average reader. Particularly impressive is the novella’s world-building: Resnick VII feels like a complete, fully-functioning society, and Gallagher doesn’t flinch when it comes to the darker elements common to cyberpunk; every segment is uncompromising in its narrative conceits, with plenty of pulpy, noir atmosphere, yet the author never forgets to allows his trademark wink-and-nod humor to shine through (An alien bar patron with a physiology similar to taffy is nicknamed Gumby, for instance).
With its tight storytelling, hard-scrabbled characters, and two-fisted action, CyberPub is a hazy glimpse at a world that’s becoming uncomfortably nearer to our own with each passing technological advancement. Whether or not the author’s vision is prophetic or not is for a future generation to determine; for our own, these tales from the Crossroads Tavern offer exciting, adrenaline-fueled fun that more than earns a 4 (Out of 5) here on Goodreads. I sincerely hope Gallagher continues writing more misadventures set on Resnick VII. Leads such as Kaz, Mac, and Bonnie would make superb protagonists in a CyberPub sequel, or even individual solo novels. Here, bartender! Another drink!
Displaying 1 of 1 review