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MIR.EXE
In the fractured Alaska of 2096—now an independent nation—Cryosaga Industries controls the flow of PermaFlux, a game-changing superconductor that powers the world’s tech empires. From neon-lit megacities to shattered monuments on the tundra, their reach is absolute.
Echo Kinyata, once a child soldier and now a CrateGhost stevedore with a hacked brain, has learned to keep his head down. But when his estranged wife Lyra sends a cryptic message, he’s pulled into a conspiracy that could topple Cryosaga’s iron grip. The a mysterious data chip from overseas, and a virus known as Mir—capable of upending the balance of power.
Hunted by insurgents who should be allies and stalked by AIs with agendas of their own, Echo must decide who to trust in a world where loyalty is currency and every choice cuts deep. MIR.EXE is a hard-edged cyberpunk thriller where survival means outsmarting forces that blur the line between human and machine… and between good and evil.
Echo Kinyata, once a child soldier and now a CrateGhost stevedore with a hacked brain, has learned to keep his head down. But when his estranged wife Lyra sends a cryptic message, he’s pulled into a conspiracy that could topple Cryosaga’s iron grip. The a mysterious data chip from overseas, and a virus known as Mir—capable of upending the balance of power.
Hunted by insurgents who should be allies and stalked by AIs with agendas of their own, Echo must decide who to trust in a world where loyalty is currency and every choice cuts deep. MIR.EXE is a hard-edged cyberpunk thriller where survival means outsmarting forces that blur the line between human and machine… and between good and evil.
288 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 17, 2026
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2 people want to read
About the author
D.K. Dillenback
2 books6 followersI'm a poet at heart and spend most of my time writing prose for work. I'm an aging punk (stopped moshing when I became the oldest one in the pit). I'm an advocate for mental health in the military and have used writing and music to manage my anxiety and ADHD for most of my life.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
April 16, 2026
MIR.EXE by D.K. Dillenback is a tightly wound cyberpunk thriller that explores corporate dominance, digital autonomy, and the collapsing boundary between human identity and machine intelligence in a fractured future Alaska.
The novel establishes a stark, high-control world where Cryosaga Industries functions not just as a corporation but as an infrastructural authority over energy, technology, and geopolitical stability. The presence of PermaFlux as a near-mythic resource gives the setting both industrial weight and speculative depth, grounding the story’s larger technological themes in a tangible economic reality.
At the center of the narrative is Echo Kinyata, a protagonist shaped by trauma, modification, and survival. His background as a former child soldier and his present condition as a “CrateGhost” with a hacked brain position him as both participant and product of the system he navigates. This duality becomes a key driver of tension, especially as his fractured personal history collides with a larger conspiracy.
The introduction of the Mir virus and the mysterious data chip expands the scope of the story into questions of informational warfare and autonomous intelligence. Dillenback uses these elements to blur distinctions between sabotage, evolution, and control, creating a world where technological agency cannot be clearly assigned to human or machine actors.
Stylistically, the novel leans into fast paced cyberpunk structure while maintaining focus on emotional stakes tied to trust, betrayal, and relational rupture. Echo’s connection to Lyra adds a personal anchor to an otherwise expansive and systems-driven conflict, reinforcing the idea that even in hyper-technological environments, human bonds remain a critical vulnerability.
MIR.EXE stands out as a gritty, conceptually driven cyberpunk work that will strongly appeal to readers who enjoy near future techno-thrillers, AI-centered conspiracies, and morally ambiguous survival narratives in fully realized dystopian systems.
The novel establishes a stark, high-control world where Cryosaga Industries functions not just as a corporation but as an infrastructural authority over energy, technology, and geopolitical stability. The presence of PermaFlux as a near-mythic resource gives the setting both industrial weight and speculative depth, grounding the story’s larger technological themes in a tangible economic reality.
At the center of the narrative is Echo Kinyata, a protagonist shaped by trauma, modification, and survival. His background as a former child soldier and his present condition as a “CrateGhost” with a hacked brain position him as both participant and product of the system he navigates. This duality becomes a key driver of tension, especially as his fractured personal history collides with a larger conspiracy.
The introduction of the Mir virus and the mysterious data chip expands the scope of the story into questions of informational warfare and autonomous intelligence. Dillenback uses these elements to blur distinctions between sabotage, evolution, and control, creating a world where technological agency cannot be clearly assigned to human or machine actors.
Stylistically, the novel leans into fast paced cyberpunk structure while maintaining focus on emotional stakes tied to trust, betrayal, and relational rupture. Echo’s connection to Lyra adds a personal anchor to an otherwise expansive and systems-driven conflict, reinforcing the idea that even in hyper-technological environments, human bonds remain a critical vulnerability.
MIR.EXE stands out as a gritty, conceptually driven cyberpunk work that will strongly appeal to readers who enjoy near future techno-thrillers, AI-centered conspiracies, and morally ambiguous survival narratives in fully realized dystopian systems.
March 16, 2026
MIR.EXE is a cyberpunk, dystopian science fiction novel with a strong techno-thriller pulse. It follows Echo Kinyata, a burned-out dockworker in a future Alaska ruled in practice by Cryosaga, the company that turned PermaFlux into the engine of global power. When Echo’s estranged wife, Lyra, reaches out and pulls him toward a dangerous mission involving stolen code, buried loyalties, and the possibility of breaking the corporation’s grip, the book opens outward from one damaged man’s daily routine into a much bigger fight about control, surveillance, and what survives when technology gets inside the soul.
Dillenback can be abrasive, funny, ugly, and strangely beautiful sometimes all in the same page. The book has that lived-in cyberpunk grime that makes the world feel used rather than merely invented. I liked that. The future here is not sleek in a clean, showroom way. It feels bruised, patched over, and expensive to survive in. Echo’s inner life gives the novel its gravity, especially in the early sections where his work, his body, and his guilt are all tangled together so tightly that even a routine shift feels like self-harm dressed up as labor. The prose carries a lot of texture, and while some passages are undeniably dense, that density often feels earned. It reflects the weight of the world the author has built and the seriousness of the ideas underneath it. The book stays committed to its voice, and I found that commitment one of its positive qualities.
This is a novel that clearly cares about monopoly power, state violence, class resentment, and the eerie way technology can make people feel both bigger and smaller at once. The human-machine tension is not treated like a shiny abstract question. It is physical. It hurts. Echo’s conversations with Doc, and the broader fear of a corporation reaching godlike power through energy and quantum computing, give the book a real moral pressure. What kept me invested was not just the theory. It was the sadness under it. Echo is not a heroic symbol polished for effect. He is compromised, lonely, often unsure, and that makes the book’s politics land harder because they are filtered through someone who has already paid for the system with his own body.
I think MIR.EXE is the kind of book I would recommend to readers who like their science fiction rough-edged, thoughtful, and emotionally bruised rather than polished and easy. It will work best for people who enjoy cyberpunk with real political weight, readers who want a future that feels plausible and mean, and anyone who likes character-driven speculative fiction where the tech matters but the damage it does to people matters more. It’s memorable, and it has something real to say.
Dillenback can be abrasive, funny, ugly, and strangely beautiful sometimes all in the same page. The book has that lived-in cyberpunk grime that makes the world feel used rather than merely invented. I liked that. The future here is not sleek in a clean, showroom way. It feels bruised, patched over, and expensive to survive in. Echo’s inner life gives the novel its gravity, especially in the early sections where his work, his body, and his guilt are all tangled together so tightly that even a routine shift feels like self-harm dressed up as labor. The prose carries a lot of texture, and while some passages are undeniably dense, that density often feels earned. It reflects the weight of the world the author has built and the seriousness of the ideas underneath it. The book stays committed to its voice, and I found that commitment one of its positive qualities.
This is a novel that clearly cares about monopoly power, state violence, class resentment, and the eerie way technology can make people feel both bigger and smaller at once. The human-machine tension is not treated like a shiny abstract question. It is physical. It hurts. Echo’s conversations with Doc, and the broader fear of a corporation reaching godlike power through energy and quantum computing, give the book a real moral pressure. What kept me invested was not just the theory. It was the sadness under it. Echo is not a heroic symbol polished for effect. He is compromised, lonely, often unsure, and that makes the book’s politics land harder because they are filtered through someone who has already paid for the system with his own body.
I think MIR.EXE is the kind of book I would recommend to readers who like their science fiction rough-edged, thoughtful, and emotionally bruised rather than polished and easy. It will work best for people who enjoy cyberpunk with real political weight, readers who want a future that feels plausible and mean, and anyone who likes character-driven speculative fiction where the tech matters but the damage it does to people matters more. It’s memorable, and it has something real to say.
March 25, 2026
MIR.EXE by D.K. Dillenback is unlike any book I have previously listened to. In the future, Cryosaga, a company in Alaska 2096, develops a game-changing supercomputing resource, PermaFlux. They use this technological marvel to secede from the United States and become their own country. Before succeeding, Alaska imported 90% of all its goods. Now that number is closer to 99%. To handle the vast quantity of goods that need to be imported, a miles-long pier was built. Echo is a crate ghost. He works in cyberspace as an AI-assisted dockmaster. When a friend asks him to let a crate in with an extra ten grams of weight smuggled inside it, Echo finds himself hunted by the terrorist organization that wanted the package and Cryosaga, who wants the package destroyed.
MIR.EXE is a unique and excellent story that touches on AI technology, corporate abuse of economic and political power, and the effects of poverty. It was nice to read a science fiction novel where it wasn't the AI or robots making the world dystopian; it was just good old corporate greed. I liked all the AI characters and found their outlooks on life interesting. Echo is an enviable protagonist whom I rooted for the entire novel.
Dillenback doesn't shy away from the real-world implications of taking down a monopoly responsible for a country's entire economic growth. The epilogue really touches on both the difficulty of dismantling large corporate entities and the political repercussions of destabilizing governments. Although the book is set seventy years in the future, many of the topics it covers remain relevant to today's political landscape.
MIR.EXE is not without its flaws: the introduction, although vivid, takes too long in my opinion, and prioritizes world-building over introducing the protagonist. Head-hopping occurs throughout the scenes, placing the narration somewhere between omniscient and 3rd-person limited. Flashbacks are used a little too liberally to provide the story of how Echo was strong-armed into working for Cryosaga. A flashback scene in Act 3, although interesting, detracts from the rising action and has a limited impact on the story.
But even those flaws add greatly to the novel. The world-building and setting in chapter 1 anchor the reader/listener in the world. The head-hopping often adds interesting motivations for minor characters, which contributes to the world-building. The flashbacks demonstrate Echo's skill and background, cementing him as the perfect protagonist for this story.
MIR.EXE is a unique and excellent story that touches on AI technology, corporate abuse of economic and political power, and the effects of poverty. It was nice to read a science fiction novel where it wasn't the AI or robots making the world dystopian; it was just good old corporate greed. I liked all the AI characters and found their outlooks on life interesting. Echo is an enviable protagonist whom I rooted for the entire novel.
Dillenback doesn't shy away from the real-world implications of taking down a monopoly responsible for a country's entire economic growth. The epilogue really touches on both the difficulty of dismantling large corporate entities and the political repercussions of destabilizing governments. Although the book is set seventy years in the future, many of the topics it covers remain relevant to today's political landscape.
MIR.EXE is not without its flaws: the introduction, although vivid, takes too long in my opinion, and prioritizes world-building over introducing the protagonist. Head-hopping occurs throughout the scenes, placing the narration somewhere between omniscient and 3rd-person limited. Flashbacks are used a little too liberally to provide the story of how Echo was strong-armed into working for Cryosaga. A flashback scene in Act 3, although interesting, detracts from the rising action and has a limited impact on the story.
But even those flaws add greatly to the novel. The world-building and setting in chapter 1 anchor the reader/listener in the world. The head-hopping often adds interesting motivations for minor characters, which contributes to the world-building. The flashbacks demonstrate Echo's skill and background, cementing him as the perfect protagonist for this story.
Review of advance copy received from Author
**REVIEW FROM READER'S FAVORITE**
https://readersfavorite.com/book-revi...
Reviewed by Jamie Michele for Readers' Favorite
MIR.EXE by D.K. Dillenback follows Echo Kinyata, who works at a Cryosaga-controlled port in a future Alaska where global power depends on a proprietary energy material. His role links his nervous system directly to corporate logistics infrastructure, binding his health to uninterrupted compliance. After a quiet request tied to his estranged wife Lyra, Echo intercepts a cargo container that places him outside corporate protection. The theft draws attention from Cryosaga security, local police units, private contractors, insurgent groups, and former allies who each believe control of the data will decide what comes next. As pressure mounts, Echo moves through surveillance systems, underground networks, and fractured communities while trying to understand what Lyra set in motion. The story tracks Echo as he becomes the sole point of access to information capable of reshaping political authority, economic dependence, and the future of the region.
D.K. Dillenback’s MIR.EXE is a supremely ambitious science fiction novel that's well written, putting corporate power, human agency, and machine logic inside a sharply imagined future. The title refers to an executable file with the Cyrillic word for peace or world, a loaded name applied to a quantum malware artifact. I love being in near future Alaska. Dillenback works in its well-known ports as part of the landscape, with container yards lit by automated cranes and security drones, which feel distinctly cinematic. Echo is a main character you want to root for, and some real twists in his arc are brilliant. Dillenback’s attention is equally applied to ancillary characters. Nixie starts as a mixed bag, but her commitment to what is right and the people of South Angst is heartening. Hierarchy is rigid and visible, from Cryosaga’s executive enclaves to informal resistance cells, and daily life reflects surveillance pressure and modified bodies. Overall, this is a book that ends with the probability of more to come, and I look forward to it.
https://readersfavorite.com/book-revi...
Reviewed by Jamie Michele for Readers' Favorite
MIR.EXE by D.K. Dillenback follows Echo Kinyata, who works at a Cryosaga-controlled port in a future Alaska where global power depends on a proprietary energy material. His role links his nervous system directly to corporate logistics infrastructure, binding his health to uninterrupted compliance. After a quiet request tied to his estranged wife Lyra, Echo intercepts a cargo container that places him outside corporate protection. The theft draws attention from Cryosaga security, local police units, private contractors, insurgent groups, and former allies who each believe control of the data will decide what comes next. As pressure mounts, Echo moves through surveillance systems, underground networks, and fractured communities while trying to understand what Lyra set in motion. The story tracks Echo as he becomes the sole point of access to information capable of reshaping political authority, economic dependence, and the future of the region.
D.K. Dillenback’s MIR.EXE is a supremely ambitious science fiction novel that's well written, putting corporate power, human agency, and machine logic inside a sharply imagined future. The title refers to an executable file with the Cyrillic word for peace or world, a loaded name applied to a quantum malware artifact. I love being in near future Alaska. Dillenback works in its well-known ports as part of the landscape, with container yards lit by automated cranes and security drones, which feel distinctly cinematic. Echo is a main character you want to root for, and some real twists in his arc are brilliant. Dillenback’s attention is equally applied to ancillary characters. Nixie starts as a mixed bag, but her commitment to what is right and the people of South Angst is heartening. Hierarchy is rigid and visible, from Cryosaga’s executive enclaves to informal resistance cells, and daily life reflects surveillance pressure and modified bodies. Overall, this is a book that ends with the probability of more to come, and I look forward to it.
April 11, 2026
The Premise
MIR.exe is a haunting cyberpunk journey through a world where technology is a shackle as much as an upgrade. We follow a protagonist who has been chewed up by the system—from a childhood in decrepit slums to a corporate job that literally poisons him with chemicals to work effectively.
Driven by the eventual loss of his soulmate to the all-seeing AI, he helps try and bring it down.
What Stood Out
The Brutal Realism of Tech: Dillenback doesn’t glamorize the "chrome." The augmented technology comes with a heavy price; the main character’s reliance on booster chemicals nearly kills him, showing the physical decay behind the high-tech facade.
A Broken Hero: This isn’t a fearless action star. The protagonist is deeply traumatized, living in a constant state of despair. His fight against the AI isn't just about politics; it’s a desperate attempt to find meaning in a life the corporation tried to hollow out.
The Terrifying AI: The AI governor is a masterclass in "necessary evils." It’s essential for the economy and infrastructure, making it impossible to remove without total collapse, yet it uses that necessity to spy on and control every citizen.
My Take
This was a heavy, powerful read. It captures the "low-life" aspect of cyberpunk better than most books in the genre. Seeing the main character struggle with his mental health and the physical toll of his work made his mission against the AI feel incredibly personal and high-stakes.
Verdict: If you want a cyberpunk story with actual soul and a dark, gritty edge, pick this up. It’s a bleak but gripping look at a future we are no doubt heading toward.
MIR.exe is a haunting cyberpunk journey through a world where technology is a shackle as much as an upgrade. We follow a protagonist who has been chewed up by the system—from a childhood in decrepit slums to a corporate job that literally poisons him with chemicals to work effectively.
Driven by the eventual loss of his soulmate to the all-seeing AI, he helps try and bring it down.
What Stood Out
The Brutal Realism of Tech: Dillenback doesn’t glamorize the "chrome." The augmented technology comes with a heavy price; the main character’s reliance on booster chemicals nearly kills him, showing the physical decay behind the high-tech facade.
A Broken Hero: This isn’t a fearless action star. The protagonist is deeply traumatized, living in a constant state of despair. His fight against the AI isn't just about politics; it’s a desperate attempt to find meaning in a life the corporation tried to hollow out.
The Terrifying AI: The AI governor is a masterclass in "necessary evils." It’s essential for the economy and infrastructure, making it impossible to remove without total collapse, yet it uses that necessity to spy on and control every citizen.
My Take
This was a heavy, powerful read. It captures the "low-life" aspect of cyberpunk better than most books in the genre. Seeing the main character struggle with his mental health and the physical toll of his work made his mission against the AI feel incredibly personal and high-stakes.
Verdict: If you want a cyberpunk story with actual soul and a dark, gritty edge, pick this up. It’s a bleak but gripping look at a future we are no doubt heading toward.
March 31, 2026
MIR.EXE by D.K. Dillenback is a gritty and immersive cyberpunk thriller that blends high tech intrigue with a deeply personal story of survival and trust.
Set in a fractured future shaped by corporate dominance and advanced technology, the novel builds a vivid world where power is controlled through innovation and information. Echo Kinyata’s journey stands at the center of the narrative, offering a compelling mix of vulnerability, resilience, and moral complexity as he navigates a dangerous conspiracy.
The story’s strength lies in its atmosphere and layered tension, combining elements of AI, corporate control, and shifting alliances into a fast moving and engaging plot. The stakes feel consistently high, with each decision carrying significant consequences in a world where nothing is truly secure.
A sharp and engaging read for fans of cyberpunk, dystopian fiction, and technology driven thrillers.
Set in a fractured future shaped by corporate dominance and advanced technology, the novel builds a vivid world where power is controlled through innovation and information. Echo Kinyata’s journey stands at the center of the narrative, offering a compelling mix of vulnerability, resilience, and moral complexity as he navigates a dangerous conspiracy.
The story’s strength lies in its atmosphere and layered tension, combining elements of AI, corporate control, and shifting alliances into a fast moving and engaging plot. The stakes feel consistently high, with each decision carrying significant consequences in a world where nothing is truly secure.
A sharp and engaging read for fans of cyberpunk, dystopian fiction, and technology driven thrillers.
April 28, 2026
MIR.EXE by D. K. Dillenback is an excellent Cyberpunk Science Fiction. Reuben Ashcroft did an excellent job with the narration. The story is entertaining, interesting, enjoyable, thrilling, and more.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review. Highly recommend
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review. Highly recommend
February 18, 2026
It was an incredible read! The futuristic technology offered a creative and imaginative take on what the future might hold. The story moved at a thrilling pace, packed with excitement from start to finish. I appreciated how intrigued the author kept my attention. I couldn’t put it down!
Review of advance copy received from Author
This book brought an interesting future where AI and cyber-enhancements are common place. Yet, the all too familiar class struggles still exist. The protagonist has a hard choice of betraying his roots or protecting his new life. It definitely leaves you questioning what is right and wrong. I would love a prequel about the resistance or maybe even a book about Lyra. I loved the novel and I look forward to more works by this author.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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