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Loading...The Machine Child: A Novella of Utter Speculation
Abby, a transfemme videogame YouTuber, finds an anonymous package left at her door. Inside is a VHS tape that seems to call to something within her, and opens up a door to the 40-year-old mystery of Polybius. The urban legend claims that an arcade cabinet allegedly caused madness and hallucinations in its players while it was installed over a single month in Portland in 1981. The package indicates that there may be even more to the story.
Something about it compels Abby on a journey across the country to discover the truth about the mysterious cabinet, the men in black watching over it, and to finish the story started in 1981.
Something about it compels Abby on a journey across the country to discover the truth about the mysterious cabinet, the men in black watching over it, and to finish the story started in 1981.
132 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 31, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
May 18, 2026
Weird, ambitious, and deeply meaningful. Madden uses the Polybius mythology to explore the feedback loop that is our relationship with technology as art. It shapes us and we shape it, sometimes for good and sometimes for ill.
Beautiful prose. Wildly imaginative sequences.
Beautiful prose. Wildly imaginative sequences.
July 1, 2026
Disclaimer: I received an advance review copy for free from booksirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Abby receives a strange package featuring a VHS tape with a video of an arcade game shrouded in mystery and urban legend. According to the legend, now supported by the video, people lined up for hours to play and always found themselves in quite emotional states. While the machines disappeared soon after, the video offers Abby the opportunity to investigate this piece of video game lore herself.
What I especially enjoyed were the ways Abby’s anxieties were shown and portrayed as clearly influenced through her existence as a black trans woman, who has become somewhat famous in her internet niche. She is uncomfortable in public and often feels strangers’ eyes linger on her, dysphoria and the threat of transmisogynistic violence a constant undertone.
Another thing I liked was the interactions between Abby and Bailey, another queer nerdy black woman, who knows about the arcade game and wants to investigate it with her. It was nice to see Abby, when she was able to relax a little bit in the safety of somebody who didn’t mean her harm and a beautiful portrayal of finding community.
I really enjoyed the way the story played with perspective (each part has a final chapter that is told from a strange unsettling perspective, which I really loved) and since I read on a big screen the font changes there added to my enjoyment instead of making it hard to read. Unlike other pieces of literature that play with font this one should be readable on mobile though, as long as you’re willing to switch up font sizes a few times.
At points I would have liked for the story to move a bit slower, to either allow for the small moments of dread to settle in deeper or for the relationship between Abby and Bailey to be explored in more detail, but all in all I enjoyed reading this.
If you want to read a short, somewhat unsettling, mostly weird exploration of a trans woman investigating a video game and finding herself on a road trip towards this mystery or enjoy explorations of urban legends ad conspiracy theories or want to read about how art (and yes, that includes video games) is an important tool of self-expression, you might enjoy this short story as well!
TW: body dysmorphia, dysphoria, government surveillance, internalized transphobia, riot, stalking
Abby receives a strange package featuring a VHS tape with a video of an arcade game shrouded in mystery and urban legend. According to the legend, now supported by the video, people lined up for hours to play and always found themselves in quite emotional states. While the machines disappeared soon after, the video offers Abby the opportunity to investigate this piece of video game lore herself.
What I especially enjoyed were the ways Abby’s anxieties were shown and portrayed as clearly influenced through her existence as a black trans woman, who has become somewhat famous in her internet niche. She is uncomfortable in public and often feels strangers’ eyes linger on her, dysphoria and the threat of transmisogynistic violence a constant undertone.
Another thing I liked was the interactions between Abby and Bailey, another queer nerdy black woman, who knows about the arcade game and wants to investigate it with her. It was nice to see Abby, when she was able to relax a little bit in the safety of somebody who didn’t mean her harm and a beautiful portrayal of finding community.
I really enjoyed the way the story played with perspective (each part has a final chapter that is told from a strange unsettling perspective, which I really loved) and since I read on a big screen the font changes there added to my enjoyment instead of making it hard to read. Unlike other pieces of literature that play with font this one should be readable on mobile though, as long as you’re willing to switch up font sizes a few times.
At points I would have liked for the story to move a bit slower, to either allow for the small moments of dread to settle in deeper or for the relationship between Abby and Bailey to be explored in more detail, but all in all I enjoyed reading this.
If you want to read a short, somewhat unsettling, mostly weird exploration of a trans woman investigating a video game and finding herself on a road trip towards this mystery or enjoy explorations of urban legends ad conspiracy theories or want to read about how art (and yes, that includes video games) is an important tool of self-expression, you might enjoy this short story as well!
TW: body dysmorphia, dysphoria, government surveillance, internalized transphobia, riot, stalking
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I received an eArc from Netgalley.
Loading...The Machine Child is a speculative fiction novella where Abby, a gamer and Youtuber investigates a mystery surrounding a 1980s arcade game after receiving a VHS in the mail.
This is a well-written book, I enjoyed reading it and couldn't put it down because I wanted to find out what happened next! I loves the 1980s and 1990s nostalgia. Abby is a great character, I enjoyed her inner monologue and I thought the potrayal of anxiety was on point. I am in no position to judge accuracy but the descriptions of gender dysphoria were visceral.
The creative formatting added to the story but it did make reading on an eReader tricky. Some chapters have a much smaller font and there were pages that repeated 'loading...' where I thought my page wasn't turning.
I found the conclusion unsatisfying. I don't mind an ambiguous ending but I don't feel like we got enough information to make up our own minds.
Overall an enjoyable read with a fabulous main character. If you like stories with X-Files type vibes, give this a read.
Loading...The Machine Child is a speculative fiction novella where Abby, a gamer and Youtuber investigates a mystery surrounding a 1980s arcade game after receiving a VHS in the mail.
This is a well-written book, I enjoyed reading it and couldn't put it down because I wanted to find out what happened next! I loves the 1980s and 1990s nostalgia. Abby is a great character, I enjoyed her inner monologue and I thought the potrayal of anxiety was on point. I am in no position to judge accuracy but the descriptions of gender dysphoria were visceral.
The creative formatting added to the story but it did make reading on an eReader tricky. Some chapters have a much smaller font and there were pages that repeated 'loading...' where I thought my page wasn't turning.
I found the conclusion unsatisfying. I don't mind an ambiguous ending but I don't feel like we got enough information to make up our own minds.
Overall an enjoyable read with a fabulous main character. If you like stories with X-Files type vibes, give this a read.
April 3, 2026
This book is immersive and filled with many themes I love, such as queer identity, urban legends, and nostalgia. It gave me very similar vibes to the movie I Saw the TV Glow (and even had a quote from it!), which is a movie I love and hold near and dear to my heart, and this book felt like a comforting hug from an old friend because of it. I also thought the topic of gender dysphoria was handled well, and I could really feel Abby’s discomfort through the pages. The only thing I was a little unsatisfied with was the ending; it felt a little rushed and a bit too up-in-the-air, but I think it fit well with the rest of the book regardless. Overall, this was a great read, and I’ll definitely be reading it again! I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
April 26, 2026
I absolutely loved this quirky, experimental thought-provoking, page-turner of a novella!
This book was weird and wonderful and I could not put it down! I was honestly so hooked!
I'm not a gamer, but I loved the 80s VHS, arcade vibes, and the trans rep was awesome too.
This is a novella, so of course there isn't a whole load of backstory, but honestly, I think I would read a full length novel based on this story. I would definitely watch the Netflix series!
The only thing I struggled with was that the ending didn't kind of resolve or explain everything I wanted resolved and explained, but I appreciate that this is probably part of the point of the story, and more of a personal taste/expectation thing than a negative about the book.
If you're feeling drawn to this, I highly recommend you grab a copy. This is a story that's going to stay with me for a long time!
This book was weird and wonderful and I could not put it down! I was honestly so hooked!
I'm not a gamer, but I loved the 80s VHS, arcade vibes, and the trans rep was awesome too.
This is a novella, so of course there isn't a whole load of backstory, but honestly, I think I would read a full length novel based on this story. I would definitely watch the Netflix series!
The only thing I struggled with was that the ending didn't kind of resolve or explain everything I wanted resolved and explained, but I appreciate that this is probably part of the point of the story, and more of a personal taste/expectation thing than a negative about the book.
If you're feeling drawn to this, I highly recommend you grab a copy. This is a story that's going to stay with me for a long time!
Review of advance copy
This book is a great example as to why reading fiction is important. I felt such empty for Abby. I feel I gained a greater understanding of body dysphoria. How it feels to be treated like a woman without being accepted as one.
There is some masterful storytelling and character development for such a short story. I read this in one sitting as it was too engrossing to put down. It's nerdy and weird and queer as hell. It has everything from vintage video games to urban legends and conspiracy theories. It is a fun, fast paced book that will leaving you wondering.
Thanks to Speculation Publication for sending me an early Kickstarter ebook edition! I am excited to see what they publish next.
There is some masterful storytelling and character development for such a short story. I read this in one sitting as it was too engrossing to put down. It's nerdy and weird and queer as hell. It has everything from vintage video games to urban legends and conspiracy theories. It is a fun, fast paced book that will leaving you wondering.
Thanks to Speculation Publication for sending me an early Kickstarter ebook edition! I am excited to see what they publish next.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This story is so experimental and weird, and I kind of love it. At first, it read like a suspenseful horror, but after finishing it, I can say it reads more reflective, and kind of like a fever dream in the best way. I love the descriptions of gender dysphoria, and the experience of being a woman in only some ways and not others.
While the ending doesn't fully explain everything or make tons of sense, and wouldn't be something I would usually enjoy in a book, it's very fitting for this particular story. A huge thank you to Speculation Publications and Netgalley for this ARC!
While the ending doesn't fully explain everything or make tons of sense, and wouldn't be something I would usually enjoy in a book, it's very fitting for this particular story. A huge thank you to Speculation Publications and Netgalley for this ARC!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
A unique story, if a little hard to follow at times (but I think that’s part of the point?). It’s a mystery/suspense full of 80s pop culture references. I think a lot of us 90s kids grew up with weird internet myths just like Polybius, when the internet was young and not everything was recorded yet. It was really cool to see that play out.
That said, I struggled with the writing a little. Especially Abby’s POV section were a bit jumbled, like a running train of thought.
That said, I struggled with the writing a little. Especially Abby’s POV section were a bit jumbled, like a running train of thought.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This was an intriguing read. I loved that it centered women in gaming environments, but some elements of the writing felt a little weird to read, especially in the beginning. There was some unnecessary repetition, especially for such a short book. And some chapters were in a much smaller font on the e-reader which made it a bit irksome trying to change font sizes between chapters. I'm not mad I read it.
Thank you to Speculation Publications for the opportunity to read and review.
Thank you to Speculation Publications for the opportunity to read and review.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews