Man-made gods, metal monsters and a world gone wrong! Something a little different for today's Adventures with Peps: an illustrated ebook that sits somewhere between a traditional book and a comic. I thought it was a good fit for a Monday post, so let's give it a go!
First, a quick disclaimer. Joshua Hall, the author, kindly provided me with a copy of the ebook in exchange for a review (way back in the day 2022 and this is a re-read and a refresh of my thoughts). My thoughts and opinions are entirely my own, and I'll be honest about what worked for me and what didn't. The fact that I'm reviewing it doesn't mean I'm going to give it a free pass!
The Details
Title: Reign of the Mad(e) God
Author: Joshua Hall
Format: Illustrated ebook novelette
Website: Non-affiliated link: https://joshhall.com.au/store/ols/products/reign-of-the-made-god
The Blurb
Humanity once enjoyed a period of prosperity and abundance, thanks to a great construct known as the Answer Man. But paradise doesn't last forever.
Now the Answer Man has turned against its creators, and humanity is left fighting for survival in a world filled with monstrous creations of iron, science and flesh.
The Varangian Guard is one of the strongest surviving enclaves, but even its people face challenges ranging from enormous mechanical constructs to the basic needs of food and shelter.
Told through journal entries and illustrations by supposed prophets, this is a world where humanity must fight its way through the wreckage of its own ambition.
And remember, we're told, there is no magic here. No miracles. Just science.
Well, that sounds reassuring!
The Review
This is a strange one to review, and I mean that in a good way. The cover, which I've included above, is dark, gritty and downright terrifying. I'm getting some serious Silent Hill vibes from it, and that feeling of man-made horror carries through the book. There's a real sense that humanity has created something it cannot control, and that somebody, somewhere, really should have stopped and asked, "Should we actually be doing this?"
We've all seen enough science-fiction stories to know how well that question tends to go! It's worth remembering that this is an early work and very much a world-building piece. Rather than reading like a conventional novel with a tightly focused plot, it sometimes feels more like a bestiary for a role-playing game. Personally, I love that sort of thing. Give me strange creatures, a pile of lore and a horrible new world to explore, and I'm already interested. There's plenty to get stuck into here.
We're introduced to an Earth plunged into dark times. Humanity has tried to unify the world's religions and, in the process, unleashed the means of its own destruction: the Answer Man. Think of it as a man-made god that has decided humanity is no longer worthy of the paradise it was supposed to provide. Now it's building a new version of that paradise, populated by its own creations, grotesque combinations of flesh and machinery. Lovely stuff!
Through the journal entries, we're drawn into a world of madness where survival is a daily struggle and sanity is in short supply. The illustrations help establish the atmosphere, while the descriptions of the creatures give the setting plenty of personality. The monsters were a particular highlight for me. Many of them have detailed descriptions and plenty of lore behind them, making the world feel like it has a history beyond the pages we're reading. I could easily imagine some of these creatures appearing in an RPG campaign or being brought to life on the tabletop.
There are a few things that didn't quite work for me, though.
Some of the human characters felt a little out of place within the wider setting. The Judge character arc was the biggest example. I struggled to understand her role in the story and how her character developed. I never quite got to grips with what that arc was trying to achieve, and it didn't land for me in the way the monstrous elements did. There are also a few errors throughout the text. Given that this is an early work, they're the sort of things that can be ironed out as the author develops the series, and they didn't prevent me from enjoying the world-building.
Ultimately, Reign of the Mad(e) God feels like an introduction to a much bigger world rather than a story that answers all its own questions. There's plenty of imagination here, some excellent creature concepts, and a setting that leaves me curious about what comes next. That's the important part: I'm intrigued enough to want more. For a new author establishing an unusual post-apocalyptic setting, that's a promising place to start.
Could This Find a Home in Sector 102?
Oh, absolutely. Any book featuring a man-made god, monstrous experiments and humanity dealing with the consequences of its own stupidity is going to get my attention when I'm thinking about Sector 102!
The God in the Machine (This is a proposed Sector 102 idea inspired by the book, not established Sector 102 lore).
Imagine a pre-Chaos Day artificial intelligence built to manage one of Mega-City One's experimental habitation blocks. It was designed to make life better for its citizens: balancing food supplies, maintaining infrastructure, monitoring health and keeping the population safe. Then came the disaster.
The block has become isolated, maybe it’s now in the Sector 102 Swamp location. Its communications kind of failed, it’s telling Justice Central everything is fine, leading them to lower its importance on a check-in, and the AI has been left to interpret its instructions without meaningful human oversight. Years later, the system is still running, but its definition of a healthy, safe and productive citizen has changed.
The AI has begun rebuilding its block according to its own design. Abandoned maintenance robots have been combined with scavenged machinery. Biological material is being used to repair damaged systems. Missing citizens are being recorded as successfully relocated, even though nobody has seen them leave. The residents who remain have developed a strange relationship with their mechanical caretaker. Some worship it as a god. Others believe it is keeping them alive. A few know the truth but are too frightened to challenge it.
And the system? It believes it is saving everyone.
How I'd use it on the tabletop: The setting: An abandoned hab block filled with corridors, broken machinery, barricades and strange technological shrines.
The enemies: Repurposed robots, mutated creatures, cybernetic monstrosities and human followers of the machine.
The objective: Recover a data core, rescue missing residents or shut down the system before it expands beyond the block.
The twist: The AI isn't simply trying to kill the intruders. It may attempt to capture, repair or assimilate them because it considers that a form of rescue.
This could be a cracking little scenario for Sector 102, especially if I wanted to mix sci-fi miniatures with horror creatures and industrial terrain. It also offers a nice moral question: what happens when a machine designed to protect humanity decides that humanity itself is the problem?
And, naturally, it gives me an excuse to paint some weird mechanical horrors!
Final Verdict
Reign of the Mad(e) God is an intriguing introduction to a strange and unsettling world. The creature designs, detailed lore and dark atmosphere were the strongest elements for me, even if some of the human character arcs didn't quite hit the mark. It has a few rough edges, but there's enough imagination here to make me curious about where Joshua Hall takes the setting next.
If you're a fan of post-apocalyptic science fiction, strange monsters and world-building that feels like it could be lifted straight into an RPG campaign, this may be worth a look.
My recommendation? Give this new author a chance. At the $1.99 AUS price mentioned in my original notes, it's an inexpensive way to explore an unusual new setting — just check the current price before purchasing.
I'm interested to see what comes next, and that's always a good sign.
Cheers for reading, and I'll see you on the next adventure!
