Cyberside: Second Simulation by Aleksey Savchenko & Bert Jennings
Published by: Velvet Curtain Publishing LTD Publication date: 24th May 2025 Genres: Cyberpunk / Dystopian Pages: 331 Buy Here Goodreads
WELCOME TO THE CYBERSIDE.
The body is obsolete. Memory is currency. And reality can be rewritten. James Reynolds was one of the engineers who built the Cyberside—a vast digital refuge created after the collapse of the physical world. Now he lives off-grid as a Taciturn, a hired gun with no identity, no allegiance, and no past he’s willing to revisit. Sent to a dying frontier town to eliminate a dangerous digital predator, James expects a routine kill. What he finds is Matilda—a Scry who doesn’t behave like any he’s hunted before, and who knows far too much about the world he helped create. As systems fail and disappearances mount, James and Matilda are drawn into a deeper conspiracy—one that traces back to Fall Water Lake, the origin point of the Cyberside itself. Cyberside: Second Simulation is a sharp, character-driven cyberpunk thriller from two veteran narrative designers.
For readers who remember their dreams in code.
About Aleksey Savchenko
Over the last 25+ years, game development veteran, futurist, author and BAFTA member Aleksey Savchenko has built a respected and influential career in the entertainment and tech industries. He is currently Director of R&D, Technology and External Resources at GSC Game World, where he has been instrumental in launching major titles including S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2. He has held key roles at Epic Games and Black Wing Foundation, and worked on projects for Disney, Warner Brothers, Square Enix, 2K, Gearbox, and 505 Games.
He is the author of Game as Business, numerous industry white papers, and the Cyberside series. Born in Ukraine, Aleksey supported military and humanitarian efforts after the 2022 invasion and is now based in the UK.
Bert Jennings is a writer, narrative designer, and producer with over a decade of experience in the video game and entertainment industries. He currently serves as Narrative Director at Turn Me Up Games, where he has worked since 2016, leading storytelling development across multiple titles. Prior to that, he held the role of Producer at the studio, overseeing internal IP development from concept to completion.
His background includes three years as Executive Assistant at Stereo D (a division of SDFX Studios), where he supported senior leadership and facilitated cross-departmental production across animation, development, and facility operations. Earlier in his career, Bert was an Assistant Producer at TopWare Interactive, contributing to multiple game launches between 2007 and 2010.
He is the co-author of Cyberside: Second Simulation, where his background in game design and narrative development helped shape the book’s immersive world-building and character-driven storytelling.