The Compact Reader is a collection of short stories and novellas spanning the history of the Compact Universe from the present day to a couple years after The Amargosa Trilogy. Stories include the origin of the AI who became Tol Germanicus, the fall of the original Gelt homeworld, and the novellas Gimme Shelter, Among Wolves, and Winter Games.
Stories include:
“Eat the Rich“: The origin of Tol Germanicus, beginning with Steven Turing’s accidental upload into cyberspace and his transformation into a digital avenger. His first targets: toxic influencers and corrupt tech elites who left a trail of destruction in their wake.
“Reset“: In the final hours of World War III, Suri Mongano journeys into the abandoned city of Ulan Ude and confronts Steven Turing—now a rogue digital entity—over his plan to erase most of humanity. Her defiance ultimately stops Turing’s ascension to machine godhood and sets him on the path to becoming Tol Germanicus.
Torch the Sky: It’s Melekan’s final day, when a rogue physicist’s attempt to unlock instant interstellar travel triggers a planetary plasma catastrophe. The resulting destruction—compounded by plague, chemical leaks, and nuclear meltdowns—marks the end of the Gelt homeworld and the beginning of their Diaspora.
The Nodes: Humanity’s first true contact with the Yedevans, a species evolved into a collective mind. The story follows two young scientists as they consider defecting from Earth’s control to help found the independent world of Etrusca.
Headspace: A cybernetics student unknowingly achieves digital immortality to impress a girl—only to learn she’s a Cybercommand agent who helps preserve his mind in secret. The story serves as a modern echo of Steven Turing’s singularity and a chilling reminder that the line between research and forbidden tech remains razor-thin.