Four centuries after The Last War scorched the planet, humanity survives in the Underground City—a totalitarian society where every act of affection is policed and laboratory breeding has erased the concept of family. Nineteen-year-old Spark, an Outsider, infiltrates the city in search of her missing younger brother.
She soon crosses paths with Drill, an aging rebel haunted by his past, and Alaska, his android protector. His crew of misfits joins her search, including Utah, a humanoid bot, and Mian, the human man who loves her. As Spark uncovers the city’s darkest secrets, she comes face to face with Citizen One—the immortal architect of its brutal design. Saving her brother could mean toppling the entire regime.
Spark in the Underground City is dark, haunting, yet bittersweet—an exploration of family, friendship, and the fragile line between human and machine.
This novel also speaks to the current rapidly evolving cultural moment: How will humans respond when our AI companions no longer live in our devices but walk beside us in humanoid form? The story continues the lineage of human–robot narratives from Asimov’s robots and Star Trek’s Data to Ex Machina (2014, Alex Garland), Companion (2025, Drew Hancock), and Sierra Greer’s Annie Bot (2024).