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Circuit Theory
Dante and Byron are avatars. Driven by human beings, yet still only digital representations of their ideal selves. In reality, they live far apart, but share most of their waking and working hours together in a virtual world called Synth.
In Synth, like in most code, the laws are infinitely more simple and infinitely more complex. Navigating the system rules of virtual lovers is like steering through a minefield of deceit, suspicion, heartbreak, and half-truths.
Under pressure, Dante makes a friendship that trips Byron’s warning bells, disrupting their carefully-ordered lives and calling into question the wisdom of trusting your heart to a man you can never touch in the flesh.
In Synth, like in most code, the laws are infinitely more simple and infinitely more complex. Navigating the system rules of virtual lovers is like steering through a minefield of deceit, suspicion, heartbreak, and half-truths.
Under pressure, Dante makes a friendship that trips Byron’s warning bells, disrupting their carefully-ordered lives and calling into question the wisdom of trusting your heart to a man you can never touch in the flesh.
54 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 28, 2012
1 person is currently reading
138 people want to read
About the author
Kirby Crow
24Ìýbooks380ÌýfollowersKirby Crow worked as an entertainment editor and ghostwriter for several years before happily giving it up to bake brownies, read yaoi, play video games, and write her own novels. Whenever she isn't slaying Orcs or flying a battleship for the glory of the Amarr Empire, she can be found in the kitchen, her vegetable garden, or at the keyboard, tapping away at her next book.
Kirby is a winner of the EPIC Award and the Rainbow Award. She is the author of the bestselling "Scarlet and the White Wolf" series of fantasy novels.
Her published novels are:
Prisoner of the Raven
Scarlet and the White Wolf: The Pedlar and the Bandit King
Scarlet and the White Wolf: Mariner's Luck
Scarlet and the White Wolf: The Land of Night
Angels of the Deep
Hammer and Bone
Malachite
Scarlet and the White Wolf: The King of Forever
Meridian
Windward
Scarlet and the White Wolf: The Temple Road
Novellas:
Turks Cay
Poison Apples
Circuit Theory
The Art of Fire
Chimera
For upcoming news of her future novels, visit
Kirby is a winner of the EPIC Award and the Rainbow Award. She is the author of the bestselling "Scarlet and the White Wolf" series of fantasy novels.
Her published novels are:
Prisoner of the Raven
Scarlet and the White Wolf: The Pedlar and the Bandit King
Scarlet and the White Wolf: Mariner's Luck
Scarlet and the White Wolf: The Land of Night
Angels of the Deep
Hammer and Bone
Malachite
Scarlet and the White Wolf: The King of Forever
Meridian
Windward
Scarlet and the White Wolf: The Temple Road
Novellas:
Turks Cay
Poison Apples
Circuit Theory
The Art of Fire
Chimera
For upcoming news of her future novels, visit
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
April 5, 2013
..what. WHAT?
How dare it end there?
I am very put off by the ending. MOAAAARRRRRR
And throw in an HEA while you're at it. Please. This HFN is killing me. You are committing homicide with this HFN. HOMOCIDE, I SAY. HOMOCIDE.
Look at what you made me do. You made me break out the onion heads.
That being said, I did rather like it. People have made complaints about how much is left unsaid. I think that that was done on purpose, but enough is thrown out here and there to let you construct a basic mental image of what "irl" is like. But, I mean, it doesn't really matter since the point of it was the whole disparity between what one sees in game and what happens irl. I think it tackles some interesting concepts that I can see becoming applicable to our world and it handles them quite well.
I am rather unhappy with the HFN, but only because I mainly escape read and a part of me always demands an HEA.
How dare it end there?
I am very put off by the ending. MOAAAARRRRRR
And throw in an HEA while you're at it. Please. This HFN is killing me. You are committing homicide with this HFN. HOMOCIDE, I SAY. HOMOCIDE.
Look at what you made me do. You made me break out the onion heads.
That being said, I did rather like it. People have made complaints about how much is left unsaid. I think that that was done on purpose, but enough is thrown out here and there to let you construct a basic mental image of what "irl" is like. But, I mean, it doesn't really matter since the point of it was the whole disparity between what one sees in game and what happens irl. I think it tackles some interesting concepts that I can see becoming applicable to our world and it handles them quite well.
I am rather unhappy with the HFN, but only because I mainly escape read and a part of me always demands an HEA.
September 18, 2012
An interesting idea, and not badly written, but it felt too unfinished for me. It was like playing cards with over half the cards missing. I don't usually mind stories that slowly unfold, but things just didn't unfold enough for me to have felt this was even a complete short story. It felt more like a prologue to something larger rather than something that could stand on its own.
January 16, 2013
~~~
"Stiletto heels didn’t actually hurt when they poked into your pixelated cranium, but it did look rather odd, like I was being weirdly topped by a woman with a shoe fetish. Whoops. Man. Skins could be very androgynous in Synth."
The instantly likeable and hilarious beginning caught me off guard. By the time I decided this was going to be a lighthearted romp in a virtual world, I didn't foresee the depth that this short story could possibly hold. A very surprising read, often funny, often emotional, completely unique.
THE STORY:
Dante and Byron have created their perfect reality within an RPG called Synth. Their world allows them to live life as they like, avoiding the pitfalls of reality, or so they think.
"Circuit Theory" is a look at life, real and virtual, from within the realms of online gaming. There's a triple viewpoint happening here; from inside Synth, to the player's RL's, to the reader's personal experiences, whether on message boards or in an RPG. The concept for this story is very intriguing. This isn't a book about a virtual world but about how people live their lives within that world.
THE CHARACTERS:
Dante could be almost anyone, he is likeable, considerate, flamboyant and sardonic. He is instantly recognizable, even if he is an avatar.
SexxyBabee1 is vivacious, voluptuous and very unbalanced. Well, maybe she is balanced.
"Her shiny red stilettos clicked as she turned in a perfect circle so I could get the full view of her grossly extended and mostly exposed buttocks. I guess she needed them for balance."
Byron remains something of a mystery. He loves Dante and has built a safe and pleasurable life within Synth. The more I came to understand Byron the less I knew about him. I'd love to read more about his earlier avatar.
While seeking happiness and acceptance each of these characters have just found another way to wear a mask.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NOTE: I'm not a gamer and although I spend entirely too much time online I don't consider myself educated in RPG's or virtual worlds. I have explored a few of these worlds and can't say that I'm a complete newb, but I am, in no way, even a Level 2 player. I tell you this because, for the first few pages, I found myself wondering if I would be able to navigate through the slang and lingo, in this story. Fortunately the authors do a good job at keeping you up with what's going on, even for the uninitiated.
I want to thank netgalley.com and Riptide Publishing for providing me with an advanced copy of this terrific ebook in exchange for my honest review.
~~~
Take a look at my Male/Male Romance Book Blog:
"Stiletto heels didn’t actually hurt when they poked into your pixelated cranium, but it did look rather odd, like I was being weirdly topped by a woman with a shoe fetish. Whoops. Man. Skins could be very androgynous in Synth."
The instantly likeable and hilarious beginning caught me off guard. By the time I decided this was going to be a lighthearted romp in a virtual world, I didn't foresee the depth that this short story could possibly hold. A very surprising read, often funny, often emotional, completely unique.
THE STORY:
Dante and Byron have created their perfect reality within an RPG called Synth. Their world allows them to live life as they like, avoiding the pitfalls of reality, or so they think.
"Circuit Theory" is a look at life, real and virtual, from within the realms of online gaming. There's a triple viewpoint happening here; from inside Synth, to the player's RL's, to the reader's personal experiences, whether on message boards or in an RPG. The concept for this story is very intriguing. This isn't a book about a virtual world but about how people live their lives within that world.
THE CHARACTERS:
Dante could be almost anyone, he is likeable, considerate, flamboyant and sardonic. He is instantly recognizable, even if he is an avatar.
SexxyBabee1 is vivacious, voluptuous and very unbalanced. Well, maybe she is balanced.
"Her shiny red stilettos clicked as she turned in a perfect circle so I could get the full view of her grossly extended and mostly exposed buttocks. I guess she needed them for balance."
Byron remains something of a mystery. He loves Dante and has built a safe and pleasurable life within Synth. The more I came to understand Byron the less I knew about him. I'd love to read more about his earlier avatar.
While seeking happiness and acceptance each of these characters have just found another way to wear a mask.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NOTE: I'm not a gamer and although I spend entirely too much time online I don't consider myself educated in RPG's or virtual worlds. I have explored a few of these worlds and can't say that I'm a complete newb, but I am, in no way, even a Level 2 player. I tell you this because, for the first few pages, I found myself wondering if I would be able to navigate through the slang and lingo, in this story. Fortunately the authors do a good job at keeping you up with what's going on, even for the uninitiated.
I want to thank netgalley.com and Riptide Publishing for providing me with an advanced copy of this terrific ebook in exchange for my honest review.
~~~
Take a look at my Male/Male Romance Book Blog:
June 12, 2016
Now this�
Man, the idea of this� Well, comes actually from the joys and pain that is social media today, but was developed into new and fantastic dimensions for this short story.
I really enjoyed the online world of Synth, how you can create and build yourself and places and just the way you move or dance, and also the way you can interact with other users. I think this was a great setting. I could picture it all, the beauty and imperfections, and I could relate to it very well.
Not only to the setting, also the characters we find in this world are ones that you have met or experienced, should you have the habit of being on social media.
There’s this spectrum of experiencing relationships, ranging from hurtful to shallow to meaningful, from short-lived to temporarily to long-term. We navigate through all these every day or just from time to time.
I have met all of these kinds of people online and I have been these to someone else, too. It’s not always easy and, funnily, I think it’s quite interesting that we all have to learn how to be and interact with others online, although we are adults already. It’s like a new learning field of interactions, of how to be you, of how to be a good human being.
I failed. I still fail, from time to time, but I see things getting better. I have learned, and that is actually really great. Because I wouldn’t want to miss the joy and help the online community, my friends, give me, and I them. For me, it is worth it.
CIRCUIT THEORY focuses on these human interactions, on the joys it brings and on the dangers it also bears. It gives us a view into our fears and insecurities, and what I personally loved about this short story is that it raises all these thoughts and questions and leaves us to answer them and to find a personal position on this on our own.
This is after all what, for me, a short story is all about.
_______________
Genre: short story
Tags: cyber relationships
July 22, 2012
Kirby Crow and Reya Starck have created an interesting world. People no longer have to go out into the real world to socialize to meet people. They can now buy skins, create an avatar, and spend time in the Synth. The identities individuals create allow them to be whoever or whatever they want. The originality of Circuit Theory is very unique and something that I have never read.
There are several reasons why Circuit Theory didn’t work for me. The main reason was too much information was left unknown. I wanted to know more about whom Dante and Byron are in real life. While it would have worked for me and made the story more interesting I’m not sure if it would have worked for the novella. So obviously it is a personal issue.
Readers are introduced to Dante and Byron, two avatars who already have an established relationship. There wasn’t any relationship development. I read a few days in their Synth life and the complications that Synth relations have. The novella is first person point of view, Dante’s point of view. I realize the characters are avatars, digital
representations of humans on a computer. The characters never the less never fleshed out for me and seemed very one dimensional.
There are some typos, but they are intentional and very much a part of the story. The typos are very creative on the writers� part to show this world as it is, a coding issue. Some of the conversations are even presented to readers as the text that the human behind the avatar is reading and writing. This adds a distinctive flare to the story.
I think anyone who enjoys role playing games will love this. The novella mildly reminded me of the movie Gamer. Gerard Butler was an active character in the game, but he was being physically controlled by another individual who was hooked up to a game console. This world is built similar to that.
There are several reasons why Circuit Theory didn’t work for me. The main reason was too much information was left unknown. I wanted to know more about whom Dante and Byron are in real life. While it would have worked for me and made the story more interesting I’m not sure if it would have worked for the novella. So obviously it is a personal issue.
Readers are introduced to Dante and Byron, two avatars who already have an established relationship. There wasn’t any relationship development. I read a few days in their Synth life and the complications that Synth relations have. The novella is first person point of view, Dante’s point of view. I realize the characters are avatars, digital
representations of humans on a computer. The characters never the less never fleshed out for me and seemed very one dimensional.
There are some typos, but they are intentional and very much a part of the story. The typos are very creative on the writers� part to show this world as it is, a coding issue. Some of the conversations are even presented to readers as the text that the human behind the avatar is reading and writing. This adds a distinctive flare to the story.
I think anyone who enjoys role playing games will love this. The novella mildly reminded me of the movie Gamer. Gerard Butler was an active character in the game, but he was being physically controlled by another individual who was hooked up to a game console. This world is built similar to that.
August 6, 2012
Circuit Theory is by far one of the most unique books I've run across in a long time. It takes place in the world of virtual reality and ends up giving an intriguing view of human interactions in the modern world and the difficulty of forming meaningful attachments.
Dante and Byron only interact in the virtual world of Synth and have what appears to be a good relationship. But past hurts cause Byron to start driving Dante away and without Byron being willing to express his true feelings Dante starts feeling ever more frustrated. Byron lets his past keep him from forming new attachments and questions every move Dante makes to be kind to others. Dante can't help his outgoing nature though and as the story progresses there's a sense of an oncoming storm. These two are happy in their virtual world for now, but the differences in their temperament have created some permanent hurts that can't keep being ignored in this well written story that has a happy for now ending.
The Synth world is vividly presented and all those feelings of inferiority amidst the haves and have nots in real life are clearly depicted in this virtual world as well. It would be very easy to get drawn into this larger than life world, but it can also be harsh. The depiction of the Synth world is my favorite part of the story, but I was left frustrated by what was happening in the real world. I definitely expected these two characters to meet in real life and their reasons for not doing so aren't very believable nor quite clear.
Circuit Theory easily draws the reader in. Even though it doesn't progress the way you expect, it's still a satisfying and thought provoking story about relationships in modern times and fans of the sci-fi genre will find it especially appealing.
Dante and Byron only interact in the virtual world of Synth and have what appears to be a good relationship. But past hurts cause Byron to start driving Dante away and without Byron being willing to express his true feelings Dante starts feeling ever more frustrated. Byron lets his past keep him from forming new attachments and questions every move Dante makes to be kind to others. Dante can't help his outgoing nature though and as the story progresses there's a sense of an oncoming storm. These two are happy in their virtual world for now, but the differences in their temperament have created some permanent hurts that can't keep being ignored in this well written story that has a happy for now ending.
The Synth world is vividly presented and all those feelings of inferiority amidst the haves and have nots in real life are clearly depicted in this virtual world as well. It would be very easy to get drawn into this larger than life world, but it can also be harsh. The depiction of the Synth world is my favorite part of the story, but I was left frustrated by what was happening in the real world. I definitely expected these two characters to meet in real life and their reasons for not doing so aren't very believable nor quite clear.
Circuit Theory easily draws the reader in. Even though it doesn't progress the way you expect, it's still a satisfying and thought provoking story about relationships in modern times and fans of the sci-fi genre will find it especially appealing.
Shelved as 'probably-not'
July 8, 2012Holy wow, this is a cool idea for a book. I hope it's good.
July 28, 2012
I didn't actually understand the blurb until after I finished the book. Interesting take on romance. 3.5 stars
June 18, 2017
Futuristic, yet oddly nostalgic at the same time? This took me back to the days of online avatars and role playing. If you are a gamer, you’ll love this. This is exactly the sort of sci-fi world I’d happily live in.
Wild. But charming!
So this is a short story, and yet there were so many lines that struck me about online identities. Being trans, I often feel like I’m more honest online then I can be in real life. It’s implied the main character is in a very similar situation. His self-consciousness is heartbreaking, but extremely relatable.
Oh, did I mention we get ace rep?!
There were a few moments I was worried about misogyny, but this was addressed on page. The discussion of body image and how we present ourselves is a very big topic here.
Ahhh I wish we got more interaction between the couple, but the ending really sold me on them. It gets all philosophical and feels complete on its own. Also, I’ll never see “wanting more� as a negative thing. Anything that keeps me flipping the pages is good.
Hope to see more of this world! And if not, I enjoyed the time spent here.
Wild. But charming!
So this is a short story, and yet there were so many lines that struck me about online identities. Being trans, I often feel like I’m more honest online then I can be in real life. It’s implied the main character is in a very similar situation. His self-consciousness is heartbreaking, but extremely relatable.
Oh, did I mention we get ace rep?!
There were a few moments I was worried about misogyny, but this was addressed on page. The discussion of body image and how we present ourselves is a very big topic here.
Ahhh I wish we got more interaction between the couple, but the ending really sold me on them. It gets all philosophical and feels complete on its own. Also, I’ll never see “wanting more� as a negative thing. Anything that keeps me flipping the pages is good.
Hope to see more of this world! And if not, I enjoyed the time spent here.
August 6, 2012
This may be the most unique romance I've ever read, in that the two main characters never meet in real life.
Where they meet instead is Synth -- a virtual world where probably the only thing guaranteed is that people aren't who they say they are. Dante and Byron aren't in Synth to play games though. For two guys who have never met, Synth is the place where they can live their lives together.
Dante makes a mistake in reaching out to another user Sexxybabee1. Sexxy is needy. aggressive, clingy, manipulative. We don't know her real agenda, and neither does Dante. She's stalking him, but if he blocks her, what then? She's already told him she's got nothing to live for in real life and she might as well kill herself. And hell, anyone who's spend any time with an online community knows that person, right?
Byron lives and works in Synth, and he knows it better than Dante. He's been burned before, and he's not going to let that happen to Dante.
It's a love story, but there's a weird disconnect between the two guys. Synth isn't real; is love? Who are they really -- their two avatars who connect, or two guys on two different sides of the world who have nothing in common except an internet connection? There are no straight answers.
I found the ending of Circuit Theory surprisingly poignant.
Wow. Just wow.
Where they meet instead is Synth -- a virtual world where probably the only thing guaranteed is that people aren't who they say they are. Dante and Byron aren't in Synth to play games though. For two guys who have never met, Synth is the place where they can live their lives together.
Dante makes a mistake in reaching out to another user Sexxybabee1. Sexxy is needy. aggressive, clingy, manipulative. We don't know her real agenda, and neither does Dante. She's stalking him, but if he blocks her, what then? She's already told him she's got nothing to live for in real life and she might as well kill herself. And hell, anyone who's spend any time with an online community knows that person, right?
Byron lives and works in Synth, and he knows it better than Dante. He's been burned before, and he's not going to let that happen to Dante.
It's a love story, but there's a weird disconnect between the two guys. Synth isn't real; is love? Who are they really -- their two avatars who connect, or two guys on two different sides of the world who have nothing in common except an internet connection? There are no straight answers.
I found the ending of Circuit Theory surprisingly poignant.
Wow. Just wow.
Read
December 5, 2012Only a novella, this is a love story between avatars, but never something so unreal felt so realistic. Trust me, more than once it happened also to me to be in Dante’s shoes, wondering if my “activity� in the cyber world has effected someone in their real life. Being inconsiderate while online is so easy, because virtual reality is not real, and you always think the other one understand the rules. Have you ever wondered how it will be perceived from another when you click on that “unfriend� bottom? I seldom unfriend people because I always asked myself, how will I react? When I was a newbie of the cyber world I was more affected by this, now I learned to not care, most of the time, but still, it hurts a little.
In any case this is not your ordinary love story, because Dante and Byron are lover on a virtual world called Synth, and from what I understood, they have never met in real life. But their love story is as real as if they were in the same city at the same time, and as it can be good, it can also hurt you. Like in a very ordinary relationship, there are weak points you know you don’t have to touch, and of course Dante is always trying for unveiling Byron’s secrets. In the blink of few pages, what apparently was a perfect relationship, shows its bugs, and Dante and Byron will have to work hard to make it works, exactly like in real life.
Nothing of Dante and Byron non-avatars came out, if not maybe a loneliness they are trying to fill with their lives in a virtual world.
In any case this is not your ordinary love story, because Dante and Byron are lover on a virtual world called Synth, and from what I understood, they have never met in real life. But their love story is as real as if they were in the same city at the same time, and as it can be good, it can also hurt you. Like in a very ordinary relationship, there are weak points you know you don’t have to touch, and of course Dante is always trying for unveiling Byron’s secrets. In the blink of few pages, what apparently was a perfect relationship, shows its bugs, and Dante and Byron will have to work hard to make it works, exactly like in real life.
Nothing of Dante and Byron non-avatars came out, if not maybe a loneliness they are trying to fill with their lives in a virtual world.
November 22, 2012
The concept/idea for the story was sound and unique. I wasn't really too happy with the world building since it left me with some questions about Synth and the real world the characters lived in. I felt like I was getting the middle of a book (in a way a huge excerpt) instead of a whole book to read. I would have liked to see a bit more romance since the way Dante and Byron rectified their relationship after the fight they had left me aching for them to move past Byron problem and allow their relationship to flourish.
April 27, 2018
This was more a statement on the nature of virtual reality than a romance. I wasn’t quite sure how to what to make of it.
January 16, 2019
You can't just end it like that! Yes you can and it was a great short story novella thing. But you can't just end like that!
Shelved as 'featured'
June 13, 2020
Want to read
March 9, 2025Available in my Kindle app from Netgalley
July 6, 2016
I have mixed feelings about this book. It has a handful of different elements going on, so I'm going to talk about them individually.
Discussion of immersive gaming and online relationships - A+, spot on. The protagonist feels deeply about his online relationship, and explains that it is exactly what he wants - he doesn't feel comfortable in real life, and so his connections online are absolutely vital to him. He takes his relationship with his partner seriously and his even fleeting connections to strangers he meets online seriously as well.
Romantic subplot - Ehhh???? There is a core issue to their relationship that the climax of the book revolves around, but it's not resolved?? At all?? The guy's partner is very "ugh can we not talk about this" and refuses to continue the conversation, and that's how the story ends. Their relationship is also really ... weird. The protagonist's partner is very controlling and domineering, and the protag mentions a few times that they have a dom/sub relationship, but like... the details/boundaries of that relationship aren't fully explained? So it comes off as really unhealthy to me, and made it hard to really appreciate it when the protagonist spoke in glowing terms about his partner.
Asexual and Nonbinary representation - Okay, so this is less on the book and more on the publisher, who categorized this story as ace and nb on their website. Ace, yes. The book uses that word, the protagonist explains that he likes engaging in sex online as opposed to real life, and that part of why his online relationship w/this man means so much to him is that he doesn't feel like he can engage in a romantisexual relationship offline. Which... the "btw I'm ace" thing is kind of tacked on in the last few pages, and the character isn't really written like they're asexual? Which is a weird/touchy subject but they very obviously experience sexual attraction to their partner's avatar, which like. IDK I felt weird about the whole thing, like the authors were throwing it on there at the end to "explain" why the character cared so much about his online bf. Which is gross, imo. "I'm ace so I can't date people irl, online relationships only pls!" is just. idk it gives me weird feels.
The publisher also listed this book as nonbinary. Which, there are a handful of background characters described in varying degrees of genderfuckery, haha. But other than that? For one thing, the protagonist at one point uses the phrase "both genders," which is extremely anti-nonbinary, and makes it very clear that he is a gay male, on multiple occasions. There is ONE SENTENCE in the book about how another reason the protag likes online relationships so much is because he can make his gender line up with how he feels, instead of being bound to his physical body. That sounds trans to me, not nonbinary? Since he clearly feels male and identifies as a gay male and etc.
So I'm not sure where I'm supposed to get nonbinary from this entire story. It wasn't there at all.
LAST ONE - The SexxyBabe character - Okay I'm not sure what was going on with this. Why did the authors spend so much time discussing this girl? She is the driving force to the plot, and basically the point the authors are making is "You shouldn't dress so provocatively or be so slutty as some way to sooth your emotional issues - instead, be true to yourself!" Sexxy's character is very similar to a lot of people I've met online, who are manipulative and desperate for attention and bring up suicide and threatening to delete their account anytime someone isn't playing along with them. But the authors do some weird slutshaming weirdness where they just... I don't know, the entire thing is WEIRD. They go out of their way to describe this character as a bimbo with inflating breasts who is either trying to "turn" the gay protagonist straight for her, or is just... I really, really don't get why they decided to make her the focus of this book. It's bizarre, and made me really uncomfortable.
That's kind of my general feeling behind the entire book - "I'm not sure what you're going for here, but the overall package is making me really, really uncomfortable."
Discussion of immersive gaming and online relationships - A+, spot on. The protagonist feels deeply about his online relationship, and explains that it is exactly what he wants - he doesn't feel comfortable in real life, and so his connections online are absolutely vital to him. He takes his relationship with his partner seriously and his even fleeting connections to strangers he meets online seriously as well.
Romantic subplot - Ehhh???? There is a core issue to their relationship that the climax of the book revolves around, but it's not resolved?? At all?? The guy's partner is very "ugh can we not talk about this" and refuses to continue the conversation, and that's how the story ends. Their relationship is also really ... weird. The protagonist's partner is very controlling and domineering, and the protag mentions a few times that they have a dom/sub relationship, but like... the details/boundaries of that relationship aren't fully explained? So it comes off as really unhealthy to me, and made it hard to really appreciate it when the protagonist spoke in glowing terms about his partner.
Asexual and Nonbinary representation - Okay, so this is less on the book and more on the publisher, who categorized this story as ace and nb on their website. Ace, yes. The book uses that word, the protagonist explains that he likes engaging in sex online as opposed to real life, and that part of why his online relationship w/this man means so much to him is that he doesn't feel like he can engage in a romantisexual relationship offline. Which... the "btw I'm ace" thing is kind of tacked on in the last few pages, and the character isn't really written like they're asexual? Which is a weird/touchy subject but they very obviously experience sexual attraction to their partner's avatar, which like. IDK I felt weird about the whole thing, like the authors were throwing it on there at the end to "explain" why the character cared so much about his online bf. Which is gross, imo. "I'm ace so I can't date people irl, online relationships only pls!" is just. idk it gives me weird feels.
The publisher also listed this book as nonbinary. Which, there are a handful of background characters described in varying degrees of genderfuckery, haha. But other than that? For one thing, the protagonist at one point uses the phrase "both genders," which is extremely anti-nonbinary, and makes it very clear that he is a gay male, on multiple occasions. There is ONE SENTENCE in the book about how another reason the protag likes online relationships so much is because he can make his gender line up with how he feels, instead of being bound to his physical body. That sounds trans to me, not nonbinary? Since he clearly feels male and identifies as a gay male and etc.
So I'm not sure where I'm supposed to get nonbinary from this entire story. It wasn't there at all.
LAST ONE - The SexxyBabe character - Okay I'm not sure what was going on with this. Why did the authors spend so much time discussing this girl? She is the driving force to the plot, and basically the point the authors are making is "You shouldn't dress so provocatively or be so slutty as some way to sooth your emotional issues - instead, be true to yourself!" Sexxy's character is very similar to a lot of people I've met online, who are manipulative and desperate for attention and bring up suicide and threatening to delete their account anytime someone isn't playing along with them. But the authors do some weird slutshaming weirdness where they just... I don't know, the entire thing is WEIRD. They go out of their way to describe this character as a bimbo with inflating breasts who is either trying to "turn" the gay protagonist straight for her, or is just... I really, really don't get why they decided to make her the focus of this book. It's bizarre, and made me really uncomfortable.
That's kind of my general feeling behind the entire book - "I'm not sure what you're going for here, but the overall package is making me really, really uncomfortable."
August 6, 2012
Review posted at .
3.5 stars
Though remarkable in it's objective and how it accomplishes that, this short story still left me unsatisfied, perhaps because I approached this story from a Romance perspective. I'll explain in a bit why I feel that way, but right off I'd like to say that I'd like for everyone to read this, simply because I suspect that just about reader will have a different reaction to the story. That is such a wonderful thing, but that also means that my opinion in this review might be even more subjective than in a typical review, so I urge you to decide for yourself.
Taking place in Synth, a virtual world governed only by the carefully construed facade of each player, the real objective of Circuit Theory seems to be the metaphor of the growing disconnect between people and our world. In many ways satirical, it is a reflection of the virtual online communities we have today at the same time as a fundamental discussion of human nature and self-reflection. Dante and Byron spend time in this world together. Their long-term relationship is real and at the same time unreal because of the inherent distance between them by nature of the game. In real life they live thousands of miles away from one another, in space as well as emotional and social development. A "real" relationship would never work, their lives would simply not mesh, but in Synth they can and do because they make their own rules.
What works well with this story (aside from the admirable world created in such a short format) is the psychology of forming a relationship that is at once closer and more distant than a flesh and blood connection. This is done by the internal struggles they have that many couples have (issues with damaging exes, jealousy, and power struggles) and also by exploring Synth and the characters they encounter there, a large part shown through "Sexxy," who requires a psychological dissection that I don't want to get into here! The augmented virtual community is a metaphor of our separation from the world around us and the safety of a controllable, veiled reality.
My difficulties with the story arose from the execution of that metaphor through Dante and Byron's relationship. It is a real connection between people, though inherently flawed, and I don't think that they were given the chance to explore exactly why that is or what they'd do about it. It had the feeling of stagnancy, a relationship going nowhere. And even though I felt like this was beside the point of the story, I couldn't seem to completely disregard it. In the end, I think that the exploration of that even just a little further, whether the outcome for their relationship is good or bad, would have underscored and solidified the story. For that reason, it might be difficult for some readers to connect to the romance in the story.
I really liked these guys, and though I could do without more "Sexxy", this story would be perfect for expansion. As it stands, it made me consider again our attachment to technology and is great for discussion. Recommended.
3.5 stars
Though remarkable in it's objective and how it accomplishes that, this short story still left me unsatisfied, perhaps because I approached this story from a Romance perspective. I'll explain in a bit why I feel that way, but right off I'd like to say that I'd like for everyone to read this, simply because I suspect that just about reader will have a different reaction to the story. That is such a wonderful thing, but that also means that my opinion in this review might be even more subjective than in a typical review, so I urge you to decide for yourself.
Taking place in Synth, a virtual world governed only by the carefully construed facade of each player, the real objective of Circuit Theory seems to be the metaphor of the growing disconnect between people and our world. In many ways satirical, it is a reflection of the virtual online communities we have today at the same time as a fundamental discussion of human nature and self-reflection. Dante and Byron spend time in this world together. Their long-term relationship is real and at the same time unreal because of the inherent distance between them by nature of the game. In real life they live thousands of miles away from one another, in space as well as emotional and social development. A "real" relationship would never work, their lives would simply not mesh, but in Synth they can and do because they make their own rules.
What works well with this story (aside from the admirable world created in such a short format) is the psychology of forming a relationship that is at once closer and more distant than a flesh and blood connection. This is done by the internal struggles they have that many couples have (issues with damaging exes, jealousy, and power struggles) and also by exploring Synth and the characters they encounter there, a large part shown through "Sexxy," who requires a psychological dissection that I don't want to get into here! The augmented virtual community is a metaphor of our separation from the world around us and the safety of a controllable, veiled reality.
My difficulties with the story arose from the execution of that metaphor through Dante and Byron's relationship. It is a real connection between people, though inherently flawed, and I don't think that they were given the chance to explore exactly why that is or what they'd do about it. It had the feeling of stagnancy, a relationship going nowhere. And even though I felt like this was beside the point of the story, I couldn't seem to completely disregard it. In the end, I think that the exploration of that even just a little further, whether the outcome for their relationship is good or bad, would have underscored and solidified the story. For that reason, it might be difficult for some readers to connect to the romance in the story.
I really liked these guys, and though I could do without more "Sexxy", this story would be perfect for expansion. As it stands, it made me consider again our attachment to technology and is great for discussion. Recommended.
June 26, 2016
I like a good MMORPG player relationship story, and the online setting in this one is cool and very well thought out. Unfortunately, I felt like none of the relationships in the story were very healthy, and I was uncomfortable with the reveal very late in the story that the protagonist is asexual- it seemed to be treated like a "twist" and didn't really ring true for me as a person on the ace spectrum after spending the whole first part of the book with the protagonist narrating in detail how sexy and desirable he found his virtual boyfriend (in fact, sexual attraction seemed the primary reason they were together to me- I could have used more on-screen showing and less off-screen telling about the emotional aspects of their relationship.)
Additional note: it's implied that the protagonist is trans, and his virtual boyfriend would reject him if they met in the real world:
There's also a bit of misogyny (casual use of "bitch," protagonist tries to justify it with "us guys are like that") and players who overdo the decoration on their avatars in an obnoxious way are called "blingtards," which made me wince every time I saw it.
I'm not sorry I read it, but unfortunately I wasn't very satisfied with it either. Two and a half stars, rounded up to three for the good handling of the MMO aspects.
Additional note: it's implied that the protagonist is trans, and his virtual boyfriend would reject him if they met in the real world:
In real life, you had to either work with the gender you were given at birth or fight against it, struggling and flailing like a gasping fish to reach your true self. In Synth, you didn’t have to go through that crucible. Your real gender was just a click away. No lies were allowed between Byron and me because in real life even the mirror lied to us.
There's also a bit of misogyny (casual use of "bitch," protagonist tries to justify it with "us guys are like that") and players who overdo the decoration on their avatars in an obnoxious way are called "blingtards," which made me wince every time I saw it.
I'm not sorry I read it, but unfortunately I wasn't very satisfied with it either. Two and a half stars, rounded up to three for the good handling of the MMO aspects.
October 8, 2012
Circuit Theory is a story obviously inspired by online games such as Second Life, where play is based more around avatars, social interaction and role-play than actual gaming. It does a great job of exploring the emotional depth often found in these online relationships and role-play scenarios and how it can be hard to break into a world that has predefined expectations and cliques. The loneliness of an online game was not something I expected to come up in this story, but it resonated with me strongly as a former player who could never quite find a place. Another thing that spoke to me was the fact that the avatar and relationship was just as real for being an escape from a real life and body that never quite fit its owner.
The only drawback is that I felt the story ended abruptly. I was very surprised to turn the page and find I was at the end, and while it wraps up in a satisfactory manner, I did find myself wishing it could have been longer. I wanted to spend more time with the characters and world and it ended too soon. Don't let that stop you from enjoying a great story, however. I liked Circuit Theory and would definitely recommend it, especially to people who have had experience with online interaction through avatar-based worlds.
The only drawback is that I felt the story ended abruptly. I was very surprised to turn the page and find I was at the end, and while it wraps up in a satisfactory manner, I did find myself wishing it could have been longer. I wanted to spend more time with the characters and world and it ended too soon. Don't let that stop you from enjoying a great story, however. I liked Circuit Theory and would definitely recommend it, especially to people who have had experience with online interaction through avatar-based worlds.
July 28, 2012
I'm still sort of digesting this. This is actually very realistic to online romanctic relationships via games, though this particular online world is very advanced compared to what is out there now.
The thing I wasn't expecting was they don't want to meet IRL. There is a reason, but it is not a mindset I share, and thus I find it hard to understand. I guess I wanted more internal thoughts on that to help me understand, but it also didn't really make sense to go into more detail there.
The story is really short. I was hoping for at least one particular thing to happen, which didn't, just because it would have added a touch more angst and offered a bit more connection to the main character.
The thing I wasn't expecting was they don't want to meet IRL. There is a reason, but it is not a mindset I share, and thus I find it hard to understand. I guess I wanted more internal thoughts on that to help me understand, but it also didn't really make sense to go into more detail there.
The story is really short. I was hoping for at least one particular thing to happen, which didn't, just because it would have added a touch more angst and offered a bit more connection to the main character.
January 4, 2014
This is a weird one... I didn't like it because the idea isn't new and there didn't seem to be any lesson to be learnt. Considering we are being presented with a seemingly dysfunctional group of people (at least in real life, if not also in the virtual reality world) there should be a message for the reader, or some type of conclusion. I also really hated all 3 characters - the chick for being a cliché of needy-stupid-bitchy, the main character for being a weakling and his boyfriend for acting all cool and dominant in the virtual world, while avoiding even talking about his emotional scars. And I didn't really understand the appeal of virtual sex (in the absence of any real relationship) if there was no way to actually feel the things you did. It all sounded like current online RPG.
December 27, 2012
Didn't love it. Didn't hate it. The writing was good, but seems maybe the whole virtual world thing isn't for me. Didn't really think it would be, but thought I'd give it a shot since it's a Kirby Crow, whom I love Love LOVE. In the end it just annoyed me by reminding me of online drama fools from various sites I was trying to hide from. Totally not the authors fault.
If you like the virtual world type books... I'd recommend this one.
If you like the virtual world type books... I'd recommend this one.
September 22, 2012
CIRCUIT THEORY is a great piece of sci-fi � imaginative plot, wonderful world-building, and characters whose personalities may or may not be representative of the people they represent in the real world. I truly enjoyed this short story.
Please see my complete review Oct. 7, 2012 at
Please see my complete review Oct. 7, 2012 at
June 22, 2014
This was some sort of weird Second Life roleplay that Riptide published, wasn't it? At least that's how it read. Lots of misogyny and what seemed like made up slang. I'm actually kinda sorry I read it and really sorry I recommended it to my library. It's too bad because the summary sounded pretty good.
January 19, 2016
I didn't like this book that much. I was expecting something more along the lines of the TV show Caprica, instead I got a bunch of chat room conversations. However it was very relatable for me, (and I believe a majority of others too,) were a girl befriends a gay man & falls in love with him.
February 6, 2017
2.5 stars. This was cool. It's a great idea and brings up some really interesting concepts. I wanted more from the story, however, and there were a lot of unanswered questions at the end. I'm not sure I would call it a romance, as it's pretty ambiguous on that front. This felt a little too short and little too unfinished. I liked what was there, but it wasn't enough to make a satisfying story.
August 13, 2012
First impressions: Once again, I am forcefully reminded there are entire worlds out there I know abso-fucking-lutely nothing about. But holy shit, what a way to learn.
April 15, 2014
This reminds me of my days in playing Second Life.
September 30, 2014
Interesting concept. HFN ending rather than HEA...I kind of want the next part of their relationship.
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