New Dark Ages: Collapse (2026)

"Collapse" is the second novel in the science fiction series "New Dark Ages" by Ukrainian writer Max Kidruk, published in February 2026 by "Bearded Tamarin" publishing house. The book has 928 pages, contains 10 new maps (2 black-and-white and 8 color) by Fedir Hontsa, as well as numerous plot illustrations by Kateryna Sukhetska.

Plot and Themes

The events take place in the world of the 22nd century. According to the author, this is a story about loss of control — about how human pride, inability to admit mistakes, and failure to stop in time put civilization on an irreversible path to darkness. The novel combines hard science fiction, techno-thriller, and social forecast, offering a disturbing but convincing model of the future. The writer consciously chooses moral grayness as the main tool of the story, because that's how it is in real life.

Chronology of the "New Dark Ages" Franchise

• "Colony" (2023) — the first novel of the series. Published by "Bearded Tamarin", 904 pages. The events take place in the 22nd century, where humanity faces the challenges of colonizing new worlds and internal conflicts.
• "Collapse" (2026) — the second novel, which continues and expands the scale of the story, delving into the theme of inevitable collapse due to ignoring signals of climate deterioration and other global problems.

Where to Buy / Read

• Official author's website: darkages.maxkidruk.com
• Pre-order and purchase through "Bearded Tamarin" publishing house (details on the publisher's website).
• Book presentations: April 19, 2026 in Kyiv (Parkovy Congress & Exhibition Center, sold out), April 20 — in Zhytomyr.

Additional Materials

• Book review on YouTube: "Why Max Kidruk's 'Collapse' is the most important Ukrainian book of the year"
• Article on Mezha: Max Kidruk’s “Collapse” sells 5,931 copies in one day of pre-orders