New Dark Ages: Colony (2022)

«New Dark Ages. Colony» is a science fiction novel by Ukrainian writer Max Kidruk, the first book in the «New Dark Ages» series. The events take place in 2141. Humanity on Earth has not yet recovered from the deadly clodis disease that devastated the planet. The main character, biotech engineer Mark, receives a mysterious invitation to join a colony on Mars, where a new just world is promised. However, upon arrival, he faces a harsh reality: the colony turns out to be a totalitarian society where human life is worthless, and behind the facade of progress hide dark secrets. The novel raises themes of survival, moral choice, the price of progress, and the nature of power, combining hard science fiction with psychological drama and thriller elements.

Basic information:

• Author: Max Kidruk
• Series: «New Dark Ages»
• Number in series: Book 1
• Year of publication: 2022
• Publisher: «Bearded Tamarin» (founded by the author and his wife)
• Genre: Science fiction, dystopia, thriller
• Original language: Ukrainian
• Circulation: As of 2026 — over 62,000 copies sold (including audio), has gone through 11 reprints.

Plot:

Year 2141. After the clodis pandemic that claimed billions of lives, Earth is plunged into chaos. Mark, a talented engineer, gets a chance to escape poverty — he is invited to Mars, to the «New Eden» colony, which promises a safe future. However, on site he discovers that the colony is a closed system with a rigid hierarchy, where people are divided into castes, and any resistance is punishable by death. Mark must unravel the mystery of the colony to survive and possibly change this world.

Chronology of the «New Dark Ages» franchise:

• «New Dark Ages. Colony» (2022) — the first book. Engineer Mark arrives on Mars and faces the dystopian reality of the colony.
• «New Dark Ages. Collapse» (2026) — the second book, completed by the author in 2025, release planned for late February 2026. Continues the story after the events of «Colony», delving into the consequences of the system's collapse. (Plot details are currently limited.)

Where to buy / read:

• Official website of the publisher «Bearded Tamarin»: tamarinbooks.com
• Author's page: darkages.maxkidruk.com
• Buy on Etsy: etsy.com/listing/1415338912
• Buy on eBay: ebay.com/itm/177479966636

Latest news:

• In November 2025, the author completed work on the sequel «Collapse» (life.pravda.com.ua).
• As of March 2026, the 11th edition of «Colony» was released with a print run of 10,000 copies (mentioned on Instagram).