Failing Gravity
A cyberpunk dystopian.
When the greedy king of the Slums is offered a deal too good to be true, he still jumps at the chance to take everything from the sky city, even though the job is offered by is ex-best friend.
Roman can smell the trap, but all that glitters in Icaria is hard to pass up.
Failing Gravity is about friendship and forgiveness in a world that knows neither.
Failing Gravity
Roman Koa knows that to survive, he must be ruthless.
The Slums beneath the floating city of Icaria were never meant to thrive—but they did. A gritty junkyard city of thieves and robot fighters, it’s everything Icaria isn't. Roman has grown greedy after clawing his way to the top of the robot fighting hierarchy with his powerful electromagnet robot, taking from anyone who crosses his path. When Icarians come to the Slums for a night of risky entertainment, Roman takes twice as much.
But when he’s offered the chance to steal advanced tech from Icaria, the job is too tempting to resist—even with Oliver Flint offering it, his former best friend who sold their robotics code for a new life in Icaria. Without Roman.
The job is simple: Roman helps Oliver save Icaria’s failing gravity beams, and Roman gains access to technology to build powerful robots to secure his position as King of Ring and King of the Slums. Roman’s hatred for Icaria is hard to ignore, though and he is tempted to let the city Oliver betrayed him for crash back to Earth, but dooming Icaria means dooming everyone.
As Icaria’s gravity—and Roman’s fragile bond with Oliver—fails, Roman must choose: will he let Icaria crash, or is there a chance for forgiveness, for both his friend and the city?
Failing Gravity is a high-octane, cyberpunk-inspired adventure about friendship, betrayal, and the fight for forgiveness.
Praise for Failing Gravity
"Pulse-pounding, sci-fi tale."
"Keller forces readers to ask: how much of yourself are you willing to give up for the people who abandoned you? With sharp dialogue, visceral action, and just the right touch of emotional depth, this book is a fun and exciting read that’s hard to put down!"
"Exciting sci-fi with heart."
"An excellent and exciting story that will keep you reading right up until the end."
Winner of Book Fest's 2025 Best Cyber Punk and Best Sci Fi Dystopian categories!
Winner of The International Impact Book Awards 2025 Best Cyber Punk and Best Young Adult Dystopian categories!
Writing Failing Gravity
an author's note
The world of Failing Gravity was inspired by the album THE DEATH OF PEACE OF MIND by the metal band Bad Omens. As you read, I encourage you to listen along.
While writing this book, I lost my father. I found my escape through this world and through writing Roman Koa. He is ruthless, brutal, and angry-- everything I thought I needed to become to survive my grief. We both learned that with the help of our friends, we can escape the darkness. If you find yourself in a place like Roman and myself where in, I encourage you to lean on your support system.