Available 2.4.2026
ABOUT POLARIS
Manipulated into committing a reality-warping crime using experimental technology, a romantic young painter searches for a way to stop his ruthless business partner from selling the very monstrosity he helped create—before the people he loves pay the price for his mistakes.
Halfway through his senior year at Crossing University, freshly-dumped Arthur Bland is out of love and out of options. Heartbroken and plagued by strange nightmares, everything changes for Arthur when he is selected to receive a DeepGlass Curio—an experimental brain implant from the most powerful company in the world.
Soon after, Arthur is invited to work on the Polaris project—a secret city hidden in a digital alternate reality, built by a rogue team of developers using Curio technology. At first, everything seems to go well: Arthur is good at the work, his mind is finally off of his ex, and he is quickly swept into a so-called "Starside" courtship with a mysterious young woman named Rebecca.
Yet Arthur's best friend, Alena, begins to suspect that the Polaris project is not what it seems—and that Arthur's new girlfriend may not be who she claims.
After a gruesome incident connected to the project shocks the school, Arthur and Alena find themselves in a race against time with deadly consequences. To survive, they must unravel the riddle of Polaris before it’s too late—and the city's dark secret changes reality as they know it forever.
As the first book of the ONEIROMANCER series, POLARIS is an adult speculative fiction novel about what happens when Artificial Intelligence and magic collide.
ABOUT ONEIROMANCER
ONEIROMANCER is an epic science-fantasy series, planned to be released in four self-contained (yet interconnected) trilogies. Each trilogy will be a different primary genre, will focus on a new cast of characters, and will explore new worlds.
The first trilogy begins with POLARIS, available February 4th, 2026.
About the Author
After graduating as a Creative Writing major at DePauw University and serving as a United States Marine in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, Ries studied Human-Computer Interaction at Indiana University, and began his career as a User Experience Researcher in 2020.
An avid fan of science fiction and fantasy, Ries’ work explores themes of technology, magic, and authenticity. When he isn’t writing or working, you can find Ries reading, watching movies, playing games, or spending time with his family. He lives in Indiana with his wife, two children, and cats. Polaris is his first novel.
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