Toxic Medicine
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Pub Date Oct 14 2026 | Archive Date Nov 30 2026
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Description
They criminalized his mind. Now they need it to survive.
Victor Eastmore has mirror resonance syndrome, a cognitive difference that society calls a disease and polices like a crime. Broken Mirrors are classified, medicated without their consent, and sometimes permanently institutionalized. Victor has spent his life afraid of losing his mind and freedom.
In Toxic Medicine, the fateful final installment of the Resonant Earth queer science fiction quartet, Victor is rising through the ranks at his family’s company, BioScan, even as it faces bankruptcy. Then a cure arrives in the form of a brain implant gifted by the Diamond King, a synthetic consciousness obsessed with bringing humans into its empire. Every mind the Diamond King heals is a mind it can rule. The Organized Western States have already been colonized by the Diamond King’s totem spawn. The rest of the American Union of Nations, and Europe with it, are readying for a war none of them are sure they can win.
Victor believes in the cure, which makes him a traitor to the movement resisting the brain implants. But he also has a plan to finish the research his murdered grandfather began. Jefferson Eastmore cured cancer and died before he could do the same for his own grandson. Victor pursues that work alone, in secret.
Caught between a cure he believes in and the allies who question his judgment, Victor must choose. Will he take the Diamond King's implant and be made well on its terms or gamble on a dead man's unfinished work?
Toxic Medicine blends psychological sci-fi, political intrigue, and emotional depth in a thought-provoking conclusion to the Resonant Earth quartet, a story about stigma, isolation, and who gets to decide when a mind is well.
A Note From the Publisher
Toxic Medicine is the final book in the Resonant Earth quartet.
Advance Praise
The following praise quotes are for Broken Mirror, the first volume in the Resonant Earth series:
“A fantastic SF thriller with a sincere and important message.”—Kirkus Reviews
“A breathtaking, deeply dark alternate-history Earth with complex characters, layered worldbuilding, and twist after twist after twist.”—Julianna Caro, Reedsy Discovery
“An empathic, sensitive, and gripping alternate history, cassette future, bio-hacking techno-thriller that will keep you page-turning to the end.”
—Matthew Kressel, Nebula Award-nominated author of King of Shards and Queen of Static
“Cody Sisco swings for the fences with this ambitious alt-history look at addiction and mental health in a world where all should be well but is most definitely not. If this is just the start, it will be a treat what comes next!”
—Sherri L. Smith, award-winning author of Orleans and The Blossom and the Firefly
“Victor Eastmore is an unlikely hero who we immediately root for. His constant struggle for some sort of normal existence is distressing, and his journey to find who murdered his grandfather is an intense roller coaster ride, but we gladly take the ride with him. Broken Mirror is an exciting and fascinating look at a society that fancies itself evolved almost to perfection but, in reality, is as broken as some of its inhabitants.”
—Frank Castelluccio, author of short stories in RFD Magazine, Made in L.A. Vol. 4, and Avalon Literary Review
“Cody Sisco’s Broken Mirror daringly plays with time, geography, science, and language with breathtaking results. Set in an imagined recent past, in a rearranged world with brilliant medical advances, equally brilliant new weapons, and recreational drugs, nothing is what it appears. In its unpredictability, it feels like negotiating an ominous funhouse filled with sunlit dread. Broken Mirror is a consistently absorbing thrill ride full of scary but satisfying twists and turns.”
—Manuel Igrejas, author of Imaginary Boyfriends: Short Stories
“Cody Sisco crafts a world rich in adventure and intrigue, as Broken Mirror takes us to the future to confront corporate greed, tech regulation, and stigmas around neurodiversity, all while weaving a tale of the many ways in which we need to know ourselves.”
—Kate Maruyama, author of Harrowgate, Bleak Houses, and The Collective
“Cody Sisco’s Broken Mirror is a queer alternate history in which Victor Eastmore flees across a reimagined but recognizable America, determined to prove his grandfather had been poisoned. Victor is compelling and sympathetic, but he is hobbled by a potentially violent psychological condition he struggles to control, by allies whose true motivations are often at odds with his own, by a family who would rather see him institutionalized, and by the larger conspiracy targeting people like himself. The world of Broken Mirror is thoroughly realized, and as readers learn more about its history and where its timeline branched off from ours, the more they learn that Victor’s paranoia is entirely justified. Sisco’s novel is tightly plotted and wildly inventive, and it explores the ways stigmas against mental illness and addiction can be weaponized for profit and control.”
—Michael Kiggins, author of And the Train Kept Moving
“With Broken Mirror, Cody Sisco questions our reflex to blame the human condition on those who are deemed as ‘other.’ This murder mystery set in an alternate history that feels all too close to home searches for truth amidst abuse of power and the silencing of unconventional minds. Rich with themes of mental health, racism, gender and sexual identity, this first installment of the Resonant Earth Series is a vibrant and sexy ride.”
—Allison Rose, cofounder of Made in L.A. Writers, author of the Tick Series, and the upcoming memoir Of Course I Love You
“Cody Sisco’s expansive worldbuilding presents a dystopic vision of a fractured America that feels all too depressingly real. Cryptic hackers, tangled loyalties, and family secrets make Broken Mirror a high-tension read.”
—Cynthia Zhang, author of After the Dragons
“Broken Mirror, Cody Sisco’s well-paced and entertaining debut novel, didn’t show any first-book jitters. Drawing readers in with compelling, captivating, and well-thought-out characters like Victor Eastmore and Elena Morales, this thriller and murder mystery set in a sci-fi world centers on a mysterious mental illness. The book and plot rush through zigs and zags with sex, romance, death, and a notebook of wild dreams. Sisco proves a talented writer, leaving readers wanting to crack open the next book as well.”
—David Fitzpatrick, author of Sharp: A Memoir and Wolf-Boy
“A poetic and often tragic narrative about social stigma, wealth, and a troubled young man looking for a future in a society that shuns him. Cody Sisco’s Broken Mirror resonates with anyone who has ever felt lost and confused and yet resilient.”
—Sara Chisolm, author of short stories in the Made in L.A. anthology series
“Cody Sisco has created an alternative reality in Broken Mirror that holds engaging characters, amazing action sequences, and a mystery that will have you reaching for the sequel as soon as you reach the last page. Highly recommend!”
—Gabi Lorino, author of A Magical Time Called Later
Marketing Plan
I have a full launch plan for the final book in the Resonant Earth quartet in action leading up to the release of Toxic Medicine: Resonant Earth Volume 4 of 4 in October. This includes a podcast sprint, celebrations on social media, and events including Reader Nation in November. I'm reaching out to local bookstores and libraries throughout California.
Available Editions
| EDITION | Ebook |
| ISBN | 9781953954169 |
| PRICE | $3.99 (USD) |