Press Release from Badass PR
SYNCANITE GmbH is bringing its expanding crystalpunk universe to the Frankfurt Book Fair 2026, where the international spotlight will fall on Flux: Forced Move, the first novel in the Flux trilogy, written by Timon Thöne and edited by Alexander Urbanek. The story behind the novel is almost as remarkable as the world it introduces.
Timon first wrote Flux: Forced Move when he was just 12 years old. Years later, that original vision has been extensively revisited and revised, and is now ready to meet readers and the press for the very first time. The novel will be available in both German and English, with translations into additional languages already planned. In fact, the novel has already received industry recognition: in 2019, its original German incarnation, FLUX – Zugzwang, won the Leipzig Book Fair’s Special Innovation Award (Sonderpreis Innovation) for its pioneering use of Augmented and Virtual Reality to bring the story’s deep, richly developed world beyond the printed page and make it an immersive, accessible experience for readers.
Before its official worldwide release, Flux: Forced Move will receive two special pre-release presentations. The first takes place at the Frankfurter Buchmesse, followed only a few weeks later by a second appearance at SPIEL Essen. At both events, visitors will have the opportunity to purchase exclusive, hand-signed and individually numbered print editions of the novel. Following these two special pre-release events, Flux: Forced Move will officially launch to the general public on November 2, 2026, opening the first chapter of an ambitious new literary journey through the Syncanite universe.
Visitors can meet SYNCANITE GmbH during the Frankfurter Buchmesse, from the 7th until the 11th of October, at Hall 4.0, Booth J106. Timon Thöne will be present at the fair and available for interviews with journalists, reviewers, podcasters and other media, as well as meetings with publishing and industry professionals. Signed review copies of Flux: Forced Move will be available for press and reviewers, and can also be sent out both as PDFs and as physical copies, to selected reviewers. Also available are the Syncanite Foundation board game, its expansions, and the soundtrack that was specifically written to accompany the storyline developed throughout the novel.
Published by SYNCANITE GmbH, Flux: Forced Move takes readers deep into a world in which syncanite – a crystaline mineral – has reshaped not only economics, but also technology, warfare, and society. This captivating premisse has given rise to an entire universe, which much more to come, immersing readers, gamers, and fans in a setting that will also be spawning a series of feature films, as SYNCANITE GmbH will be returning to the Cannes Film Festival next year.
All new SYNCANITE products are created 100% AI-free and are conceived, written, designed, and developed by humans.
SEVENTEEN YEARS OF WAR AND A CONFLICT NO ONE IS MEANT TO WIN
For seventeen years, a devastating war has raged between powerful nations. At the heart of the conflict lies syncanite, a precious crystalline mineral capable of storing and channeling enormous amounts of energy as well as powering technologies that would otherwise be impossible. Against this backdrop, Flux: Forced Move introduces Lycon, an exceptionally intelligent young strategist with an almost encyclopedic memory and a burning ambition to help bring the war to an end.
Lycon’s opportunity seems to come when he is summoned to the seat of power in Rhiel, where he meets Kara, the ruler’s daughter – a celebrated duelist who isn’t interested in the lifestyle of the nobility she was born into. Kara’s extraordinary abilities and ancient relic weapon make her a formidable fighter, but she also carries terrible secrets and tormenting conflicts of her own. Initially, the world appears to have clearly defined sides for both allies, but, unfortunately, reality soon proves to be considerably more complicated.
As Lycon begins examining the economic and political mechanisms sustaining the conflict, he starts to understand there is an extremely disturbing, almost unfathomable possibility he would never have dreamt of before: perhaps the war hasn’t just failed to end, as its conclusion would not have been in the interest of certain powerful people and institutions who see society as a game, citizens as pawns, governments as more powerful pieces to be manipulated, and corporations as rivals to beat or join, depending on an ever-changing, fluid, but ultimately Machavellian strategy. Still, one burning question remains: who exactly is playing?
Lycon’s suspicions gradually reveal a terrifying and immoral war economy in which destruction generates rebuilding, conflict accelerates technological development, and the continued struggle serves economic interests far removed from those actually fighting it. What begins as an epic crystalpunk adventure consequently develops into a story of war, power, political manipulation, economics, technology, loyalty and the desperate search for truth.
MORE RELEVANT THAN EVER
Despite originally being written when author Timon Thöne was only 12 years old, the themes at the heart of Syncanite and Flux: Forced Move may resonate more strongly today than ever. Its world is shaped by extreme concentrations of wealth and power, corporate influence over politics, resource scarcity, economic inequality, disinformation and seemingly endless conflicts from which powerful interests continue to profit.
Syncanite itself adds an unsettling dimension to that imbalance: the extraordinary material can halt the ageing process, allowing those wealthy and powerful enough to control it to extend their lives almost indefinitely. The result is a society in which near-immortal oligarchs can remain in positions of influence for generations, accumulating ever greater wealth, knowledge and control while ordinary people live with the consequences of their decisions.
Beneath its science fantasy spectacle, Flux: Forced Move therefore asks a strikingly contemporary question: what happens when the people who hold the most power not only refuse to relinquish it – but no longer even have to grow old?
ONE UNIVERSE, DIFFERENT WAYS TO EXPERIENCE IT
While Frankfurt’s main focus is the release of Flux: Forced Move, this first installment of the brand-new science fantasy trilogy that has gone through years of development is definitely not an isolated publishing project. Instead, SYNCANITE is developing its universe across fiction, tabletop gaming, music, feature films (now in discussion) and additional media, allowing different projects to explore different parts of the setting.
The existing Syncanite Foundation tabletop game continues to grow through new and expanded material as well, including Expansion I and Crimson Protocol, alongside continued development of the core game and its wider setting.
Now, the novels provide an unequalled opportunity to explore that world, its characters, its conflicts, and its politics on a much more personal, almost visceral level.
As the board game was already inspired by the novel, Forced Move does not simply turn a game session into prose. Instead, it explores the civilizations behind the setting: how they function, why they fight, how their populations live, and how economics and political interests influence supposedly straightforward conflicts between nations.
A lot of care and thought was poured into the worldbuilding – proof that the setting has been well-developed, and that fans can count on much more material in the near future. Obviously, that depth grants SYNCANITE GmbH the foundation needed for stories and games to extend far beyond a single trilogy.
NEXT ON THE HORIZON: IRON FRONT
One of the most important upcoming additions is Iron Front, the next major tabletop game set within the Syncanite universe. Originally considered as part of the wider Syncanite expansion programme, Iron Front is being developed as a project in its own right, with plans for a separate crowdfunding campaign. Readers of Flux: Forced Move will already encounter the place that gives the game its name, as Iron Front presents an enormous fortified battle line separating the warring powers: a mountain pass transformed by years of conflict into a seemingly impenetrable complex of fortresses, steel-clad peaks, immense gun emplacements and devastated terrain. In the novel, it represents one of the most dramatic physical manifestations of the seventeen-year war. More information about Iron Front and its dedicated campaign will be revealed separately.
MEET TIMON THÖNE AT FRANKFURT BOOK FAIR
Timon Thöne, co-author of Flux: Forced Move, game developer, company CEO, and the creative force behind the Syncanite universe, will, of course, be present at the Frankfurt Book Fair throughout its duration. Media and industry professionals are invited to meet Timon and the SYNCANITE team at:
Frankfurter Buchmesse 2026
SYNCANITE GmbH – Hall 4.0 – Booth J106
Timon will be available during and after the fair for interviews covering Flux: Forced Move, the creation of the Syncanite universe, its unusual crystalpunk setting, the relationship between the novels and tabletop games, upcoming expansions, the feature film plans, and the future of projects such as Iron Front. Because of the expected hustle and bustle at the fair, advance interview appointments are very much recommended.
INTRODUCING FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME: STORY STRIPS
During the Frankfurter Buchmesse and Essen Spieltagen, SYNCANITE will, for the very first time, introduce a brand-new innovation: Story Strips! Press will be able to get their hands on this amazing new way of experiencing books and stories during both conventions, and soon after Story Strips are unveiled, we will be sending out a new press release to introduce you to them!
EXPERIENCE FLUX: FORCED MOVE LIVE AT FRANKFURT
Visitors will also have the opportunity to experience Flux: Forced Move beyond the printed page. On Friday, SYNCANITE will host a special live reading in the Lifestyle Hören area, featuring author Timon Thöne together with Vladlen Cemus, the voice actor behind the Flux audiobook and an influencer in his own right.
The session offers audiences a first taste of the story as it will sound in its audiobook incarnation and another opportunity to meet the people bringing the Syncanite universe to life. SYNCANITE’s complete Frankfurt Book Fair programme, including its activities and contact options, can be found on its official exhibitor page: SYNCANITE GmbH at Frankfurt Book Fair 2026.
For more information go to the following links;
Crimson Protocol
https://gamefound.com/en/projects/syncanite/expansion-i
Pre-order Flux – Zugzwang:
https://syncanite.shop/products/flux-zugzwang
The upcoming Iron Front crowdfunding campaign:
https://gamefound.com/en/projects/syncanite/iron-front
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