Apocalyptic Short Stories

When hell claws its way up from the dark depths of the Earth, and the dead begin to walk again, for several people the zombie apocalypse doesn't just mean the end of the world as they know it, it is also the beginning of a brave new life for them. For some it offers freedom, for others a deeper torment and unforgiving life than they ever thought possible. The coward, the street rat, the hero, and the lovers, everyone has their place. What really decides their fate in this new existence, nature, or nurture?

The Stoker Award-winning editor of the acclaimed, eclectic anthology The New Dead returns with 21st Century Dead and an all-new lineup of authors from every corner of the fiction world, shining a dark light on our fascination with tales of death and resurrection - and with zombies!

To be born underground, in the dark, never to see the surface. That seemed to be Loreto’s fate. Born nearly half a century after the world had been destroyed by total, global, nuclear war one young man must find his destiny. He must learn what it means to be himself. Destined to become a Topsider, will he walk upon the surface? Will he be one of the brave few who work to usher humanity back to Earth’s population? Find out in Loreto: An Earth Has Fallen Short Story. See Loreto Rucker’s humble beginnings as he grows into the young man we will meet in Servidio’s Earth Has Fallen Post-...

**A HORRIFYING SHORT STORY BY THE AUTHOR OF THE MAN FROM TAURED** Stockboro Island is located just off the coast of Maine. Idyllic, peaceful. A tourist attraction during the summer months. When a biological disaster on the mainland begins to spread across the globe, the residents watch in fear. What will happen to them when they can’t communicate with the mainland? More importantly, what happens if the mainland tries to reach out to them? The residents of Stockboro will need to make some very hard decisions quickly. How far will they go to protect themselves? Their island? How far will ...

In a darkened corner of the world, America lies bleeding. The Big War has reduced the country’s once-great industrial cities and vast countryside to a war-blackened landscape. But out of these ruins emerges brilliant ace fighter pilot Hawk Hunter, a lone warrior battling to keep the spirit of his country alive... From his secret base in the coastal wilderness of the Pacific Northwest, Hunter hears rumors of a vast army equipped with Russian SAMs hidden deep in the Bad Lands.

Earth is quickly becoming an undead wasteland, that much is for sure. What isn't certain is the fate of her three children, as their desperate bid to find safety at their family cabin is cut off by the revelation of world-altering proportions. What seems like a lifetime ago, the secret battle to be the first superpower to perfect the perfect bioweapon has been corrupted into a scourge now headed straight for them. Suddenly Abby's past becomes just as unclear as her future.

"Master of the World" is a "black novel," filled with foreboding and fear of the rise of tyrants such as the novel's villain, Robur, and totalitarianism. Set in the summer of 1903, a series of unexplained events occur across the Eastern United States, caused by objects moving with such great speed that they are nearly invisible. The first-person narrator John Strock, "Head inspector in the federal police department" in Washington, DC, travels to the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina to investigate. He discovers that all the phenomena are being caused by Robur, a brilliant inventor.

A bounty hunting survivor. A Galactic dark elf. A woman who has given up her humanity to become something more. These stories and more are available in the first short story anthology for the System Apocalypse, covering year one on Earth. When the world ends, humanity steps up, finding new ways to survive in a world with Classes, magic and monsters. The anthology features exciting, new stories by five new writers and a new, never publicly released short story by Tao Wong.

Welcome to Tisaia - the last hub of modern civilization, in a world left scorched by the nuclear fires of the Biomass Wars. Surrounded by a fortress of steel walls, and protected by a fierce and loyal Council of Royal Knights, Tisaia seems relatively safe to the average State worker and citizen. A plentiful supply of Biomass powers the cities, and food is abundant, but security has come at a terrible cost.

It’s the hottest winter on record, but Raymond’s demanding, bedridden mother doesn’t mind. She likes it warm. Lately, however, control over the thermostat has become a nasty struggle. And each morning that she’s still alive is a suffocating new challenge for Raymond. How high can the mercury climb before he boils over?

Following the events of Planet of the Dead, survivors of the expanding outbreak take shelter in homes and bunkers and apartment complexes. Across the world, armed police and military struggle to maintain safety. Tensions mount as the worst imaginable comes to pass when nuclear weapons are used on civilian populations overrun with the living dead.

A man and a dog walk through a ruined world, fighting monsters. Is everything as it seems?

Day-to-day life is hard for film students. Whether you're an editor, a scriptwriter, or a videographer, it's never easy. More so when an apocalypse has arrived, taking with it the industry you've dedicated your life to, and leaving you with skills ill-suited to a post-apocalyptic fantasy hellscape.

A collection of apocalyptic short stories that are full of surprises and horror and heroism.

Thirteen tales of Darlene Bobich! The prequel to the successful Dying Days zombie novella. Includes a free preview of Dying Days.

Undead Tales: Fifteen Thrilling Zombie Stories is the audio version of the new zombie anthology, published by the best-selling authors, J. Thorn and Zach Bohannon. Get it now and start listening!

A boy and his father walk on the shore of an ocean filled with bloody spears cast off from a war between gods. A father travels back in time over and over, unable to rescue the mother of his child. A mischievous satyr lurking in a dungeon has a field day with trespassing adventurers. These tales and more are in Resurrections, a compilation of short stories written by Chris Philbrook.

A collection of (mostly) previously unpublished stories by award-winning journalist and cult horror author Ryan C. Thomas. From zombies to monsters to ghosts and more, Thomas weaves unique tales that will send a chill up your spine.

So close, yet so far away. Still reeling from Elijah’s brutal retaliation, Sparks and the other survivors continue their ill-fated journey west. As the reach the town of Junction, the group finds that their troubles are far from over.

How will the world end? With aliens or angels? Or a groundhog? Bleak despair? Martial fervor? Or a belly laugh? Whatever the apocalypse, it will be borne by people and their families and their dogs and most of all, it will challenge their notions of themselves. This anthology includes international award-winning writers, poets, and thinkers that give you their version of the apocalypse.