Dystopian Mystery

"One of Me - 2 Near Future Short Stories" is a gripping collection of two short stories set in a not-too-distant future, each unraveling compelling narratives that entwine technology, morality, and the human spirit. In "The Last Rejection" readers are introduced to a world startlingly similar to our own, but with an ominous twist. The story follows the journey of a frustrated job candidate who, after facing one rejection too many, embarks on a dark path of revenge. This tale masterfully explores the depths of desperation and the dangerous consequences of a society driven by cutthroat ...

Imagine it’s legal to commit one murder in your lifetime—if you Register the victim and accomplish the kill within fourteen days. So when Lynell Mize stands in line to Register the man who abused her as a child, she’s shocked to hear a stranger Register her to be killed. Why would anyone who doesn't know her squander his one legal murder on her? Desperate to survive the next two weeks, she must find out who wants to kill her—and why. Easier said than done, as Lynell soon discovers that multiple strangers have used their Registration on her.

Kyla's memory has been erased, her personality wiped blank, her memories lost forever. Or so she thought. Kyla shouldn't be able to remember anything. But she can - and she's beginning to realise that there are a lot of dark secrets locked away in her memories. When a mysterious man from her past comes back into her life, she thinks she's on her way to finding the truth. But the more she learns about her history, the more confusing her future becomes...

Urgent! An epidemic is sweeping the country. You are among the infected. There is no cure, and you cannot be permitted to infect others. You are now under quarantine. The 5 percent of the infected who survive are dangerous and will be taken into the custody of the army. Young runaway Callie survived the disease but not the so-called treatment. Her brother, Kai, is still looking for her. And his new friend, Shay, may hold the key to uncovering what truly happened.

The Shepherd: A Society Lost is an action-packed post-apocalyptic thrill ride detailing the struggles of former sheriff Jessie Townsend as he and his family seek shelter from a crumbling world with a self-sufficient life on a homestead deep in the Rocky Mountains. Sanctuary soon becomes what he meant to escape, peaceful bliss slipping into desperation and despair in the aftermath of events that shook the foundations that shaped our world to the core.

Only hours from being free, a group of ex-criminals are called to a desolate farm house for one last mission. Cracks start to appear when they can’t find the threat they were sent to eliminate and don’t know what they are dealing with. Frustrated, they intensify their search, as one by one they are eaten alive.

An embittered eco-terrorist. A deadly secret. The fate of the world rests on a most unlikely hero. Jemma Hardey dreams of a quiet life and starting a family with her partner, Ryn. Poor fool! Because Ryn’s embittered friend Hercus is planning the ultimate crime: the destruction of western civilisation. And he expects Ryn to help him, for they share a dangerous secret from their student days. A secret that would send them to prison for a long time. Now Ryn has another urgent problem. His work on Antarctic ice sheet melting is showing alarming results and he can’t work out why.

A Ruthless Senator. A Deadly Cover-Up. And One Final Seduction. The fight against HealthSync’s deadly neural implants is almost over—but to take down the corrupt system once and for all, the resistance must expose the man who made it law: Senator Yosef Brandon. Their weapon? Monica Lewis, a sharp, seductive operative who must infiltrate the highest ranks of power. Her disguise? An ambitious intern eager to impress. Her mission? Gain the senator’s trust, extract his darkest secrets, and dismantle the operation from the inside. But in Washington, trust is a dangerous illusion. The ...

A wealthy young woman vanishes from her high-security apartment without leaving a single strand of DNA behind. No trace of the victim's disappearance is recorded on any of the building's many cameras or security sensors. Her apartment's memory cores have been destroyed beyond any hope of recovery.

In a future where homelessness is an illegal status, and those living on the streets are registered into "Sponsorship" programs, crime and abuse runs rampant. Keegan Smith rejects the idea of the system, but finds himself inheriting one of the largest Sponsorship programs in the nation from his late father. When he finds an illegal fighting ring linked to sex trafficking and other atrocities within his own corporation, he is trapped between protecting his family and buying in, and adhering to his own morals by fighting back.

Having broken off from the United States of America decades previously, New California is a separate country, an isolated nation-state run exclusively to achieve the promise of total equity for all identities, with extra equity for those historically oppressed populations. The innate wisdom of branded Social Justice and Anti-Racism, the highest priorities of New California, will be revealed to everyone all over the world soon enough, but first, for Black military sniper Quinceton Rift, there is a border dispute with Nevada to confront.

Locked deep in the castle's dungeon, Yelena knows she’ll never be free again. The laws in Ixia are strict, and murderers must be executed, no matter the reason. But just as she’s resigned to her fate, she’s offered an extraordinary reprieve – to be the food taster for the Commander of Ixia. As the food taster, Yelena will eat the best meals, have a room in the castle, and risk assassination by anyone trying to kill the Commander.

The end? This is just the beginning. Winning seems like a far-off dream. Something that happened a lifetime ago, to someone else. Now, I don't even recognize myself. This hunger inside of me demands to be fed, but the need to save my people is stronger. It'll come down to us versus them, but the problem is which side am I really on? And will I be able to live with myself when it is all over? Living with regret is even harder when you have eternity to remember.

Dr. Janet Watson knows firsthand the horrifying cost of a divided nation. While treating broken soldiers on the battlefields of the New Civil War, a sniper’s bullet shattered her arm and ended her career. Honorably discharged and struggling with the semi-functional mechanical arm that replaced the limb she lost, she returns to the nation’s capital. Homeless and jobless, Watson is uncertain of the future when she meets another black and queer woman, Sara Holmes, a mysterious yet playfully challenging covert agent who offers the doctor a place to stay.

Una noche oscura y lluviosa, Eilish Stack abre la puerta de su casa de Dublín y se encuentra a dos agentes de la policía secreta. Están allí para interrogar a su marido, un sindicalista que ha participado en manifestaciones recientes. La casa, la familia y el país que Eilish conocía, y en los que confiaba, están a punto de desmoronarse.

Katie is on the verge of her Rumspringa, the time in Amish life when teenagers can get a taste of the real world. But the real world comes to her in this dystopian tale with a philosophical bent. Rumors of massive unrest on the “Outside” abound. Something murderous is out there. Amish elders make a rule: No one goes outside, and no outsiders come in. But when Katie finds a gravely injured young man, she can’t leave him to die. She smuggles him into her family’s barn—at what cost to her community? The suspense of this vividly told, truly horrific thriller will keep the pages turning.

An epidemic of violence is sweeping the country: musicians are being murdered onstage in the middle of their sets by members of their audience. Are these random copycat killings, or is something more sinister at work? Has music itself become corrupted in a culture where everything is available, everybody is a "creative," and attention spans have dwindled to nothing? Destroy All Monsters tells a haunted and romantic story of overdue endings and unlikely beginnings that will resonate with anybody who’s ever loved rock and roll.

In the near future, Berlin’s real estate is being flipped in the name of “sustainability”, only to make the city even more unaffordable; artists are employed by corporations as consultants, and the weather is acting strange. When Anja and Louis are offered a rent-free home on an artificial mountain - yet another eco-friendly initiative run by a corporation - they seize the opportunity, but it isn’t long before the experimental house begins malfunctioning.

War has descended upon Anistemia. Four armies now stand at the city's gates, and Anistemia’s fate teeters on the edge of ruin. With their strongest knights scattered across the land, Felicia must rise to lead her people against impossible odds. But with an army of giants and legions of the undead approaching, will she lead a final stand—or choose to flee, ensuring the survival of what remains? Far from home, Collin Mann languishes in slavery deep beneath the City of Mal, toiling in its mines. Despairing, and having lost hope of ever finding his brother Ethan, Collin drifts through each ...

En un futuro no muy lejano, se produce un hecho monumental. El momento que tantos anhelaban que pasara. El momento que muchos pensaron que nunca pasaría. Lo que pasa en las películas, cobran vida ante el ojo del mundo.Extraterrestres. Ellos no vinieron en paz. No llegaron después de un viaje de cinco años para explorar nuevos y extraños mundos. Seguro que no vinieron por dulces ni para llamar a sus casas. Criaturas de una galaxia distante están motivadas por lo mismo que ha motivado a todos en la Tierra durante milenios: La Conquista. Los atacantes, conocidos en la Tierra como "...