Dystopian Short Stories

The first collection by writer Matthew Hughes, and the perfect companion to his acclaimed novel Black Brillion, The Gist Hunter and Other Stories features nine stories taking place in the universe of The Archonate, as well as four non-series stories. The stories of Henghis Hapthorn, Old Earth's "foremost freelance discriminator", combine mystery and science fantasy while simultaneously recalling the arch irony of Gene Wolfe and the sly fancies of Jack Vance.

Brandon is just a regular young man living an average life – until a chance encounter with a gifted woman changes everything. Alicia gives him the gift, which saves his life and grants him superhuman abilities, but it comes at a price. The gifted are hunted and have been for generations. Safe in a sanctuary, Brandon and Alicia become close. But the moment they venture out, they cross paths with the soldiers who hunt the gifted. The encounter prompts Brandon to learn more about the origins of the gift and the extent of his new abilities. Undercover, he infiltrates the soldiers’ group, ...

Before you start. I wrote this science fiction adventure in the hopes of leading young people into the joys of sci-fi possibilities and fun. But it's not limited to youth. I've encountered many older readers that felt the memories of their younger years. So, don't exclude yourself because it's about a genetically altered youth and his struggles in a world that's unique, yet troubled just as is our own. In a mutant sci-fi world, the rebellious son of surface trader Captain Radoon Gydlin, endures dreams of places he hasn’t seen and disasters that haven’t happened. When he visits Below, a ...

One sunny day in the middle of a pandemic, Posey Pig decides her life would better serve others if she ended it. However, a chance meeting with an unlikely friend encourages her to reconsider, and they both discover something worth fighting for.

In the world of the Stymph, humans have become prey. Survivors must hide every day and night, praying the Stymphs don't find them. If they do, there's no escape. Technology helps them to come back, to Reawaken after a Stymph feasts upon them... ...but what price does Reawakening exact? Follow Captain Yuen as he journeys to a place he never expected. Into the minds of fellow humans, once people he knew, now mentally damaged and trying to heal. But Captain Yuen will discover something on this journey...something that could rock all of humanity to its core. (This story takes place within the ...

In the Shadow of the Towers compiles nearly 20 works of speculative fiction responding to and inspired by the events of 9/11, from writers seeking to confront, rebuild, and carry on, even in the face of overwhelming emotion.

The balloons fell. The trains derailed. The shelves went bare. We got sick. We died. Survival in the midst of an unknown threat, one that appears on the brink of ending life as we know it.

Step into the decaying halls of Grimwood and feel your grip on reality slip away. Every whisper, every shadow, every creaking floorboard will set your nerves on fire! A sweet warning: This psychological thrill ride will shatter your perceptions and leave you questioning everything you thought you knew! Is it real? Is it delusion? You won't know until it's far too late! Face the horrors lurking in the depths of your own mind! But remember - in Grimwood, escape is just another cruel illusion. So are you brave enough to lose your mind?

In the future, the love of a young man’s life is dying. He would do almost anything to keep her alive…except that! In Dog Man, it turns out that Oscar the tomcat was just misunderstood — with deadly consequences… A love sick young man attempts to tap the power of an ancient religion to secure the affections of a girl on their class trip to Christland… The dead come briefly back to life every year when the astral dimensions align in Day, or Two, of The Dead. A cynical young ‘player’, adrift in the modern, amoral age meets God on a mountain top and his life is changed forever ...

Children of the New World introduces listeners to a near-future world of social media implants, memory manufacturers, dangerously immersive virtual reality games, and alarmingly intuitive robots. Many of these characters live in a utopian future of instant connection and technological gratification that belies an unbridgeable human distance, while others inhabit a post-collapse landscape made primitive by disaster, which they must work to rebuild as we once did millennia ago.

A runaway biological effect begins to rapidly increase oxygen levels across the planet, transforming the very air we breathe into a ticking time bomb. Forests ignite spontaneously, and fires rage unchecked as the increased oxygen feeds their voracious appetites. The world plunges into chaos, with cities becoming infernos and the natural order spiralling out of control. High above the stricken planet, two astronauts aboard the International Space Station bear witness to the unfolding catastrophe. Ellie and Sergei, left alone in orbit due to the increasingly hazardous atmosphere, have little ...

Chicken Little was right after all. The sky literally is falling. In a cataclysmic turn of events, the ambitious venture of asteroid mining spirals into a nightmarish scenario that no one saw coming—except perhaps, the fabled Chicken Little. It began with a boom as colossal machines drilled deep into the heart of a massive asteroid, seeking the treasures within. But what followed was a catastrophe of cosmic proportions. The failure was spectacular, an explosive mishap that sent the asteroid shattering into a million pieces, unleashing a torrent of carbon flakes upon the Earth. These ...

Brace yourself. The earth is hungry, and you're on the menu. "The Abyssal Hunger: A Short Horror Story" isn't just an audiobook—it's a descent into madness that'll hijack your senses and haunt your dreams. Feel your heart pound as ancient horrors awaken. Gasp as reality warps around you. Shudder as the ground beneath your feet comes alive with ravenous intent. Every shadow will become a threat. Every tremor, a warning of impending doom.

Short stories about dystopian worlds created by people longing for immortality and power. Once attained—what's next for humanity?

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-...

"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 ...

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 ...

He doesn’t know how to love and cannot bring himself to hate her, so all he can offer is tender cruelty. A boy who was never taught how to love. A man bearing the weight of the world on his shoulders. A villain who holds the power to destroy the very girl he cannot let go. Who is Asher Rudd? In this raw and compelling prequel, fully narrated from Asher’s perspective, discover the secrets behind the man who commands Kiara Bennet’s world. Haunted by a childhood he can’t escape and a promise he refuses to break, Asher lives a life ruled by control—until Kiara storms into his life. ...

“Smart, original, and brilliantly creepy.” ~Bestselling author Kristen Mae IN MATTERS OF LIFE AND DEATH, THERE ARE NO SECOND CHANCES. Along the fault, a spa day becomes a claustrophobic nightmare for five sisters. The perfect afternoon turns bloody for one suburban neighborhood. A husband’s journey through a frozen hellscape tests every inch of his resolve. One man’s life changes course after discovering an animal in the swamp—one different from all others. And each diabolical tale is as twisted and hypnotic as you’ve come to expect from Meghan O’Flynn. This “gripping and ...

Safe Haven has grown too powerful to be ignored. The remaining government wants all survivors secured for their own use or eliminated, and they couldn't have chosen a better time to reemerge from their dystopian holes. Safe Haven has a new leader and a long list of challenges to overcome in their fight for survival. Adrian's condition is critical, the camp isn't ready to accept magic, Mother Nature still has them in her crosshairs, and they are low on food, water, and fuel. The next eight weeks will be the hardest they've gone through yet. Can they bring the pieces together in time?