Dystopian Short

For decades, George R. R. Martin - best-selling author of A Song of Ice and Fire - has collaborated with an ever-shifting ensemble of science fiction and fantasy icons to create the amazing Wild Cards universe. In the aftermath of World War II, the Earth’s population was devastated by a terrifying alien virus. Those who survived were changed forever. Some, known as Jokers, were cursed with bizarre mental and physical deformities; others, granted superhuman abilities, are known as Aces.

Many people died when the end times came. Those who survived did so by building bubbles - protective domes that protected them from the radioactive ash beyond. Keeping one running takes a village. It's for this reason that everyone has their role to play. Except the Elders. Their only job is to remind the ones born after the End that life is about more than mere survival.

The four stories narrate the struggles of the tiny island nation of Buron to resist the onslaught of its much bigger neighbor, Garsia, via any means necessary. “Green Monkey Syndrome” describes the disaster of a pathogenic weapon leaked among indigenous tribespeople; “The Gaoka Case” tracks through case files a pharmaceutical offensive designed to take advantage of the enemy’s patriarchal culture; “I Love Thee Winona” and “The Lost Bird” describe campaigns to manipulate disastrous weather patterns and deliver bioweapons through migrating birds.

Endland holds a broken mirror to England. In its garish but strangely familiar world of empty tower blocks, 24-hour cyber cafes, and bomb sites, a motley collection of misfits, wanderers and charmed drunks do their best to survive. Nothing is stable in Endland, and what's more, the gods have started drinking at lunchtime, which can lead only to trouble.

An addictively macabre short story collection, People Like Us includes all works from Listeners and Aftertaste. For fans of Joe Hill, Gillian Flynn and Carolyn Kepnes. “From the feverishly surreal to the downright demented, O’Flynn takes you on a twisted journey through the deepest and darkest corners of the human mind.” ~Bestselling Author Mary Widdicks BEWARE THOSE WHO ENTER HERE… From the bestselling author of The Jilted comes a hellscape replete with shocking twists you’ll never see coming. Eerie voyeurs, snow-crusted wilderness, strange pets, demented neighbors, and all the ...

Experience a thrilling journey through the vast expanse of the universe with Science Fiction Short Stories Vol. 02. This collection of short stories is a must-read for any science fiction enthusiast, and a perfect introduction to the genre for those new to it. With each story carefully crafted to ignite the reader's imagination, this book is an unforgettable ride through the depths of space and the mysteries of the unknown. Set in the far future, Science Fiction Short Stories Vol. 02 takes readers on a journey through time and space, exploring the infinite possibilities of the universe. ...

A Deadly Lie. A Billionaire CEO. And a Race Against Time. The war against HealthSync’s lethal neural implants is nearing its end—but the battle hinges on one last target: Siegfried, the elusive CEO of NeuroFusion Systems, the mastermind behind the deadly technology. To take him down, the resistance sends their cunning operative—Marie, a seductive chameleon with nerves of steel. Her cover? A no-nonsense federal tax agent with the power to ruin Siegfried’s empire. Her mission? Get close. Disarm his implant. Extract the truth. But Siegfried is more than just another corrupt billionaire...

1984 by George Orwell and Brave New World by Aldous Huxley are two of the most famous and influential dystopian novels ever written. Both books depict a future world in which individual freedom and privacy are subordinated to the demands of a totalitarian state, and citizens are manipulated and controlled through technology, propaganda, and social conditioning. The two novels have often been compared and contrasted, and both are considered to be among the most important works of literature of the 20th century.

Delight in intriguing, thought-provoking conversations about ethics, philosophy, and social issues! After Dinner Conversation is a monthly literary magazine publishing short fiction. Each issue features both established writers and up-and-coming authors who contribute fascinating philosophical insights on controversial topics like marriage equality, assisted suicide, the meaning of death, animal rights, and defining your "purpose." It's time to go deep in search of truth! If you love reading imaginative short stories on hot topics that make your brain think deeply but also have you laughing...

GOLD MEDAL WINNER-READERS’ FAVORITE INTERNATIONAL AWARDS SILVER MEDAL WINNER-INDEPENDENT PRESS AWARDS A Tea Party activist discovers that he is growing another head. A playboy befriends a woman who is only six inches tall. A rape victim confronts her assailant in a maximum security prison. James Hanna is a prolific writer whose stories have appeared in over thirty literary journals. Drawing from his experiences as an adventurer in Australia, a counselor in an Indiana prison, and a San Francisco probation officer, James offers a variety of themes in these nineteen aberrant tales. His ...

Set in the present, American Z is centered around a deeply rooted and disturbing evolution of the zombie in America, and the scientific T.S.O.M.B.I.E. [zom-bie] program. A powerful group of elitists, known as The Society, has been secretly controlling governments for years, and are now on the brink of being able to control humanity itself. One man believes he is destined to stop them and is willing to do whatever it takes, including betraying those closest to him. American Z is sure to slowly eat away at your conscious, long after putting it down.

A small group of survivors battle a post-apocalyptic landscape that is void of plant life. Hunger plagues the few remaining human survivors. The world has been pillaged and scavenging for food has become the lifeblood of survival, but starvation is now on the horizon for these fellow travelers. Many have taken to cannibalism, but this group has managed to survive without going quite so far. While scavenging, they first come across a woman, and shortly after, her child. They capture them and debate their options. In order to satisfy their burning hunger, they must first lose their humanity. Some will win, all will lose.

Brace for a triple-dose of adrenaline with this three-book collection, including a sci-fi novella packed full of action and twists, and two creepy short stories sure to hit that macabre spot deep inside! In the Sci-fi Novella ADA, Teran’s world, submerged in a future of uncertainty, unravels after a mission gone awry. Part-man, part-synthetic, Teran faces choices that could reshape his destiny, all while navigating a flooded world filled with suspense, surprises, and relentless action. But the thrills don’t stop there. In Eyes in the Garden, Phil finds himself in an enigmatic old house,...

Leah is a picker. Her job is to sift through the refuse and waste of the silo and sort it for recycling. She enjoys making homemade paper and writing stories, but she just happens to live in an underground silo full of mysteries, and in a dystopian world that has been destroyed by mankind. The two things that she loves to do most in the world are both illegal.

Nyra has escaped Cavallier with her father and mother. For the first time in a long while, their family is together again. But it's not that rosy. After what Sara has done, she has to try harder if she wants to mend things with her daughter. Regardless, Nyra has it good at the other side of the coin. Gary's missed her like hell, and the two can't get enough of each other. It's life as it should be until Cavallier comes knocking. Nyra learns the full extent of Cavallier's power, but she learns it when it's too late. Now, her life and that of everyone she loves are on the line. In the race ...

The Scarlet Plague, by Jack London, was the first example of a post-apocalyptic fiction novel in modern literature. Set in a ravaged and wild America, the story takes place in 2073, 60 years after the spread of the Red Death, an uncontrollable epidemic that depopulated and nearly destroyed the world in 2013. One of the few survivors, James Howard Smith, alias “Granser”, tells his incredulous and near-savage grandsons how the pandemic spread in the world and about the reactions of the people to contagion and death.

The Dome protects us. It is life for all who live under the ice barrier, but it is on the brink of failure. The Elders saw this coming; they have a plan. There's just one problem: I can't breathe underwater like everyone else. I'm the last air-breathing human in the Dome. As the Aquatics migrate to their new home, I'll need to find a way to survive.

BRACE YOURSELF FOR THE ULTIMATE HORROR EXPERIENCE! Are you ready to have your reality shattered and your mind rewired? "Scary Stories: A Collection of Short Horror Tales" isn't just an audiobook - it's a one-way ticket to a world of unimaginable terror!

Some religions state that the very universe was created by words. The nation of America was founded using words. Words established the rights and freedoms this nation enjoys. The first of those rights is freedom of speech, which implies so much more than the right to use words. This anthology contains four stories from four authors. Each story pays tribute to either the ideals held by America’s First Amendment or to the concept that the words people use hold power. These authors took the concept of words and placed it in futuristic, apocalyptic, and fantasy settings.

All this young woman wants is to save her son. EXCERPT: "Would you let scorpions roam free in your house or backyard? Or at your school, if you were a teacher, regardless of how small they were? Would you let a scorpion sting and kill someone first before calling the proper authorities? Of course not. You would ask for that danger to be promptly removed—and rightly so—wouldn't you, Mrs Bram?" All you can do is nod. The white walls around you seem even colder than before. The lights are too bright. The scent of sanitizer is too pungent. You feel nauseous. "She's just in shock," you hear ...