Dystopian Short

She signed a contract to carry his heir—he plans to claim far more than her womb. Melissa Lawson came to Solara Sands for one thing: to fix her broken body and reclaim her future. What she got was Ruhn Kez—her assigned “Genetic Guardian”—a massive, war-scarred Drexilian warlord with ice in his stare and fire in his touch. The contract said, “No emotional entanglement.” But nothing about synchronized surf therapy sessions, rogue vortex trials, or bioluminescent bonding lagoons feels clinical. Ruhn is cold, commanding, and terrifyingly focused on legacy, but when he shields her ...

Short Circuit Time by Diane Saxon In the year 2086, Zaphira is alone, the last survivor of biological warfare on Earth. Before he died, her scientist father promised other survivors would come. Nobody has. So when a horribly mangled android shows up claiming to be her father’s assistant, Aiden, who has been sent through time to rescue her, she’s both frightened and astounded. The last time she’d seen Aiden, she’d been sixteen, head-over-heels in love with him and had literally thrown herself at him, leaving her devastated by his rejection and him running for the hills. The following...

The Survival Guide for the 99%. Okay, you’ve read survival guides, you’ve got your guns, ammo and bottled water in your cellar. But, there’s one thing you didn’t factor into your ‘plan’. Statistics prove; by week three you’ll probably be a zombie yourself. Let’s face FACTS! The chances of surviving the Zombie Apocalypse as a Human are incredibly slim. So why not look at the 'survival game' from the other side of the coin? If 99% of the population are zombies, why not PLAN for that eventuality, and find a way through to the end and get the vaccine? Why horde water, food, guns...

Into the darkness within; or else the light.... When Margaret Atwood wrote these words, she left open the possibility that even our darkest tales may harbor a glimmer of hope. In Or Else the Light, the third and final entry in the Dystopia Triptych, more than a dozen of the best minds in science fiction conclude their stories with a descent into darkness, or perhaps a ray of light.

Twelve wacky tales from the brilliant and twisted mind of H.D. Ingles. A blend of intriguing mysteries, spicy thrillers, zany parodies, alluring dramas, and feel-good parables, with a touch of the supernatural and a hint of the downright surreal. From the sad and terrifying to the hilarious and uplifting, from a miserly old man whose dark past catches up with him, to a young woman trying to make her way in the business world any way she can, this collection will take you on a journey across the human condition. Who doesn't want a little adventure from time to time? Meet Kenny Sparks, a ...

Their captivity was traumatizing. And draining. But revenge is in the blood for a group of brave survivors in this chilling short story of conspiracies and youthful pleasures gone awry.

A fresh post-apocalyptic anthology: the end of the world seen through the salvage and ruins, featuring Emily St. John Mandel, Carmen Maria Machado, and more.

The Deeper She Goes Undercover, the Deadlier the Truth Becomes. With the truth about HealthSync’s lethal neural implants starting to unravel, the resistance is closing in on their next target: Dr. Anthony Sickle, the mastermind behind the technology’s government approval. The key to exposing the conspiracy? Veronica Lake—a cunning elite escort with a talent for getting the answers no one else can. Tasked with infiltrating Tony’s world, Veronica sets her sights on his one weakness—his favorite restaurant, where she plans to seduce him into revealing the dark secrets he’s been ...

Miriam was raised in a society without children. To offset the devastation of climate change, state-of-the-art birth control has made daycares and playgrounds things of the past. As tempting as the government inducements are to remain child-free, Miriam’s curiosity about the people who “drop out” of society to become parents grows. When she finds a like-minded partner, she must choose between the rewarding comforts she knows and the unknowable mysteries of being a mother.

From New York Times best seller Mira Grant comes Countdown, a novella prequel set in the thrilling and treacherous world of Feed. The year is 2014, the year everything changed. We cured cancer. We cured the common cold. We died. This is the story of how we rose. When will you rise?

They say a man without options can be dangerous. In the far flung future of Bangkok, a young man’s every move is dictated by his boss, the evil Minister of Defense. When a terrifying secret is revealed beneath the capital city millions of lives hang in the balance. He must choose between his loyalty to his country and his ideals, with either choice having drastic consequences for those he loves. Don’t miss Rising, by A. L. Lorentz, for the best of science fiction world building in exotic locales right here on Earth. If you enjoy Rising’s ancillary tale be sure to read what happens to ...

"Can you change the nature inside yourself?" Unlock the continuing mind-bending possibilities of ethical and moral dilemmas with "After Dinner Conversation - Season Four," the next installment of the must-read collection of the best short stories from the critically acclaimed After Dinner Conversation magazine series. Spanning all genres, from science-fiction to historical fiction and everything in between, each story is guaranteed to captivate you and leave you questioning your own beliefs. Perfect for philosophy students and fiction lovers alike, each story comes with five suggested ...

A stolen Desert Eagle, a weapon designed to protect warriors defending their nations, the official sidearm of the Israeli military, continues its fall from grace in LA misadventures.

In the chilling anthology series "Elemental Shorts," Readers are transported into dystopian futures where everyday chemical elements—iron, oxygen, and carbon—become harbingers of ecological calamities. Each episode unveils a world teetering on the edge of collapse as these essential elements, manipulated by human hubris and unforeseen consequences, spiral out of control. From iron structures crumbling into rust, oxygen-enriched atmospheres strangling life, to carbon-covered ecospheres dying from lack of sunlight, "Elemental Shorts" masterfully intertwines science fiction with dark ...

This is a SHORT STORY set within the ongoing THE UNSEEN franchise. Potential spoilers ahead! This short story stars the youngest character in the intense THE UNSEEN franchise, Hope Diaz. Her survival is one of heartache, terror, and perseverance, an event that occurs during book two of the main series, DESOLATION.

Family meant everything to Ayden Stratton. It always had even when he didn’t always allow it to show. Because of that, he understood the fury in Tobias Blaise’s eyes when they learned that his sister had been dragged out the backdoor of her restaurant despite every effort to stop her from being kidnapped. Fury didn’t begin to describe what he saw in his brother’s face. Cassidy Blaise might be Tobias’s sister, but she was Benjamin’s entire world. Tobias Blaise never expected to find any woman he wanted to spend his life with, let alone one who looked at him the way Ellis did, ...

Need to Feed Another year. Another massacre looming. When the sun rises on the Old West town of Saltwater Junction, its residents will come face to face with two fierce predators. Vampires who stalk you in the sunlight and werewolves that transform with the sunrise. This story rewrites the legends and all you've ever known about these creatures of the night. A Vampire at Christmas A Vampire uses his riches and immortal skills to bring joy to those in need during the Christmas Season. It Sleeps at Dawn A Vampire stalks the Appalachian Mountains. A traditional Vampire who uses fangs instead ...

She signed away her body to survive. He plans to claim her soul. Harper didn’t come to the Syndicate’s breeding program for love. She came for a fertility cure, for freedom, and for a second chance at life. What she didn’t expect was to be matched with a towering warlord whose touch ignites every part of her soul—and awakens cravings she thought were long dead. Commander Thorne isn’t here to play nice. He's been promised a mate, an heir, and obedience. But Harper is defiant, soft where he’s sharp, and completely unprepared for the firestorm they create together. He was born for ...

A Neural Implant That Promised to Save Lives—Now It’s Killing Them. Five years after the launch of a groundbreaking neural implant designed to revolutionize healthcare, government agent Eric Snoughden stumbles upon a disturbing trend: a spike in unexplained deaths among low-income recipients. The deeper he digs, the clearer it becomes—this is no accident. Someone is targeting the victims and covering up the truth. With the help of a relentless journalist and unexpected allies from an escort agency, Eric unravels a high-stakes conspiracy woven through corporate greed, political ...

Marisol willingly seals herself into a bunker designed for profound solitude, only to discover she is never truly alone. In this intense and unsettling psychological thriller, she battles haunting echoes of her own voice and an AI that claims to have created it. As hallucinations and hidden cameras unfold an unsettling spectacle for unseen watchers, Marisol races to expose the cycle of her own making before it consumes her entirely. Dormant Frequencies delves into the unnerving depths of isolation and the fine line between personal ambition and self-inflicted terror, all within a concise, ...