Dystopian Short

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.

A leaderless, exhausted federal government is pulling out of Texas, leaving nine million survivors of the apocalypse to fend for themselves. In an attempt to fill the void, the Alliance of West Texas prepares to step in. The ruling council establishes five directives; Energy, Agriculture, Transportation, Communications and Security.

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.

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 ...

This 1911 collection of thirty-three stories, selected and revised by the author from amongst his huge output of short fiction, includes tales of comedy, horror, monsters, and strange worlds. In his Introduction, Wells writes that the book brings together, “All the short stories by me that I care for any one to read again,” and that, “No short story of mine of the slightest merit is excluded from this volume.”

The title of this book means ‘broken door’ in Latin, and within these pages you’ll definitely find doorways to other worlds, some of them broken and some… perhaps better left closed. Dive through a wormhole into the interstellar adventure of Anomalies, or visit the international space station in the surreal Patchouli Puke. Empathize with the protagonist in Five Minutes From Now who knows when people are going to die, or learn how a life lived poorly can still ultimately make a difference in The Horizon Behind. Perhaps you’re an action or horror fan? Then How Bhutan Became the ...

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, ...

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 ...

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.

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.

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?

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. ...

A scientist suffering from PTSD is faced with the terrible knowledge of the impending destruction of our species. In his desperate attempts to prevent humanity's fate, he commits violent acts and is branded a terrorist. How far would you go to save the planet from annihilation? Where do humans come from and how did we get here? Scientists have theorized about the human race's origins for many years. But no one was prepared for what was found in orbit, seven ancient alien probes that have been monitoring the planet for billions of years. The data and video images recorded inside them show ...

Ecological disaster on a worldwide scale What happens when the entire supply of Iron and Steel worldwide collapses? Do We Survive? How do we survive? Will we continue to function as a society or will everything fall apart? Iron rusts and the world collapses. The release of an iron-eating bacteria throws the entire world into chaos and mayhem. Industrial society collapses and the world is forever changed. Can this happen, or has it already happened and we just don't realise it yet?

The War for Truth Escalates—And One Woman Holds the Key to Humanity’s Survival. Public outrage will boil over when the truth about the deadly HealthSync neural implants surfaces. A covert resistance team knows their next move is critical: securing the help of five-star General Alexander Miley Austin. But convincing a high-ranking military leader to turn against the system he swore to protect is no small feat—especially when he’s wired into the very technology they’re fighting against. Enter Jane—a former escort turned elite operative—who’s willing to risk it all. When the ...

In my second collection of short stories (February), I take readers on a journey across magical lands, dystopian futures, and the intricate landscapes of the human experience. Crafted through a collaborative process with an AI companion, these flashes of fiction emerged from a simple daily ritual: each morning, I would propose an imaginative premise, then let the AI build upon my ideas to spin them into fully realized tales. The stories within capture a dazzling array of concepts, characters, and settings. We meet an explorer traversing the multiverse, a ninja warrior forced to choose ...

Are you ready to embark on a journey through the vast expanse of the universe? Look no further than Science Fiction Short Stories Vol. 11 by The Shadowplay Collective. This collection of short stories will transport you to distant worlds and introduce you to characters that will leave a lasting impression on your mind. In this volume, The Shadowplay Collective takes readers on a thrilling ride through the depths of space and time. From the far reaches of the galaxy to the depths of the human psyche, these stories will keep you on the edge of your seat. The settings are vividly described, ...

Night Portals is a metaphysical anthology series that explores the hidden secrets of life around us. Twelve "What If" short stories from the mind of Ernie Howard. Immune is the third story in the series. Jakob the motel clerk opened a door one day. A door that should have stayed closed. Being immune to a virus that will kill off most of the world's population seems like winning the lottery at first. That is until you realize you killed most of the people you loved just by being around them. Sometimes the virus is in your mind. What would you do if you were the last person on Earth?

In the parking lot of a rural Renaissance Faire, a young girl learns that the world has changed. In this short story, the world of the breakthrough novel, Age of Mystics, is given more depth and perspective. This is the tale of the storm that comes right after the Event in Age of Mystics, that causes such cataclysmic effect in that story.