Dystopian Short Stories

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.

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

In the distant future, the Earth lies barren. Devoid of vegetation, what remains of the human race scours the land as scavengers. During one gathering a survivor, Josiah, discovers a map leading to an unknown destination. His newfound quest becomes a journey of hope and redemption as he lays eyes upon a miracle: the world's last living tree.

Four very short stories, all told in the first person, some that cannot, and others that should not, happen in our lifetimes.

What happens when English teacher Boyd Walker forgets to die on his deathday? What's in the pearls that the antiquarian sells to the desperate villagers? Can two exploited castes work together to preserve a child's freedom? What if God was an intellectually disabled little girl? Can you predict what common people will do when facing existential crises? What about outright genocide? These are amongst the 13.5 gripping and upsetting short stories set in the oppressive totalitarian regime of Darrenbroath.

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 ...

An incurable disease kills millions around the world. A selfish father is about to be its next victim. See what he wishes for in his last hour. Gene Carlotta is on his deathbed and won’t live long enough to see the next sunrise. As his life flashes in his mind’s eye he comes to realize the one thing he never gave his son and the heartbreaking remorse that consumes his last moments.

In a future world reshaped by the marvels of bio-engineering, augmentation is more than a trend—it's a way of life. The promise of improved vision, strength, and even more exotic abilities has created a society where to be 'Enhanced' is to belong. Tommy, a young man with dreams of fitting in, eagerly embraces this new world, undergoing transformations that grant him the prowess of nature's most impressive creatures.

In a near-future world dominated by The Directorate, a sinister regime, Alex and Mia find love amidst oppression. Alex, born with "Inferior Genes", possesses a secret that could change everything. Together, they join the underground resistance and uncover the regime's dark secrets. Their daring mission to expose The Directorate's tyranny takes them to the heart of its power. Betrayals and sacrifices test their love, but they emerge victorious, ushering in a new era where individuality and freedom reign.

I’ve been an exile my entire life, stuck on a forgotten planet with alien overseers that enslave human men and keep human women as little more than prized pets. I hide in the wilderness alone, away from the oppressive alien civilization. The alien overseers send human men to hunt feral women like me all the time. When three human hunters finally manage to trap me, there’s only one thing I have to offer them to barter for my freedom: me. It’s the one thing they’re forbidden from ever having—a human woman. Their Human Captive is a reverse-harem sci-fi romance SHORT-STORY with ...

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.

Killer bots anyone? What about an eco-Armageddon? And what really happened at Roswell anyway? From ancient mysteries on Earth to far-future conflicts on other worlds, this collection of sixteen sci-fi short stories from the author of The Anti Life Series and the Final Update trilogy promises to take you on an adventure. Whether it’s human-sized parasites, clone lovers, or intergalactic war—there’s something in this novel-length story collage for every science fiction enthusiast.

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 ...

Two wives share a house divided. A writer creates a sexy new partner. A backseat driver's trapped. A devilish elevator runs out of floors. And clothes control the man. Short, sharp jabs into your mind. Philosophical sci-fi quick reads.

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.

This post-apocalyptic dystopian short story follows Elizabeth, a mechanical and chemical engineer who used to work for a rapid prototyping firm. She uses the skills from her former life to provide for her and the woman she took under her protection, Melissa. The two seem to thrive in adverse conditions to bring semi-modern conditions to their hidden camp. But even after the world ends, you sometimes need something pretty.

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.

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 ant scurries on the counter, alone, and the only remnant of its poisoned colony. Empathizing with the ant, Natalie ponders putting it out of its misery. As a scientist, she knows her flowcharts point to humankind's destruction: much like the ants, we polluted our colony too. Heading up one of a handful of secret labs, Natalie's mission to save humanity seems more like a cliché sci-fi movie than reality. Or maybe the world-weary views she possesses stem from her own bitter past.

Abby never expected life to be easy. The daughter of a father she's never met and a mother who works three jobs just to get by, she walks herself to her middle school in Chicago, fixes her own dinners, and keeps herself company. Despite all the disadvantages stacked against her, however, Abby manages to keep a smile on and even dedicates her time to helping others who have even less than her. But one July day, something happens in the city that causes a mass panic while she's out grocery shopping, and Abby's life is forever changed.