Dystopian Short Stories

She’s going to make one last-ditch effort to get pregnant, and this time it’s going to take a train to help her along… With all the cheating I’ve been doing, I’ve gotten used to running around behind my husband’s back. What started as a way to get me knocked up has changed into a fun little side hobby that I really enjoy. But it also makes me feel guilty, and I need to get my cheating under control before I hurt my husband and lose him forever. A night of watching dirty movies gives me an idea. I’ll head out to the hotel on the outskirts of town and open myself up for any man ...

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.

Science Fiction Stories 6 by Various Authors is a captivating anthology of science fiction short stories that transport readers to extraordinary realms, exploring dystopian futures, post-apocalyptic landscapes, and thrilling adventures in space. Discover the Unknown Join Mitch in "Balanced Odds" as he navigates a futuristic world filled with danger and unexpected alliances. Embark on a perilous journey "Beyond Mars" with Timmons, a salesman exploring the inhabited planets and moons. Experience the haunting "Nightmares Above," where the line between reality and dreams blurs in a world above ...

Now the Congress of Animals is in control, unforgiving, and debating the fate of the planet’s most reviled species. The popular ruling: Exterminate humankind without exception. But a curious mare, coming of age, is making a case for a seemingly gentle person she longs to save - a wish for mercy that could once again unbalance the new and righteous nature of the world.

In this darkly comic and surreal collection from celebrated author Alissa Nutting, misfit women scramble for agency in a series of uncanny circumstances. Throughout these breathtakingly creative 17 stories spread across time, space, and differing planes of reality, we encounter a host of women and girls in a wide range of unusual jobs. A space cargo deliverywoman enlists the help of her cybersex partner to release her mother from cryogenic prison.

In "If Tomorrow Never Comes," embark on an extraordinary journey through a world where the very fabric of reality has been torn asunder. Set against the backdrop of a once-thriving town now shrouded in mystery and despair, this gripping tale follows the Johnson family and a cast of diverse characters as they confront an unimaginable catastrophe. From the tranquil beauty of a sunset-filled evening to the heart-pounding intensity of a world plunged into chaos, each chapter immerses listeners in a rich tapestry of sensory experiences.

To Chinese American teenager Chuntao, New Lake is a beautiful haven where she can hunt for treasures once swallowed up by a big flood. But when she’s caught scavenging by her biology teacher, a woman whose own past has been swept away, Chuntao is faced with an imponderable question: Which world was better - the ideal one she never knew or the destroyed one that now belongs to her?

"Would you remove your soul, to save your life?" Unlock the continuing mind-bending possibilities of ethical and moral dilemmas with "After Dinner Conversation - Season Two," 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 ...

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 ...

Brace yourself. You will begin to listen to all kinds of stories, from zombie-killing individuals to spooky warnings from ghosts. Most of these are not heavy, gory horror stories but lightly sprinkled humorous ones with casual plot twists that most people will enjoy. Murder is definitely one of the main themes as is survival in a post-apocalyptic era. Ghosts and beasts in different forms will adorn the elements of these psychological and action-packed stories.

"Is it selfish to abandon your abilities to follow your dream?" Unlock the continuing mind-bending possibilities of ethical and moral dilemmas with "After Dinner Conversation - Season Three," 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 ...

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.

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...

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.

Araanti—a sparkling oceanic world and jewel of the Federation of Humanities. Glinting skyscrapers tower above the world’s one continent and provide homes for its residents. Well... most of the residents. Qalupa may be Araantian. She may be from a planet of power and privilege. But she’s not one of them. No, she’s a barger. Those gleaming buildings on the mainland are nothing but a pretty sight to her. Though she’s an outcast to the rest of the world, to the people in her barge village, she’s just Qalupa and she likes it that way. She has her family; she has her community; and ...

"How do you stop yourself from growing up?" Unlock the continuing mind-bending possibilities of ethical and moral dilemmas with "After Dinner Conversation - Season Five," 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 ...

In the near future, older generations can reverse the aging process through weekly transfusions while, far removed from the realities of the outside world, aimless postmillennials or “blood chickens” can live a life of guiltless bliss in idyllic youth farms. Among the first wave of volunteer donors are Billy Cantor and Frankie Halifax, who quickly bond over their dream paradise. What’s not to love? Wine tastings, parties, yoga, and all the organic avocados they can eat. Best of all: not a single care in the world until their thirty-fifth birthdays.

A Forbidden Truth. A Haunting Past. A Reckoning Unfolds. Some secrets should remain buried, but these won’t stay hidden. A cloning experiment spirals into chaos, its horrifying consequences bleeding into reality. Shadows twist and whisper as spectral hauntings refuse to be ignored, dragging their victims into the unknown. Betrayal poisons trust, transforming love into a battlefield where survival demands sacrifice. Vigilante justice is swift and merciless. Covert operations unravel under deception’s weight. The past claws its way into the present. Chilling kidnappings unfold where ...

Locked in a losing war with an alien race that regards humans as a delicacy, a military strategist learns revenge is a dish best shared.

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?