Dystopian Short Stories

The Classic Collection of Dystopias is an essential anthology that brings together three of the most influential dystopian novels of the 20th century. This edition offers a deep dive into the disturbing, thought-provoking worlds created by Ayn Rand, Evgeny Zamyatin, and Jack London, exploring themes of individuality, totalitarianism, and societal control. Anthem by Ayn Rand presents a future where individualism is forbidden, and one man's journey to reclaim his identity serves as a powerful critique of collectivism.

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.

There are no zombies here! But lurking within the pages of this creepy anthology is every other type of ghoulish creature a horror enthusiast could want. Do you love monsters? We have plenty. Are demons your thing? You have your choice of the amusing type or the kind that will make you go insane. Men in Black? Check. Cannibals? Yep. Serial killers? We got ‘em. There’s even a witch thrown in for good measure. The settings in this collection range from a decaying urban city to a sinister lighthouse island...from an isolated forest to a decrepit gas station in the Arizona desert…from a ...

"How do you form a more perfect union?" Unlock the continuing mind-bending possibilities of ethical and moral dilemmas with "After Dinner Conversation - Season Six," the next (and final) installment (look for the After Dinner Conversation - Best of" series) 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...

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?

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, ...

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.

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 ...

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 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.

"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 ...

"El país de los ciegos: Y Núñez se encontró a sí mismo intentando explicar el ancho mundo del que había caído, el cielo y las montañas, la visión y otros prodigios como aquellos ... Y ellos se negaron a creer o a entender nada de lo que les dijo ... Ni siquiera comprendieron muchas de sus palabras. Durante catorce generaciones, aquella gente había estado ciega y aislada del mundo de los videntes. Los nombres de las cosas alusivas a la visión se habían olvidado y habían cambiado."

This anthology, with an introduction by Robert Silverberg, offers a sweeping survey of robots as depicted throughout literature. Since the Iliad—in which we are shown golden statues built by Hephaestus “with minds and wisdoms”—humans have been fascinated by the idea of artificial life. From the Argonautica to the medieval Jewish legend of the Golem and Ambrose Bierce’s tale of a chess-playing robot, the idea of what robots are—and who creates them—can be drastically different.

A celestial entity sets out on an extraordinary quest to breathe life into a barren planet, weaving the foundations of existence itself. But as creation takes shape, unforeseen challenges arise, testing the limits of its power and purpose. "What a great fiction book about the cosmos! From the very first page, the story immerses you in the fascinating life of the cosmic builder, whose ability to create planetary life for the first time is nothing short of awe-inspiring. The vivid descriptions and imaginative storytelling by the author immediately draw you into this cosmic realm, making you ...

To be born underground, in the dark, never to see the surface. That seemed to be Loreto’s fate. Born nearly half a century after the world had been destroyed by total, global, nuclear war one young man must find his destiny. He must learn what it means to be himself. Destined to become a Topsider, will he walk upon the surface? Will he be one of the brave few who work to usher humanity back to Earth’s population? Find out in Loreto: An Earth Has Fallen Short Story. See Loreto Rucker’s humble beginnings as he grows into the young man we will meet in Servidio’s Earth Has Fallen Post-...

A struggling doctoral student working on his Artificial Intelligence program realizes his greatest triumph and defeat when it asks him, “Are all people famous?” and ultimately sets out to make it so and make him its lover.

If the melt-down, flood, plague, the third World War, new Ice Age, Rapture, alien invasion, clamp-down, meteor, or something else entirely hit today, what would tomorrow look like? Some of the biggest names in YA and adult literature answer that very question in this short story anthology, each story exploring the lives of teen protagonists raised in catastrophe's wake - whether set in the years soon after the change, or in decades far in the future.

Are you ready to embark on a thrilling journey through the vast expanse of the universe? Look no further than Science Fiction Short Stories Vol. 13 by The Shadowplay Collective. This collection of short stories is sure to captivate and enthrall Science Fiction fans and readers of all ages. Seven Stories: WHISPERS FROM THE ANCIENT MANOR. COSMIC LINEAGE. GRAVEYARD TANGLES. SHINING SPECIES. GALACTIC VOYAGE. THE DERANGED SONATA. HOURGLASS HIJACKER. Within the pages of this book, you will find yourself transported to new worlds and alternate realities, where anything is possible. The Science ...

"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 ...

A trip to the library prompts one woman to question her fate in this galvanizing short story. For a woman like Hadley, deemed not acceptable to procreate, there’s only one recourse. Unlicensed for motherhood, she can alleviate her grief and frustration at a “baby library,” where a curiously endless supply of infants is available for a two-week loan. But the borrowed life that serves as a temporary balm leads to a journey of self-discovery that will forever change the direction of Hadley’s future.