Dystopian Short

Jim travels to northern Michigan to decompress and deal with his feelings in a rustic log cabin owned by his deceased girlfriend's family. Not only is the cabin off the grid, it is a place of peace and solitude, that is, until the Ebola virus is unleashed upon the USA. In a panic, the CDC and the FDA release a vaccine that's only just started testing.... Now the infected roam the world, and even in northern Michigan, Jim isn't safe. He eagerly awaits Janie's family to join him; they are preppers, who may be the key to his survival, and they are the only family he has left.

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.

The 'best short story writer in English' (Time) is back with a masterful collection that explores ideas of power, ethics, and justice, and cuts to the very heart of what it means to live in community with our fellow humans. With his trademark prose—wickedly funny, unsentimental, and perfectly tuned—Saunders continues to challenge and surprise: here is a collection of prismatic, deeply resonant stories that encompass joy and despair, oppression and revolution, bizarre fantasy and brutal reality.

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, ...

Is the man in charge of Eden’s resistance a traitor? An off-world army led by the malevolent Black Lord is crushing Eden's farmers, burning their fields, and destroying their villages. Eden's people are pacifists, but if they don't resist the invaders, they will be forced to grow the cash crop the Black Lord is selling across the galaxy. Fiercely independent teen Karoline wants to join the resistance. Her father was its bold, inspiring leader, who died fighting for Eden’s freedom. Defying the enemy is Karoline’s birthright. Her destiny. But after her father’s death, another man took...

Jonathan R. Rose’s feminist fable slices into the reader with the satirical razor of Angela Carter. — James M Wright Growing up in a small highway town, Elena Corzo always dreamt of attending university in her country’s capital city. After leaving home and finally arriving in the sprawling metropolis however, she becomes overwhelmed by its relentless movement, suffocating population, strange customs and unaffordable prices. Less than a month to go before her classes begin, Elena finds herself trapped in perdition, where she catches the eye of Diego Bustamante. Handsome, successful and...

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.

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...

It’s the hottest winter on record, but Raymond’s demanding, bedridden mother doesn’t mind. She likes it warm. Lately, however, control over the thermostat has become a nasty struggle. And each morning that she’s still alive is a suffocating new challenge for Raymond. How high can the mercury climb before he boils over?

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.

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.

"The Last Broadcast" isn't just an audiobook - it's a mind-melting descent into cosmic madness that will leave you breathless and question your very existence! FEEL THE TERROR grip your heart as Billy Wood's frantic voice cuts through the static, desperately fighting against horrors beyond human comprehension. Your cozy world is about to be RIPPED APART at the seams!

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.

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, ...

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 ...

Lacey, William, Alex, and Suul return to Toronto to find that Earth is experiencing areas of mysterious radiation poisoning, just like what happened in the dark dimension... This is Book 5 of "The Lost Voice Of the Dark World" - the second series of the "Voice of the Mountain" saga.

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...

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.

Miccah Blu I finally found my naughty princess. It was only a matter of time before I discovered her hiding place. Now it is time to destroy her universe, so she has no choice but to turn to me. I am not too worried, though. I brought her a consolation prize: her beloved unicorn. Neev My friends call me prude, even innocent. And a human. However, I’m actually a fallen Fey princess, banished from my home and a villain to many. But I’ve left the past behind and adore my human life in Jewel, Oregon. All is good until my childhood love crashes the party and threatens to burn the entire ...

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 ...