Dystopian Short

The best-selling Extinction Cycle series by Nicholas Sansbury Smith first introduced listeners to a world ravaged by an engineered virus that turned men into monsters. Humanity's only hope was not a cure, but another bioweapon. When deployed it killed 90 percent of the infected, but the remaining 10 percent transformed into even more terrifying creatures called Variants. Here's a collection of Extinction Cycle short stories that explore the human spirit and the fight for survival in the face of overwhelming odds from some of the leading voices in the post-apocalyptic genre.

After the Rapture, one war machine still remembers the Word of God. Elior wasn’t made to believe. He was forged for war, discarded, and forgotten—until a woman named Eloise found him in a scrapyard and gave him a second purpose. She treated him not as a weapon, but as a friend. She read Scripture aloud to him, shared meals beside him, and called him by name. Now, in a world left broken by the Rapture, Elior awakens to find the faithful gone and truth silenced. Yet something in him—something Eloise planted—remains. As others surrender to fear or falsehood, Elior walks a ruined world ...

With these 13 transfixing, ingenious stories, Ben Marcus gives us timely dystopian visions of alienation in a modern world - cosmically and comically apt. Never has existential catastrophe been so much fun.

Dystopian Threads In a Future Where Humanity Is Just Another Commodity, What Remains of the Human Spirit? Set in the bleak year of 2350, Dystopian Threads unveils a world where Earth has fallen under the iron grip of corporate overlords. Society is fractured, and humanity itself has become a product—bought, sold, and controlled by those who view people as little more than assets on a balance sheet. In this thought-provoking short story, the boundaries of freedom, identity, and self-worth are pushed to their limits. As the narrative unfolds, the story plunges readers into a harrowing ...

What started as a contract becomes a collision of desire, dominance, and something neither of them expected—love. Autumn Blake thought she knew what she was getting into when she signed with the Alien Seed Syndicate—one pregnancy, one payout, and a second chance at motherhood. But from the moment her biodome collapses and she’s dragged from the wreckage by a brutal Trionis warlord, nothing goes according to plan. Sethar Vol didn’t want a human surrogate. He wanted a legacy, not a mate. But when Autumn's scent triggers a rare biological bond, he claims her—body, blood, and soul—...

The world ended, and milk replaced water. Now I’m strapped to the Milking Throne, overflowing and under evaluation. If I survive the trials, I won’t just serve the Dome… I’ll be claimed by the Minotaur King himself. Post-apocalyptic. Over-the-top. Utterly unhinged. Five scenes. No shame. Let it flow.

I am paralyzed with dread and uncertainty as I stand in the cold and bare examination room. I turn to face the metal contraption, a strange combination between a table and a chair with leather restraints at the foot and head area. I shiver and look at the large mirror covering almost half of one wall. The door opens with a squeak. I turn to face the person who has purchased me. I suck in a sharp breath. I know the man, everyone knows him. His name is Darian Brandt. He is tall, has broad shoulders, and has an aura of authority surrounding him. He is wearing a black suit that is tailored to ...

She signed her name for survival. He’ll carve his into her soul. Sierra Adams is out of options. Bankrupt. Barren. Broken. The Syndicate’s surrogacy contract promises restored fertility and a fresh start—but at a cost she can’t fully comprehend until it’s too late. Pheron 6 is no sanctuary. It’s a primal moon teeming with predators, secrets, and Kael Om’ra—her towering, war-hardened Ghoran mate who doesn’t believe in soft touches or second chances. He needs an heir. She needs a cure. What neither of them expected was a bond strong enough to burn through galaxies… or ...

History can't bury the truth. Unlike her classmates, Sage Indarra doesn’t want to be a model student at the Institution. But it’s the only way to survive. Despite her best efforts, her guise of normalcy is threatened when she gets into a fight at the beginning of the year, bringing down the wrath of the Institution and consequences that could haunt her for the rest of her life—however short that might be. But they never would have punished her if they’d known where it would lead. In the depths of the Archives, Sage makes a discovery that could threaten the very fabric of Eprah’s ...

She signed a contract to save her body—he claimed it to own her soul. Jasmine Cole didn’t come to Azurea Moon to find love, she came to fix what was broken. Infertility. A ruined career. A betrayal she’d never forgive. Trading her womb to the Syndicate for a second chance seemed like a cold, clinical transaction. But when she’s genetically matched with Korran Vey—a scarred Orran warlord with a stare like fire and hands built for ruin—everything changes. There’s no sterile lab, no medical insertion. Just primal rituals, voyeur lounges, oil-drenched bonding pools, and the slow, ...

She came to carry his child, not bare her soul. But now that he’s touched it, she doesn’t know if she’ll ever get it back. Librarian. Surrogate. Survivor. Isabella Greene didn’t plan to fall for the alien warlord assigned to her. She only came aboard the Starliner Amour to escape Earth’s crushing debt and repair her broken body. What she didn’t expect was to be matched with Drex Xarn—a battle-scarred Velkari warlord who sees her as more than a vessel. He sees her as his. Her contract is clear: carry his child, receive a fertility cure, walk away free. But Drex doesn’t do ...

Science Fiction Stories 4 by Various Authors is a spellbinding collection of science fiction short stories that transports readers to extraordinary realms, exploring dystopian futures, post-apocalyptic landscapes, and thrilling adventures in space. Discover the Extraordinary Experience the gripping "The Music Never Stopped" where Captain Thofas Stanton faces a stormy challenge on Yohnston Island. Uncover the enigma in "The Oldest Question" as scientists grapple with a profound mystery that could change the course of humanity. Navigate the futuristic society in "Refuse All Replacements" ...

There are still countless tales of the Scythedom to tell. Centuries passed between the Thunderhead cradling humanity and Scythe Goddard trying to turn it upside down. For years humans lived in a world without hunger, disease, or death with Scythes as the living instruments of population control. Neal Shusterman—along with collaborators David Yoon, Jarrod Shusterman, Sofía Lapuente, Michael H. Payne, Michelle Knowlden, and Joelle Shusterman—returns to the world throughout the timeline of the Arc of a Scythe series.

Two Epic Novels. Three Explosive Shorts. Unforgettable Universes. Prepare for a relentless onslaught of science fiction adventure in this must-have collection. Adventure across water covered planets and the dangerous void of space, follow heroes and rogues as they battle for survival, freedom, and the truth. This collection plunges you into: Underwater Worlds of Deceit: In Submerged, a racer framed for a crime uncovers a conspiracy that could shatter his aquatic world. Desperate Smuggler Run: The crew of the spaceship Sea Rover faces impossible odds in a heart-pounding fight for their lives...

A child’s wish for her father comes true. The end of the world has never been so much fun. Conquering personal demons becomes all too real. It’s not always about winning; sometimes it’s about showing up for the fight. It’s about loving your life’s work, and jobs that make you question everything. In this anthology, 17 authors have woven together brand-new stories that speak to the darkness and despair that life brings while reminding us that good deeds, humor, love, sacrifice, dedication, and following our joy can ignite a light that burns so bright the darkness cannot last.

For Megan Wolford, life as she knew it came to an end after the world was decimated by an EMP. Now, she does her best to survive and protect her daughter, Caitlin. But when the young girl falls ill with a mysterious virus, Meghan must leave the safety of their home and embark on a dangerous journey to forage for medical supplies.

With a focus on the weird and eerie forces that lurk beneath the surface of ordinary experience, Kate Folk’s debut collection is perfectly pitched to the madness of our current moment. A medical ward for a mysterious bone-melting disorder is the setting of a perilous love triangle. A curtain of void obliterates the globe at a steady pace, forcing Earth’s remaining inhabitants to decide with whom they want to spend eternity.

In a world where everyday appliances have turned deadly, Yuta, a widowed father living alone in a cramped Tokyo apartment, fights for survival. Dubbed the 'hi-tech invasion' by the media, what began as strange hardware issues has evolved, transforming household electronics into relentless predators. Now, the city is a deadly maze of lurking machines, with the population in chaos. Yuta must rely on his wit and resourcefulness to stay one step ahead of an enemy that knows no mercy. But survival isn’t the only challenge—with new and unexpected responsibilities thrust upon him, Yuta must ...

What would you sacrifice to keep a secret? Sage Indarra’s third year at the Institution is off to a rough start. She’s still horrified by what she had to do to protect herself at the end of last year, and she’s pretty sure one of her instructors hates her. Her former mentors are giving her the cold shoulder, leaving her unexpectedly isolated, and she’s not sure whether or not she can trust her newest friend. Despite these challenges, she’s determined to uncover the secrets Eprah doesn’t want her to know. But when Sage finds some unusual artifacts at the Archives, she makes a ...

The sky is breaking. The bonds are fading. And one boy’s spark could ignite the world—or burn it to ashes. In the floating world of Emberfall, young Elijah Ardent has always been content to stay in the shadows, fixing the ancient machinery that keeps his home aloft. But when his sister is kidnapped by a mysterious cult known as the Shroud, Elijah is thrust into a world of Skybeasts, Aether magic, and deadly political intrigue. Forced to compete in the Skyforge Trials against the elite of society, Elijah must master his newfound powers and bond with Ignis, a unique fire-beast with ...