Psychological Science

Miles, a lead creative at a midsize virtual reality company known for its "original experiences," has engineered a new product called The Ghost Lover. Wildly popular from the outset, the "game" is simple: a user's simulated life is almost identical to their reality, except they're haunted by the ghost of an ex-lover. However, when a shift in the company's strategic vision puts The Ghost Lover at the center of a platform-wide controversy, Miles becomes the target of user outrage, and starts receiving a series of anonymous death threats.

Welcome to future-shock. Hold on tight and buckle yourselves in, because the future is on a relentless onslaught, for better or worse. This is a collection of the short speculative fiction of Gabriel Walker Land. Most stories are flash fiction, meaning less than 1000 words. Each contains a story of mystery, action, romance, and suspense.

In a world uncomfortably like our own, a young woman called Amalantis is arrested for asking a question. Her question is this: Who is the Prisoner? When Amalantis disappears, her lover Karnak goes looking for her. He searches desperately at first, then with a growing realization that to find Amalantis, he must first understand the meaning of her question. Karnak's search leads him into a terrifying world of deception, oppression, and fear at the heart of which lies the prison. Then Karnak discovers that he is not the only one looking for the truth.

Hat, ribbon, bird rose. To the people on the island, a disappeared thing no longer has any meaning. It can be burned in the garden, thrown in the river or handed over to the Memory Police. Soon enough, the island forgets it ever existed. When a young novelist discovers that her editor is in danger of being taken away by the Memory Police, she desperately wants to save him. For some reason, he doesn't forget, and it's becoming increasingly difficult for him to hide his memories. Who knows what will vanish next?

Ben's wicked sister-in-law inherited just about everything... ...except for his father's mysterious vintage clothing store! After the death of his estranged family, Ben discovers that his father's vintage clothing store holds a remarkable ability. The ability to turn him into an alpha-male, sought after by every desperate woman he clothes! The humble professor isn't without customers for long, as gorgeous young coeds quickly discover the fashion paradise and its irresistible owner. Before he can get things under control, he's up to his ears in submissive cheerleaders and thirsty bookworms! ...

Mi mamá me dijo algo. Todos los niños deberían saberlo. Es acerca del diablo. Y he aprendido a odiarlo así. Sarah tiene 15 años, con un corazón amable y una disposición únicamente dulce, y se las arregla con una facilidad natural para ser la "hija perfecta" con la que todos los otros padres comparan en secreto a sus propios hijos. Sarah es definitivamente un producto de la educación que recibió, al ser criada en un hogar amoroso cuyos miembros tienen su vida centrada en adorar al Señor y la vida de la iglesia en general. Como resultado de eso, Sarah ha vivido una vida idílica, ...

GARDENS IN THE SKY - THE FINAL CHAPTER In the quiet, familiar town where nothing out of the ordinary ever happens, a storm arrives, bringing with it a group of enigmatic strangers. Their arrival coincides with a series of inexplicable events that sow fear among the town's residents. Could it all just be a fluke? Or is there something more sinister at play? The strangers seem to have settled in a forbidden location, arousing suspicion and concern among the townsfolk. Meanwhile, a mysterious little girl, unknown to anyone, ventures into forbidden gardens, revealing an uncanny knowledge of ...

What ever happened to... Ariel Crosby? The former Hollywood child star is all grown up, but her life has gone off the rails with drugs, alcohol, and sex! Homeless and almost at the end of her rope, Ariel discovers Intervention, Inc. The caretaker of the program is offering something that sounds way too good to be true. The program is free, but the contracts are pretty strict, forcing her to give up her name, her identity, contact with the outside world...and her willpower! Her former agent, Syd Lancaster, says yes...and she really does want a change. Join Ariel as she descends into a ...

In the vast deserts of New Mexico and Arizona, divorced ex-cop David Parker seeks a fresh start on vacation with his kids. Chemistry with a captivating woman sparks hope, but when three people are brutally murdered at a motel he stayed in along the way, Dave realizes he's been framed. Now, he must go on the run to clear his name and expose the real killer. Will the police catch him, or will the razor-wielding murderer find him first? In the high desert, survival becomes a deadly race against both the law and a merciless predator. Gum is a pulse-pounding thriller set along the dusty desert ...

Everything Elka knows of the world she learned from the man she calls Father, the solitary hunter who took her under his wing when she was just seven years old. He has taught her how to shoot, track, set snares, and start fires - all the skills she needs to survive in a frozen, lawless land where civilization has been destroyed and men are at the mercy of the elements and each other. But the man Elka thought she knew so well is harboring a terrible secret. He's a killer. A monster.

Auf dem Planeten Solaris scheinen die Gesetze der Physik keine Geltung zu besitzen. Eine geheimnisvolle Kraft beeinflusst die Bewegungen des geheimnisvollen Ozeans, der die gesamte Oberfläche bedeckt. Als der Wissenschaftler Kelvin auf der Raumstation von Solaris eintrifft, stößt er auf seltsame Anzeichen von Chaos und Auflösung. Die zwei Besatzungsmitglieder verhalten sich merkwürdig, als würden sie von einer unaussprechlichen Furcht beherrscht.

Breanna Perry has met some interesting people in her time as a psychiatrist for San Quentin. There was the guy who ate his mother for Christmas or the postal carrier who claimed Jesus told him to put ricin in the fashion magazines he delivered. However, nothing prepared her for Cassius Teran. Named for one of the conspirators against Julius Caesar, Cassius believes he’s no longer human.

A parallel universe. Does one exist? Someone is about to find out. Adam Fuller is a struggling musician who has moved to New York with hopes to be a rock star. Ellen Brigatti is a renowned NYC photographer whose life couldn’t be better—or so it would seem. But both Adam and Ellen are heading down a path of self-destruction that will eventually lead them to a place beyond their wildest dreams.

Number one New York Times best-selling author Iris Johansen last electrified listeners with Dead Aim and No One to Trust. Now she offers a new pulse-pounding thriller that takes suspense writing to an all-new level: deep below the surface, where a ruthless killer strikes without warning, without mercy...and with the deadliest intent.

Night Portals is a metaphysical anthology series that explores the hidden secrets of life around us. Twelve "What If" short stories from the mind of Ernie Howard. The Old couple is the second book in the series. Pete checks on his elderly parents at least once a week. The countless visits all melt into one, but it doesn't matter how many boring visits he has with his parents. He makes these visits with a sense of foreboding. Will this be the last time? Pete and his wife have a different visit this time around. One that is far worse than death.

In November 2014 Arla Macleod bludgeoned her mother, father and sister to death with a hammer. Now incarcerated at a medium-security mental-health institution, Arla will speak to no one but Scott King, an investigative journalist, whose Six Stories podcasts have become an internet sensation. King finds himself immersed in an increasingly complex case, interviewing five witnesses and Arla herself as he questions whether Arla's responsibility for the massacre was a diminished as her legal team made out.

"Legacy of Molly: A Post-Apocalyptic Survival Thriller" They thought the shelter would keep them safe. They were wrong. Molly Burk has always been different—a young woman with extraordinary abilities that she doesn't fully understand and can't completely control. In a world already pushed to its breaking point, her unique powers could be humanity's greatest hope... or its ultimate destruction. When a mysterious encounter thrusts her into a mission beyond anything she could have imagined, Molly must confront the true nature of her abilities and the devastating consequences of her choices. ...

The world has changed forever. Across America, technology has been eclipsed by magic, and people are changing into the embodiments of their darkest desires and deepest fears. In this new time, former lawyer Cal Griffin has united a small group of outcasts to battle the chaos.

They hold a secret that could save humanity—or destroy them. Five strangers, bound by the trauma of a mass shooting, meet in a support group. With little left to lose, they agree to take part in a mysterious experiment—one that promises hope for the future of mankind. But some miracles come at a devastating cost. Kate and Seth, investigative reporters for a Dallas newspaper, return to the small town of the Bend—where they barely survived a church bombing just over a year ago. This time, their investigation leads them to the Pointe, a secluded clinic that claims to work wonders. But ...

The final chapter in the Shelter Series. Continue the journey of Adam, Hannah, and Evelyn as they face their biggest challenges to save themselves and our country. Redemption. Reunion. REMEDIUM.