stories in and

The Cranes of Blackwell

The Cranes of Blackwell by J.D. Kellner

Bergden and Alyssa Crane are dutiful citizens of the Regime. Bergden, a Regime blackjack and Alyssa, a faithful wife, do what they can to provide for their son, James even when it means sacrificing their very freedom. But when Bergden is accused of treason, the Cranes must flee for their lives to escape the terrible reach of the Regime. During the escape, Bergden and Alyssa become separated. ​ Now, Bergden and Alyssa will do whatever they must, and against all odds, to unite their family. With the tyrannical Chancellor Kroft hunting them night and day, both must discover their inner strengths to conquer their fears and find each other’s arms. Little do they realize that a greater threat lurks in the shadows.


Callus & Crow

Callus & Crow by DB Rook

SPFBO10

Can a path of blood lead to redemption? Is redemption enough to amend a wayward world? Morality and reality have shifted from their natural axis. Technology and ideology derive from the remnants of a world long dead and segregated by the monsters that now rule the seas. Crow, a young ranch hand, is swept into an odyssey of redemption and revenge as he strives to hold back the ravages of fate and the urges born of a curse shared with his new mentor. Callus, an exile struggling to find redemption whilst keeping his vampiric curse from tainting his new ward, pursues his prey across the sea. The new world they discover reveals a tyrannical society fixated on their council’s ascension to godhood.


Last Skies Afire (Digitesque, #6)

Last Skies Afire (Digitesque, #6) by Guerric Haché

Worlds once alive are being destroyed; worlds once dormant must be brought back to life. Weapons that have long been wielded must be returned to the sheath; things never truly grasped must be wielded as weapons. What can Ada do, as planets burn under the inexorable advance of a machine fleet? What can Isavel do, from a shackled homeworld that has not been heard from in a thousand years? And what might they both do, if they were no longer alone? When seals are broken and barriers fail, when distances shrink to nothing and options dwindle into despair, both Ada and Isavel see only one way forward into a world that still lives on the other side of the fire: Let all hell break loose. All at once. And pray chaos is on their side.


Fourth Under Sol (Digitesque, #5)

Fourth Under Sol (Digitesque, #5) by Guerric Haché

Isavel was sure she was a gods-forged weapon. It seemed painfully obvious. So with her second life falling to pieces all around her, and nowhere left to go, she stands before them again, one last time - hoping, for once, to be a double-edged sword. Arguments with gods rarely end well, however. Now thrown so far off the path that no walking or wings could ever bring her home again, she finds the self-destructive legacy of her ancestors stretches far further afield than she could have imagined. The same old bones lie under alien soils, the same wars echo in different blood, the same silent stars twinkle above barren skies. And looming over it all, the same inscrutable gods - only these ones are within reach. And with every scuff and every broken promise, the visage of these gods crumbles away until Isavel finds herself staring at what lurks in their hearts and their roots. But these gods still stand, and still the worlds turn, and somehow she must find a path to her home, and a home for her heart. These old gods may stand in her way, and their wastelands may sap her strength. But she is a weapon, of a kind no god has ever known. And arguments with gods rarely end well.


The Broken Third (Digitesque, #4)

The Broken Third (Digitesque, #4) by Guerric Haché

Out between stars and planets that left Earth behind many centuries ago, Ada Liu discovers a thriving but strangely archaic interstellar civilization - a Union of ancient colonies that have survived a war of apocalyptic proportions. Expecting to uncover the roots of Earth's downfall, she instead finds this society built by strange humans and familiar aliens is threatening, bewildering, and not at all what she had hoped. Her abandonment of Isavel Valdéz haunts her as she travels further and further, but with an array of hunters breathing down her neck and no way to return, Ada needs to gather what little help she can and find refuge between the cold vacuum of space and the unfamiliar soils of new worlds. She has one unsettling advantage: for better or worse, Ada is a strange daughter of a stranger Earth, and is perhaps the second most dangerous thing this Union has ever faced.


Second Contact (Digitesque Book 3)

Second Contact (Digitesque Book 3) by Guerric Haché

Ada and Isavel still aren't sure if they are enemies, allies, rivals, or something else entirely - but the world is conspiring to force them into a decision. Peace between humans and their inhuman neighbours is crumbling, a millenium of stasis can no longer hold, ancient gods are losing their grip on Earth, and something from beyond the world is coming. There are cities to save, curses to lift, and exiles to end. Ada must say goodbye to the few allies she has, and her time to solve an ancient wrong done to humanity is running out. Isavel must save a city that will no longer listen to her, and is rushing into a war it may pay far too dearly to win. To achieve anything at all, the two of them may need to close the gap that separates them and start anew.


First Angels (Digitesque, #2)

First Angels (Digitesque, #2) by Guerric Haché

Isavel has seen what comes after death, and wishes it on no one. Miraculous in the eyes of her peers and her elders, she has become the gods’ unwitting hand in an effort to stop an invasion of otherworldly creatures who would take human bodies as their own. She may fight bravely, but she is also beginning to learn that her influence may come at the cost of who she once was. But this invasion is not incomprehensible. Ada's ancestors corrupted the world this enemy is fleeing from, and so she believes the war is her problem to fix. After all, if civilization is to be built anew, the crisis threatening to destroy what little remains of it must be solved first, and Ada sees nobody better placed than herself to save the world and reverse Earth’s decline. As they both fight to restore the world, their disparate fates weave ever closer together. These gods-chosen mortals know each other’s face, but each has yet to understand who the other truly is, and the consequences of their collision could resonate beyond Earth, out into the stars that still keep watch over this forgotten planet.


The Guard of Woestynn

The Guard of Woestynn by E.M. McConnell

Woestynn Prison is the most desolate prison planet of the Ruben System, a desert wasteland meant for the most barbaric of prisoners. Ford is a new recruit from the Academy, hoping to make a name for himself in the most feared of prisons. When arriving he finds more than he expects, and grows more than he could have imagined.


The Dust Collector (Woestynn Chronicles)

The Dust Collector (Woestynn Chronicles) by E.M. McConnell

Darius has lived on the desert prison planet Woestynn for longer than he wants to remember. His days are dreary, dangerous and dark, collecting ore to supply the prison, to claim his rations of food and hydration tablets. But Darius does not work to pay towards a cell, as other prisoners do. Darius chooses to make a stand alone, out in the desert. Because you can't choose when you die, but you can choose how you die. This is a dystopian scifi novella set in Woestynn, the worst prison planet in the Ruben system. This is one of four non consecutive books set in this world.


Welcome To Humanity

Welcome To Humanity by Will Soulsby-McCreath

What Does It Mean To Be Human? Set in a futuristic society where people were forced to leave a devastated Earth behind and set up their lives somewhere out amongst the stars. Three people wrestle with forging connections and building community in the face of intolerance and fear. RAVI has been Re-Animated, brought back to life by the government for purposes unknown. When the Resistance raid the Re-Animation Centre halfway through his welcome to his new life, he's convinced that life is coming to a rapid close. Instead, in a single outstretched hand, they offer him a chance to live his new life outside the shadow of his old one. But Ravi soon finds out his old life came to its own dramatic end trying to take out the Resistance itself. Dr PALMER is the best at what she does. Has been ever since she first picked up a screwdriver. It’s why she was headhunted right out of her PhD. Now, working with a professor she adores on a top secret, cutting edge project, Dr Palmer has everything she ever wanted. Until she finds paperwork that redefines the entire direction of her life. Leaving her questioning, how much of her humanity is she willing to sacrifice? BLUE lost everything in The Crash. But they gained something even greater: independence. All too soon, that independence is threatened by a new, rising faction of the military who believe that only natural born humans deserve human rights. Forced into hiding, Blue begins to wonder if independence is worth the isolation that comes with it.


I Heart Robot

I Heart Robot by Xan van Rooyen

Sixteen-year-old Tyri wants to be a musician and wants to be with someone who gets her musical aspirations. Q-I-99, aka 'Quinn,' lives in a scrap metal sanctuary with other rogue droids. While some use violence to make their voices heard, demanding equal rights for AI enhanced robots, Quinn just wants a moment on stage with his violin to show the humans that androids like him have more to offer than their processing power. Tyri and Quinn's worlds collide when they're accepted by the Baldur Junior Philharmonic Orchestra. As the rift between robots and humans deepens, Tyri and Quinn's love of music draws them closer together, forcing Tyri to question where her loyalties lie and Quinn to question his place in the world. With the city on the brink of civil war, will Tyri's and Quinn's passion for music be enough to hold them together while everything else crumbles down around them, or will the truth of who they are tear them apart?


Silver Helix

Silver Helix by Xan van Rooyen

On the surface, the city of HelsInc appears to have recovered from the war waged between humans and Ethereals, but beneath the scars, the city seethes. The remains of magic festers, causing mutations in human DNA which could give humans Ethereal power—not that the HelsInc government would ever let that happen. The Legion resists, ripping out their neurochips and protesting the mandatory gene therapy for humans with cryptomine in their DNA. At only 19 years old, Omyn Talvinen isn’t ready to play parent to her kid brother, but with her mom in prison on trumped up charges and her deadbeat dad AWOL, she’s left with little choice. Forced to risk her freedom to pay the rent, Omyn finds herself at the mercy of a pair of cyborg soldiers when they catch her red-handed stealing nanites from a cyberware Salon. But the synths’ powers don’t work on Omyn, and they discover they all share a common memory that they must get to the root of. Wanted dead by the government, Omyn and the renegade soldiers turn to a rebel Legion group with dreams of resuscitating dead magic for help. With the clock-ticking for the synths, Zee-Five and Omyn are forced to confront the secrets of their past and a dark conspiracy that’ll shake the blood-soaked foundations of the city.


The One Exiled: A YA Sci-Fi Adventure

The One Exiled: A YA Sci-Fi Adventure by Jennifer Lewy

Yesterday, she was a savior. Today, she is an outcast. Seventeen-year-old Rayne and her friends have just averted a disaster, stopping a shadow AI from wreaking havoc on their world. However, their relief is short-lived. In the aftermath, Rayne and her boyfriend, Vic, are blamed for the chaos. As punishment, their Threads—their lifeblood and sole connection to the virtual Games they create—are severed, and Rayne and Vic are exiled, on the run… alone. To add to their woes, the neighboring community falls victim to a ruthless assault by the Settler rebels—a radical anti-tech group dedicated to annihilating the AI that safeguards their world. Now, Rayne and her friends must find the Settlers, uncover their plans, and prevent them from striking again—because this time the Settlers’ target is Rayne’s own home, and everyone she holds dear. Her only hope lies in surviving long enough to track down Freya’s Path, a legendary faction of coders, and persuading them to join her cause. But time is running out. It's a no-holds-barred-race that leads Rayne on a perilous journey and into the deeper darkness of the secrets lurking within her own path. And in this race, the only prize for second place is certain, lonely death… as The One Exiled. Mixing the excitement and wit of Ernest Cline’s Ready Player One, the cyberpunk suspense of Marie Lu’s Warcross, and the sci-fi dystopia of James Dashner’s The Maze Runner, The One Exiled is the second thrilling book in Jennifer Lewy’s post-apocalyptic young adult series, Game of Paradise. Dive into the exhilarating adventure today!


Our Vitreous Womb: Book 1-4

Our Vitreous Womb: Book 1-4 by Haldane B. Doyle

SPSFC 2023 SPSFC 2024

Podgy, hairy, sex-obsessed and terrified of death, Oji Anabasi is typical for a remnant sapiens. An accidental hybrid of two ancient lineages, with no preassigned role in this bioengineered utopia, Oji searches for reasons to be wanted. Follow Oji’s extraordinary life through the eyes of his head-strong mother, irresistible wet-nurse, steadfast wife and ardent ally in this compilation of four science fiction novellas.


Holtondome

Holtondome by Ryan Southwick

SPSFC 2023

Seg Holton yearns to leave his isolated farming dome and travel the ravaged Earth, or even to Mars Colony. Only a few things stand in his way: an authoritarian government, deadly storms, and an enchanting outsider who may be the most dangerous of all. Fast-forward 500 years. Civilization has nearly wiped itself out of existence, and is on the long, slow road to recovery, held together by an agreement called the Pact between cities, agricultural domes, and a new global government. Seg is a farmer in Holtondome. Like his ancestors, he's chosen a life of ignorance about technology and the outside world in favor of a simple existence, free of the corruption that almost destroyed the human race. His world turns upside down when Fi arrives. Tall, exotic, and far too wise for her age, she challenges everything he's been taught to believe, making him question for the first time if a simple life is right for him or, indeed, for the rest of humanity. But Fi has secrets darker than her black-ringed eyes — bigger than the Pact — that have implications far beyond Seg and the residents of Holtondome.


Explorers of Rinth

Explorers of Rinth by John Simons

SPSFC 2023

Aristotle wakes with no memory after being left for dead in a place that carries the seeds of a distant and dying Earth, but he is not alone. The survival of the human species rests on his shoulders and a small group of discarded humans. Meanwhile, Iseulte and her friends flee the spark of civil war that engulfs their home. They escape into long-forgotten tunnels where they find that things Humanity dabbled in and abandoned have taken on their own lives and destinies. Although separated by unimaginable distance, the future of these two groups was bound together in the distant past by the strangest secret of all.


Secrets of PEACE

Secrets of PEACE by T.A. Hernandez

SPSFC 2023

Nearly 30 years ago, the PEACE Project rose from the ruins of a global war to take power over a new America. Providing stability in exchange for absolute authority, the Project controls every aspect of citizens' lives through each of its five units: Protect Enforce Advance Control Eliminate Raised in the Project since infancy, eighteen-year-old Zira has been trained as an assassin under the stern guidance of unit E-2's Chairman Ryku. After she makes a careless mistake on an assignment, the chairman partners her with Jared, the best operative in her unit. Their partnership transforms into friendship as they work together and learn to rely on each other. But when misinformation causes a solo mission to backfire, Zira's deepest loyalties and strongest relationships are tested in a place where even a hint of doubt can be perceived as treason. The life she knows is falling apart, and nothing will ever look the same again.


The Mimameid Solution

The Mimameid Solution by Katherine Kempf

SPSFC 2023 SPSFC 2024

Ragnarök was only the beginning. Five years after the world he knew collapsed in ecological disaster, Lysander is back in his homeland of Old Scandinavia with his companions, Magdelena and Linnaea. The atmosphere is full of ash, the days are cold and dark and they are constantly under threat from the Celts, who have invaded and are burning the countryside in their wake. When a rogue group of soldiers led by a fiery Lieutenant named Petra offers them refuge in a place called Mimameid, they are tempted by a chance at safety. But when Mimameid turns out to be more than he bargained for, Lysander must take control of his own fate and decide whether to stay or to go.


The Money Cure

The Money Cure by Linda Peer

SPSFC 2023

What if avarice after billionaire-ism is just a subset of ordinary hoarding disorder? What if someone discovered a way to repair that? Who would benefit? Who would oppose such a cure, and how aggressively? The Money Cure is a comic romantic adventure set in the near future, when a housing crisis forces working people, from retail employees to programmers, to live in illegal housing called underhousing. Jemma is a beautiful loner with aspirations as a graphic novelist. She wants to make money to buy the time she needs to create a work of art. Employed in a menial job at a spa for the ultra-wealthy, her real ambition is to delight readers. Jemma also wants to acquire enough money, cash, assets, or whatever, to move out of her van, parked in underhousing. Financially challenged and stuck in a dead end job, Jemma devises an only slightly illegal plan to fix her money problem. Oz Vasquez is a sociable, outgoing biologist. He is one of a group of scientists who believe the solution to the deepening housing crisis is a change in how people, especially billionaires, regard the acquisition of vast hoards of money. The scientists believe the ultra-wealthy behave as crudely and irrationally as dragons sitting on hoards of gold in fairy tales. They are searching for a cure for what they call the dread moneypox. If they find such a cure, some of them intend to administer it to the ultra-wealthy by any means necessary. When Jemma and Oz meet, each secretly hopes to use the other to advance their scheme. Then they fall in love. Their intentions toward each other change, but their plans are already in motion. Their situation is complicated when they become entangled with a group of minor criminals called the Candy Mommies and Daddies. The Candies are masters of the misdemeanor, who sometimes step over the line into felony. Will either Jemma or Oz, or both, succeed? Will they betray each other, or help each other? Will their love survive their ambitions?


The Rains Came Down

The Rains Came Down by Julian Shaw

SPSFC 2023

A world where nature has claimed the streets of London… where ageless people are perilously addicted to sucking marbles… and where the deaths of three men from another world threatens the order of the universe… In this, his debut novel, Julian Shaw has created a life-affirming and enchanting parallel universe, remarkable for its torrential bursts of action and overwhelming floods of emotion. ________________________________ When Gareth Edwards dies in a train crash, he emerges in The Meadow , a realm existing somewhere between life and death. Hunted and on the run, he finds refuge with a travelling circus and journeys with them across the splendour of this strange world, where pubs organise rebellions, cave dwellers archive Earth’s disasters – and where a network of monasteries are commissioning expeditions into the Welsh mountains that are too dangerous to speak of. Gareth joins one of these expeditions, only to find something yet more perilous waiting for him – something with origins that reach beyond this world and into the trauma of his past.


The Southron Deception (The Southron Chronicles, Book 1)

The Southron Deception (The Southron Chronicles, Book 1) by J.L. Birchwood

SPSFC 2023

The year is 2085 In the Southron Union, a breakaway autonomous region of the former United States, climate change steals more of the South with each passing day, shrinking the coastlines and leaving behind an ocean of sand in its wake. Ruled by a man known only as The General, a charismatic leader who rose to power following a military coup, life here is a brutal convergence of violence and starvation. Tasha Strong enjoyed a privileged existence. She had food to eat. A roof over her head. Water flowed freely from the tap. After being hand-selected for a top job by The General, she met Derik, a devastatingly handsome bodyguard, and the final piece of her perfect life clicked into place. At least for a time. When a terrorist’s bomb detonates during The Union’s independence day celebration, Tasha Strong’s world is turned upside-down, forcing the formerly naïve, pampered young woman to embark on a quest to expose the insurgents responsible and bring them to justice. Every step Tasha takes to unravel the mystery of the bombing reveals unexpected truths, destroying the illusion of The Union, and imploding the delusion of her idyllic life.


The Triangle Age

The Triangle Age by David Aumelas

SPSFC 2023

Earth is adrift. Its mass is spent, the moon ditched, and the sun is not even a memory. Five thousand humans live in its last city, Thule. None know where they started or where they are going, least of all Lowell. Lowell scrubs the pipes beneath Thule. He knows where to push silt and how to break down a beluga carcass. For everything else he listens to Renth. Renth is a foot taller than anyone else in Thule and yet has never fallen in the reservoir, never been locked in a smoker. She knows the pipes matter. She listens to Lowell, and Lowell talks to no one else. He doesn't need Thule, only Renth, height and all, until she pushes him down the deepest hole in the pipes. To return to Thule, he will brave incineration, muskoxen, the vacuum of space and a giant fan. He seeks Renth, her embrace or her death, and to deliver a message he does not understand.


Zero Gravity

Zero Gravity by Elizabeth Pridgen

SPSFC 2023

The world is in a crisis. Almost all power is lost, the U.S. government has collapsed by a terrorist organization known as The Ravagers and there are unexplained, brief episodes of gravity loss which leads to numerous accidents, casualties and little to no arcas for shelter. Marlowe Benson is one of the few living Americans left in the United States, but has been separated from her partner, Jayden. After being rescued by other remaining survivors, they struggle to not only fight back The Ravagers but to find safety from the horrific gravity loss episodes known as "zero gravity attacks".


Corona

Corona by David Arrowsmith

SPSFC 2023

Corona is the deliciously dark and dystopian debut novel from David Arrowsmith, author of Nevada Noir: A Trilogy of Short Stories and The Drowned. In a fallen London, how far will one man go to save his family – and himself… or is it already too late? Trapped in his top floor mansion block apartment in Denmark Hill, South East London, can The Man escape and pick his way through the crumbling ruins of the city, avoiding the violent gangs that now vie for supremacy, and find his heavily pregnant ex-wife? Can a belated act of heroism wash him clean of his sins, or is he too far gone? In a world where civilization has fallen, what hope is there for the future? Corona is a novel about the fault lines in our lives and relationships: a failed marriage, the burden of parenthood, a love forged in extremis. It may be a dystopian story, but it's set in the emotional reality of the here and now. It's Sci-Fi - but not as you know it... This is a story about the dark – and the light – inside all of us, about man’s inhumanity, and humanity. It’s a tale in which the threat, the danger, comes from within us – not from the undead or vampires or even a virus, but from our neighbours, our friends, even ourselves. Corona combines elements of dystopian fiction with the literary survival horror of works like J.G. Ballard’s High Rise and Concrete Island, and even a hint of the Cli-Fi sensibilities of his The Drought and The Drowned World. It’s the perfect read for anyone who enjoyed The Last Of Us, Children of Men, Mad Max, The Road, The Walking Dead, I Am Legend or 28 Days Later. Do you dare to embrace the darkness within?


A Perfect Heresy

A Perfect Heresy by Courtney Maguire

SPSFC 2023

Dystopian science fiction perfect for fans of Ursula LeGuin's Left Hand of Darkness and The Hunger Games. The City was prosperous once, a beautiful utopia made up of perfect people unplagued by disease or infirmity, existing under the benevolent eyes of the Mother. Its high walls guarded it from the ugliness of the world, making it possible for its Citizens to live by the Mother’s will. But then, the Outsiders rebelled. Tired of being oppressed and exploited by the City for their resources, a Resistance rose up against the City’s rule, attacking its soldiers and drawing them into a genocidal war in which there were no winners. Jax, once a City soldier, now a Heretic, is just trying to make xyr way home when xe meets Koi, a sick Outsider in search of xyr last remaining family, a sibling abducted by City soldiers. Jax’s fragile faith will be tested once again as their journey to the City center exposes truths neither of them were prepared for. Can two people from opposite sides of the wall help each other find what they’re looking for? Previously published on Kindle Vella.


Blaze Of Anger (The Anger Series, #1)

Blaze Of Anger (The Anger Series, #1) by Melanie Bokstad Horev

SPSFC 2023

In the divided world of Eden 4023, anger is illegal, hidden, and suppressed. Doctor Tanger, the new hunter of angry people, is struggling to cope with the loss of a boy who changed his life. With the help of an orphan girl, Dancer, Tanger embarks on a journey of self-discovery that uncovers secrets about his past, the world he lives in, and the unexpected places where anger blazes. As Tanger is torn between loyalty and love, he encounters the Resistance and begins to question the controlling powers of Rita Hart and the Silvers. Will the people of Eden be able to unite and coexist in peace, or will they be forever divided?


Beating the Apocalypse

Beating the Apocalypse by Joyce Reynolds-Ward

SPSFC 2023

Rianna and Bobby are Canaries—two of the living toxin monitors who are the Coalition for North American Survival’s best tools for predicting and enduring an outbreak of the poisonous Clouds that threaten to destroy all life under the Dome. Their heightened sensitivity to airborne toxins coupled with bioengineered tweaking, training, and medications means they can take data on current conditions as they affect living beings—and tolerate higher exposures than most people. More than that, Rianna and Bobby are a couple. They’re the two best forecasters of Cloud behavior, prized and protected by their supervisor, LeBrand, because of their complementary talents. So why are their bosses trying to kill them? What’s the real agenda—and just how bad is that last Cloud formation going to be? Can Rianna, Bobby, and LeBrand manage to stay alive long enough to find out what’s going on?


Birthright of Scars: Rising

Birthright of Scars: Rising by Laurisa Brandt

SPSFC 2023

"The problem with a dead legend, is that there's always the threat of him resurrecting. And anytime he does will be inconvenient for those in power."
The Tourmaline Renegade rises in this epic new series.

Falling in love with his bounty hunter was never part of the plan. After the Kobalt empire spent decades suppressing Pyron culture, Emperor Cinnabar designed the walled Pyron sector with only one purpose: extermination. Disrel of Tourmal has little left except his sister, but he won’t accept death without a fight. When the state mandates that all Pyrons relocate to the walled sector, Disrel does not hesitate to don a mask and replace the capitol flag with one that proclaims Pyron is free. What he didn’t count on was a simple act of defiance becoming the symbol of an empire-wide revolution. By the time dawn breaks, a sable commander renowned for catching renegades is on his trail, and Disrel is driven into the center of the resistance against the state. Decorated Sable Commander Ambrosia is ready for the challenge of pulling Pyron resistors off Tourmal’s streets. But the layers of unrest in the capitol go deeper than a masked renegade inciting insurrection, locking her in a deadly dance between conviction and duty, comrades and terrorists—one that requires a flawless loyalty to the state to survive. And the unassumingly charming Disrel keeps getting in her way. Disrel and Ambrosia are thrust into each other’s paths—as renegade and sable, as citizens of the empire struggling to survive the upheaval. But as their feelings for each other grow, they’ll have to choose: one love destined to destroy them both, or the fate of an empire?

Birthright of Scars: Rising is followed by Birthright of Scars: Choosing


Blackout Trail

Blackout Trail by Linda Naughton

SPSFC 2023

When the world goes dark, a doctor embarks on a perilous journey.

Doctor Anna Hastings is no stranger to disasters, having spent much of her career as an aid worker in conflict zones around the world. Yet when an electrical phenomenon known as an EMP brings down the power grid, Anna faces catastrophe on a scale she never imagined. She must learn what it means to be a doctor in a world deprived of almost all technology. As the blackout causes planes to fall from the sky, Anna crosses paths with devoted father Mark Ryan in the chaos at the airport. Mark convinces Anna to travel with him and his seven-year-old daughter Lily to their family’s cabin in remote Maine. There Mark hopes to reunite with his wife, and find a safe refuge from a society on the brink of collapse. Journeying across a thousand miles of backcountry trails, they will face a daily struggle against nature. Their biggest peril, though, may come from their fellow survivors. As Anna grows closer to Mark and Lily, she resolves to see them safely home. But can she hold onto her humanity in a world gone mad?


Cloudthinker

Cloudthinker by Andrew McGlinchey

SPSFC 2023

Numbers don’t lie. But people do. Seasoned journalist Parham Nasiri is convinced there’s something sinister behind tech giant Magenta’s new product, Cloudthinker. The AI service can do anyone's job and is decimating the workforce, sending shockwaves through an already fragile economy and tightening Magenta’s grip on society. After his employers subscribe to the service and put him out of a job, Parham becomes determined to uncover the truth. His digging into Cloudthinker's origins leads him to Boogie Wu – an enigmatic math genius who died in a corporate jet accident – and he’s ensnared in a web of mystery and deception. Tangled up with a corporate whistle-blower, a human-like autonomous hacker, AI-powered robots, and the increasingly blurry line separating humans from software, Parham confronts the world-shaking consequences of Magenta’s real intentions. He’ll be forced to make impossible choices to stop the world from tipping into crisis...

Set in the very near future, Cloudthinker is a propulsive new thriller that confronts big tech, memory and consciousness, and what it means to be human.


The Odyssey of Fletcher

The Odyssey of Fletcher by Erik Dargitz

After a global virus seemingly wipes out the entire male population, a skinny, socially awkward, self-conscious video game junkie is somehow still kicking. And he's wildly unprepared for this new world. Out there waiting for him are physicians who want to study him, a cult of spiritual extremists who want to deify him and brutal gangs with far more nefarious intentions. Throughout his journey, Fletcher does his best to act like a real man, being that he's the only one around. Unfortunately, this only leads to more problems ... for him and humanity.


Babies with Rabies: An ABC Survival Guide

Babies with Rabies: An ABC Survival Guide by L. A. Cunningham

R is for rabies. Of COURSE it’s for rabies! Your most imminent threat is BABIES WITH RABIES! It’s a post-apocalyptic world, and hordes of feral, teething babies are foaming at the mouth and roaming the streets looking for their next victim. You completed your training montage, you know how to sew fingers back on, you studied their weaknesses, and now there’s only one thing left to do: survive! **BABIES WITH RABIES is the perfect gift for parents…or people who hate babies!**


Stars Like Acid

Stars Like Acid by Marissa Lupe

Téa, a Latina soldier in training, is used to standing her ground in a world that seems hellbent on bringing her to her knees. Orphaned at age five and held captive on a military base for most of her life, she barely remembers a time before the government controlled her every move. Now, fifteen years later, the Earth is dying, a resistance is forming, and the corrupt government is hoarding resources and information that could save the world. When Téa is forced to marry the son of a terrifying general, she stumbles across a dark secret that could finally dismantle her power-hungry father-in-law’s regime and offer her a chance at freedom. Humans are evolving in dangerous and powerful ways, and Téa may be the most powerful one of them all. Meanwhile, Annabelle, another of Earth’s many orphans, has lived a mostly charmed life. That is if you don’t count the fact that she’s technically a prisoner. Drifting among the stars on Space Station Luna—the top-secret government lifeboat built to save Earth’s ruling class—Annabelle has everything she needs and the woman she loves by her side. But when Téa ends up at the space station, she unravels a web of deceptions that send both women reeling and make one thing perfectly clear: the secrets that connect Téa and Annabelle may be powerful enough to turn the tides of war, save the planet, and set the people free.


Ailene

Ailene by Annabel den Dekker

Hayden Navarro has only one concern: protecting the ones he loves. At nineteen, he learns the world is in danger. An anonymous terrorist organization has attacked several countries all across the planet. When his parents suspect there might be a mole in the Council of Ailene, they ask Hayden to go undercover as an intern. Once in Ailene, he quickly becomes overwhelmed by everything and everyone around him. He struggles to keep his best friend, Lowell, safe while fending off the ever-present voices inside his head telling him that one day he’s going to lose everything, and he’ll be them one responsible for it all. He’s close to falling apart altogether when he crosses paths with Alexander Collins, a funny and handsome Council member who makes him feel happy and understood. His days suddenly become a little bit brighter—but nothing in Hayden’s life is ever easy. There’s a strict rule against workplace romances, forcing them to stay just friends, yet as they grow closer, Hayden and Lowell find themselves steadily growing apart. Can Hayden find a way to keep his head above water while hunting down the mole, struggling with his growing feelings for Alexander, fixing his relationship with Lowell, and trying to save everyone he cares about—all at the same time?


Reclamation

Reclamation by Bethany A Perry

At twenty-three, all Adelaide has ever known is a society ripped apart by the virus. Though billions died, the freshly minted Cure is bringing the world back into balance. For once, she can think about moving out and falling in love, and not just about surviving the dead. Jack, Addy’s dad, decides to help the mayor with security rather than kick around his empty nest by himself. But when Jack uncovers a mystery more deadly than the infected appearing in the village, his need to solve it gets him framed for a crime he didn't commit and abducted. Adelaide sets out to save her dad, dragging her brother and his handsome boss with her. If Addy wants to seek out the life she deserves, she must save her dad from forces that dwarf them both and face her fear of everything but zombies. The first part of a trilogy, "Reclamation" is for readers who love character-driven literary sci-fi like "Station Eleven" and coming-of-age stories like "The Last of Us," with a healthy splash of adventure and romance. Plus zombies!


Swallow the Moon

Swallow the Moon by Bri Mooney

In a dystopian world ruled by oppression and despair, two individuals find themselves caught in a treacherous web of power and forbidden love. Garrus is determined to salvage the remnants of his shattered world. As the last hope for a dwindling rebellion, he walks a precarious path, his every move shadowed by the ruthless Vampire King and his merciless regime. But when fate intertwined his destiny with that of Sigríð, the infamous killer fueled by a burning vendetta, everything changed. Sigríð, a legendary and deadly Vampire, has long harbored a deep-seated hatred for the Vampire King and his reign of terror. Her heart beats with a single purpose—to avenge the losses she has suffered. When a risky encounter at a livestock auction throws her and Garrus together, their agendas collide with electrifying force. Though their initial encounter is marked by enmity and mistrust, an undeniable connection flickers between them. As they reluctantly embark on a perilous journey, each driven by their own motives, Garrus and Sigríð must navigate a treacherous landscape of danger and deception. Their lives intertwine in unexpected ways, testing the limits of their loyalties and beliefs. Bound by circumstance, they find solace and strength in each other, gradually unraveling the layers of their hardened exteriors to reveal vulnerability and passion. In the face of an oppressive regime, their forbidden love becomes a beacon of hope and defiance, challenging the very foundations of their shattered world. In this dystopian tale of dual perspectives, enemies become unlikely allies, and the line between love and hate blurs amidst the chaos of revolution. ••• STM is the first in a trilogy with dual POV featuring a paranormal tale of vampires and shifters in a dystopian setting. Some tropes are enemies to lovers, forced proximity, one bed, forbidden love, and why choose FFM.


Devour the Sun

Devour the Sun by Bri Moooney

In a world where shadows reign, Sigrid embarks on a harrowing journey of vengeance. "Devour the Sun," a gripping prequel to the celebrated "Swallow the Moon" series, thrusts readers into a realm where darkness and defiance collide. As the rebel vampires dethrone a benevolent king, shattering the city's fragile peace, Sigrid flees the chaos. Her courage and leadership swiftly draw survivors, uniting humans, shifters, and vampires in a desperate quest for safety. But Sigrid's thirst for justice refuses to be quenched by mere sanctuary. Her relentless pursuit to dismantle the oppressive crown and liberate those enslaved by darkness drives her forward. In her mission, she encounters Alex, a daring scientist conducting forbidden experiments on vampires. Their enigmatic connection ignites an inferno of forbidden passion that threatens to consume them both. "Devour the Sun" weaves a paranormal dark fantasy tapestry where alliances arise from the ashes of a once-peaceful kingdom, love emerges amidst the ruins, and Sigrid's unyielding spirit sparks a rebellion that will reshape their world forever. Venture into this captivating world where even the shadows hold secrets, and redemption is born from the darkest desires.


How We End

How We End by LM Juniper

A deadly infection. Seven Strangers. The fight for survival begins... Jake didn’t think his night could get worse, but that was before his train stops deep underground and zombies attack and things go from worst-day-ever to run-for-your-life terror. Liv is good at running, mostly from other people straight into a bottle of vodka. But as chaos erupts on the city streets, depending on others may be her only chance at survival. London is gone. The world has ended. In the chaos that remains, seven strangers fight to escape the city. But as they navigate this new and dangerous world, they soon discover that surviving the apocalypse means confronting their deepest fears and making impossible choices. How We End is a heart-pounding diverse story with a character driven plot that explores how societal collapse forces ordinary people into extreme situations and reveals the lengths they’ll go to survive in a world gone mad. Will they make it out alive, or will they become just another casualty?


The 716

The 716 by S J Pratt

Olivia is destined to be the future leader of Meliora. She’s smart, rich, and innovative, and she has a pink Identifeye light. Andy is destined to be a waiter and househusband. His blue Identifeye light prevents him from pursuing his dream of becoming an engineer. After all, who ever heard of a male engineer? But when Andy’s life becomes entangled with Olivia’s and he gets the chance to prove himself on the female stage, everything starts to change. In a society where men are second-class citizens and only binary gender norms are acceptable, Andy and Olivia must confront their own beliefs and decide what kind of world they want to live in. Will they do what is expected or what is right? And will the wrong choice spell disaster? Fans of Divergent, Legend and The Lunar Chronicles will enjoy this original and thought-provoking young adult sci-fi/dystopian adventure.


Crashing Tide

Crashing Tide by Holly Ash

Environmental scientist, Zoe Antos’s world has forever been changed. When a mysterious illness sweeps across the globe, the Arrow Equilibrium is only too happy to place the blame on Zoe. Injured and on the run, the only thing that matters now is survival. But at some point, survival isn’t enough. Zoe is determined to stop running and find a way to live in this new world. As a new community grows around her, so does the danger. The Arrows won’t stop till she dead, regardless of the collateral damage. Separated from his fiancé, Cole Wilborn finds himself a prisoner of the Arrows. His parents are determined to make him see things their way, even if it means completely breaking down his spirit in the process. Unable to get to Zoe, he is committed to keeping the Arrows off her trail. With the help of his older siblings, he plays the part of dutiful son while gathering information to make his escape. Cole will soon learn that freedom may have consequences he never imagined. Zoe and Cole must find a way to turn the tide in their favor before it crashes down and pulls them under.


A Mirage in the Memory

A Mirage in the Memory by Simon Tull

SFINCS

Dogged by a digital ghost and his own murky past, he must scour the city to kill the killer … or lose the woman he loves. Earth, post-Apocalypse. Thibault Allard is determined to save his wife. After he escapes the addictive virtual reality that enslaved them both, he works as a bounty hunter for their unsavoury captor to gain inside access and search for his beloved. But when the morally flexible immortal is handed a ruthless ultimatum, he derails his plans in order to pursue the man who terminated his boss's spouse. Getting close to the dangerous cult leader responsible for the woman's death, he scrambles to survive after he's captured and imprisoned. And thrown into a pit for a gladiatorial battle against a blood-lusting monster, Thibault fears he'll die before he can rescue the bride he left behind. Can he double down on his duty without losing the rest of his soul?


The Training Grounds: From the Ashes

The Training Grounds: From the Ashes by Jason Clark

After suffering devastating losses in the pursuit to destroy the reaper, Millicent, Adelaide, and Oakes try to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives. As they prepare for another year at the Training Grounds, events unfold that provide hope—and the promise of more bloodshed. The discovery of an ancient map presents a world of possibilities, along with whisperings of a device that holds the potential to bring Darius back. Millicent and her friends will embark on an epic journey and attempt the impossible—to cheat death. While increasing her control over the elements, a strange voice from beyond reaches out, offering a deadly proposal. As the three students search for a way to bring Darius back—or decide to finally let him go, Dean Anders joins forces with Bao and Bixia to prepare the Training Grounds for an imminent attack. Not only must Anders juggle the external threats of Belladonna and the Unified Republic, but a new foe emerges, threatening to destroy the school from within. The stakes are higher as cataclysmic battles bring Merchant Valley to the brink of annihilation. Will the new weapons Anders creates for his prize students be enough? Can they possibly withstand the inevitable onslaught destined for the school? This time everyone must fight to stay alive—or die trying.


The Babel Apocalypse

The Babel Apocalypse by Vyvyan Evans

SPSFC 2023

Language is no longer learned, but streamed to neural implants regulated by lang-laws. Those who can't afford language streaming services are feral, living on the fringes of society. Big tech corporations control language, the world’s most valuable commodity. But when a massive cyberattack causes a global language outage, catastrophe looms. Europol detective Emyr Morgan is assigned to the case. His prime suspect is Professor Ebba Black, the last native speaker of language in the automated world, and leader of the Babel cyberterrorist organization. But Emyr soon learns that in a world of corporate power, where those who control language control everything, all is not as it seems. As he and Ebba collide, Emyr faces an existential dilemma between loyalty and betrayal, when everything he once believed in is called into question. To prevent the imminent collapse of civilization and a global war between the great federations, he must figure out friend from foe—his life depends on it. And with the odds stacked against him, he must find a way to stop the Babel Apocalypse.


The Dragon’s Reign

The Dragon’s Reign by Tim Mullins

Nothing felt overly exciting for twenty-four-year-old Blake. His career as a courier driver was hardly something to brag about and although he raced cars on the weekend, life seemed to have slowed to a crawl. For his housemate and best friend James, however, life was peachy; he was about to ask out the girl of his dreams and was entering his final year at university. Social media sensation Emma Riley was living her best life: her following was booming, her sponsors were calling, and people just could not get enough of her. If only her father, Thomas, could get off her back once in a while. Will was ready for the next big step. The restaurant was booked, the evening was planned, and the diamond ring was perfect. All he hoped now was that Lila, his girlfriend of four years, would say yes. But after a mysterious fire-breathing creature leaves the Australian city of the Gold Coast in ruins, this group of strangers are forced to leave their old lives behind and band together in a fight for survival. With no way to communicate with the outside world and no help in sight, a greater mystery begins to unfold around them. What is the monster that attacked the city? Where did it come from? Is our reign, our way of life, really over? Is the dragon’s reign about to begin?


The Gatherings

The Gatherings by Jeremy Ray

The Gatherings were supposed to bring world peace. What they brought was the apocalypse. Celebrities, politicians, and other prominent figures put together The Gatherings, an event to be held worldwide promoting global peace. When a friend invites Emily to one of the gatherings in a secluded apple orchard, she obliges. Sure, she is an introverted writer, but the world is so fractured that The Gatherings are something even she can get behind. Everything is great until the dancing begins. Then it happens... In most apocalyptic tales, the end comes by way of viral plague, world war, or robot invasion. Never in a million years could Emily imagine it would be this way. Will Emily survive to see what happens after the end of the world?


Price War

Price War by Richard Holliday

WHEN THE COST OF DOING BUSINESS IS BLOOD, ONE MAN MUST SAVE WHAT'S LEFT OF HIS FAMILY FROM PAYING THE PRICE… In a future wrought by traumatic events, the people of the UK come to rely on retailer Yellowstone for their every need. The futuristic company is a newcomer to the country but it’s technologically-advanced ways pamper a weary populace with convenience – at a price – and the convenience soon becomes a necessity. Danny Price is one of a lost generation who seems to be going nowhere in this harsh future – after losing most of his family, he moves in with his last remaining relative, his grandmother, who has her own secrets to keep. Others are wary that Yellowstone’s ambition can’t be controlled by the bounds of laws and morals. Their companies scrabble to secure their stake. When Danny interviews at Yellowstone, he realises the sacrifice he needs to make is too great – but he doesn’t realise that Yellowstone know all about him and the danger to their hegemony he poses without even knowing it. When the battle in the boardroom spills over to a hostile takeover of every town and city in the country, Danny is the one man who stands to fight the Price War against all the odds…


Fauxville

Fauxville by D.K. Pike

After the pandemic, people hugged, friends and families reconnected, but a few short years later we were back to shooting each other.’ David Miller is an amnesiac war veteran struggling to put the pieces of his life back together and adjust to civilian life in 2049's PortCity. His life is turned upside down when an old friend from the conflict shows up, warning him that the war isn't over -- and that there's something buried deep inside his mind that the enemy are after. What follows is a journey of self-discovery that explores subjects involving dissociative identity disorder, grief, transhumanism, artificial intelligence, simulations, and the singularity event.


The Long Lost War

The Long Lost War by Jeff Walker

SFINCS

Far from Earth, in a distant solar system, clone soldiers are stuck in an on-going battle against colonial separatists. John 999801 must battle against an enemy that refuses to give up, and dreams of a woman he feels he's seen before. The life of this low ranking clone soldier is about to take a turn for the worst. Or is it going to open his eyes to the truth? Can one clone soldier make a difference? And who is the woman in his dream? Answers and horrors await him as he joins his fellow replicas to the surface of a planet called... Hell.


Fugitive of Talionis

Fugitive of Talionis by C.J. Milacci

A treacherous journey. A devious enemy. The hunt for the fugitives has begun. Bria Averton and her friends have pulled off an impossible escape after being held captive in the city of Talionis for months. Now they’re on the run and desperate to reach possible allies in Eryndale, but the Commander’s hunt for them is fierce and relentless. Bria fights to keep her friends safe as each day becomes more perilous than the last. With Ark’s forces closing in and new dangers arising, she wonders who to trust and battles her growing fears. But one reality becomes clear: there’s a greater peril than being a recruit of Talionis. It’s being a fugitive.


Recruit of Talionis

Recruit of Talionis by C.J. Milacci

When the world falls apart, one girl must find hope in the darkness. Seventeen-year-old Bria Averton grew up in a small town of survivors near the ruins of Portland, Maine, years after the Demise of North America. But when she is kidnapped and forced to become a soldier in the mysterious city of Talionis, she finds herself thrust into a world of danger and darkness. Unknown forces are at work in the city, and Bria soon realizes that escape is impossible. With her own guilt and the oppressive evil of the city threatening to drown her, Bria must find a way to survive…and discover if hope is possible. Even here.


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