stories in and

Inheritance

Inheritance by Joyce Reynolds-Ward

YOU CANā€™T ESCAPE THE INHERITANCE OF THE PASTā€¦OR CAN YOU? Rancher Ruby Barkley and her ex-husband Gabe Ramirez are competing head-to-head for the AgInnovator game showā€™s new one-shot award, the Ag Superhero. The winner walks away with $3.75 million per year for five years, with no accountability or need to re-earn the Superhero, unlike the Innovatorā€™s other awards. But issues beyond those raised by their long-ago acrimonious divorce face Ruby and Gabe. Fence cutting. Rogue biobots destructively ranging beyond programmed parameters. Physical attacks. And the realization that they may need to reunite to save their son Brandon from indentured servitude. Then the secret shadow of Gabeā€™s hidden inheritance reveals itself. Will he step up to the Martiniere Legacyā€”and what role will Ruby accept in any future they may share?


The Last 0-Day

The Last 0-Day by B. R. Russell

The cybernetics revolution knows no compromise. Luciana Gutierrez, a police officer, works ninety-six-hour shifts with a eugeroic hangover around the corner. Her investigation into those who stole her life is sidelined as a crime syndicate turns her precinct into a war-zone. Sent for backup, sheā€™s offered experimental technology that could turn the tide, if sheā€™s willing to risk mind, body, and soul. Anton Grissomā€™s birth was a crime, and his sentence is military service. Molded into an elite soldier, his path of atonement falls away when heā€™s caught on the losing side of a massacre. In the aftermath, heā€™s offered a second chance at lifeā€”if heā€™s prepared to pay. Weaver heals the broken and disposable, and in the process makes cybernetics a reality. Superhuman strength, intelligence, and connections to one another, it could solve humanityā€™s problems or tear society apart. But those concerns are secondary to Weaver, who just wants to see the next sunrise. All three are augmented for their own personal crusade and are on a collision course that will change the world. The Last 0-Day is an action packed adventure of the first cyborgs. Itā€™s Neuromancer meets Malazan Book of the Fallen with a dash of cli-fi.


One Tin Soldier: A Post-Apocalyptic Superhero Novel

One Tin Soldier: A Post-Apocalyptic Superhero Novel by Chris Tullbane

Damian Banach's journey from Crow to Cape comes to a thrilling conclusion! Every year, the best Academy third-years are offered internships with Free States Cape teams, while the rest join the Mission on a multi-month expedition to bring hope and supplies to the Badlands. This year is different though... and it's not just because Damian Banach, the Academy's only Crow, actually volunteered for the Mission. The fact is, Damian's not headed into the Badlands for relief work. He's going because he owes someone a favor, and that favor has come due. Somewhere in the lawless lands east of the Free States is the person responsible for the Break and all the chaos that came after, and it's Damian's job to find him. He's hunting for Dr. Nowhere.


Red Right Hand: A Post-Apocalyptic Superhero Novel

Red Right Hand: A Post-Apocalyptic Superhero Novel by Chris Tullbane

"If lifeā€™s taught me anything, itā€™s that you scrap and claw for every moment you can get. And if youā€™re a Crow like me, you donā€™t let a little thing like dying get in your way." Following the events of See These Bones, Damian is back at the Academy of Heroes as the Free States' most unlikely potential Cape. He has a new name, a new reputation, and a whole host of new questions about his own past. If he's going to find answers to those questions, let alone survive another year at the Academy, he'll need to learn a skill the orphanage never taught him: teamwork. Nothing's ever easy, is it?


See These Bones: A Post-Apocalyptic Superhero Novel

See These Bones: A Post-Apocalyptic Superhero Novel by Chris Tullbane

Some superheroes want to save the world. Damian is just hoping to save himself. In the post-Break world of superpowers, necromancy is the one gift nobody wants. Everyone knows what happens to Crows; they go mad and they go bad. That's the story of infamous mass murderers like Crimson Death, Gravedigger, and Sally Cemetery. It's also the story of David Jameson, an otherwise unremarkable man who came home one day and killed his wife, orphaning their five-year-old son, Damian. Thirteen years later, Damian has inherited more than just grey eyes and a beak of a nose from his father. He too is a Crow, doomed to become a killer unless he can find a way to avoid the violent madness endemic to his powers. When a Finder offers enrollment at Los Angeles' Academy of Superheroes, he jumps at the chance, believing training could be the key to changing his fate. His classmates despise him, the majority of his teachers want him expelled, and his mom's ghost hasn't said a word since reappearing when he was nine, but Damian isn't the kind to give up. He's going to take control of his destiny or die in the process. It's that or end up like his father.


Revenge

Revenge by Dani Hoots

A swashbuckling upper YA/NA LGBTQ+ sci-fi western you don't want to miss! It has been three years since Elvira "Ellie" Ryder was betrayed by her ex-boyfriend Cor, which caused the destruction of her people by invaders from a different Zone. Now she will do anything to find him and make him pay. Ellie has found someone who knows where Cor is. The priceā€”assassinate a half-human, half-Sirian who is trying to join the Society, a high-class club only for the rich. Ellie takes the job, as it wouldnā€™t be the first assassination job she has taken, and heads to the Human Zone. However, when she learns more about her target, the more she realizes what is going on behind the curtain, and how her people were really destroyed. Will Ellie be able to forgive Cor after learning the truth? Or will she forever hold on to that hatred? *Rep: Bisexual, asexual, & gay


Dog Eaters

Dog Eaters by Malcolm Wong

Mankind failed to transcend the Petroleum Ageā€¦ 175 years after the Die Off, civilization consists of scattered nomadic tribes, isolated casino-cities, and hordes of predatory bandits. The Black Dog Clan heads down the Southwest trade route to make their home on the Gulf.


The Old Love And The New

The Old Love And The New by Alistair Caradec

'My priority is, and has always been to protect the citizens of our country. God save the King.' Twenty-five years after the infection started spreading across Britain and Ireland, most people have stopped asking questions. Nobody seems to care anymore what happened to the women in the provisional quarantine centres. Sid doesnā€™t have the headspace to care. Since receiving a diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder at age nineteen, he has stuck to a strict regimen of routine, low expectations, and tuning out the world. When his best friend brings home the first woman either of them has seen since the epidemic, Sid has to push back the boundaries he set for his own safety and face outwards for the first time


The Miranda Project: The Miranda Project Book 1

The Miranda Project: The Miranda Project Book 1 by Matthew Cesca

SPSFC 2022

For the last five years, Alex has been on the run. Once a living weapon for a shadowy government organization, Alex is now hiding out on Mars trying to start a new life. But the shadows of his past creep around every corner. Every night, his broken mind forces him to relive the horrors he has committed. Alex isnā€™t like most people: heā€™s a psych. Born with rare psionic powers, each mental is a prized asset for the Centralized World Government back on Earth. Psyches like Alex are tracked down by the Agency and trained to do the jobs the CWG doesnā€™t want the public to know about. With Mars no longer safe, Alex is forced to run once more. Refuge wonā€™t come easyā€”he's running out of places to hide. And for the first time since taking his life back into his own hands, he's not running alone...


Silent Night

Silent Night by Emma K. C. Couette

In a future world, the skyscrapers of Haven City have crumbled and the government of today is no more. Death lurks around every corner and tomorrow is not promised. The Resistance and the Assassinā€™s Guild fight for control of the city, but after decades of a silent war, no one expects victory. In this lawless city, enemies are abundant, but three people are feared above all: the Charger, Black Death, and the mysterious assassin called Silent Night. ā€‹ Silent Night has spent her whole life clawing her way to the top of the assassin list and has reached second place at the age of 18. She is days away from becoming Agent One when the tables are turned and a horrible truth is revealed. The next day, Silent Night seeks out the Resistance, to aid in the destruction of the Assassinā€™s Guild. Silent Night expects hatred and mistrust from her former enemies, but one boy will surprise her and that boy might just be the end of her. Please note: This book contains content/themes that may not be suitable for all readers, including: death, graphic violence, abuse, manipulation, alcoholism, death of a child, and mental health issues, such as panic attacks. Please read at your own discretion.


The Collapse: A Zombie Outbreak Story (Aftermath)

The Collapse: A Zombie Outbreak Story (Aftermath) by Alice B. Sullivan

What else could the dead rising be other than a sick joke? Karen Gallagher is a mother, a wife, and a scientist, and her past is catching up to her. As the world falls victim to a viral pandemic, Karen struggles to keep her daughter safe, forced to turn to the people who burned her all while harboring an awful secret.


Forgotten Evil

Forgotten Evil by Quill Holland

If you had the power to rewrite peopleā€™s thoughtsā€¦ would you? As a thirty-five-year-old farmer on a colony world, Raith is a kind and simple man, with a catch ā€“ heā€™s only existed for two years. His previous life is a mystery; the only clue to his past is a dark, ominous voice inside his head. When the Empire executes its triennial ā€˜Soul Harvestā€™, Raithā€™s partner, Amorina, is amongst the abducted colonists. Stowing away aboard one of the departing ships, Raith must navigate strange yet familiar territory in an attempt to save her. Haunted by his inner demon, the rescue becomes increasingly complex, as Raith finds himself caught between the Empire, the Insurgency, and the United Earth Republic, with new friends and enemies knowing more about Raithā€™s history than he does. Finally, as his past catches up with him, Raith discovers the dark truth about his former life and the powerful technology responsible for erasing it. With the burden of his disturbing past weighing upon him, Raith is forced into wielding that power once more; and the fate of humanity hangs on his decision.


Tasmanian Gothic

Tasmanian Gothic by Mikhaeyla Kopievsky

SPSFC 2022 SPSFC 2023

A modern gothic thriller set in a decaying urban environment and lush mutant wilderness. Solari wasnā€™t alive when the ozone layer split above Tasmania and spilled radiation over the edge of the stratosphere, but sheā€™s living with the consequencesā€”the mutations, the gangland war, and the border wall that divides the affluent North from the contaminated South. Orphaned and alone in the southern reaches, Solari survives the chaos the only way she knows how: cooking the wildly addictive snowrock for local crime lord, Worcsulakz, and avoiding the mutants that skulk in the lush, untamed wilderness of the Fringes. But, when her junkie ex-boyfriend puts Solari more firmly in Worcsulakzā€™s debt, she runsā€”escaping the promise of violent retribution with a stolen van and a pair of giant wings cleaved from a mutant moth. Grafting the wings to her body disguises Solari as one of Tasmaniaā€™s most reviled and hunted, but grants her refuge in the one place Worcsulakz wonā€™t look for herā€”a mutant enclave. There, Solari will form an unlikely alliance and commence the dangerous journey through gangland strongholds and carnival towns to get to the Border Wall in the north. Hunted by Worcsulakz, the hidden terrors of the Fringes, the secrets in her familyā€™s past, and the deception at the core of her fragile alliance, Solari will need to confront them all or stay condemned to a life of loneliness and brutality. -- This dark biopunk adventure set in a post-apocalyptic world of danger and decay is perfect for readers of dystopian, gothic, and new weird science fiction, and fans of China Mieville, Jeff VanderMeer, Kameron Hurley, and Tamsyn Muir.


Revolution (Divided Elements #3)

Revolution (Divided Elements #3) by Mikhaeyla Kopievsky

With her conditioning finally unravelled, Anaiya is free. But her single-minded pursuit to pull down the Orthodoxy is made more complicated with the return of old friends and foes who challenge and fight her for the chance to decide Otpor's future. In a world of fragile trust and heavy betrayals - will Anaiya finally get what she wants? Or will she, too, join the legacy of her former mentor - the infamous Original Resistor, Kane 148?


Rebellion (Divided Elements #2)

Rebellion (Divided Elements #2) by Mikhaeyla Kopievsky

"The sky over the Edges shimmers then falters. Hovering between night and day, the dawn has come and trapped it between two very different realities - blurring it at the fringes until it becomes impossible to tell whether it is in one state or the other. Maybe both, maybe neither. Maybe something altogether different." In the anticipated sequel to Mikhaeyla Kopievsky's award-winning debut, Resistance, Anaiya 234 finds herself abandoned and reviled by both the Fire and Air Elements. While desperate to stay off the radar and keep her own Heterodoxy hidden, her guilt and need for redemption drive her back into the conflict that first unraveled her identity. But Otpor has changed - now a battleground scarred by violent attacks and reprisals. And Anaiya is no longer the Elemental she once was. Forced to confront her fractured identity and forge new relationships, will Anaiya's past come back to haunt her...or help her?


Bypass the Stars

Bypass the Stars by Kate Sheeran Swed

SPSFC

Seventeen-year-old Frankie Hartiger can reroute any elevator, steal the data from any ID chip, and scramble the facial recognition software on any security bot. The only thing she canā€™t hack? Her parents. They wonā€™t trust her with a coffee order, never mind a position in their interworld exploration company. When their very first inter-universal tour goes wrong, Frankie sets out to rescue her parentsā€”accompanied by Earthā€™s first (and most annoying) interworld immigrant, Jord Mathison. But a transport malfunction hurtles them into the wrong world, where a deposed prince wears Jordā€™s face. To the prince, Frankieā€™s last name is equivalent to a curse: his world is dying, and Frankieā€™s family is at fault. As a breadcrumb trail of conspiracies leads Frankie toward her parents, sheā€™s sure Jord knows more than heā€™s willing to admit. If she canā€™t forge a truce with him to root out the truth, sheā€™ll be stuck foreverā€”and if the inhabitants get their way, sheā€™ll burn with their world.


The Rax-Out of Darkness

The Rax-Out of Darkness by C.G. Harris

SPSFC 2022

Human technology is a crime punishable by death and the alien race controlling the planet fears one thing... a blind boy immune to their greatest weapon... With Earth enslaved by a vicious alien race known as the Rax, hope hangs on a single saviorā€”a blind runaway named Tael. His alien captors distill fear into a devastating weapon, but Tael and a small band of rebels discover an ancient super computer that holds the technology to defeat them. If Tael unravels its secrets, humanity may have a fighting chance. But only if they find the traitor hidden within their rebel ranks who threatens their extinctionā€¦


Drained

Drained by Marc Daniel Acriche

SPSFC

A Booklife Reviews editor's pick. Can you trust your family? Can you trust your friends? Because you may just have to choose. New York City, 2048. Superstorms, and the politics of privilege, have left downtown Manhattan in tatters with electricity rationed, neighborhoods condemned, and hope destroyed. When high school senior Casey Parker and her best friend Jennifer are ripped from their comfortable, prep school lives, the pair find themselves in the dangerous world of the resistance. With family on both sides of the conflict, thereā€™s no way out for Casey but a dangerous gamble: allowing herself to be captured by the enemy in order to learn their secrets. Failure could mean the lives of her family; success could mean the lives of her friendsā€¦


Neworld Papers

Neworld Papers by KB Shaw

SPSFC

CYGNUS AWARD FINALIST DANTE ROSSETTI AWARD FINALIST Neworld PapersĀ is brimming with action, adventure, and a touch of New Adult romance grounded solidly in thought-provoking science fiction. Is revealing the truth worth the disruption of a society? Fallon lives in a peaceful world that has no concept of war, or murder, or even love. It is a society that prohibits histories and pledges itself to "The Service of Today and the Building of Tomorrow." Just weeks before he reaches adulthood, Fallon is torn from his sheltered life as a ward of the state. He is drawn into a subversive group that needs his secret talents and he quickly becomes a chronicler of discoveries that threaten to destroy the very fabric of Neworld. Can Fallon handle the weight of the new responsibilities thrust upon him while he navigates relationships with the feisty redhead Aidan and raven-haired beauty Lenore? This volume includes first two Neworld stories:Ā The Historian's TaleĀ andĀ The Warriors' Tale. You can check out their reviews when deciding to buy this volume.


Escape From Earth 1

Escape From Earth 1 by David DuBois

SPSFC 2022

Steve is an aspiring computer programmer and business owner. Zander is a burnt-out but dedicated FBI agent. They don't know each other, but their paths cross when they find a portal to another world. The gateway is not random, and they meet Maximilian Beauregard, the Vice-Chancellor of the United Federation of Americas. He needs their help. Steve and Zander travel to this strange world, quickly embrace new technologies, and get pushed into politics on the world's stage. They want to help, but the more involved they get, the more they realize things are not as they seem. The duo soon get in over their heads and must depend on one another if they want to survive and escape from Earth 1. Author Note: This is a Sci-Fi/Fantasy blend, predominantly a buddy adventure that emphasizes world-building, a detailed portal system, mysterious elements, and powering/leveling up. The content is appropriate for all ages, with a target audience of teenager and up.


ALL IS SILENCE - Book I - Deserted Lands

ALL IS SILENCE - Book I - Deserted Lands by Robert L. Slater

SPSFC 2022

As the world crumbles...Lizzie had it worse than most.Will she give up?A bat virus brought the world to its knees. At 17, Lizzie barely remembers her father. Surviving an apocalypse could push anyone to the unthinkable.Her shotgun is loaded.She meets survivor, a hungry, silent man with a dog collar. She leaves food.Things go to hell. People die. Some by her hands.When Lizzie is attacked, her box of family keepsakes is smashed and her father's name and a phone number peak out from under the paper.Like a beacon.Could he still be alive?She has to find out.You'll love this coming-of-age, post-apocaloptimistic adventure. Because when you need it most, a single piece of hope can be all it takes.Get it now.


Grey Engines

Grey Engines by Gareth Lewis

SPSFC

Alex is a detective in a world that considers them unnecessary. When everyone is a telepath, with their own inner policeman, crimes cannot escape notice. So a murder with no obvious culprit leaves the authorities at a loss. Woken from a virtual sentence, still unrepentantly anti-social, Alex is given the opportunity to finally investigate a mystery. One which puts him in danger, and leads to mysteries of a more personal nature. Exactly how long has he been asleep? And is this really the first mystery he's been awakened to investigate? A 39000 word novella.


Chroma: Philadelphia Triptych Book One

Chroma: Philadelphia Triptych Book One by Isla Molina

SPSFC

"Chroma has no vulnerabilities.ā€ Ā That's what they told us.Ā  A discovery by a researcher threatens the dominance of Philadelphiaā€™s controlling family in the fully imagined, near future of this taut science fiction thriller. In a future controlled by family-owned city-states and a nanotech surveillance cloud, Tillers tried hard to avoid the attention of the System. But the suspicious collapse of a renowned professor sets his researcher, Dez Lighthorse, on a search for foul play that leads to the uncovering of dark secrets. Dezā€™s quest through the forbidden zones beyond the boundaries and the cityā€™s long-buried catacombs soon attracts the attention of a relentless Safeguard investigator. From the swirling dust of a desolate desert, the emergence of a unique bioreading alerts the omnipresent Mystic. With the help of the mysterious Seditionists, Dez must outrun the converging threats to uncover a truth that may spark a revolution.


The Infinet

The Infinet by John Akers

SPSFC

The future is not assured. The near future was a world of technological chaos until Oreste Pax invented the augmented/virtual reality glasses known as the Univiz. Now heā€™s working on a brain-computer interface he believes will revolutionize human cognition. But when a vicious computer virus attacks the Internet of Things and threatens to tear civilization apart at the seams, Pax is forced to help deal with the crisis. He meets Alethia, the leader of a secret society who reveals a devastating truth to Pax and forces him to make a choice that will affect the future of the human race.


Utopia PR

Utopia PR by Adam Bender

SPSFC 2022

Humor Book Winner in the 2021 IndieReader Discovery Awards A sci-fi satire about seeking work-life balance while doing public relations for an authoritarian president. PR extraordinaire Blake Hamner (theĀ nĀ is silent) put off his honeymoon for his big break: joining a major political campaign for president. Now, the "Hammer" struggles to make time for his marriage as Crisis Communications Manager for Our Leader, who since taking power has become increasingly mad and totalitarian. The Hammer starts to reconsider his career choices when one of Our Leader's savage steel hounds attacks the Comms team at a press conference. He'd love to talk about his erratic job with his wife, Triple-N news anchor Maria Worthington, but they have a rule: the broadcast journalist doesn't ask Blake for inside information about his work, and the spin doctor doesn't use their relationship as leverage on what Maria reports. They say you shouldn't keep things from each other in a marriage, but it's OK--the only secrets between Blake and Maria are professional. When a revolutionary levels grave allegations against Our Leader--and accuses Blake of distributing disinformation and propaganda to cover it up--the PR rep who thought he could talk his way out of any crisis finds himself utterly trapped in a dystopian job.


In Times of Peace: Dance of Darkness & Light Episode 1

In Times of Peace: Dance of Darkness & Light Episode 1 by The Loneliest Lone Wolf

SPSFC 2022

Against the backdrop of an immortal War that has entered into its final chapterā€¦ā€ØA girl and a boy from a ravaged planet hope to start the first chapter of their new livesā€¦ā€ØBut no one could see what was lurking in the darkness that lies beyond what their eyes can seeā€¦ A SAGA SPREAD ACROSS THE UNIVERSE WITH A VERY GROUNDED CAST OF CHARACTERS... As The Empire prepares for the inevitable war against an unseen, unimagined enemy from beyond the realm of the known, an enemy that is determined to destroy everything at any cost... a group youngsters from far and wide are brought together to begin their initiation into The Imperium and face their faceless foe... and in this group of outstanding people there are two that stand out... a girl and a boy... They are the first of their people to be allowed back into The Imperium in generations... for it was generations ago that the rebellion against The Empire had failed and their people were pushed into exile, an exile that had to come to an end when the War came calling... but as they're now being cautiously welcomed back into the mainstream fold... some are more careful about it than others... Join them as they try and find a place for themselves in a changing new world as their old world begins to collapseā€¦ two lost souls alone in the vast star system trying to help each other find their true paths... just as a great War charges ahead on its path to them! DESTINIES WILL BEĀ CHANGED... LIVES WILL BEĀ LOST... WHEN THE PAST & PRESENTĀ COLLIDE! The epic story that was in the making for a thousand millenniaā€¦ is finally ready to be toldā€¦ This is that story... the story of an epic war as old as time itself... the story of how that immortal war finally died... this is the story of theĀ Dance of Darkness & Light... Witness the beginning of the end withā€¦ Episode 1...


Beneath 5th City

Beneath 5th City by Jesse Sprague

SPSFC

Earthā€™s invaders gave her a choiceā€¦Submission or death.Jaisa has never been the obedient type.The aliens call themselves gods and inform Earthā€™s survivors that they are creating a utopia. Jaisa knows that no utopia can be built on billions of human deaths. A little obedience is a small, and temporary, price to stay alive while she figures out how she can make a difference. Jaisaā€™s beauty and ability to please, both of which are to be used at the discretion of the scientific elite who are the one segment of humanity the new gods value, are Jaisaā€™s only value to the new gods. But her value to humanity may be much greater. Placed into a position of influence, she walks the line between nonconformity and death. On the surface, pretty little Jaisa is the perfect submissive dollā€”but she knows the power of hope, and she intends to keep it alive. Youā€™ll love this dark science fiction novel for its unique mix of grit and hope. Get it now!


Terms of Service

Terms of Service by Elliott Scott

SPSFC

Matchbooks, mysteries, and expensed lunches: they're what every great detective knows well. For Felix Lasko, they're further out of reach than the skyscrapers floating at the top of Neotopia city. He's always dreamed of breaking a case that mattered, but wasn't expecting that a real one would break him. After being blackmailed into service by Elsa Halifax, Felix must discover if the media star's suspicions are true. Could her husband have been murdered but still be walking around, running his factory? And if so, who killed him? Does that kind of technology even exist? In Neotopia, where your thoughts alone can lift buildingsā€”as long as your Digital IQ is high enoughā€”it's still hard to swallow. But if Felix is to keep his dream of being a detective alive, he'll need to perform some miracles of his own. For lovers of Noir, Mystery, Sci-Fi, and humor!


Tracker220

Tracker220 by Jamie Krakover

SPSFC SPSFC 2022

When everyone has a brain-interfacing tracking chip, one glitch threatens the entire network. Sixteen-year-old Kaya Weiss is that glitch. Through thoughts and blinks, Kaya can access anyone or anything on the tracker network. But the authorities monitor everything--where Kaya goes, who she talks to, and what she searches. And without the ability to turn it off, Kaya and her family can't observe a tech-free Shabbat. To fix the glitch, the authorities slice into her skull to reset her tracker, leaving Kaya to question more than the system's invasion into her faith. Kaya won't be a lab rat again. Evading the authorities requires some serious tech skills the rogue underground Ghosts can offer. But Kaya's not sure she can trust them--even if their top tech wiz, Bailen, has interest in her running deeper than her bum tracker. Kaya must decide if gaining freedom is worth losing her tracker's infinite knowledge--because to take down the tracker network, she must betray the only tech she's ever known.


The Exodus Betrayal

The Exodus Betrayal by N.C. Scrimgeour

SPSFC

The cybernetics in her head could save a planet. But when the man who put them there turns them against her in a deadly battle of wills, sheā€™ll have to find a way to save herself. Alvera considers herself the best bounty hunter on New Pallas and with good reason ā€“ her cybernetics give her an edge nobody else can match. So when sheā€™s tasked with investigating the ancient space station that has been silently watching the planet for centuries, thereā€™s not a doubt in her mind that sheā€™s the best woman for the job. As for the risks? Well, they only make things more interesting. But what Alvera doesnā€™t realise is by unravelling the stationā€™s secrets, sheā€™ll be forced to confront some of her own. When the same technology that once set her apart threatens to destroy her mind, what starts as a mission for credits and glory soon becomes a fight for survival ā€“ not just her own, but that of New Pallas itself. The Exodus Betrayal is a science fiction thriller with a dash of cyberpunk. Filled with adventure, deception and planet-spanning conspiracies, itā€™s a perfect read for fans of Altered Carbon, Blade Runner and Deus Ex.


Ghosts of Tomorrow

Ghosts of Tomorrow by Michael R. Fletcher

SPSFC

The children are the future. And someone is turning them into highly trained killing machines. Straight out of school, Griffin, a junior Investigations agent for the North American Trade Union, is put on the case: Find and close the illegal crĆØches. No one expects him to succeed, Griffin least of all. Installed in a combat chassis Abdul, a depressed seventeen year old killed during the Secession Wars in Old Montreal, is assigned as Griffin's Heavy Weapons support. Nadia, a state-sanctioned investigative reporter working the stolen children story, pushes Griffin ever deeper into the nightmare of the black market brain trade. Deep in the La Carpio slums of Costa Rica, the scanned mind of an autistic girl runs the South American Mafia's business interests. But she wants more. She wants freedom. And she has come to see humanity as a threat. She has an answer: Archaeidae. At fourteen, he is the deadliest assassin alive. Two children against the world. The world is going to need some help.


The Trellis

The Trellis by Jools Cantor

SPSFC 2022

Debbie Peck is a conflict mediator struggling to make ends meet in Chicago's near future.Ā Conflict is everywhere, but jobs are scarce, so when her headhunter calls about an open position at the prestigious Jefferson Trellis, she jumps at the opportunity. She lands right in the middle of an active murder investigationā€”a tangle of half-truths, broken promises, and a growing snarl of danger and dread. But a job's a job. At least this one has health insurance. As Debbie navigates her new position and Detective Melody Jackson investigates the murders at the Trellis, they each untwine the tendrils of a secret creeping through its corner offices. Like the botanical gardens at the Trellis' base, their worlds weave between the lush, the stark, the delicate, and the deadly. Dancing between mystery, science fiction, and nail-biting suspense,Ā THE TRELLISĀ layers a decade or two of decline to the current American condition. Whether it's drone swarms, deepfakes, or the growing divide between the have-it-alls and the have-nots, the technology predictably improved while the people predictably haven't. Debbie's tale is both familiar and fantastic, both funny and frightening, but calling her world a dystopia would damn ours the same definition. THE TRELLISĀ is Jools' first full-length novel. It paints a compelling picture of dangers to comeā€”sometimes rich with thick impastos, sometimes sharp in sparks and flashes. But by the last page, Debbie's story becomes our own.


Above the Sky

Above the Sky by J.W. Lynne

SPSFC

Eighteen-year-old Seven and her best friend, Ten, live where all is peaceful ... except for the violent war raging above the sky. Humanoid robots and self-operated drones tend to everyone's needs, leaving people free to spend their time stimulating their minds and enjoying life's pleasures. But there are strict rules and few choices. Every year, on Assignment Day, the path of each eighteen-year-old's life is laid out by the Decision Makers. Some are given the jobs for which they have shown exceptional aptitude and are "paired" for mating. The others are sent off to fight in The War and never return. When Assignment Day comes for Seven, the assignments shatter everything she has ever believed. For the first time in her life, she is certain that the Decision Makers have made a terrible mistake. But the only way to right this wrong is to do something unthinkable.


Detonation

Detonation by Erik Otto

SPSFC

*** NAMED TO KIRKUS REVIEWS BEST BOOKS OF 2018 *** Fire, splitting the atom, synthetic biology. There's a dark side to every invention, one which we have been fortunate to contain for most of history. But are we hurtling into the future too fast? Detonation is an epic dystopian tale that is a cautionary reflection on our own innovation-obsessed culture. It follows two societies that are connected, but centuries apart, and their struggle against a superintelligent machine. Amid ideological clashes and political plotting, a diverse cast discovers this insidious threat, and they are forced into an escalating conflict against a tireless enemy. "A highly entertaining and absorbing combination of philosophy and action featuring robustly individualized characters." -- Kirkus Reviews (starred review)


Age of Order

Age of Order by Julian North

SPSFC

We are all slaves to order. Daniela wants more for her family. Sheā€™s a track star and an ace student, but for someone born like her, talent isnā€™t enough. The Orderist movement has spawned a society that rewards those who supposedly possess ā€œmerit,ā€ which includes Americaā€™s wealthiest. Manhattan has become the capital of the forty-nine Orderist-led states, while California suffers under an economic embargo. Cities are cocoons where the so called ā€œhighbornā€ enjoy the pleasures of farm-grown food and private parks, while their outwardly perfect children are protected by floating nanny-like drones that follow them everywhere. Daniela has grown up fighting for the chance to live beyond the desperation of Bronx City. An opportunity to attend the elite Tuck Schoolā€”a place where even the highborn struggle to obtain a spotā€”is too great an opportunity to ignore. But what do the richies really want from her? Daniela is thrust into a world very different than the one she expected, a place where both treachery and honor are camouflaged behind beautiful faces. She may have a chance to change the world, if it does not change her first. Hailed by Kirkus Reviews as the novel to revitalize the dystopian genre, Age of Order is a story of real characters in fantastic situations. Live this world.


Turnabout

Turnabout by Carmen Webster Buxton

SPSFC

It's not a super power if you can't control it! Jason Miller's biggest worries were keeping up with his homework, paying for his classic jazz habit,and hiding the fact that he carried a flip phone. But then one day he finds himself teleporting from place to place, a talent he can't control. It gets worse when he lands in an alternate world, one that has many, many more women than men. It sounds great until Jason learns the downside to being a precious commodity: Having a harem is no fun when you're the one who's locked up.


Eye Of The Storm

Eye Of The Storm by R.K. King

SPSFC SPSFC 2022

It All Began With The Sound Of Thunder. A Thunder That Came In The Night. A Thunder That Changed The World. When the eye of the storm moves, so do they. It is a brutal life. But is there somewhere else out there, beyond the Eye? In a post-apocalyptic future, a handful of survivors cling to life in the last habitable place on Earth: the Eye of the Storm. Within it, tribes of humans scrounge for scraps and fight for temporary land. They must keep going. It is their only option. But then the Pathfinders make a terrible discovery; that the one spot left they call 'safe' may be disappearing. Then Aiden finds her; a mysterious young woman who speaks a language he's never heard. Yet, he understands her message. There is another place. They've managed to survive by never venturing into the chaos of the swirling winds and lightning, but to find this mythical land, Aiden will need to go into the Storm. The expedition will need the help of the Stormwalkers, a strange group of nomads who may not be quite what they seem. They may not even be human.Ā  To many, the idea of an outside world is blasphemy. They don't want the mission to succeed. And so, while Aiden and his crew venture into the wasteland, war is brews within the Eye. Who will win? Who will lose? Who will survive? You'll love this clever look at a different kind of apocalypse, as the adventure keeps you turning the pages. Get it now. Don't miss this dystopian action-adventure that readers call "compelling", "inventive", "fast-paced" and "awesome".


Road to Juneau

Road to Juneau by Liam Quane

SPSFC 2022

New York: two years after the Third World War. Humanity is rebuilding its cities brick by brick; the damage done to the people, however, is a lot harder to repair. Dan Hardacre is one of those people. An aspiring stage actor and experienced draft-dodger, Dan struggles to find his place within the Utopic rebuild of New York City. When heā€™s not caught up with the duties of work, Dan lives a quiet life in mourning for his mother, Dyani, who went missing when he was a teenager. One night, Dan experiences a vivid, terrifying nightmare that puts him right on the front lines of the war for which he dodged the draft; it ends with him facing Death itself in the form of a metallic, faceless humanoid creature that calls itself the Valkyrie. To investigate the reason behind his haunting experience, Dan seeks out a meeting with his estranged father, who reveals the startling truth about Danā€™s dream: it wasnā€™t a dream. With this newfound knowledge and the powers it brings, Dan makes it his mission to return to the scene of his nightmare. However, he soon comes to know that confronting the Valkyrie not only endangers him but the war-withstanding world he leaves behind.


The United World

The United World by Craig Priestley

SPSFC

Microchips, drones, and one smart dog make for a thrilling British dystopian series. With the rise of a new global government, only one choice remains: submit to The United World or face the consequences. When John, an anxious first-time father, uncovers the government's secret intentions to microchip his son, his world implodes. Fearing the worst, he tears his wife and baby from their home and the overbearing eyes of the state. As time passes the government carries out their plan to create a utopian society... by any means possible. What will happen to a father and son who choose to fight for their freedom?


Refraction

Refraction by Wick Welker

SPSFC

How many times does it take to destroy the world before you can save it? In 1986, physicist Timothy Straus hears voices that teach him how to create a space-warping engine that will change the world. In 2098, a fighter pilot hears voices that help him fight an authoritarian corporatist regime in the ashes of nuclear fallout. In 2155, the only self-aware robot on Mars struggles to steer humanity away from a demagogue who speaks from the shadows. Told through kaleidoscope storytelling across space and time, these three people are connected in ways they could never imagine. As they pull on the strings of the multiverse, what they canā€™t see is that every villain begins as a saviorā€”every enemy starts as a friend. With the power to refract reality, will they learn that one person canā€™t save the people? That only the people can save the people?


Life on Planet Earth

Life on Planet Earth by Andy Gorman

SPSFC

Humankind is finally coming home, but they are no longer the dominant species... Nearly 700 years ago, the Terminal Plague turned Earth into a desolate wastelandā€”a world now riddled with the devolved progeny ofĀ Homo sapiens.Ā  The descendants of the only survivors live out a bleak existence in a lunar city called Omega, where the privileged live deep underground while the poor suffer radiation poisoning on the surface.Ā  Headstrong seventeen-year-old Liam Stone hates it there. When heā€™s not scrubbing shrimp and algae vats, he spends his limited free time in the Earth Simulator, training to leave the cramped halls and rigid schedules of Omega behind. Boasting higher scores and better biometrics than any other candidate, Liam is confident he will earn a spot on the return mission to Earthā€¦ Until the moment his sister is chosen instead.Ā  Devastated but unwilling to give up, Liam chooses to take matters into his own handsā€”to get to Earth at any cost. But Earth is not like the simulations, and the simulated monsters didnā€™t prepare him for the real threats he will face.


L.I.F.E. in the 23rd Century

L.I.F.E. in the 23rd Century by Jason R. Richter

SPSFC

"A laudable sci-fi yarn thatā€™s both irreverent and relevant."Kirkus Reviews Meet Pat McGewan-X04. Pat is a Patriot who spends his days watching robots build cubicles for corporations that keep getting blown up by those pesky terrorists in the soon to be won, weā€™ve got them on the ropes, 232nd year of the War on Terror. Heā€™s content in his world of mediocre corporate coffee, vid-link chats with his wife who the government discourages him from ever meeting in person, and an endless barrage of travel bans, terrorist attacks, and never-ending nightly news emergency broadcasts. But everything changes when a freak car accident puts Pat in the national spotlight. One minute heā€™s a hero for being the sole survivor of this weekā€™s most recent terrorist attack, (but not long enough to get a commemorative coffee cup with his face on it before the next attack happens). In the next minute, the nationā€™s most vitriolic talking head has branded Pat the greatest threat to truth, justice, and stockholder profits -- and the manhunt begins! Pat has to decide between fighting the corporate-controlled media and possibly losing his life or giving in to his Academy training and lose his soul and possibly any hope of ever getting a decent cup of coffee. Welcome to LIFE in the 23rd Century: an absurd, light-hearted dystopian future to distract you from your horrific dystopian present. Brought to you by the makers of prescription Chillaxafed. Jason R. Richter writes humorous dystopian adventures with a touch of real-world cynicism.


Neurotopia

Neurotopia by Tony Mohorovich

SPSFC

When government and corporations can read your thoughts, you have nowhere to hide... Sky Marion spends her days on the Neuronet investigating thought crimes and recommending offenders for reprogramming. It's one of the few jobs you can hold down without having to talk to people, which is just the way Sky likes it. Plus, it allows Sky to indulge in one of her favorite pastimes; listening in on the thoughts of complete strangers. Is it voyeuristic? Sure. Legal? Yup. Addictive? Just ask Sky's worried mother, Winona. But Sky's sheltered life is upended when off-world brain hackers infect over a million Earth citizens with a suicide virus, and Winona is one of the unfortunate victims. With only days until the virus destroys her mother's mind, phobia-ridden Sky must risk her life and sanity and infiltrate the lawless Moonā€”now the independent planet of Apolloā€”to track down the hackers and find the cure. There, Sky will unravel a tapestry of deceit and betrayal, and find herself in the middle of a hidden war of civilizations, with humanity the ultimate prize. Neurotopia: Geppettoā€™s Chains is a fast-paced science fiction thriller set in a fascinating future dominated by neurotechnology and those who would use it to control the most valuable resource known to humankind: information.


Vicarious

Vicarious by Rhett C. Bruno.

SPSFC

The real world is only where you breatheā€¦ In High Earth, entertainment is everything. Virtual worlds, hyper-realistic simulations, endless streamable contentā€”thereā€™s something for everybody. You don't ever have to leave your home. For Asher Reinhart, nothing compares toĀ Ignis: Live, a reality show that pushes human beings to their very extremes. As a volunteer director, he closely monitors the lives of those living on an Interstellar Ark who falsely believe they're the last of humanity out searching for a new Earth. Mission is the show's brightest young star. Born in hiding, her intelligence and near-perfect genetics have allowed her to rise up the ranks faster than any before her. But now that it's her turn to provide for the Ark, everything changes... With Mission's life placed in danger in order to boost ratings, Asher must choose between protecting the show he's dedicated his life to, or the woman who has been the focus of his attention since the day he was born. Vicarious (adjective):Ā Experienced in the imagination through the feelings or actions of another person. Ready Player OneĀ meetsĀ The Truman ShowĀ with a dash ofĀ The 100Ā in this science fiction story about the power of human connection, from USA Today Bestselling and Nebula Award-Nominated author Rhett C. Bruno. Itā€™s perfect for fans of Hugh Howey, Kim Stanley Robinson, and Kass Morgan. VicariousĀ is also available on Audible, narrated by Wil Wheaton (Star Trek: TNG, The Big Bang Theory) and actress Katherine McNamara (The Stand, Shadowhunters, Arrow).


Aestus, Book 1: The City

Aestus, Book 1: The City by S. Z. Attwell

SPSFC 2022

An underground city, built centuries ago to ride out the devastating heat. A society under attack. And a young solar engineer whose skills may be the key to saving her cityā€¦if she doesnā€™t get herself killed first. When Jossey was ten, the creatures of the aboveground took her brother and left her for dead, with horrible scars. Now, years later, sheā€™s a successful solar engineer, working to keep her underground cityā€™s power running, but sheā€™s never really recovered. After she saves dozens of people during a second attack, she is offered a top-secret assignment as a field Engineer with Patrol, but fear prevents her from taking itā€¦until Patrol finds bones near where her brother disappeared. She signs on and finds herself catapulted into a world that is far more dangerous, and requires far more of her, than she ever imagined. The creatures and the burning heat aboveground are not the only threats facing the City, and what she learns during her assignment could cost her her life: one of the greatest threats to the City may in fact lie within. With thousands of lives at stake, can she act in time? AestusĀ is an adult dystopian science-fiction series set centuries after climate change has ravaged much of Earth. An epic story of vengeance, power, shifting loyalties, and survival that looks at just how far people will go to protect what they love, brought to you by science writer S.Z. Attwell,Ā AestusĀ paints a picture of a world in which far too little has changed.


Along the Perimeter

Along the Perimeter by Steven Healt

SPSFC SPSFC 2023

A caustic fog blankets the Earth. Only the transparent barrier known as the Shield holds it at bay. It is the Amboiansā€”an advanced alien speciesā€”and their technology that saved the last remnants of Humanity from the deadly Haze. Cordelia Faucher, a scavenger known as the Haze Walker, has a secret she must keep hidden. Carter Gerro, one of the few Humans allowed among the City Guard is unexpectedly chosen to protect a member of the Amboian Council. A mercenary group known as the Amber Waves find themselves in over their heads after accepting a job they couldn't pass up. As disturbing reports of attacks from beyond the perimeter of the Shield reach the capital city of Amboy, all eyes turn eastward. It is these events that bring together the Haze Walker, a City Guardsman, and a band of mercenaries.


THE PROMETHEUS EFFECT

THE PROMETHEUS EFFECT by DAVID FLEMING

SPSFC 2022

Deep in the Nevada desert... ...lies a secret futuristic world. Would Jack's technology save humankind? It started with Jack's epiphany, but he feared it was a power too great. All around the globe, the oil reserves are dangerously low. Superpowers brace for battle over what remains. Should Jack share his energy solution? He thinks it's too dangerous. The power potential is as important as Prometheus discovering fire and giving it to man. There must be a way to use what he knows, but he's conflicted. Maybe the brilliant mind of Mykl can solve the puzzle? Mykl is five. Is the answer worth the cost? You'll love this Dystopian Science Fiction, because the world building is brilliant, the technology is fascinating, and the story keeps you turning pages. And don't be fooled... ...this isn't for kids. Get it now.


HARVESTED

HARVESTED by Anthony O'Brien

SPSFC

The year is 3716. Earthā€™s resources are depleted. Humanity has been forced into a 21st century computer simulation, controlled by Ikelos, AI at its most terrifying. A seedbank lost to time in the frozen wastelands of a Norwegian island is mankindā€™s last hope for survival. Jon Stone, a New York physicist, has been extracted out of the simulation by another scientist, Tori. With no memory of Tori or his past life, Jon must trust her as they re-enter the simulation to locate, somewhere in this dangerous, illusionary world, the islandā€™s co-ordinates. Can they avoid the traps in the matrix, find what they seek, and return to the 38th century in time to save humanity before the final extinction?


Cranax Outbreak

Cranax Outbreak by Candice Lim

SPSFC

You can run from the zombies but you canā€™t run from fate. In the alternate 2020, Asia Nova is governed by a group of elite scientists called the Community. In this prime time of genetic engineering, non-academic fields are frowned upon and those who pursue them are deemed the peasants. Roxy isnā€™t the most motivated student scientist. All she wants is a simple lifeā€”to graduate and move back to her idyllic beachside hometown. But the wrestle for power in the Community thrusts her in the path of the covert party who has unleashed the deadly Cranax virus and abducted her high-profile mentor, Dr. Jane Hershey, who has the only known cure. The Infecteds arenā€™t the only thing Roxy has to run from. With the masterminds behind Project Cranax hot on her heels, Roxy finds herself in an accidental quest to rescue Hershey. And now, all her training will be put to the test. Cranax Outbreak is the first book of the Cranax Outbreak trilogy.


The Elitist Supremacy

The Elitist Supremacy by Niranjan K

SPSFC SPSFC 2022

Alexander Selwood is hiding many secrets. Being the first immortal is only one of them. He is also hunted by the despotic ruler of Cynfor, Cesar Thaxter -the man ruling the galaxy for centuries. Unknown to Alexander, the group of rebels who had been fighting Thaxter in secret is also seeking to use his company to build a safe haven. He would do anything to keep himself from falling into the clutches of either the Resistance or the Supreme Ruler. When the consequences of his actions cascade into a torrent of events that threatens to engulf him and everyone he cares for in danger, Alexander can't sit on the sidelines any longer. Having stayed out of the conflict for this long, he has to make a choice, but can he handle the repercussions of that decision?


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