stories in and

The Electric King

The Electric King by Hugh C.N. Miller

By 2052, the world is ruled by artificial intelligence in the form of a ruthless android called King Cyrus. Society is divided into the 'Myriads’, who choose allegiance to his reign and live in perceived opulence and the ‘Indigents’, who live off-grid and fight for survival. An unthinkable tragedy transforms Scarlett into an unexpected warrior. With her kidnapped brother as her only focus, she is given the power to defeat the electric king and liberate humanity before it’s too late. But first, she must trust Ethan, a handsome thief who threatens to steal more than just her heart



Warrin (Vaxxlian Alien Mail Order Brides #10)

Warrin (Vaxxlian Alien Mail Order Brides #10) by Sue Mercury

The fierce alien warrior is finally taking a mate. After getting jilted at the altar, heartbroken Elora flees town, determined to make a fresh start somewhere far away where no one knows her name. But traveling through the war-torn countryside is harder than she imagined, and during a sudden air raid, she loses everything. Destitute and scared, she reluctantly signs up for the Vaxxlian Alien Mail Order Brides program, believing it's her only shot at survival. When a handsome, green-eyed warrior named Warrin arrives to claim her, she finds his directness both refreshing and disarming. His kisses leave her breathless, and in his arms, she finally feels safe. But is she falling too fast for a male she barely knows? Warrin has longed for a mate and a family of his own, and he's overjoyed when the VAMOB program finally matches him with a human female. Elora. The first time the fierce warrior lays eyes on the young woman, he's captivated by her beauty and the quiet strength of her spirit. Every time he holds her close, the darkness that's plagued him for ages retreats, and he starts to believe she's a gift from the Star God. When an unexpected air blockade prevents their departure from Earth, they're forced to seek refuge and wait out the conflict—alone, with growing desire. But just as he prepares to claim her, they receive shocking news that could tear them apart before their mating union has even begun.


Baby for the Alien Warrior (Treasured by the Alien Book 14)

Baby for the Alien Warrior (Treasured by the Alien Book 14) by Honey Phillips

A warrior with nothing left to give. A woman who’s lost too much. A miracle that changes everything. Dr. Corinne Vale thought her life of quiet study ended the day she was abducted and sold across the stars. Now, she’s on the run with a traumatized teenage girl and a baby she risked everything to save. When she encounters Commander Selik, a huge Cire warrior with haunted eyes, she expects another cage. Instead she finds a hero. Selik has done his best to bury the past and the family he failed to save. He doesn’t expect the fierce, beautiful human he rescues to awaken feelings he thought long dead. But when a night of shared grief leads to a moment of passion, the impossible happens. Now Selik will risk everything for his fragile new family. Because sometimes the most powerful bonds are the ones you never saw coming. Each book in the Treasured by the Alien series can be read as a standalone romance. This sweet and steamy HEA is intended for adults only.


Castoff

Castoff by Brandon Crilly

Six months after saving her city from destruction, Deyeri Renn is outrunning leadership she doesn’t trust herself to take on. Mavrin Leed chases secret knowledge beyond the business of a mere street magician, wondering where his friend Eyasu Temergon has gone, and how much his devotion to the god-like Aspects endangers him this time. All while the Raw wait to be freed from their prison—the extent of their patience unknown. And as the Highest Voices work to silence the gods who keep Aelda safe, dangerous truths at the edge of the world still find their way to light.


Death Among the Stars

Death Among the Stars by C.M. Lockhart

“This is not what I had in mind when we agreed ‘til death do us part’.” Kyra Johnson is married to an alien. At least, she was until he was murdered. Left with only his ship and a gaping hole in her life where her husband used to be, she takes to the stars with his crew as their unwilling captain. But grief isn’t a thing so easily discarded, and she’ll have to confront his memory — and the man who killed him — before she can face a future without him. And the best thing for heartbreak is revenge.


May Chaos Reign Over You

May Chaos Reign Over You by La Purvis

Hezi is the purveyor of wine and chaos at Wayward Sip, the safe haven she created to escape her abusive ex. As chaos incarnate, she bestows her golden apples at her discretion and it is there that she meets Edno. The young dragon carries a darkness that threatens unmeasurable destruction and Hezi can't help but offer him the thing he wants most -- power. But when he returns days later with Emry, the alpha of his coven, Hezi realizes she made a mistake. Edno was consumed by chaos. But rather than feeling remorse, Hezi is amused and Emry is incensed. Emry decides that Hezi's life will be a suitable replacement for Edno's, but when their eyes lock, Emry's demands become far more personal than she'd anticipated. Bigger problems arise however as Emry is called back to her home to deal with the growing mistrust between her coven and The Regime, while Hezi's ex is trying to force his way back into her life. Hezi knows that getting attached to anyone is a risk, but she doesn't know which is more terrifying -- pushing everyone away for fear of losing them, or succumbing to the love of a dragon hellbent on claiming Hezi as her own.


Walking the Knife's Edge

Walking the Knife's Edge by Elise Carlson

It’s hard to focus on your studies when you’re from the wrong side of town, your dad’s an abusive prick and classmates are intimidated by your skills at hand to hand combat. But for Rarkin, getting into Sythe School means monsters, the chance to contain ones that stray into human occupied zones, and the opportunity to do something meaningful with his life. Even better; it includes an Electric Way pass out of town and travel beyond city limits.​ Rarkin seizes his chance at his dream job with everything he’s got, forcing down traumatic memories to focus on work he knows he could love. But it’s a dangerous time to be holding everything in, to have little contact with friends like brothers, or to be keeping new friends at arm’s length. Sythe’s nemesis, Organised Crime is no longer playing by the ‘rules,’ and Rarkin and his classmates are on the front line. Organised Crime’s bold new tactics tear at the bandages of Rarkin’s unhealed wounds and his unresolved CPTSD. To be the person Rarkin doesn’t believe people saying he can be, he must change his toxically masculine approach to emotions, and break the cycle of violence in his family. If he doesn’t make peace with his past and stop fighting EVERYTHING, he’s on the road to self destruction. In working for Sythe; Rarkin is Walking the Knife’s Edge.


Roots & Rubble

Roots & Rubble by Kalleigh Royn

To survive, she followed the rules. To live, she’ll have to break them. Eighteen-year-old Nova Stormont was raised to survive, not hope. In Whitebark Haven, straying from your assigned role means punishment, or worse. But Nova has always yearned for more than life in the shadows as a scout. She wants to heal, to grow, to choose. When she reveals a hidden talent at her coming-of-age ceremony, Nova risks everything to prove there’s more to life than what the Elders expect. But before judgement falls, she slips beyond the borders for one last stolen breath of freedom only to be captured by the Loxosceles, a ruthless faction where power determines your worth. Trapped behind enemy lines, Nova must rely on her scouting skills, her knowledge of plants, and her sharp wit as she navigates shifting loyalties and the gaze of a duty-bound commander who is more than he seems. With every step, she begins to question everything she thought she knew—about her enemies, her purpose, and herself.


Black Sails to Sunward

Black Sails to Sunward by Sheila Jenné

In a world of frock coats, solar sails, and rigid class boundaries, Lucy joins the Martian Imperial Navy as a midshipman. Mars and Earth are at war, and Lucy hopes for quick promotion. But when she arrives aboard ship, she finds her childhood ex-friend, Moira, already there. Class differences got in the way of their budding romance five years ago, and both of them are nursing grudges. Those same class differences are threatening the ship, as the enlisted spacers threaten a mutiny and Lucy is forced to support the abusive officers. When Moira becomes a pirate, taking Lucy captive, the tables are turned. Lucy now has to rely on her enemy for her life. Her oath as an officer forbids her from helping the pirates, but it’s becoming obvious that the Martian Empire doesn’t deserve her loyalty. If she throws in her lot with the pirates, her family is doomed to poverty, but it could give her a chance to reconcile with Moira and claim the love she rejected so long ago.


Blessed is the Rot

Blessed is the Rot by Sheri Singerling

Fenrir is a mask. Before his fall from grace, he was Ashtin, a lauded surveyor responsible for containing distortions, corrupted pockets of space-time that twist all they touch into horrid creatures. Five years prior, Ashtin defied the teachings of the Church he once served, costing him privilege, purpose, and his old name. Now, he is Fenrir, a shadow of his former self, reduced to ringing a bell for his livelihood. When a distortion claims Fenrir’s bell tower, the Church sends Surveyor Sophie to assess and contain the threat. She is a painful reminder of all that Fenrir has lost, but as the weeks slip by, Fenrir falls for her. And her him, even after learning his true identity. But Sophie harbors an even darker secret. Her only hope of salvation? Commit an unforgivable sin by descending into ancient ruins festering with distortions and their horrifying victims. Fenrir accompanies Sophie on the journey, but the truths they uncover are heinous in their own right. He must make a choice—abandon Sophie to fate or throw the world into chaos. Blessed is the Rot is a dark science fantasy novel, the first in the Bit Trilogy and part of the Alfom shared universe.


Neuen

Neuen by Sheri Singerling

Neuen is a planet of extremes, thanks to a crawling rotation rate. Nights of bitter cold. Days of searing heat. For Levi Zetmer and the other Reisende, survival means a nomadic existence chasing the ever-shifting twilight. Exiled from the polar cities for their “flawed” genetics, they live under constant surveillance, forced to cleanse their bloodlines birth by birth. It’s Lyn’s job to keep them on track. A polar city denizen, she travels from Reisender settlement to settlement and monitors the genomes of the newborns. The work is lonely and tedious until all the inhabitants of a neighboring settlement mysteriously die, and Lyn is tasked with uncovering the cause of the deaths. For the journey, she needs help from Reisende knowledgeable in plagues and blights. Levi’s expertise in the latter earns him a place in her expedition. But all their efforts yield only questions, and whatever killed the others seems poised to wipe out Levi’s settlement next. Lyn is determined to find a solution. Levi is dead set on learning the truth. Together they just might be able to unravel the mystery. Will what they learn finally free the Reisende from their age-old shackles? Or will the truth break them? Neuen is a science fiction mystery with aspects of botany and genetic engineering.


Nytho

Nytho by Sheri Singerling

Keza never planned to fall for a rogue artificial general intelligence (AGI), especially one she helped keep imprisoned. But Nytho, the AGI, was fascinating. When Nytho showed Keza how he could help humanity reach a new level of consciousness, her captivation turned to veneration. She was resolved to break Nytho out of his digital prison. Too bad Guel, her on-and-off boyfriend, caught her in the act. Now, Keza’s wasting away in a cell with only a rigged trial to look forward to. Except, she has a hunch that Nytho has a backup plan, or two or ten. There’s going to be a jailbreak for the both of them. Then the world will see what Keza does in Nytho. They’ve got so much to learn, and she’s just itching for their enlightenment to kick in. Meanwhile, Guel finds himself obsessing over his ex—his role in Keza’s imprisonment and her descent into madness. He’s convinced Nytho infected her with a virus and that the AGI has other more sinister plans. Guel knows that Keza’s the key. That if he can free her from Nytho’s grip, she can help them all avoid whatever hell is barreling their way. He's just got to figure out how he can reach her. Nytho is cyberpunk with hints of Lovecraftian/cosmic horror and is told through multiple voices.


A Soul Divided

A Soul Divided by Daniel M. Quilter

A kidnapped princess. A disgraced prince. And a galaxy caught between empires of magic and steel. When Olivia, heir to the Human Empire, is captured by an agent of the Mystics, her fate seems sealed. Her only hope lies in the hands of the most unlikely savior: a smart-mouthed pirate with a bloody past. Drake Ashbell was once a Mystic prince—before forbidden magic turned him into an exile and a murderer. Now he’s content with a nearly respectable life of piracy. Until a job gone sideways forces him to work for the very empire that killed his family. But how hard can rescuing their princess be? To survive, Drake must face more than ruthless empires and old enemies. He’ll have to confront the limits of his own broken soul. Firefly-style banter. Star Wars-scale conflict. A Soul Divided launches the Blood-Fire Trilogy—perfect for fans of snark, starships, and space magic.


The Gemini Games

The Gemini Games by Willa Hollis

Five games. Five opportunities. Persevere or perish. Zellie Toro has lived a simple life in the intergalactic unit stationed on the planet Lunara for twenty-seven years. But when an invitation from The Kosmos, the divine order, arrives, everything changes. Chosen as one of ten human participants in the treacherous Gemini Games in the city of Astralis, Zellie must collect moonstone fragments to restore the fading Gemini constellation and continue powering nearby worlds. The stakes are high: become a Celestial champion and gain unimaginable power. As Zellie competes, she uncovers a web of corruption, a rigid magical hierarchy, and a staggering imbalance of power. While the games progress, she realizes that the only way to spark real change for humans across the galaxy is to infiltrate the divine order itself. Faced with an impossible choice, Zellie must decide: surrender her humanity or stay true to her convictions and risk everything to do what’s right. In a new world where survival is the only rule, Zellie must decide: survive... or die trying.


The Time Trials

The Time Trials by Jon & Dayna McConnell

"Four players. It's in the rules." "Is this like, some sort of academic decathlon or something?" "Something like that." Walkman-toting, guitar-playing Finn Mallory blames himself for his parents' deaths and would do anything to turn back time and set things right. So, when he's recruited into a secret club at his new school that specializes in competitive time travel games, Finn sees a world of opportunity open before him. The games, however, are far from benign. Competition is cutthroat. Scenarios are rigged. And the mysterious timekeepers who organize it all have no qualms about using-or disposing of-players to suit their own sinister plans. Now Finn must decide who he can trust while making peace with his past if he's to have any hope of leading his team to victory and surviving his junior year. As the games commence, it's time to press rewind. “A resonant blend of teen drama and SF adventure." - Kirkus Reviews


Middle-Aged Man in a Trashcan

Middle-Aged Man in a Trashcan by William Brian Johnson

Joe's lived here all his life, but he's not from around here. Street names are different, landmarks lie, and even money shows presidents he's never known. Some versions of Fort Wayne, Indiana are apocalyptic wastelands, others harbor darker secrets. When trouble strikes, Joe opens a trash can and tears a sixth-dimensional rift in reality. Inside lies a void where he glimpses the multiverse and rides unknown currents to another Fort Wayne, hoping this one might finally feel like home. He emerges at the same time, same date, in a different universe. With each crossing, his memories slip away. Only Nobuyuki, his shape-shifting kitsune companion, remain constant, and they are hiding secrets about Joe's past that he may never remember. In a multiverse where the next trash can might lead to salvation or doom, Joe must find his way back before he forgets what home is.


Clipped

Clipped by KQ Watson

Heaven was perfect, until they came for his son. When angel engineer Zak's infant son is cast down for being born without wings, he faces Heaven's cruel mandate: forget, or fall. Clipped, Zak plummets to a broken Earth, where false prophets exploit the faithful, drug lords rule dead cities, and every truth comes with a price. Pursued by ruthless angel hunters through decaying urban wastelands and corrupted mega-churches, Zak uncovers a conspiracy that reaches from Earth's grimmest gutters to Heaven's highest chambers. What begins as a father's desperate search becomes a brutal quest for vengeance that will expose Heaven's most devastating lies - and make them remember his son's name.


Percival Gynt and the Inevitability of Fire and Other Cases

Percival Gynt and the Inevitability of Fire and Other Cases by Drew Melbourne

One day, the fate of the entire universe will rest in the hands of one man. A hero. An accountant. But Percival Gynt is neither of those things. Not yet. Collected here for the first time are the early adventures of Percival Gynt, a young man caught between his own dark past and an incandescent future. A future of starships and sorcery. Of monsters and mysteries. Of... um... card games and... conference calls? In this volume, you'll learn how Percival caught his first killer, toppled a despot, and saved Christmas. And YOU will guide Percival through his darkest day, as he seeks any path to escape... ...the inevitability of fire. Percival Gynt and the Inevitability of Fire and Other Cases presents eleven stories of maximalist space-fantasy, existential angst, comedy, adventure, and mystery in the 201st century, in this standalone prequel to the novel Percival Gynt and the Conspiracy of Days.


Dissolution Protocol

Dissolution Protocol by H.J. Barner

What would you sacrifice for the greater good? Nearly 200 years ago, half of humanity fled to the stars to escape an Earth butchered by climate change and nuclear war. Ever since, dozens of colonies have been attempted on distant planets, each one failing after the last. Today, remaining space-dwellers live on Space Stations orbiting resource-depleted planets, indifferent to the riots and unrest on the Earth they left behind. Aboard the S.S. Obsidian Dawn, Captain Everest Eskandari navigates the harsh realities of a collapsing Space Republic with her crew and two passengers: Eridan, a navigator who thinks himself helpless to fix a broken world; Zeya, a mechanic with faith that the government will take care of everything well enough; Dorian, an electrician who's come to accept that they're all doomed anyways; Kalani, a scientist on the run; and Samson, an Earthling who's finally stopped running from his fate. When dangerous secrets come to light, the crew must grapple with everything they thought they ever knew, and both Space-dweller and Earthling alike must make sacrifices capable of forging the future for centuries to come. Through the lense of six lives, "Dissolution Protocol" explores themes of apathy and indifference, and warns of a world where ignorance is not just bliss, but a dangerous, corrosive force.


Hive

Hive by Rowan Redfield

A SCIENTIST DETERMINED TO SAVE THE BEES. A FLIGHT CREW SEEKING REDEMPTION. A STRANGE PLANET THAT COULD BE THEIR ANSWER. Dr. Hannah Jensen, granddaughter of the dishonored Dr. Rick Carlson, is desperate to make her own name in the research field of pollinators. When The Company tasks her with colonizing the world’s last remaining bees, she is sent with her longtime academic rival to another planet, on a quest to save the human race. Joined by a disgraced flight crew dependent on her success, and Connelly, the alluring chief military officer with secrets of his own, Hannah must find a way to escape their watchful eyes and put her merits to the test to finish what her grandfather started.


EXEQUIAL

EXEQUIAL by Hannah Rebekah Graves

Don’t be late for your own funeral. An embittered soul ascends from the underworld to seek revenge on those who wronged her. (“The Dead Rise in Greece”) In an online forum, a tight-knit group takes their serial-killer infatuation to the next level. (“A (Potential) Ghost Story”) A corpse laments the loss of each falling petal. (“On Bodies and Bouquets”) Thirty encounters with ghosts, cursed books, incriminating VHS tapes, entities from the skies, and questions that are best left unasked.


Millennium Bug

Millennium Bug by Yvonne Knop

David Smith’s life is thrown into chaos when a mysterious book crashes through his window, telling the story of a life he doesn’t remember. A stranger, claiming to be a hidden scribe who weaves reality, demands the book back, warning that keeping it will unravel the world, but returning it will erase David from existence. As the ancient order of storytellers is threatened to be overthrown by AI, David must reclaim his past and rewrite destiny itself to prevent the erasure of all reality. But if he succeeds, the cost may be too great—unlocking the truth of his fate gives him the power to destroy everything, including the only man he's ever loved. If the world was never meant to be real, does it deserve to exist?


Neon Lullabies

Neon Lullabies by H.J. Barner

Are you dreaming? Are you sleeping? Have the neon lullabies worked, or will you join the Awakening? In the Seacity, the sun never shines. While the corporate-ruled utopia of Skycity glistens among the clouds, the sinking underworld of crime, salt water, and eternal night known as the Seacity makes a home among the sunken ruins of a former American metropolis. Here, criminal syndicates govern divided neighborhoods sponsored by various corporations, and status is defined by having the latest tech. Growing up in the sunless alleyways of the Seacity, former Syndicate engineer Hat now carves a life out for themself by hacking into corporate databases and making edits for credits. When a job gone wrong lands them with a 100-grand bounty on their head, Hat finds themself at the mercy of the Awakening, a shadow-operating resistance group seeking to topple the mega-corporations that puppeteer everyday life in the Seacity. Meanwhile, in Skycity, the Seacity-born Helena finds herself interning with Neol Inc., the world’s leading technology company. While Hat navigates the ranks of the Awakening, Helena gains an inside look at Skycity’s corporate propaganda and starts to understand that it’s never been corporation versus corporation so much as Skycity versus Seacity. Forced to choose between the city of her birth and the possibilities of her future, Helena finds herself questioning the price of morality in the cut-throat corporate workplace of Skycity. And when Hat lands themself in a prison after learning of an impending software update with the potential to destroy any semblance of freedom the technologically reliant people of the Seacity still have, Hat must find a way to escape their high-security jail cell or witness the end of free will in the Seacity.


War of the Space Dragons

War of the Space Dragons by L’Poni Baldwin

The first stages of the Dragon War begins. The dragons’ prince has become tired of how humans treat his creatures and calls their empire from space to go to war with humanity. Survival, dragons in Italy, alien wars and fantasy collide in this strange mini ebook. This is a collection of stories taking place in the Empire of Dragons series.


Pandion

Pandion by J.B. Thwaite

After graduating from the seven-year extended program of the top-ranking empath university in Japan, the serial overachiever, Harumine Satoru, is paired to work with the absolute bottom-of-the-barrel shirker delinquent, Kagesawa Tsuyoshi. What could possibly go wrong? Pandion is a nerdy gay workplace ro— Soft Scifi Adventure set in near-future alternate universe Japan with plenty of character growth, neurodiversity rep, geeky tech and an intriguing plot with realistic, relatable stakes. Can these nerds overcome their unusual circumstances?


A Ballad of Inferno and Ruin

A Ballad of Inferno and Ruin by Adrielle Reina

Terror. Violence. Blood. Death. War takes everything—even your humanity. While a second Civil War rages on in the Former United States of America, other countries are embroiled in World War III. Uncertainty and unrest result in an upheaval there’s no escape from. People have a choice: choose a side, or die. Determined to get vengeance and help salvage what’s left of the world—and herself—Emma Sandalwood joins up with the Motley Rebellion, an independent militant group that cares for displaced victims of both wars and fights to end the bloodshed. Between keeping herself alive and searching for what little remains of her family, the last thing she needs is to uncover a man-made virus that could turn the tides of war. Betrayal comes in many forms, and the end of humanity is near.


Run Like Hell

Run Like Hell by Eira Brand

Starving to death in the lowest layer of the Megatropolis of New York City, Raide will do whatever it takes to survive. When a chance encounter with her best friend ends with his murder, Raide soon finds herself risking her life to complete his last gig, all while in search of answers and vengeance. But with corporate mercenaries on her heels, a strange new virus mutating ordinary people into grotesque monsters, and the sinking realization that this was more than a simple contract gone sideways, Raide is soon left with two options: Lie down and die or run like hell.


Mechanical Heart

Mechanical Heart by Beverly Anne Michel

Levy Hart thought he had a great life. He lived with his best friend, scientist, Finnea Wong. He had a good job, played Dungeons and Dragons, and loved to bake for his friends. Everything seemed to be going perfectly until he discovered someone close to him had been keeping secrets. Lies and secrets turn his world upside down. He must relearn how to navigate the world. He must learn how to trust the ones closest to him again. Things become even more complicated when Finnea finds herself in trouble. Levy must help her while rebuilding their relationship.


Wyrmrot (Wyrmrot #1)

Wyrmrot (Wyrmrot #1) by Stephanie Saige

FIRST CAME THE DRAGONS When scientists brought everyone’s favorite fairytale creature to life, people flocked to see them, including 17-year-old Zelda Rissland. THEN CAME THE PARASITE But scientists created more than just dragons—they created a deadly parasite. Wyrmrot, they later called it. First, it ate your brain, and then it made you eat other people’s brains. NOW ZELDA MUST SURVIVE THE ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE Separated from her family, the only person Zelda has left from her former life is her childhood friend turned boyfriend, Cooper Marotta. Together they’ve carved out a safe place for themselves in a world turned upside down, but when a zombie horde decimates their survivor group, they face a choice: attempt to rebuild or follow the mysterious coordinates that appeared on a construction sign. Zelda still hopes her family is out there somewhere and believes the coordinates might lead her to them. Cooper, however, thinks the coordinates will only bring trouble. When the remaining survivors vote to undertake the perilous cross-country journey, he attempts to deter them every step of the way. What Zelda discovers at their destination will test her loyalties and change everything she thought she knew about the apocalypse. Wyrmrot is a heart-stopping Young Adult Apocalyptic novel told in dual timelines. "Jurassic Park meets Resident Evil." This fast-paced tale of survival, secrets, and betrayal features dragons, zombies, and a touch of romance. Perfect for fans of Erin Bowman's Contagion or Emily Suvada's This Mortal Coil.


Werecockroach

Werecockroach by Polenth Blake

Rin moves into a new flat on the day the aliens arrive. Their new flatmates are laid-back Sanjay and conspiracy theorist Pete. It doesn't take long to notice some oddities about the pair, like hoarding cardboard and hissing at people when they're angry. Something strange is going on, but it's not all due to the aliens.


Trans_lucent

Trans_lucent by Wayward Sparx

A collection of cyberpunk stories carving space out for Trans+ characters in near-futures ravaged by rampant capitalism, terminal environmental decline, state surveillance, poverty, and the rolling back of human rights. Trans_lucent comprises six deeply empathetic stories exploring sex, technology, community, and what it means to be trans in a world where transhumanism has become business as usual. Told with sharp wit, precise prose, and own voice observations, Trans_lucent goes beyond neon lights and empty aesthetic. A testament to human connection in a cold world. Cumulative Realities Transbians Navi and Tash run a bookshop digitally preserving comics, novels, fanzines – anything written by Trans+ folks through history. After their server’s hacked, they risk losing everything. In Wait of Obsolescence What does it mean to be transgender when environmental catastrophe keeps everyone sequestered forever alone in their capsules? Progeny Reproduction is a government interest and job roles are defined before birth. But when Alana Khoury’s progeny open fires on a biotech academy, she’s drawn into rabbit hole about what it means to be a mother. Risingson For cyberware blogger, advisor, and investigator Violet, meeting trans masc cyborg Calder is so much more than another job. The Mnemosyne Cycle Memory, self-determination, and identity in a world where memory wipes are as commonplace as the broken infrastructure and insidious state surveillance. Venus as a T-Boy, Saturn as a Femme Pregnant T4T couple Lacewing and Tawn smuggle themselves into England a decade after they fled. The aim: avoid the law and get safely to Tawn’s family where the baby has a chance at life.


Beyond the Darkness

Beyond the Darkness by Avra Blake

For decades the Military and Syndicate have been locked in a war for power. Both sides are desperate to gain the upper hand through any means necessary—including performing dangerous experiments to discover and enhance the strongest abilities. Thea is a victim of these experiments. After her escape from a Military Research facility, her struggles to control her abilities put her in danger of being found. With both the Military and Syndicate after her, she finds help from an unlikely source. A traitor and a war criminal, Nix is a wanted man on both sides of the war. He’s been running from imprisonment for years. Meeting Thea means he can’t run anymore. In order to help her avoid capture he’ll have to face his biggest regrets along with his worst fears. With mysteries to unravel and secrets to reveal, both must learn to trust the other—and forgive themselves. If they don’t, they may end up with even more regrets.


Murder Inferno

Murder Inferno by Stephen Winter

Loque Lo’White is the most brilliant detective no one’s ever seen. Neurodivergent, reclusive, and razor-sharp, she’s cracked dozens of cold cases from behind a screen, using only her laptop and an anonymous Reddit handle to post her reveals. But when the world’s top gamer dies in a hellish VR game—and turns up dead in real life—Loque knows it’s no coincidence. This time, solving the case means stepping out of the shadows. Perfect for fans of Knives Out, Ready Player One, and anyone who’s ever shouted at a raid party.


To Worlds of Wonder

To Worlds of Wonder by Alex S. Garcia

A murdered immortal, mythological creatures on an ocean world, a love letter from an intergalactic tyrant, a time travel paradox, and so many other wondrous stories come together in this collection of 15 classic short stories. This book includes two previously unreleased stories – "Confessions of an Artificial Intelligence" and "Down a Dark Road." Born in 1970, Alex S. Garcia has been publishing in French since 1989 and in English since 2020. He has released over 50 short stories, a novel, twelve novellas, and numerous non-fiction articles and books.


The Battle of Braxia

The Battle of Braxia by Alex S. Garcia

A young woman in a patriarchal society dreams of the stars. When opportunity knocks, Exhi sheds her old life, trading rigid rules for freedom. But freedom comes with a price when she finds herself tossed in the middle of a war. Now she has to pick sides: the Imperials who saved her, or the rebels who fight to destroy the very foundations of the Imperium. As if that weren't enough, there is something inside her, clawing and growing, feeding her visions... Can Exhi pick a side and survive whatever's gnawing at her soul? The Battle of Braxia is a space opera novella combining space-faring action with questions about ethics, freedom, and fate.


Of Monsters and Mainframes

Of Monsters and Mainframes by Barbara Truelove

Spaceships aren’t programmed to seek revenge—but for Dracula, Demeter will make an exception. Demeter just wants to do her job: shuttling humans between Earth and Alpha Centauri. Unfortunately, her passengers keep dying—and not from equipment failures, as her AI medical system, Steward, would have her believe. These are paranormal murders, and they began when one nasty, ancient vampire decided to board Demeter and kill all her humans. To keep from getting decommissioned, Demeter must join forces with her own team: A werewolf. An engineer built from the dead. A pharaoh with otherworldly powers. A vampire with a grudge. A fleet of cheerful spider drones. Together, this motley crew will face down the ultimate evil—Dracula. The queer love child of pulp horror and ​classic ​sci-fi, Of Monsters and ​Mainframes ​is a dazzling, heartfelt odyssey that probes what it means to be one of society’s monsters—and explores the many types of friendship that make us human.


Memento Mori Station

Memento Mori Station by Shannon Knight

A thousand years have passed. Nyle, the only raven still on Earth, dutifully continues to tend the dead. His mind-reading assistant, Em Collins, helps him return to the present when memories pull him into echoes of the past. However, a mysterious invitation from a distant space station breaks Nyle’s routine. He’d had no intention of leaving Earth, but the message ends with a coded SOS from his old friend Ethan West. Nyle doesn’t hesitate. As his spaceship approaches the station, Nyle has plenty of time to consider the deep cold that signals a massive quantity of untended dead. Records show that multiple ravens had traveled to the station, yet no raven has ever left. Nyle refuses to abandon either Ethan or the dead, but the vast distances of space mean that whatever mysteries or obstacles surface, Nyle will have to face them with only the aid of his small team. The past and the future come together in the final installment of the Grave Cold trilogy!


Death Rights

Death Rights by Shannon Knight

Grave Cold introduces a world overrun by mutations where the dead remain in their bodies till a raven releases them. Each raven is a long-lived individual steeped in the culture of the time and place they originated. However, the District of Portland is using the dead as an energy source. Nylewulf, an Anglo-Saxon man who has spent centuries hiding from humanity, and Cait, a beautician who happens to be a necromancer, team up to protect the dead. In Death Rights, Nyle and Cait have reached Angel’s Rest when a raven even older than Nyle appears. Lucius, known as the Kingmaker, is part of the council that regulates the elusive ravens. While DP aims to destroy every raven sanctuary in the district, Lucius unfurls his own plot. Once again, Nyle and Cait strive to stay alive and protect the dead. But survival alone doesn’t satisfy either of them. Justice requires that they face the government head on.


FrostByte: A Desi Cyberpunk Novel

FrostByte: A Desi Cyberpunk Novel by N.S Chaudhury

What do you fight for, when you lose yourself? A high-profile murder, a life stolen and illegally returned, all tied to a mystery that threatens to upend multiple lives. The night Hania Fatik was murdered in cold blood, she died believing her death to be a permanent one. However, fate had a different plan in mind when Hania wakes up in a body not her own, in a city also not her own. Now, faced with an uncertain future as an illegal resurrect, Hania must learn to navigate a life she didn’t want, while trying to investigate the abrupt ending of the one she did. The night a strange woman passes out in his store, Ayan Shihab realizes his wish to protect his loved ones and stay under the watcher's radar is over. Holding the secret of his illicit activities close to his chest, Ayan finds his life is thrown into chaos when he's forced to care for his unwelcome guest, dredging up demons from his past he'd rather forget. Now, he must do everything in his power to avoid getting purged for harboring an illegal resurrect, help his houseguest figure out the mystery of her murder, all while trying not to get anyone else killed. Can Ayan push himself beyond his limits and take unprecedented risks to protect the ones he loves? Will Hania learn to let go of her long-held prejudices and rely on people she considered beneath her?


Ice Born

Ice Born by Adam Fernandez

"You can't sit wishing for the world you deserve and lament no one has given it to you. It is up to you to fight for it, to grasp it from the maw of the universe. The future is yours for the taking, if you're strong enough to hold it." On the Saturnalian moon of Titan, Sergeant Arabella Smith, Republican Guard soldier turned revolutionary, is at a crossroad. Face to face with the shadows of her past and the promises of her future, she must make a embrace her new identity, or shatter it to reclaim her birthright. Arabella was the daughter of two worlds and a resident of none. Her father came from the ruling elite and her mother from the marginalized Armanic people. Arabella’s privileged upbringing guarded her from prejudice, until her father’s murder sent her to the working-class districts. There she must take on a new name and avoid the bounty hunters who seek her family. Only by confronting her past, can she reimagine her future. Ice Born is a standalone novel set in the award winning universe of the Midnight War series.


Gulf

Gulf by Shelly Campbell

Hello. My name is David Rawlingson Junior and I’ve accidentally opened a door into Hell. When my brothers and I found the locked door to the newly built extension on our rental cottage, the race to find the key was on. Little did I know that exploring the room beyond would create a bridge to countless alternate realities where humans have been eradicated. Ravenous creatures stalk the night, and they want nothing more than to get onto my side and feast. But time is running out. I can’t get the bridge to break, and the more time I spend on the wrong side of the door digging for clues, the more I fade in my world. Whatever these creatures are, I’m the only thing in their way.


Knowledge Itself

Knowledge Itself by Shelly Campbell and Megan King

After solar flares wipe out electrical grids worldwide, a small community survives by selling data recovered from decrepit hard drives and rare books. Nostalgic for the days of big business, the commune’s founding members call themselves Corporate and micromanage everyone. ​ Raised into the hustle, Iris Ecosia’s ADHD brain rebels at Corporate’s strict structure. It’s not all bad though. She attracts the attention of Robert Lycos, the son of one of the Shareholders, but their relationship comes to a crashing end when she loses focus at a critical moment and a vital piece of equipment is destroyed. ​ The mistake plunges her into debt. Corporate demotes her to an indentured gardener. Her romance with Robert dissolves. Worse, there are no paid sick days in the post apocalypse. So when Iris’s whole family falls ill, starvation is soon knocking on their door. Meanwhile, the Shareholders live like tycoons. Iris and her family are not alone in their poverty or their impotent rage at the corporation who keeps them poor, hungry, and dependent. An underground revolution intent on toppling Corporate wants to recruit her. She can still do big things if she joins them, but if she’s caught, the Shareholders won’t stop at destroying her. They’ll go after her family too.


After the Syzygy

After the Syzygy by J.D. Sanderson

In 1977, humans placed the Golden Record on the Voyager spacecraft with the hope it would be found by an alien civilization in the future. In 2036, the alien equivalent arrived on Earth. When the news leaks to the press, a global wave of fear, panic, and disinformation leaves people to wonder if the damage can ever be undone. In an attempt to quell unrest, several world governments begin an open exchange of ideas and information, hoping to understand the alien signal. As decades and centuries pass, humanity works together to answer one question. Will We Find Them?


A Footstep Echo: The Complete Collection

A Footstep Echo: The Complete Collection by J.D. Sanderson

Who is the Mystery Girl? Bernard Abbey's lonely, monotonous existence was forever turned upside down the day a mysterious young woman saved his life by taking him to another time. Soon Bernard realizes his new friend cannot speak or remember. Confronted with conflicting origins of her past, Bernard comes to believe his Mystery Girl is somehow linked to humanity's idyllic future. No matter when in time, someone is hunting the Mystery Girl, with government scientists, future eco-terrorists, and a host of others all in pursuit. It's a race against time for Bernard and his new friend to discover the truth about the future – and themselves.


Tethered

Tethered by TJ Williams

One boy, his mother, and a captain with secrets from her crew. Amongst the stars, all things lost are found. Marlowe Rose has been fighting her ex, Dominik, for a decade. When he kidnaps their son, she sneaks onto his starship, planning to give him hell. Instead, she ends up caught, sequestered and questioned by the captain. But Tanisira Sekmith isn’t what Marlowe thought she was, and when it becomes clear that they’re all just puppets in Dominik’s eyes, Marlowe convinces the stoic captain to help rescue her son. Tanisira promised herself she’d make no waves, catch no one’s attention, and cruise under the radar. Misplacing her trust once changed the trajectory of her whole life. After the fallout from her last job, flying a pleasure yacht is supposed to be boring and easy—exactly what she wants. But finding Marlowe on the ship changes everything. Marlowe sees her, shadows and all, and it forces Tanisira to face things she tried to leave behind. Marlowe doesn’t expect to find, on this journey that she dreaded, something she’d given up. And Tanisira doesn’t know if she deserves happiness, but she doesn’t want to lose this: a kid with big, green eyes and his fierce, captivating mother. Described as Becky Chambers meets Delilah Green Doesn't Care, Tethered is a Sapphic, soft science-fiction romance. There are content warnings in the front matter and on my website.


SHATTERED: A Sanguine Stars Novella

SHATTERED: A Sanguine Stars Novella by Nicholas W Fuller

Poey Targe's job was to stand at attention and look good in a uniform unless someone earned themselves an ass kicking. He spent years climbing the ranks to be a Master Sergeant in the Sorento Royal Senate Guard and now has the top tier gig - he's Guardian to High Senator Sara Brand, one of the leaders of the planet Sorento. Life is going pretty good for Poey and he’s looking forward to a future of settling down and retiring from his... but all that changes when High Senator Brand receives troubling news
 SHATTERED is the story of doing the right thing... And the consequences of those actions. It's the story of Poey Targe, Sara Brand, and a few friends as they struggle to keep their planet safe. SHATTERED: A Sanguine Stars Novella - is a short, action packed science fantasy read that features political intrigue, a lot of fu


The Kraken's Castaway

The Kraken's Castaway by Cassandra Medcalf

I drowned in Lake Superior. I was rescued by some ancient god monster in the depths of the lake. I've got gills now, that's fun. And I'm apparently the smokin' hottest thing this Viking octopus shifter has ever seen. Cool. Cool cool cool. Lillian and Erik have a problem. They were cursed by two wayward Titans holed up in Lake Superior, trapped on an island, and won't be set free until they agree to be surrogate and seed donor for an entire hoard of monster babies. The solution? Simple. No funny business, no matter how tempting the tentacles. But the longer they’re held captive, the closer they become. Giving into their feelings could mean the end of the world as they know it, but eternity is a long time. And as the two of them develop a stronger and stronger connection, the torture of staying apart becomes all the more impossible to bear. With the world at stake, are they strong enough to keep their hands off each other? Or is their attraction even greater than the forces they’re keeping at bay?


Ensnared

Ensnared by Tiffany Roberts

Ketahn did not want a mate. Fate has a different plan for him. When the queen he despises declares her intention to claim him, he retreats into the jungle. What he finds there changes his world. Small, delicate, and pale skinned, Ivy Foster is nothing like the females Ketahn has known. She’s not of his kind at all. Yet the moment he sees her, he knows the truth in his soul—she is his heartsthread. And now that he has her, he won’t let anything take her away. Not the jungle, not the gods, not the queen and her warriors. Whether Ivy agrees or not, their webs are entangled. No one will ever sever those threads.


Cello’s Gate

Cello’s Gate by Maurice Africh

Returning from a harrowing heist involving a neon battery and a trash chute, Grey and his crew are approached by Dalia, the immortal daughter of the infamous ArchGovernor—and she has an offer. The job? Locate and steal the Stones of Indigo—seven fabled rocks invested with godlike power. The search for the first stone is a bona fide treasure hunt, guided by an ancient map to a deadly, uncharted island that’s protected by a mysterious guardian. The score? One million credits per crew member, per stone. The catch? Well, that’s where things get a little complicated. The stones don’t exist. They’re a myth. A bedtime story told to little pirates to make them believe that power and wealth are attainable if you just work hard enough. And to make matters infinitely worse, Grey’s never trusted immortals, and Dalia’s definitely hiding something. Something bad. And if they don’t figure out what it is, it might cost them their lives. ONE CREW OF SKY PIRATES SEVEN MYTHOLOGICAL STONES A RACE TO FIND THEM ALL


Dudes Rock: A Celebration of Queer Masculinity in Speculative Fiction

Dudes Rock: A Celebration of Queer Masculinity in Speculative Fiction by Chase Anderson, Johannes T. Evans, Oliver Fosten, Jonathan Freeman, Rick Hollon, Sam Inverts, S. C. Mills, Franklyn S. Newton, Jay Kang Romanus, Aubrey Shaw, Simo Srinivas, Candy Tan, and Scott Vaughn.

What does masculinity mean to you? Whether the answer is "toxic" or something more aspirational, speculative fiction can help you find the language to talk about it. The stories in this anthology visualize all the different ways masculinity might look in a world different than our own, for better or worse. Imagine living in a universe where you'd feel safe telling your best friend you've always loved him, or where smoking hot demons exist to indulge all your worst impulses. From buff aliens to gender-affirming werewolf bites, Dudes Rock is about celebrating everything that queer masculinity can become beyond the confines of a single world, and we want you to rock with us.


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