First Meetings by Joyce Reynolds-Ward

What happens during first meetings resonates throughout the years... 2029... Thirty years before the opening of THE MARTINIERE LEGACY, rodeo princess Ruby Barkley and saddle bronc rider Gabe Ramirez meet... and find each other interesting, with a mutual interest in agricultural technology. Short story prequel with lots of horses in the science fiction.

Scrub Me, Daddy by April Showers

My entire life is a mess. My ex cheated. My job sucks. And my apartment smells like old takeout and despair. a 3 A.M. infomercial promising the Scrubbie Dubbie will change my life. Desperate and half-delirious, I order it. The next day, a sponge arrives—hot pink, dual-textured, and paired with a cleaning liquid that smells suspiciously like seduction. Then things get... weird. And wet. One steamy scrub-down later, I slip, hit my head, and wake up to a six-foot-something alien Adonis with abs for days and an obsession with cleaning. And with me. He’s strong, sudsy, and ready to polish more than just my floors. He came to tidy my apartment—and he just might stay to deep-clean my soul.

Even Angels Fall by E. V. Sauvage

300 years ago, my world collided with Earth. My kind has been ruling over the world ever since, passing as archangels. Doves, swans, cockatoo, their white wings in half shifted form are the sign of their power. I should have been the next in line. I should have been the new archangel Michaël. But my wings aren’t white. So instead I have to stay hidden. Instead, I’ve been trained my whole life. Instead, I’m their weapon. Because who would be best suited to kill the dragon shifter living inside of Notre Dame than a fallen angel? My name is Angélique. I’m a crow-shifter, and my mission is to marry Elhyor and to kill him on our wedding night. But nothing is the way it seems, and the dragon might be harder to kill than I thought. He might also be my only chance at freedom… Do I have any chance of surviving unscathed? Only time will tell…

Aurethia Rising by Atlas Laika

Two centuries ago, House Henly of Aurethia and House Volkov of Griea penned an engagement, promising a union between rival houses and their respective homeworlds. Elio Henly has been preparing for marriage his entire life. As the Henly heir and future steward of Aurethia, he will inherit great power, including control of a lucrative trade route, and ownership of the most precious substance in the Greater Universe — Avara. The mysterious blue crystal native to Aurethia is the sole treatment for parsec sickness, an epidemic ravaging space travelers within the Greater Universe. But when he meets Cael Volkov, the charming heir of the outfitted military planet, Griea, everything he thought he knew about his homeworld, his family, and his heart is turned upside down. Cael Volkov has been raised to conquer. Champion in the Tupinaire, commander of the Royal Reserve, and son to the mighty Legatus, Cael knows his mission is simple: gain the Aurethian heir’s trust, learn everything he can about the forest moon, and prepare to take it by force. But the longer he spends with Elio Henly, the quiet, brilliant Aurethian prince, the more he questions everything he was taught, and begins to push back against the rhetoric seeded in him by a lust for vengeance.

Inside a Dark Space by M.J. James

Finch was sent to the moon as a canary. They were one of the expendable—a soul desperate enough to risk their life for the safety of the ‘real’ astronauts. A decade later, they are the last canary left alive. Alone at the first lunar water mining station, Finch finds peace in solitude and the safety of routine. Ray grew up hearing her father rant about corporations ‘making the moon gay.’ For her, that sounded like hope. She shaped her life around reaching a place where she could finally come out. Except when she arrived on the moon to start a research project, Ray was left at a station with only one occupant—Finch. Finch may have sparked Ray’s journey, but life together in a dark crater proves far more complicated. Finch struggles to connect. Ray craves belonging. Both are haunted by what they left behind—and what the moon has in store for them. Inside a Dark Space is the first book in the Lunar Abyss series—a queer, autistic science fiction story about survival and the quiet rebellion of staying alive on your own terms.

Casual by Koji A. Dae

Valya’s neural implant is amazing. Its game-like app, CASUAL, has managed her depression and anxiety, stabilized her mood, and helped the infertile Valya get pregnant. But new laws forbid her from using the device when she's sole caregiver for her infant. Her gaslighting ex won't help her, and she can't afford a nanny, so her obstetrician insists that Valya wean off CASUAL before giving birth. Despite a will to quit and a supportive new love interest in her birthing class, disabling CASUAL turns Valya's anxiety into full-blown panic attacks. Her psychiatrist offers to enroll her in a controversial clinical trial that would place a tandem implant in the baby and allow Valya to keep hers active. Valya must decide whether she should attempt parenting without CASUAL or install a minimally tested device in her vulnerable child. Casual is a stark and cutting glance at a near future that looks uncannily like our present, exploring themes of bodily autonomy and the struggle for mental health in a world increasingly divided.

Human Scars on Planet Skin by Nathaniel Luscombe, Effie Joe Stock

Turr is fighting back for what was stolen from her: her body and her children living on it. After the humans tried to colonize her, Turr was forced to resort to mass violence to reclaim her skin. But in fleeing the planet, the humans left behind a chemical disaster—the dead zone. To bring peace and life back to herself, Turr sends out a desperate plea to two shroom people: Invidia and Clyra. Invidia, though surrounded by death, is tasked with learning how to breathe life back into the land. Clyra must lead a group of broken failed experiments through the forest, following a trail of visions. Death and uncertainty face them at every turn, but only when they’re all together can the planet truly begin to heal. Human Scars on Planet Skin will leave you haunted by the stark realities of upsetting the balance of life, aching against the sorrow unmitigated death brings, and shivering against the horrors of being trapped within your own body. More than anything, it will leave you comforted, knowing hope always exists in the life around us, no matter how dark our surroundings may seem.

Redundancies and Potentials by Dominique Dickey

All redundancies and potentials must be disposed of in accordance with Agency guidelines. This ensures that we can continue to use TimeFax to protect our communities, and better the lives of future generations. Aster works for the Agency, a private police force that uses time travel to stop crimes before they happen. Unlike most operatives, Aster and her sister Isadora can time travel without a TimeFax machine. Which would be pretty great...except that everyone, even Aster's own clone, keeps lying to her. As everything she's believed about the Agency and her life starts to unravel, Aster has to decide who to trust, if the Agency is worth saving-and whether she really wants to see the whole timeline.

One Last Game by T.A. Chan

Star Player on the Atlantic Archipelago Nation’s Battle Team, Niko Vandes wants to quit his job. Problem is, the board games he plays are the 22nd Century’s solution to war. Winning a match means winning a battle, and losing costs more than chips—it costs lives. With the fate of his country on his shoulders every time he makes a move, the government will keep Niko playing until it’s his turn to die by losing . . . unless he escapes. Across the ocean, Imani Tenzing barely escaped alive from an isolated cult as a young teen. She’s all-too familiar with the violent consequences of human conflict left unchecked. Now, she serves as one of the Custodians responsible for cleaning up the deaths left behind by each Battle Game. When the disappearance of Niko upheaves the societal status quo she’s grown dependent on, she vows to find and turn him in to authorities. With a world war on the verge of breaking out, Imani and Niko’s paths collide, and they must decide when the price of peace has become too high–or if it can ever be too high.

Astra Fauna: Expeditions by Sarah Dahlinger

Astra Fauna: Expeditions is a story-filled artbook that follows five alien scientists as they explore the wonders of a creature-filled universe. You'll experience new worlds with unique creatures and peoples, read stories of mystery, love, and danger, and experience things both cute and monstrous. Every chapter showcases the adventure of an alien scientist who's exploring life on a far-off planet. They will candidly tell the tales of their adventure first hand, bringing you into their worlds and lives.

Incursion: A Novel by Jalen Tellis

In the jaw-dropping mystery sci-fi thriller from author Jalen Tellis, a YouTube conspiracy theorist is on a quest to warn the world about the secrets that have been kept from them. And a potential alien invasion that is happening in Ten Days. How Far In the gripping pages of this enthralling tale, delve into the world of Riley Marson, a YouTube conspiracy theorist on a quest to investigate the enigma of the missing ufologist Timothy Hall. Will You Go Marson embarks on a quest that will send shivers down his spine. Unearthed secrets are laid bare. Marson digs deeper into Hall's mysterious disappearance, unraveling a web of intrigue that leads him to a startling revelation: a profound discovery of evidence pointing to an imminent extraterrestrial incursion to unfold in 10 days. To Know The Truth? With heart-pounding suspense and brilliant storytelling, this mesmerizing account will take you on an exhilarating journey as Marson races against time to expose the truth. Can you decipher the clues and save humanity from an impending alien invasion? Prepare to be enthralled, and hold your breath as the clock ticks down...

The Lucky Machine by Aimee Cozza

After a life of subservience wrought with extensive memory wipes, personal autonomous android model NX makes the fateful decision to slip from the mid-upper reaches of the city. In the dilapidated lower levels, she meets a talented but disillusioned cyborg named Sylvan who extends to her a temporary place working in his shop. As they sew the bonds of friendship and regain Sylvan’s lost passion, NX hones her own unique talents: for optimism, for charm, and for creating. With a little help from some friends – and a bit of luck – NX evades the forces that intend to recapture her or destroy her. The lower levels are easy to get lost in, but can she hide forever?

Fimbulvinter’s Fires: a queer apocalyptic sci-fi horrormance by A.M. Weald

Worlds and hearts will be set aflame… Within moments of his escape pod crash-landing in a night-clad frozen forest, musician Asher Hollin is frostbitten, bleeding, a thief, and a killer. If not for technology looted from a dead prison guard, he’d be long dead, either from hypothermia or from being attacked by battleaxe-wielding not-quite-human marauders. Without hope of rescue from those he’d fled, there’s only one choice: keep going. Fight. Survive for those who didn’t. Somewhere out there is food, shelter, civilization. Indeed, just as the darkness threatens to consume him, help comes from an initially unwilling source. Compassion and a yearning for companionship spark an unlikely relationship, but a lack of understanding of language and culture endangers Ash and everyone around him. Inspired by the tale of Ragnarök and its harbinger, Fimbulvinter’s Fires combines achillean love stories with first-contact sci-fi, survival horror, and apocalyptic tragedy. This snowpocalypse contains violence and death, steamy scenes, strong language, deep snow, and high heat. Tread carefully.

Your Knowledge Or Your Life? by Sophie Maddon

In Jason's world, money buys everything-including his place at London's elite St Mary's sixth form college, where he coasts through classes while his parents' "donations" keep him enrolled. Eva, on the other hand, earned her scholarship through hard work, enduring daily reminders that she doesn't belong among her wealthy peers. When Jason's attempt to skip class backfires spectacularly, he and Eva find themselves thrown into an alternate London where everything they know about social status is reversed. Here, your worth isn't measured by your bank account, but by your knowledge and intellectual curiosity. As Eva thrives in this new reality, Jason discovers something unsettling: seven people died in freak accidents the day they arrived. Convinced their presence somehow caused these deaths, he starts digging-only to uncover two secret societies with opposing visions. One protects the foundations of this knowledge-based society, while the other secretly plots to transform it into a world where money determines status. With lives at stake, Jason and Eva must overcome their mutual dislike to uncover the truth. And that mysterious boy with the captivating smile? He might just hold the answers Jason needs-if Jason can trust him.

Rule of Extinction by Geoff Jones

A civilization-ending comet is headed for Earth. Two days before impact, thousands of mysterious pods land in a swath across North America. When people touch them, the pods open. Anyone who climbs inside is carried away. No one knows where the pods came from and no one knows where they go, but finding one is David Williams’ only chance to save his family from the end of the world. … and escaping Earth is just the beginning. The Preservation of Species trilogy begins with Rule of Extinction, a post-apocalyptic science-fiction adventure filled with unforgettable heroes, terrifying monsters, and heart-pounding action.

The Glass God by Forrest Bezotte

In a city that’s forgotten its own name, power is taken—not given. Welcome to Glass—a neon-drenched empire where crime syndicates masquerade as pop stars, youth is preserved in a bottle, and freedom is a currency few can afford. Daniel Kostov, better known as Captain, has just murdered a legend. With blood on his hands and his father’s empire in ruins, he sees a chance to rebuild something bigger—something entirely his own. As Captain recruits new allies and makes enemies of old ones, a quiet war begins to simmer beneath the city’s glittering surface. Among his recruits is Benji—a haunted young man with secrets of his own—and Sparks, an unsettling stranger with ulterior motives. Every choice Captain makes threatens to unravel the fragile illusion of control he’s fought to create. Betrayals will come. Loyalties will be tested. And the City will decide who gets to become a god... and who gets swept into the gutter. The Glass God is the first book in 'The Glass Trilogy'—a stylish, hard-hitting cyberpunk saga of power, identity, and the cost of trying to become unforgettable. Grab a copy of this book and follow Captain's thrilling and tragic story in this sci-fi noir novel for those who love Blade Runner, Scarface, and Breaking Bad!

Where The Soul Goes by Katherine Silva

1989: Floods and record rainfall have turned the United States into little more than a drowned world. People left and right lose their wills to live and are coming down with a degenerative disease called The Ash. It burns people up from the inside out, numbing the senses, erasing memories, turning people into nothing more than crumbling, shambling echoes of who they used to be. Eliot Lamb, a once successful chef, is terrified when he discovers he has the Ash. Just when he thinks there is nothing left for him, he encounters Death in the form of his deceased protegee, Alexis. She has a proposition that might turn the tide against the Ash for the human race and he's the only man for the job: find four people and change their lives. Inspire them. Eliot is skeptical but convinced only after a run-in with the FBI forces him out onto the road with a well- meaning plumber sidekick, Terry. As they journey from flooded New England to the swamps of the American South and across the fog-saturated midwest, Eliot and Terry are pursued by an agent hell-bent on finding the source behind a string of domestic terrorist bombings that seem to be connected to the Ash and a man of the cloth convinced that Eliot is a devil in need of cleansing. For Eliot, the road ahead gets murkier and murkier as the person he once was slips through his fingers with every bite he takes. Inspired by Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations and Simon Stalenhag's dystopian tales, Where The Soul Goes explores the abyss of human connection through the culinary arts amidst an alternate 80's backdrop.

Dove's Eyes by Kienn Nguyen

Queer horror in the style of House of Leaves and Cormac McCarthy. Hallucinatory. Hidden ciphers. No quotation marks. This is a challenging read. Proceed with caution. Consult sample chapters and content warnings. A disgraced detective is hired to investigate a ritualistic killing in an isolated prison town. Falls into the hands of a charming doctor on a crusade to cure mankind of sin. a queer gothic neo western horror novel, ergodic literature, psychological horror, religious trauma, lobotomies, m/m, trans, biromantic, ace, 70k Bentham, Wyoming. A deserted ghost town built upon abandoned coal mines. Once windtorn woodrot, now a private penitentiary set in a reformative community pledged to clinical testing. Neurosurgeon Dr. Wayne Sykkes truly believed he had found the cure for all sin. But one year into testing and Belle Rivera, twenty-four, was found dead. Bloodied in the underbrush. A sprig of hyssop pressed to her lips. Enter Corey Handler Delgado. Fallen angel scorned. Five years ago he was nothing more than a scruffy detective. For an act of brutal justice he was arrested in the attempted murder of an innocent man. One call and the charming doctor has convinced him to take a second chance. Insists that he can be saved. But something is wrong. Something is wrong with this town. Something is wrong with this body. Something is wrong with this cure. Cora isn't dead.

Dead Malls by Darby Harn

Sometimes, you can take retail therapy too far... You work the night shift as a security guard in a dying mall. You're living out of your car. Suffice to say, you're looking for an escape. One night in the mall, you happen upon an intruder dressed as if she’s an extra from a Mad Max movie. You discover the mall is a gateway to another world. But it's not a world anyone wants to escape to. Diane's world ended in 1983 in a nuclear holocaust. Ever since, she's clawed out a broken existence in a scorched wasteland, clinging to a ragged department store Christmas catalog from her youth. You have more questions than answers, but you do have choices, and the first presents itself when an armored knight riding a radioactive snake arrives in search of Diane and her book. Make your choice. Protect Diane, fight her strange pursuer, flee the mall as it becomes a surreal trap deformed by his unusual powers, but always go back to the start: what is the secret of the catalog? Why does Diane's pursuer want it, and why is Diane so determined not to let him have it? Can you find out before your world ends, too?

Winter's Bite by Kelly Schweiger

When the grid goes dark and the world freezes over, survival isn’t just about food and firewood—it’s about family, trust, and grit. The Callahans thought they were prepared for anything. Tucked away in their mountain lodge, they’ve faced power outages, harsh storms, and the uncertainty of a world unraveling. But as winter deepens, hunger prowls, violence draws closer to their door, sickness spreads, and even kidnapping becomes a weapon of desperation. In a season where every decision could mean life or death, the Callahans must decide who they can trust—and how far they’ll go to protect the ones they love. Fans of One Second After, The Borrowed World, and Alas, Babylon will find themselves snowed in with this gripping tale of survival, resilience, and the fierce will to endure.

Last Light by Kelly Schweiger

A Post-Apocalyptic Family Survival Story of Strength, Family, Resilience, and the Unbreakable Will to Live “When the world goes dark, how far would you go to protect your family?” Nestled deep in the remote pines, the Callahan family thought they were ready for anything. Years of preparation, isolation, and sacrifice had hardened them for survival. But nothing could prepare them for this, a complete blackout, no power, no communication, and no one coming to help. As their supplies run low and their emotional bonds are tested, trust, resilience, and hard choices become their only currency. Can they hold on to hope when the world outside starts to unravel? Last Light is a gripping, post-apocalyptic story about family, endurance, and the courage it takes to survive when everything else is stripped away. ✔️ Perfect for fans of One Second After, Edge of Collapse, Borrowed World, and Station Eleven ✔️ Clean, emotional, and family-driven survival fiction with a strong female perspective ✔️ First in a thrilling new series, discover where the Pines will take you

Space Ants: Never Say Die by Eric Kay

Survival amidst the rings of a gas giant means that life must adapt or die. Luckily, Space Ants never say die!Space Never Say Die is a collection of serialized short stories following one colony. Each segment zooms in on a single ant from different castes—from tireless handmaidens and brave scouts to valiant soldiers and the indomitable queen mother—as they explore, extract, expand, and sometimes exterminate the deadly threats lurking in the gas giant's ring system. Join the ants as they navigate the perils of deep impacts, dehydration, and the constant threat of rival colonies. Witness their rise from the brink of extinction to becoming a dominant force in their orbit. Space Never Say Die is a sci-fi adventure like nothing you've read before.

Loyalty to the Max by Maya Darjani

Max Dupont stars in his own standalone adventure in the second installment of the Broken Union series, taking place one year after Ancient as the Stars. Captain Maxime Dupont of the Earth Union is a rogue. A maverick. A clear-headed arbitrator of right and wrong– rules be damned. But even Max stumbles when he encounters his latest challenge. The Union is collaborating with former enemy Mars to fix the collapse of interstellar travel–but at the cost of vulnerable citizens. Max has to figure out where his loyalties lie–and if treason is a price he's willing to pay for doing the right thing. Meanwhile... Lieutenant Ren Yilmaz has finally found a crew. A home. A rewarding career, on the ESS Knight. But Ren gets drawn into a web of espionage. Her captain, Max, has shady dealings with anti-Union rebel groups and assigns her shipmates off-the-books tasks. It's Ren's duty as an officer to investigate. But snooping can be disastrous. Not only would she be betraying her newfound family, but Ren has secrets too–and if she digs too far, her own past as a spy could get spectacularly exposed. As tensions mount, the choices Max and Ren make will test their loyalty not only to the Union, but to each other--and the crew they call family.

Arcanoforge: Midnight Metropolis by Caroline Barnard-Smith

A genetically modified thief. A cursed electric ghost. A downloaded daemon. In a neon-drenched dystopia, she’s the glitch in the system. Tattiana the Blood Seer plies her odious trade in Noctara—a festering wart clinging to the blackened hide of a lightless planet. Tattie just wants to break sky and leave Noctara behind, but the fungus-choked metropolis isn’t done with her yet. Tattie’s one-time lover reappears, packing an illegal implant and begging for help she refuses to give. Then her co-worker makes a pact with a tentacled daemon, and their grimy back-alley club is shuttered for good. With few options left and a disgruntled electrical ghost to feed, Tattie accepts a lucrative gig from the cryptic Verna Shade. The payoff? Enough credits to buy her own space bucket and punch a permanent exit hole in the stratosphere. The job should be easy: break into a vault patrolled by the N.E.X.’s emotionless grunt army and steal Noctara’s most closely guarded secrets. But nothing’s easy on this cursed ball of dirt. Failure could get her exiled, husked, or killed. Success would shatter the planet’s fragile hold on peace. Armed with the dire blood magicks of the Arcanoforge, Tattie is done hiding. It’s Noctara's turn to bleed.

The Wish of a Dragon by JD Rivers

Otar comes to on a dingy space station and discovers two things: First, he's missing a good chunk of his memories. Second, Andres, his lover, has disappeared. Before he can retrace his steps, a knock at the door demands a debt be repaid—one Otar can't remember. Captain Veil Dreamcatcher is in search of the dragons with only ruins to guide him. Otar agrees to help in exchange for a reduced debt and information about Andres. On their travels, Otar realizes Veil is as adrift in this world as he is. Both are on a quest for the impossible: finding the ones they have loved and lost. All the while, the shadows are watching with red glowing eyes.

A Seething Heart: Ophelia Requited by T.O. Tate

SHOW ME THE STEEP AND THORNY WAY TO HEAVEN On the unpredictable waters of the Great Lakes, the cargo ship Squall sails from port to port in a world torn apart by a mysterious illness. Orris is an oddity, born wrapped in thorny vines that have lain silent inside their body for decades. Since then, they’ve dedicated their life to caring for those in the last stages of a mysterious illness known as sliversickness, well aware that someday soon, they too will die. After the death of the Squall’s captain under suspicious circumstances, Orris finds themself in the middle of a struggle for power between their lover Hunter and his stepfather Charles. Rumors of ghosts creep through the Squall’s passageways, and Hunter’s behavior becomes more and more erratic. Everyone looks to Orris to help him, worried that he, like so many others, has fallen ill. But as vines begin to stir inside their chest, Hunter kills Orris’s father, leaving vengeance as their only option.

It's You, Isn't It? by Antony Paschos

Who are the heirs to the colony? On the world of Terra-Octa, colonists Avra, her sister, and their friend Penko are the first to catch sight of a massive guardian of the native trees producing Chloron, vital to building the colony. Three years later, the colony is destroyed by an uprising of chlorobots, powered by that same resource. But all is not as it seems. What at first is a childhood memory to Avra turns deadly as her alien caretaker reveals herself to be more than Avra could understand. At the same time, her father, the general, firms his grasp on how the colony is run. Told in the past and the present, Avra’s story unravels in time and meaning until she finally understands her family, her blossoming romance with Penko, her alien caretaker, the origins of life, and the betrayal at the base of the colony. Get ready for It’s You, Isn’t It? by Antony Paschos!

Isaac by Allee Mead

When Eleanor Lane, estranged from her family, makes the drive to her deceased father’s house to arrange his funeral, she discovers Isaac, a care-bot. Isaac had been caring for her father ever since the incident six years ago, when her father, confused, accidentally cut her with a kitchen knife. Eleanor convinces her sister to let her take the care-bot home, beginning a new relationship with him despite herself. As she learns more about Isaac, she also discovers a caring, sensitive person in the android. He fills the void in her life created from her fear of connecting with others, and starts to reconnect Eleanor to how her fathers, John and Javi, met and fell in love. But is Isaac a replacement for human contact? For that matter, what is Isaac? A simple programmed construct, or a person who can grow and learn? Explore love, community, and what it means to be human in Allee Mead’s debut book, Isaac.

Lesbians in Space: Where No Man Has Gone Before by Edited by J.S. Fields, William C. Tracy, Heather Tracy

Peanut butter and chocolate. Cheese and wine. Sex and rock n' roll. History is full of great pairings. Get ready for your new Lesbians and Space! Join a host of intrepid explorers heading to the outer reaches of the galaxy, exploring planets, space stations, strange new worlds and interesting aliens. Launch into stories that span the cosmos, covering Space Opera, Xenobiology, Space Stations, Adventure, and Spaceships! From spaceship mechanics to intergalactic colony queens, heists, smugglers, gods, and sentient planets, Lesbians in Space explores the galaxy from the unique perspective of the lesfic world, blending the best of sapphic literature with modern sci-fi and space opera tropes. With stories Mary Robinette Kowal, Seanan McGuire, Travis Baldree, Emma Newman, MK Hardy, Ashleigh Martin, Nathan Chu, Stewart C Baker, Kayla Whittle, Joel Glover, Caye Marsh, Kira Neu, Jes Honard, Scarlet Passmore, Sylvie Althoff, Jasmine Gower, Siena Buchanan, Beáta Fülöp, Danielle Woolhead, J.S. Fields, and Heather Tracy

Only a Chapter by Heather Tracy

A call to change a lifetime… Clare O’Donnell is in a dead-end relationship with her girlfriend, until she receives a phone call that changes her life—literally. In one timeline, her biopsy results are positive for cancer. In another timeline, her results are benign. In one timeline, the faceless person she has romantic dreams of becomes masculine. In the other timeline, they become feminine. Her world begins to diverge, sending Clare on differing journeys of self-discovery and romance. In both, her dreams seem to show what might happen, and she realizes they all started after she survived the fatal car crash that took her parents. There is one constant: that no matter the challenges she faces, this is only a chapter of her life. Explore how one phone call could change your life forever.

The Celeste Files by Sienna Eggler

Difficult clients, questionable technological advances, and the much despised holiday of love torments our protagonist, Ryn Casler. Detective Winters surprises Ryn with yet another case outside their wheelhouse: a missing dog. The pooch in question is Celeste, beloved Doberman, once ensnared in a custody battle. But the police have better use of their time than searching for the pup, allegedly stolen from a high-rise apartment with no signs of forced entry. A reluctant Ryn accepts, thinking it would be a nice change of pace from their stressful case log—but this dog quickly becomes the bane of their existence. Especially when Celeste’s tracker is found at the bottom of the Cuyahoga River… “Just what the hell have you gotten me into this time, Detective?”

Vividwater by Jacqueline Owens

In a future world, only a few hydrospheres, like AotearoaNZ, have enough drinkable water, nearly all sold overseas. Alex is a mnemopath, a professional memory machine, at the main water trading bureau, WaiOra. Her job isn’t noble, selling water overseas while locals die of thirst. But she needed a job, and the extra water allowance. Her humdrum life, struggling to earn enough water to live, is upended when her great love comes back to AotearoaNZ, after fifteen years in China. Alex’s world is transformed to one of excitement, danger and a relationship she has to hide.

Speculative Shorts: Stories that fell out of my brain by Cait Gordon

From the award-winning author of Season One: Iris and the Crew Tear Through Space... A nonbinary Alice accidentally enters their own clubbing wonderland because of a smiley app and Bong Guy. An autistic writing instructor who hates ABA but loves ABBA becomes an unexpected hero. A "silent" mermaid-siren noted for keeping the sea safe from poachers is guided to a Lander who might not be like the others. A disabled space pilot couriers precious cargo for the Network while trying to evade the eugenics-based brigade who wants to keep people like her "safe at home." A descendant of Frankenstein's monster is having her sweet sixteen party, but her mother's gift stops the teen in her rollators tracks. Explore these stories and more in this collection of fifteen tales of queer life, disability, romance, power, defiance, and resilience. Advanced praise: "Cait Gordon writes with infectious joy and energy, and with a sense of humour that is never far from the surface even in the darkest moments." Kate Heartfield, Prix Aurora Award-winning author of The Embroidered Book "Speculative Shorts is a fun, delicious taste of the range of Cait's spice-rack of writing skills, and she blends together those elements incredibly.” Derek Newman-Stille, Prix Aurora Award winner of the digital humanities hub, Speculating Canada

Hyperspeed by Lily James

Kai Mercer was made to race and born to win. A three-time galactic champion, Kai dominates every track he hits. But after years of standing on the podium, the thrill is fading, and the trophies have lost their shine. All he wants is one thing: a challenge fierce enough to reignite his fire. But they say you should be careful what you wish for . . . Rev Arathiel is a rookie with stars in his eyes and a mission heavier than any trophy. An endangered alien whose skin glows like a supernova, Rev has clawed his way up from illegal street races to the prestigious Astro Space League. Racing isn’t just a game to him—it’s the key to a better future for his people. When Rev starts disrupting Kai’s perfect season, their rivalry ignites more than just speed and skill. With the championship hanging in the balance, neither expects the boundaries between competition and connection to blur . . . or their hearts to race for more than just the finish line. Hyperspeed is an MM sci-fi racing romance with rivals to lovers, opposites attract, and an ego bigger than Jupiter. Perfect for fans of Formula 1, this is the first instalment in a series of interconnected standalones. Expect high-speed races, adorable first times, and some creative uses of prehensile tails.

Eight Arms to Hold Me by Joshua Mertz

Eight Arms To Hold Me is an alien invasion tale with epic battles, a dash of romance, intrigue, laughs, and a fascinating and endearing octopus hero. It blends actual science in the science fiction with the old school thrill of ray gun wielding space crabs. A rollicking adventure.

Bright City, Shattered by Millie Abecassis

Reine just started her job as head of security at Clean Crystal Corporation (C3) when Isaline, a brilliant technician and the CEO’s niece, is found dead in the crystal’s Core Room. Chief Executive Max Caldwell and Detective Inspector Novau are convinced Isaline was murdered by another employee, dismissing theories of a safety accident. They claim the crystal, powering Bright City’s clean energy, is harmless. But Reine, haunted by Isaline’s fear when she warned her away from the crystal, suspects otherwise. Isaline knew something, and Reine is determined to uncover the truth. The problem is: she needs her job at C3 to support her family, and Max Caldwell won’t tolerate Reine’s eagerness to investigate Isaline’s death as a potential accident. A retro-futurist vision of life in an isolated metropolis, Bright City, Shattered is a gripping mystery of lies, loyalty, and the relentless pursuit of truth.

Shadow Sentinel by Rex Flint

Shadow Sentinel: A Genetic Engineering Thriller by Rex Flint Monsters aren't born. They're made. Wrongfully discharged Air Force investigator Archer Lucas thought his career was over ... until he got an offer he couldn't refuse: join the Shadow Sentinels, an elite, secret team tasked with threats too terrifying and too bizarre for ordinary forces. His first mission plunges him deep into the eerie Appalachian woods, into Tall Pines, Georgia, a town haunted by dark legends and sudden, unexplained disappearances. Locals whisper of the legendary Wampus Cat, but the truth is infinitely darker: a powerful biotech firm has unleashed genetically engineered predators, and they're hunting the townspeople for sport. As a catastrophic flood isolates the town, Archer and his team face off against horrifying creatures born from science gone wrong, corrupt government conspiracies, and a chilling corporate cover-up reaching the highest levels of power. The only ally Archer can truly trust is A.L.I.C.E., a mysterious AI with secrets of her own. In a battle between nightmare and reality, truth and lies, Archer must rely on his instincts and confront his darkest fears if he hopes to survive the night. Shadow Sentinel is Michael Crichton's scientific dread fused with Stephen King's bone-chilling suspense, delivering heart-pounding action and relentless terror that keeps you breathless until the final page. If you love: Thrillers like Jurassic Park, The Terminal List, and Relentless Edge-of-your-seat horror like The Troop and The Ruins Deep-state conspiracies, military secrets, and unstoppable monsters …then you'll devour Shadow Sentinel in one unforgettable sitting. Lock your doors. Keep the lights on. The hunt begins now.

Sixteen to One by Rhys Hylton

SIXTEEN PILOTS ONE ARENA NO SECOND CHANCES Weylin Bryna wasn’t supposed to be here. A street kid from nowhere with a beat-up mech and a broken home. He was only called up when a last-minute scandal left a desperate team scrambling. But now he’s inside the most brutal competition in the world: the Basilton Bash, a three-stage elimination tournament where glory is earned one round at a time, and survival means pushing others out before you’re thrown out yourself. Sixteen to One is a high-octane, emotionally charged sci-fi sport drama. A story of underdogs, fierce rivalries, found family, and the fight to hold onto your humanity in a machine built for war. In the Bash, friendships are forged in silence, enemies wear smiles, and every round brings you closer to the edge. In the Bash, pilots go head-to-head in high-impact, close-quarters mech combat, not to destroy, but to outmanoeuvre, overpower, and force their rivals out of bounds. Sixteen pilots enter each stage, and after every five rounds, the lowest scorers are eliminated. It’s a game of aggression, agility, and strategy, with reputations, careers, and entire futures on the line. Victory isn't about being the strongest, it's about staying in the fight longer than anyone else.

Bite Sized Fiction by Robbie Sheerin

This collection features five sci-fi stories, from cops hunting humanoid robots in Blade Runners 2039, to the shocking truth behind the Titanic in Ships Colliding in the Night. In Defrosting H.G. Wells, the legendary author is thrust 200 years into the future, awakening on a human-colonized planet—and questioning what became of Earth and its inhabitants. The other five tales explore the intricacies of the human mind and heart: aging parents, childhood trauma, and mental health. A daughter is haunted by her controlling mother in Just Ignore Me. In The Incredible Broken Mind, a retired naval officer recalls the Black Plague with incredible detail, but not everything is what it appears. Concerns and Sandcastles captures a child's quiet worry about his parents’ love, while What Dangers Lay Beyond That Barrier of Mahogany Wood delves into the isolated world of a man battling agoraphobia. Award-winning writer Robbie Sheerin weaves humor, pathos, and surprise into every story—each one a twist-filled journey through imagination and emotion.

Tales From Another Dimension by Robbie Sheerin

Tales from another dimension is a strange and fantastical collection of ten short stories. Robbie Sheerin is inspired by classic Sci-fi, invoking nightmarish twists and turns with each story. Travel to another dimension and meet strange characters, sometimes human, and at times not so human. They will make you question the solidity of the earth and mankind. Explore prejudice, fear, imagination, kindness, empathy, and human frailty.

The Orb by Robbie Sheerin

The Orb inspires and ignites the imagination with its explosive twists and intriguing characters. This epic tale transcends the boundaries of the universe, exploring the depths of human nature and the unyielding quest for truth and justice. The Galactic Realm, a vast and omnipotent empire, its governance is supreme but with all empires, they have their detractors. The Ceithern, a group of rebels and outsiders, have long sought to disrupt the Realm's tyranny. Led by a wise-cracking ex-soldier and his ingenious girlfriend, they team up with a brilliant, albeit eccentric scientist and his loyal robot companion. Each member brings their unique skills and quirks to their mission, united by a common goal: to steal the Orb and dismantle the Realm's oppressive rule. Their theft of the Orb causes the Realm to activate two elite agents, known for their relentless pursuit and cunning, to retrieve the stolen relic before the great Realm summit. Their journey takes them across diverse planets, each with its own challenges and dangers. From the icy tundra’s of Zardo to the sprawling deserts of Casis, the cat-and-mouse game intensifies, with both sides displaying remarkable ingenuity and resilience. But not all is as it seems as this story unfolds. History, identities and goals all shift. Everyone has a reason to fight. At its core, The Orb is a story of human development and the indomitable spirit to overcome insurmountable odds. It delves into the essence of what it means to be flawed yet strive for greatness, to face one's demons while fighting for a just cause. The characters' journeys reflect the universal struggle for identity, purpose, and redemption. This story is not just a thrilling adventure across the galaxy but also a profound exploration of the human condition. It challenges readers to reflect on their own journeys, their values, and the battles they face, both within and beyond. Through its rich narrative and dynamic characters, The Orb leaves an enduring impact, a testament to the power of storytelling to transform and inspire.

Iara's Crossing by Diana L. Pomeroy

First published in March 2022 via Barnes and Noble, Lulu Press and Ko-fi, Iara’s Crossing is a riveting tale about a feathered dinosaur discovering herself, her purpose, and the power of love as she crosses an entire continent to stop invasive tyrants from destroying the hub of her kind. Action-adventure, high fantasy, and dinosaur paleontology converge in this one-of-a-kind story that will leave you wanting to know more until the very end.

Blood of Drakgar: Bound by Freedom by Nadine Luis

The Dominion rules. The rebels bleed. The extremists burn. And the Drakgar are awakening. The galaxy is crumbling under the Dominion’s rule. Worshiping a Sentient AI Core as a god, the Dominion crushes all who resist. The rebels fight for freedom, while the extremists will burn the galaxy to end the Dominion’s reign. Rakasa wants no part of their war. As a former slave and pit fighter, her freedom is the only thing she’ll burn the stars to protect. But when her mentor is captured, she’s thrust into a mission with a rogue smuggler whose secrets could ruin them both. What was supposed to be a simple job shatters into chaos. The deeper Rakasa dives into the mission, the more she senses a connection to the force buried within her bloodline—a power both deadly and divine. Now, hunted by the Dominion, shadowed by rebels, and stalked by extremists, Rakasa must choose: keep running from what she is—or embrace it and carve her own fate. If you love sci-fi fantasy romance books with action-packed adventure, slow-burn romance, found family, and strong heroine, Blood of Drakgar is your next obsession. Perfect for readers of space opera, science fiction fantasy, and fantasy fiction for adults, this is a high-stakes blend of sci fi and fantasy, and action-adventure fiction books that hits like Red Rising and Gideon the Ninth—with a dragon-shaped twist.

Body Rocker Jaz (Earth Scout, #2) by Matthew Thompson

The war on Spectra rages on, and the heat is rising – both on Earth and in Cyan-Amber’s life. Still inhabiting Jaz’s body, she’s rocking Camden’s pubs with Scouts, but when a beloved companion goes missing, her grief threatens the band’s future. Chas pushes for a record deal, Kel battles virtual foes, and Todd’s misguided attempts to shed his posh image create more problems than solutions. But Jaz’s biggest challenge arrives in the form of an emissary from Spectra – sent to bring Cyan-Amber home to face the consequences of her desertion. Will Scouts rise to fame or fall apart under the pressure of two worlds colliding? In the end, the band’s greatest battle may not be for the stage but for their very survival.

On Impact (Reliance Sinclair #2) by Heather Texle

They turned me into a weapon. Now I’m the only one who can stop them. When an assassin kills a Ritruvian official using an illegal bionic weapon, the galaxy teeters on the edge of war. My team must locate the remaining weapons and shut down Tazza Industries, the company that developed them. I have history with Tazza. Six months ago, they used me as a test subject, implanting a cutting-edge chip into my brain designed for espionage and covert operations. Instead of killing me, it gave me a deadly advantage—and a purpose. To take them down and avoid an interplanetary war, I’ll need to confront my darkest fears—and trust the lethal skills I never wanted.

Sacrificing Serenity by Holly Ash

What would you sacrifice to keep your kids healthy? With the rollback of environmental regulations, clean drinking water has become a luxury for the rich. A year after the death of her husband, single mother Reggie Stone is barely holding things together. Her nonprofit construction company has run out of funding, her son is being bullied at school, and with the rising cost of bottled water it’s becoming harder by the day to provide her kids with food, water, and a safe place to live. Fueled by desperation, she calls in the one advantage she swore she would never take and moves them to Serenity, the original Sanctuary City, an experimental town surrounded by a smart grid that filters out all pollutants. The only downside is the Sanctuary Cities are run by Reggie’s estranged parents whose love and approval has always been dependent on how well their children preform in the sciences. Reggie assumes the blunt disapproval and passive aggressive comments from her parents are the worst she’ll have to deal with, but she soon realizes things aren’t what they seem in the city. Unexplained gaps in the residents’ memories sets Reggie off on a mission to discover what’s really going on inside the smart grid before her children lose all their memories of their father.

How I Hacked the Moon by R. A. Dines

At the first coding academy on the moon, constant surveillance doesn't stop the smartest misfits from plotting their escape—even though it may cost them their freedom. Life is boring on the moon. Even with stewed grubs for lunch, regular spacewalks, low-oxygen drills, and skydiving sims. Not that 13-year-old Moon Girl minds — for the first time she has a best friend and AI coding to occupy her anxious mind. Even with 6x less gravity on the moon, the past four years living at the prestigious Lunar Coding Complex run by the sinister Big Smile Corp, have been more stable than her life ever was on Earth. The problem with a charismatic best friend, however, is that she’s a magnet for trouble. The friends attempt (and fail) to hack the school’s core database, catching the attention of a group of rebel hackers led by Dovrin, Moon Girl’s long-time crush. When Dovrin invites her to join his crew, Moon Girl is thrilled at the chance to spend more time with him and prove her skills as a hacker. But as she gets in deeper with the rebels and closer with Dovrin, she realizes she’s jeopardizing the only friendship she’s ever had. So when she discovers Big Smile Corp’s dangerous secret that threatens the lives of everyone she loves, she’s not sure where to turn. Even if Moon Girl and Dovrin accomplish their mission, will they safely be able to return to Earth? And if they fail, what price will Big Smile Corp make them pay? Fans of The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera will enjoy How I Hacked the Moon, a thrilling adventure for ages 10 to adult.

The Pull by Craig P. Zammit

Aminta never fit in. Not with her research, not with her style, not with this world. But when a breakthrough discovery is made beneath the pyramids of Egypt, the Machine begins to stir, and she must follow the pull – or risk losing everything she loves... including herself. Part love story, part apocalyptic adventure, part metaphysical thriller, part psychedelic voyage into the unknown – The Pull is a haunting, transcendent and touching journey about memory, sacrifice, and what it means to choose your own fate – even when the world is ending.

Circle for the Earth by Daphne Singingtree

When a mysterious thunderclap transports a 30-mile circle of South Dakota—including a casino resort, small towns, and two Lakota reservations—back to the year 1791, a new nation is born. Rooted in Indigenous values and armed with 21st-century knowledge, the people of the Circle must navigate a world of colonial empires, ecological collapse, and the threat of genocide. As leadership falls to Rose Chasing Hawk, a hospitality manager turned head of state, the survivors face impossible choices: How much technology should they share? Who can they trust? And how do they protect the Earth while rewriting history? A time-travel saga of survival, sovereignty, and reimagined futures.

Kawokee Right to Belong by Reid Minnich and Stacy Bender

Born to human parents, Max has never seen another Kawokee. Hungry for acceptance, he steps out into a world where he is seen as a dangerous animal because of his foxlike appearance and the virus he carries. Encouraged by finding a friend, he ventures into a public place and is almost killed. The incident thrusts him into the social spotlight where he becomes both villain and a hero. Between these violent titanic forces, he must fight for the right to belong.