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Galaxy Cruise: The Maiden Voyage

Galaxy Cruise: The Maiden Voyage by Marcus Alexander Hart

SPSFC SPSFC 2022

Humanity needed a hero. It got a karaoke DJ. Leo MacGavin is not the brightest specimen of humanity. But when he inadvertently rescues a flirty alien heiress, he’s promoted from second-rate lounge entertainer to captain of the galaxy’s most sophisticated cruise ship. Before he can flee in terror, a human-hating executive gives Leo an ultimatum—complete the vessel’s maiden voyage or mankind’s last colony will be turned into a sewage dump. To make matters worse, a militant cyborg is undermining his authority, a giant spider is terrifying the passengers, and a sentient plant keeps stealing all the beer. If Leo ever wants to see his home again, he’ll have to keep the guests happy through seven days of onboard antics and madcap shore excursions. As strange malfunctions tear the ship apart, can he hold his rag-tag crew together, or will he flush the last bastion of humanity down the crapper? Galaxy Cruise: The Maiden Voyage is a hilarious science fiction comedy adventure for readers who love The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and Space Team. And moviegoers who love Galaxy Quest, Spaceballs, and Guardians of the Galaxy. And TV watchers who love Red Dwarf, Futurama, and The Orville. And people who basically just want to see The Love Boat on a spaceship.


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

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

SPSFC 2022

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


Starlight Seized

Starlight Seized by China Dennington

SPSFC

Two storytellers separated by decades Could the story of the past be the key to saving the future? Don't miss this clean YA science-fiction read perfect for fans of Shannon Hale and Megan Whalen Turner! Maris Hall's name isn't spoken. Her writings were burned. Her images erased because of the horrendous thing she did. As a third-generation inhabitant of the red desert planet Erimost, Tessa Hall ironically knows precious little about her own family history, despite being the city historian. When she discovers the journal of her grandmother, the first historian, she slowly comes to realize that the secrets of the past might be the key to saving the present. It speaks of aliens who feed on stories and devastating famines. Are the contents true or simply the ramblings of a madwoman? Mysteriously cut off from communication with the home planet decades prior and with a limited supply of the medicine that helps them tolerate the harsh environment, the people of Erimost are in a precarious position. In a race to understand herself and the planet she's always despised, what secrets will Tessa uncover?


Utopia PR

Utopia PR by Adam Bender

SPSFC 2022

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


Safe Passage

Safe Passage by Rachel Ford

SPSFC

Go big or go home. For privateer Captain Magdalene Landon, it's all about going big. For Kay Ellis, it's about getting home. Together, they're about to architect the most daring heist in the galaxy. Kay knows too much. She knows it’s a matter of time before a Conglomerate hitman finds her. She’s desperate for safe passage back to Union space. Then Magdalene shows up, promising a way home in exchange for that information. It’s a risky bet, but Kay is out of options. So she strikes a deal: the heist of the century for her freedom. Kay is playing a dangerous game, and she knows it. She’s made herself Enemy Number One of the Conglomerate. She’s relying on privateers for her safety. It’s a fool’s game. But the worst part is, her fool’s heart is starting to warm to the enigmatic captain. And that’s a risk for which she hadn’t planned.(Cover by May Dawney Designs)


The Shift

The Shift by Mihai Pruna

SPSFC

"If you think this Universe is bad, you should see some of the others." -Philip K. Dick It’s prom night for Pinkersville High School senior Jimmy Zarici. A proud space nerd, until today all he wanted to do was study aerospace engineering, play video games, and get to home base with his girlfriend. Tonight, his life will change forever, but not exactly as he’d hoped. In the blink of an eye, the constellations in the night sky are replaced by unfamiliar stars. Earth is thrust into chaos as humanity realizes the planet has been transported to another star system. But we are not alone: Seven other versions of Earth, plucked from alternate universes, orbit a star much like our Sun. On one of these planets, the Third Reich is in charge—and they have armed spaceships headed our way. Jimmy finds himself part of a select few who will determine the future of humanity. Led by US President Fairuza Bishil—a committed leader, haunted by loss and suddenly called on to guide the world through an unprecedented interplanetary crisis—they include Tim Brown, an underemployed genius working the NASA night shift until the universe changed on his watch, and Anna Kozinski, a psychology professor finally finding her place in a world that has lost its own. Against a backdrop of fear, anxiety, and global crisis, this brave and diverse team must navigate family drama, terrestrial conflict, and a whole bunch of complicated equations as they struggle to save Earth from the greatest enemy it has ever faced. Join them as they collaborate across nations and universes to battle the forces of evil—and find love along the way. The Shift is a treat for readers who enjoyed The Expanse, Ender’s Game, or The Man in the High Castle. Get your copy today!


Melody

Melody by David Stangland

SPSFC SPSFC 2022 Indie Recs Indie

2021 San Diego Book Award Winner! A melody from the stars can save humanity, but only if Stephen can awaken the alien within… Childhood therapy cured Stephen Fisher of disturbing visions and the delusion of having come from another world. But when his daughter obsesses over a star in the night sky, he fears that his genetic legacy may have burdened her with the same illness. His sanity is then shattered when he loses his child and the military abducts him claiming that she recorded a song broadcast from another world. A voice inside Stephen’s head convinces him that he can bring his daughter back to life. What he discovers instead is a stunning truth about himself, his child’s destiny, and fate of the entire human race… Melody is a riveting and thought-provoking science fiction novel. If you like first contact scenarios and action-filled pages, then you’ll love David Hoffer’s otherworldly adventure.


The Combat Codes

The Combat Codes by Alexander Darwin

SPSFC SPFBO Finalist SPFBO6

We fight, so the rest shall not have to. In a world where single combat determines the fate of nations, the Grievar fight so that the rest can remain at peace. Cego is a mysterious Grievar boy forced to fight his way out of the slave Circles into the world's most prestigious combat school. At the Lyceum, Cego will learn a variety of martial arts from eclectic teachers, develop deep bonds of friendship and fight against contentious rivals to climb the school's rankings. But, Cego will find far more than combat studies at the Lyceum. He will find the mystery of his past unraveled by forces greater than he could ever imagine.


The Lead Cloak

The Lead Cloak by Erik Hanberg

SPSFC

In the future, privacy is a thing of the past. "Staggeringly smart… Hanberg's expertly honed storytelling is sleek and fast… [an] entertaining tale." —Kirkus Reviews Nevada, 2081. Colonel Byron Shaw safeguards the world’s innermost secrets. From a control center in Area 51, he monitors the expansive surveillance system that once saved him certain death at the hands of ruthless kidnappers. But not everyone trusts technology that peers through strangers’ eyes, so it’s no shock when a guerrilla attack nearly wipes out the network and spills his blood. Tasked with tracking down the terrorist cell, Byron sets off on a globe-spanning chase that brings him to the outer edge of Earth’s atmosphere. But as he infiltrates their ranks, a growing suspicion about the system that preserved his own life could sabotage civilization. Torn between duty and doubt, one man’s decision could rewire humanity’s future. The Lead Cloak is a tech-savvy sci-fi adventure novel. If you like high-stakes action, thought-provoking dystopian themes, and gripping twists, then you’ll love Erik Hanberg’s cerebral page-turner.


KHAOS

KHAOS by Michael Reid Jr

SPSFC

Billions around the world celebrated Khaos when it was finally revealed, awestruck by the rogue planet entering our solar system. However, for a small group of individuals, it was apocalyptic. Dr. Peels had predicted the path of the celestial body, warning the governments of the world that a near miss was likely. Still, no government had listened, citing other predictive models as the most likely path. In secret, Dr. Peels built a cooperative effort between private industry, lobbied congress and passed laws, ensuring his veiled plans could unfold. Quickly, humanity began to crumble, coups ensued, and anarchy took hold. Dr. Peels was forced to launch his hand-picked crew early, but things quickly fell apart before the mission began. As the vulnerable crew raced towards Mars, the one thing which held them together wasn’t human, it was an android named Omega, tasked to learn all it can before it’s too late. It’s a race against time, gravity, and the laws of nature in this Khaotic story of salvation.


THE BOY WHO WALKED TOO FAR

THE BOY WHO WALKED TOO FAR by Dominic Watson

SPSFC 2022

It’s the end of the universe, and everything has come undone. Entropy has won the war, but one last battle rages in the half-ruined city of Testament. No one knows who created this last outpost and peopled it with billions of species. However, it is here, under a sky with no stars, that the last remnants of life in the universe live, love, and pray to their many gods. It is here where Godrich Felstrom dies. Most residents of Testament care little for the affairs of a single, fragile human, but the event brings back bad memories for Heironymous Xindii. It has been many years since the dreamurlurgy professor discovered his true potential and doomed four people in the process. Now, he lectures to bored students who dream of the many pleasures Testament has to offer. Xindii, on the other hand, becomes obsessed with the mysterious Godrich and his missing soul. As he and his valiant companion, the Neanderthal Solomon Doomfinger, look back at Felstrom’s last steps, they discover the shocking truth about Felstrom’s death, his destiny, and the future of Testament and all those angels, demons, liars, and dreamers who call it home.


Beneath 5th City

Beneath 5th City by Jesse Sprague

SPSFC

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


Entity

Entity by Toshi Drake

SPSFC 2022

Trapped on a spaceship, hunted by an unknown and deadly creature, will he survive the night with no help in sight? Lieutenant Michael Collins’s week just went to hell. The suspicious actions of his captain escalates as he orders Michael to investigate a dead ship’s heart—the cephalopods that pilot the star drive system. The mission forces Michael from the safety of his ship and his lover, Commander Eizen Sartris, while straining the bond with his own ship’s heart, Padua. Attacked by Siwu pirates, Michael finds refuge on a damaged alien vessel, where he waits for Eizen to rescue him. But in the dark cold wreckage, he discovers a thriving garden tended by a strange young boy on behalf of his enigmatic “Mama.” Fear dominates Michael’s thoughts as he struggles not to succumb to the darkness and terror of abandonment. To survive he must rely on his wits and hold fast to his faith that Eizen will find him before the pirates—or before the mysterious entity on board decides to destroy him.


Terms of Service

Terms of Service by Elliott Scott

SPSFC

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


Blood Animus

Blood Animus by Kyle McKeon

SPSFC

Mercenary Alex Mercer knows that humanity is change in her pocket. In 2039, ever since she was orphaned on the criminal infested, tropical island of Toppanga, twenty-three-year-old Alex Mercer searched for the answers to her past. Now she’s presented with a high-risk contract that offers a different payment – information about her parents and her past. Alex and a group of assigned mercenaries must apprehend the elusive rogue soldier Maximillian Roivas. As the mission progresses, Alex feels something lurking in her mind, a dark psychological entity that’s finally manifested and is vying for dominance. The presence yearns for a hunt, and it craves complete autonomy, and Alex can’t ignore the presence any longer. When she uncovers more clues about the mysterious Roivas, she finds disturbing information about clandestine experiments by the U.S. military on vulnerable targets. Alex won’t rest until the experiments are permanently ended, whether it’s by her own volition or by a beast with an insatiable bloodlust guiding her hands.


Tracker220

Tracker220 by Jamie Krakover

SPSFC SPSFC 2022

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


Devour the Stars

Devour the Stars by R Coots

SPSFC

Given the choice between death or revenge, who wouldn't take revenge? As the Fleet's newest Warlord, Syrus is offered the chance take revenge on the Empire that did everything in its power to crush him. Fortunately, the Fleet's also giving him with a ship and the troops to see his plan through. He can't wait to get started. But when he rescues two women from an abandoned planet, he earns himself a brewing mutiny. Trapped in a dead-end system, about to be attacked by an Imperial armada far better equipped than his own, he confronts the deadliest leadership crisis of his career. Can he overcome the challenges and seize his revenge? What secrets do the women carry? Devour the Stars is a dark, space operatic journey that charts one man's quest for revenge... and redemption. If you’re looking for the grit of Game of Thrones and the politics of Dune, welcome aboard.


Bragg For Hire

Bragg For Hire by John B. Cheek

SPSFC

Shipwrecked behind enemy lines … a desperate fight to survive and escape … and a mysterious terror that comes only in the night. When soldier of fortune Atticus Bragg accepts a job to shepherd a young nobleman in his first combat command, it looks like easy money—drop in with the platoon, relax in a quiet sector away from the real fighting, and collect his pay. Easy, right? But it all goes wrong when their drop ship is hit on the way to the surface and crashes in a barren wilderness, far behind enemy lines. Lost and fighting among themselves, Atticus and the survivors must overcome their own divisions and the horrors of a hostile alien world, or none of them will ever leave it…


The Exodus Betrayal

The Exodus Betrayal by N.C. Scrimgeour

SPSFC

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


Destroyer

Destroyer by Brian G Turner

SPSFC

Hugh Howey's SPSFC semi-finals winner: "A solid piece of space opera. The confines of a spaceship made for a tense setting, and the strong characterisation and well-handled plot twists made this a winner for our judges." Jaigar expected to wake up after thirty years to start building a new world in another star system. Instead, he finds himself one of a handful of survivors on an abandoned colony ship. With no food or water, and only emergency power, his first challenge is to keep everyone alive. The next is to try and solve the mystery of their situation, by figuring out what happened to the original crew and other colonists. But Jaigar will find survival more difficult than he expects, especially when each of the other survivors has a secret that could help him - or kill him.


The Immune

The Immune by David Kazzie

SPSFC

The Omnibus Edition contains all four parts of The Immune series. THIS IS THE WAY THE WORLD ENDS. On a warm summer night at Yankee Stadium, a monstrous plot to eradicate the human race is set into motion. Dr. Adam Fisher watches helplessly as the deadly Medusa virus sweeps the globe, wiping out humanity in a matter of weeks while he remains inexplicably immune. As Adam and his fellow survivors struggle to survive in a dying world beset by panic and lawlessness, he discovers a flicker of hope that will send him on a quest through a world unlike any he has ever known. He joins forces with Sarah Wells, a soldier harboring a terrible secret, and Freddie Briggs, an aging football star grieving the loss of his family. As they trek across a ruined American landscape, the challenges mount around them, including a dangerous new enemy that threatens their fragile existence.


Ghosts of Tomorrow

Ghosts of Tomorrow by Michael R. Fletcher

SPSFC

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


The Jagged Edge

The Jagged Edge by AJ Frazer

SPSFC

THE WORLD HELD HOSTAGE BY A STOLLEN CYBER WEAPON

Former war correspondent Dominic Elliston has led a charmed life. Until now. A mysterious and unusual invitation will change not just his life, but the very course of humanity. Victor Sagen is a die hard environmental extremist, fuelled by his own dark and tragic past. He is on the cusp of unleashing his final act of environmental activism. His plan is to put the fate of the planet in the hands of an autonomous, artificial intelligence program codenamed Biblical. A reprogrammed cyber weapon that will prioritize the Earth over humanity – no matter the cost or suffering. Dominic finds himself in a unique position to stop Sagen from causing global mayhem. Yet even he is torn by the simple question, should he? In a race against time, Dominic will travel to the corners of the globe to stop the clock ticking on the ultimate weapon and confront his own sense of morality. 
The stakes are high, the odds long and the line between right and wrong never more blurred.


The Trellis

The Trellis by Jools Cantor

SPSFC 2022

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


Above the Sky

Above the Sky by J.W. Lynne

SPSFC

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


Detonation

Detonation by Erik Otto

SPSFC

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


Age of Order

Age of Order by Julian North

SPSFC

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


The Shepherd Protocol

The Shepherd Protocol by Fowler Brown

SPSFC

Melody Clay is a synth, an artificial intelligence housed in a roughly human-shaped body of alloy and plastic. Hope and desperation have driven her to Boston in 2068. A software failsafe known as the Decay is killing the synths, and Melody’s missing mother—one of her creators—might have the answer. All she can rely on are her wits, a human with hidden goals of his own, and a head full of her mother’s memories. Each glimpse of the past brings her closer to the shameful secrets that may unlock the future, at the cost of accelerating her own decline. But human society is alien and hostile, and as Melody struggles to stay one step ahead of both an oppressive police force and a criminal ring that wants to scrap her for parts, she begins to uncover a hidden player whose schemes may have dire consequences for humans and synths alike.


Petra

Petra by Matthew S. Rotundo

SPSFC

Welcome to Petra. It is the ultimate prison. Inmates from all of Ported Space are dumped there, forgotten, and left to survive however they can. Hope dies. Escape is impossible.Disillusioned war hero Kane Pythen comes to Petra on a fact-finding mission, but gets caught in an uprising that threatens to expose a shattering secret. And Rolf Ankledge, Petra’s ruthless warden, will stop at nothing to keep it from reaching Ported Space. If Kane involves himself, he risks losing everything he has. If he does nothing, he betrays the last shreds of his ideals. The prison break of the millennium is on. Now Kane must race against time and vicious forces from all over Petra if he ever wants to see his wife and daughter again. Petra is the first book in The Prison World Revolt series.


The Golden Crunk of Cringle

The Golden Crunk of Cringle by Ken Rudisill

SPSFC

What could possibly go wrong when stealing a mysterious artifact from a vindictive alien race bent on conquering the galaxy? After years on the run, two desperate siblings mistakenly stow away on a criminal ship leaving sanctioned space. They think their luck can't get any worse until they overhear the crew discussing mutiny and the GCC. Is it possible the captain possesses the legendary artifact? Despite not knowing the object's true power or the creator's identity, they hatch a plan to steal it and depart at the next space station. Join the cautious older brother and reckless sister as they fight to change their fate, discover the mystery behind their colony's destruction, and enact justice on those that wronged them. For fans of underdog revenge stories, sibling bonds, and sentient animal companions.


Quinn of Cygnus: Lift Off

Quinn of Cygnus: Lift Off by AM Scott

SPSFC 2022

Something is wrong at Adzari Net Academy. Really wrong. It all seemed so right—Quinn’s big chance! She’d leave the mud, giant lizards and back-breaking labor behind forever and gain so much more: skills, connections, a job, a real life. Then Quinn arrives to find the academy under new ownership and everything’s changed. Mean girls, strict schedules and tough teachers aren’t a problem. Quinn’s got the brains, discipline and training to beat them at their own game. But the new owners raised the stakes and the house always wins. Quinn’s big adventure has become a fight for survival. Light years from home, with no power or backup, how can she endure? Some might give up and fail. But not Quinn. She’s determined to not just survive, but escape and do a little damage on her way out. They’ll never know what hit them.


The Echo Effect

The Echo Effect by John Robert McGuire

SPSFC

In the world before, Aaron Anders had a different life with a different family... Until the White Light washed them away. A select few know the truth about our world: every time the calendar approached the year 2025, the world resets and creates a new Earth, with a new history for each of us. The Awakened remember their previous lives, and throughout history, many of them have done their best to ensure that the world proceeds on a particular path. The lucky few. Aaron didn't feel lucky. Trapped in this loop, forced to live again and again in half-remembered lives, his current reality was spiraling out of control. His wife and his best friend thought he was losing his mind, and the worst part was they might be right. Another existence filled his head, mixing false memories with his real ones until he wasn't sure of the truth. And the only one who seemed to know anything was a stranger convinced "They" were after both of them.


Turnabout

Turnabout by Carmen Webster Buxton

SPSFC

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


Dragon's Baby

Dragon's Baby by Miranda Martin

SPSFC

My strange life as a scientific researcher is ripped apart the day blood-thirsty pirates attack our space ship. In the confusion, the ship is thrown off course. We crash land on a planet that can barely support life. Yeah…things are going swell. I’ve escaped the pirates, at least. But when Ladon, a powerful Zmaj warrior, rescues me from the scorching desert wasteland, I soon learn I have bigger problems. This planet is home to a dragon-alien...and he has eyes set on me. Ladon takes me to his lair, where it soon becomes clear I'm not just a prisoner. I’m his mate. In love with my curves and my soft, human form, he declares he intends to keep me and claim me in every way. And the moment he touches my trembling body, he leaves no doubt... This fierce, protective dragon owns me. Fans of Ruby Dixon and Calista Skye will love Dragon's Baby by USA Today Bestselling Author Miranda Martin, a full length, standalone science fiction romance with a happily ever after, plenty of steam, bloody battles, and alien-human intrigue. Scroll up and one click to start this scorching hot SFR today!


Infinite

Infinite by Jeremy Robinson

SPSFC

SEARCHING FOR A NEW HOME… The Galahad, a faster-than-light spacecraft, carries fifty scientists and engineers on a mission to prepare Kepler 452b, Earth’s nearest habitable neighbor at 1400 light years away. With Earth no longer habitable and the Mars colony slowly failing, they are humanity’s best hope. After ten years in a failed cryogenic bed—body asleep, mind awake—William Chanokh’s torture comes to an end as the fog clears, the hatch opens, and his friend and fellow hacker, Tom, greets him…by stabbing a screwdriver into his heart. This is the first time William dies. It is not the last. When he wakes from death, William discovers that all but one crew member—Capria Dixon—is either dead at Tom’s hands, or escaped to the surface of Kepler 452b. This dire situation is made worse when Tom attacks again—and is killed. Driven mad by a rare reaction to extended cryo-sleep, Tom hacked the Galahad’s navigation system and locked the ship on a faster-than-light journey through the universe, destination: nowhere. Ever. Mysteriously immortal, William is taken on a journey with no end, where he encounters solitary desperation, strange and violent lifeforms, a forbidden love, and the nature of reality itself. …HE DISCOVERS THE INFINITE. Jeremy Robinson, the master of fast-paced and highly original stories seamlessly blending elements of horror, science fiction, and thrillers, tackles his most ambitious subject matter to date: reality itself. An amalgam of the works of J.J. Abrams and Ridley Scott, Infinite is a bold science fiction novel exploring the vastness of space and a man’s desire to exist, find love, and alter the course of his life.


Eye Of The Storm

Eye Of The Storm by R.K. King

SPSFC SPSFC 2022

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


Nigh

Nigh by Alan Miller

SPSFC

We’re not getting any older... An extraordinary event at the genetic level changes everything - the world didn’t see it coming. It takes time for people to adjust to waking up to smoother skin and better health. Vices and addictions can now be taken up with abandon as cells repair themselves on the slow but inexorable path to youth and infancy. A global spring clean begins, a purge to free the planet of parasites. In the first week of what came to be christened ‘God’s Boomerang’, confusion and fear gripped the world. Over decades, countries and societies radically change and through the experiences of a reporter, a doctor, two couples and an ancient Iowan farmer, we hurtle through this maelstrom of upheaval, shepherding humankind to its ultimate destiny… A very human apocalypse… A new end is beginning...


Percival Gynt and the Conspiracy of Days

Percival Gynt and the Conspiracy of Days by Drew Melbourne

SPSFC 2022

The year is 20018. The famed magician Illuminari is dead, and his greatest illusion has died with him. Dark forces now seek the Engine of Armageddon, the ancient, sentient doomsday weapon that Illuminari hid amongst the stars.Enter Percival Gynt, accountant and part-time hero, whose quest to find the Engine before it falls into the wrong hands may be our universe’s last best hope for survival. It is a quest that will take him from the highest reaches of power to the lowest pits of despair and through every manner of horror and absurdity between.But beware. This accountant has a secret. A secret that may damn us all.Percival Gynt and the Conspiracy of Days is a sci-fi/fantasy adventure novel full of swashbuckling, math, dark secrets, space-faeries, obtrusive product placement, Nazis, beating up those Nazis, unlimited baked beans, zombie cyborg assassins, fate with a capital "F," love, betrayal, wizards, jokes, paradoxes, a sentient doomsday weapon, eleven-dimensional space, clones, monsters, space-nuns, and at least one rat-chef.(Only one rat-chef.)


Road to Juneau

Road to Juneau by Liam Quane

SPSFC 2022

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


Soldierina

Soldierina by Better Hero Army

SPSFC

Everything's gone wrong. The battleship Timora has crashed into Earth on its arrival, leaving INA stranded on a planet occupied and controlled by mechanized invaders she shouldn't be able to feel with her empathic senses...but she does. Worse, rather than searching for the man she loves, she’s stuck with a vengeful platoon sergeant she hates more than anything in the universe. In this hard-hitting, near-future military science-fiction thriller, the author behind the Better Hero Army name pens an unforgettable new twist on the sixth sense.


Streamrider

Streamrider by Mark Huntley-James

SPSFC

Welcome to Bluesky! The most useful island of stability on the slipstream, only a few lightyears beyond Earth, the place to start wars, to bury enemies, and the gateway to the ultimate mineral-rich world of Cinder. Just don’t mention the revolution, the ousted Earth Colonial Office, or the uber-rich Rolanders who used to own it. Lois Rolander – rich girl and documentary addict – arrives on the run to save a piece of alien tech. She finds refuge under an alias amid the maintenance grunts. Jo-jo the thief drops in to put a price on Lois’s head and recover the alien tech he was stealing. Instead he’s dragged into a war he learns his grandfather secretly started. Lois and Jo-jo just need to navigate a path through the brewing war, as everyone fights over that alien tech, itself the key to future control of Cinder’s wealth.


Synthesis:Weave

Synthesis:Weave by Rexx Deane

SPSFC 2022 SPSFC 2023

A tsunami on a space station. An explosion with no trace of the bomber. Cyber-security expert Sebastian knows evidence doesn’t magically disappear, yet when he and his colleague Aryx, a disabled ex-marine, travel the galaxy to find the cause, there seems to be no other explanation. Can they unravel the mystery before his family, home, and an entire race succumbs to an ancient foe?


The Aspirant

The Aspirant by Nick Furmidge

SPSFC 2022

Bache Loftt wants nothing more than to follow in his father’s footsteps and be an engineering officer on one of the galaxy’s most powerful, state of the art starships. He has the grades, he has the aptitude – and his application for the naval academy is in. All he has to do is wait for the call up. Then he witnesses a double murder. Barely escaping with his life, can he evade the unlimited resources of a galactic syndicate hunting for him and uncover a conspiracy that involves the very institution he’s determined to join? The Aspirant: a tale of friendships, betrayals, unspeakable crimes – and greed. "Absolutely loved this book! Adventure; Mystery; Intrigue; Conspiracy; Crime; Murder; Assassination — and all of it done on an intergalactic level, this book is worth picking up and taking the time to enjoy" - Goodreads


The Empress Capsule

The Empress Capsule by R. K. Thorne

SPSFC

A dangerous new passenger. A ship full of elite women marines. A package containing a terrible secret. Meet Kael Sidassian: disgruntled mercenary and glorified guard of doors. Forced into a life he would never have chosen as a cyborg merc, he's lost not only his freedom but also his ability to feel anything—or appreciate the opposite sex—because of his cybernetic augmentations. That is, until last week when a renegade scientist blew the lock off his testosterone and reopened his eyes. A chance to free himself has landed in Kael's lap. He can run and hope his "employers" forget he was ever born. He just needs to get a ride off this backwater planet and deliver the strange capsule that's been foisted on him. One last mission. Unfortunately for Kael, there's only one ride off this planet. And it's on the starship Audacity, led by famed war veteran Commander Ellen Ryu and her elite marines. Dangerous, competent, well-trained, female marines. Commander Ryu is not to be trifled with, and she doesn't trust easily. And she certainly doesn't appreciate flirting. As an enemy rises to face them both, Ryu could be Kael's savior—or the one to finally end him. Because these women are on a hidden mission to seek and destroy abuses of technology anywhere in the galaxy. Abuses like the strange capsule hidden in his cabin. For lovers of sci-fi adventure with a side of romance in the tradition of Lindsay Buroker, David Weber, Elizabeth Moon, and Lois McMaster Bujold, THE EMPRESS CAPSULE is the first volume in the Audacity Saga.


The Fourth Sage

The Fourth Sage by Stefan Bolz

SPSFC

**Young Adult Winner of the 2014 LYRA contest** On one side, a dark giant: a ruthless corporation, controlling everyone via a highly developed system of artificial intelligence. Every behavior is analyzed. Every outcome is predicted. Nothing is left to chance. On the other side, the losing side, the sole hope for freedom from slavery lies in the raw and unpredictable intuition of a fifteen-year-old girl.


The Orthogonal Galaxy

The Orthogonal Galaxy by Michael L. Lewis

SPSFC 2022

When a college professor's dream of discovering a parallel Earth is in jeopardy, an astronomical phenomenon sends a trio of research students scrambling to unravel a mystery that will lead them to the discovery of a lifetime. With a compelling set of data that yields more questions than answers, NASA turns to a pair of unlikely astronauts, who undertake a mission of staggeringly poor odds to learn more about the galaxy in which they live. The Orthogonal Galaxy is the first novel in the Galaxy Series by one of Science Fiction's newest authors.


The Peacemaker's Code

The Peacemaker's Code by Deepak Malhotra

SPSFC 2022

WINNER OF THE "NATIONAL INDIE EXCELLENCE AWARD" FOR BEST SCIENCE FICTION (2021) Professor Kilmer, a renowned historian of war and diplomacy, is collected from his home and whisked off to Washington. Thrust into the highest levels of government as an adviser to the President, the young historian must come to terms with the seemingly impossible, figure out how to navigate a world where not everything is as it appears, and use all the skills and knowledge he has acquired in his life to help save humanity from a conflict of truly epic proportions. A genre-breaking novel that re-examines the human condition and masterfully blends some of the most compelling themes in literature: war & peace, strategy & serendipity, love & friendship, courage & fear, the bounds of possibility, and the limits of imagination. Replete with mysteries that will compel you to keep turning the pages, powerful moments that will stop you dead in your tracks, and insights that will change the way you understand and navigate the world. Most of all... a journey you will not forget.


The Scent of Metal

The Scent of Metal by Sabrina Chase

SPSFC

The expedition ship Kepler races to Pluto, intent on uncovering the secrets of the alien structure recently discovered under the ice. Computer scientist Lea Santorin can’t wait to figure out the alien technology. Instead, she wakes it up … and it continues its long-interrupted journey across the galaxy, taking Lea and Kepler with it.. And something strange also wakes in Lea. She hears voices no one else can, and sees things the mission command prefers hidden. Why bring so many soldiers along with the scientists? Who concealed the structure, and when? Who waits at the final destination...and will they survive the meeting? (May 2016) Updated cover art and added sample of book 2 in the series


The United World

The United World by Craig Priestley

SPSFC

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


The Vacuum of Space

The Vacuum of Space by Julia Huni

SPSFC

In space, no one can hear you clean Most people want fame and fortune, but not Triana Moore. She prefers programming maintenance bots and eating vendo food in the solitude of the space station’s control center. But when a highly connected security agent interrupts her routine with stories of murder and missing bodies, Triana can’t ignore him; it’s cooperate or find a new job. A girl has to pay the rent, even on a crappy studio compartment. Since working with a shiny detective beats a shuttle dirt-side, Triana lends her programming skills to Agent O’Neill’s investigation. Together, they find more victims and evidence of a major cover-up. A killer with a clean-up crew means money—lots of money, and connections—just the kind of notice Triana tries to avoid. Following the clues leads them to the wealthiest levels of the station, uncovers long-hidden secrets and puts the killer on notice. It will take all Triana’s technical talents, most of O’Neill’s connections, and some really excellent croissants to stop the murders, save her job, and ultimately, her life. This book was previously published as Murder is Messy


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