Apocalyptic Short Stories

In a world devastated by corruption, Father Darcy has lost his faith. After letting down the very people he pledged to protect, he decides to take a pilgrimage across the dangerous English countryside in an attempt to find his mission again. There, he meets men hungry for his blood. A vicious, relentless landscape. And two boys more dangerous than anything he has ever seen before. But can he save these children, or will they change his cause forever?

She's a hacker with a disabled son, living in a martial state. The future looks dark, with no promise of relief from the tyranny, and when her son's life is threatened, the mother must fight back using whatever means necessary.

In his sharply crafted, unnerving first collection of speculative fiction shorts, Courttia Newland envisages an alternate future as lived by the African diaspora.

During the coldest winter on record, an EMP sends American back into the Stone Age. Jack and his family find sanctuary in their cabin in a small, remote town, hidden deep in the forest. Little does Jack know the Blizzard will be the least of his problems.

In his sharply crafted, unnerving first collection of speculative short stories, Courttia Newland envisages an alternate future as lived by the African diaspora. Robots driven by all-too-human urges set out to colonize space; Kill Parties roam the streets of a postapocalyptic world; a matriarchal race of mer creatures depends on interbreeding with mortals to survive; mysterious seeds appear in cities across the world, growing into the likeness of people in their vicinity.

It was well after dark when Matt Matthews got back down to the headquarters camp, and saw the city stranger sitting there before the fire. He knew he was a city man after a single glance at the shiny, low-topped shoes and the reminiscence of a crease in the dusty trousers. Matt tossed the gophers and the two small coyotes off his broad shoulders to old Moe Arhelger, across the campfire, staring in suspicious silence from the stranger to Moe and back again. "Who's he?" he asked finally.

In the System Apocalypse, a single title can make or break a build. And in the entire Galactic System, there are Title Seekers, those who make it their life quest to acquire the most unusual and rare titles possible. Earth, a new Dungeon World offers multiple possibilities. Not least among them, the one from a familiar set of golden arches. For the Kyaz, it’s a chance in a million to get a rare title. If he can manage to evade the machinations of a fellow Title Seeker and trust his human sidekick, Xi Ping.

In a story set in the distant future, Planet Earth is visited by strangers from Planet Xanadu, claiming to have been sent by our own future selves to warn present-day Earth of the dangers that lie ahead. After the initial shock and disbelief, followed by much debate, the world’s leaders agree to put their faith in these Future People, with the hope that they can help to avoid impending disaster and save Planet Earth and its inhabitants.

The British government has been working on a highly dangerous top secret project. When their experiments go wrong, the whole world suffers. Kensington Holloway, the scientist tricked into unleashing this horror, must find a way to undo the terror he has unleashed upon the unsuspecting world before it is too late...before mankind goes extinct.

In the aftermath of a devastating EMP blast, Lloyd and Al face a world plunged into chaos and darkness. Amidst this turmoil, a relentless blizzard adds to their ordeal as they navigate a lawless city, determined to reunite with their families. Battling ruthless gangs and braving the savage wilderness, their journey is a profound testament to resilience and courage. In a land where survival amidst the cold, merciless grip of winter is the ultimate victory, their relentless pursuit to find their loved ones becomes a beacon of hope.

In a post-apocalyptic world caused by a devastating solar flare, two sisters escape a traumatic past and find solace in a hidden refuge. Facing dangers and making tough decisions, they uncover the power of chosen family and the enduring strength of love and hope amid chaos. As news of society's rebuilding trickles in, their unbreakable bond serves as an unwavering beacon, signifying the resilience of humanity and the power of sisterhood.

Six hundred years after the War: A group of elderly hermits live in an ancient, crumbling fortress, high up a mountainside. A local Lord, armed with a powerful relic, wants to take it from them. A young Shepherd is determined to save them.

The Stoker Award-winning editor of the acclaimed, eclectic anthology The New Dead returns with 21st Century Dead and an all-new lineup of authors from every corner of the fiction world, shining a dark light on our fascination with tales of death and resurrection - and with zombies!

In a darkened corner of the world, America lies bleeding. The Big War has reduced the country’s once-great industrial cities and vast countryside to a war-blackened landscape. But out of these ruins emerges brilliant ace fighter pilot Hawk Hunter, a lone warrior battling to keep the spirit of his country alive... From his secret base in the coastal wilderness of the Pacific Northwest, Hunter hears rumors of a vast army equipped with Russian SAMs hidden deep in the Bad Lands.

The world has been brought to its knees by the “zombie virus”. Nations have fallen, cities have been overrun by the infected, and the human race has come perilously close to extinction. But with the first winter come and gone, the infected have been reduced to not much more than a background nuisance, and survivors around the world are taking stock and vowing to rebuild and rise up stronger, better, and unafraid.

Mega City One it's a powder keg waiting to blow on its best day. There isn't a moment when tensions aren't running high and the City isn't ready to crack. But there's something new going on something, something bad it's a block war. It's Block Mania and no one is immune, not even the Judges. But this is all prelude to invasion. The East-Meg One Sov's have infected Mega City One with Block-Mania to throw the city into massive, bloody turf wars. There are troops on the ground, bombs are dropping and the Mega City One is on fire.

What happens when our world - and everything in it - goes wrong? Explore that question in 32 short stories written by a diverse mix of the best authors in Canada, including award-winning veterans of their craft and brand-new talent. Edited by Erin Vance and Ellen Curtis, this collection showcases the talent, imagination, and prestige that Canada has to offer.

Corporal David McAllister was a good old boy from the mountains of Kentucky. He did his time in Afghanistan with the Marine Corps Reserve. But one day a report came on the news about a virus spreading through China, turning the locals into cannibals. The virus hit Singapore. Tokyo. Mexico City. El Paso. Then Louisville. David was called up for active duty again, and the virus was all around him. Collecting the first three Thin Line of Life books, this omnibus, The Thin Line of Life: Volume 1, tells the linear story of the Zombie War in a non-linear manner.

Fighting in the streets, corruption at the highest levels, collapsing infrastructure, brutal police, a daily threat of nuclear war: few of us thought we’d find ourselves here, so far into the 21st century. What’s next? Are we really going to be “great again,” however that’s meant? And if we are, what does that mean for those of us on the receiving end of the less-than-great? In this diverse and vigorous mix of stories by newcomers and luminaries, writers offer their takes on what life might hold for us in the next few years.

The first three episodes of best-selling author Joe Nobody's highly regarded serial, Apocalypse Trails, begins the story of Commander Jack Cisco and his harrowing journey to reunite with his family.