Apocalyptic Short Stories

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.

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 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.

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.

How will the world end? With aliens or angels? Or a groundhog? Bleak despair? Martial fervor? Or a belly laugh? Whatever the apocalypse, it will be borne by people and their families and their dogs and most of all, it will challenge their notions of themselves. This anthology includes international award-winning writers, poets, and thinkers that give you their version of the apocalypse.

For Jack Avery, living among the ruins of the outer zone and scavenging to survive is not the worst of nightmares. Something haunts him far more than any hunter patrol. In one short moment, two years before, something happened that changed him. This story is about his journey through the apocalypse, but also through his own regrets and doubts.

When hell claws its way up from the dark depths of the Earth, and the dead begin to walk again, for several people the zombie apocalypse doesn't just mean the end of the world as they know it, it is also the beginning of a brave new life for them. For some it offers freedom, for others a deeper torment and unforgiving life than they ever thought possible. The coward, the street rat, the hero, and the lovers, everyone has their place. What really decides their fate in this new existence, nature, or nurture?

The 32nd edition of Writers of the Future may be the best new book yet! Brand-new adventure through space, time, and possibility. Along the way these new authors will introduce you to fascinating characters such as Nate, a very loyal companion - like most werewolves would be. Keanie has a parasite that lets her morph and so transform into anyone. Liz owns a dinosaur maker, but raw ingredients can be a problem. Anna slaves away in a factory but her magic leaves her unfulfilled. These authors take creative writing to a whole new level!

Follow Aapeli, Tinker, Liberty, Harmony, Rat, a tiny robot named Boy, and a droid who always believes they're on the verge of dying in this post-apocalyptic collection by Regina Puckett. The Liberty and Forbidden Collection includes six stories surrounding the events of The Great War that changed the face of the Earth, killing millions and destroying most of the world's technologies.

Earth is quickly becoming an undead wasteland, that much is for sure. What isn't certain is the fate of her three children, as their desperate bid to find safety at their family cabin is cut off by the revelation of world-altering proportions. What seems like a lifetime ago, the secret battle to be the first superpower to perfect the perfect bioweapon has been corrupted into a scourge now headed straight for them. Suddenly Abby's past becomes just as unclear as her future.

This is the first in a series of stand-alone, interconnected short stories for preppers. In this particular installment, a prepper survives a nuclear electromagnetic pulse (EMP), which has devastated the electrical grid. Cars and trucks can still move in most parts of America, but they can't get any gas. The threat of bioterrorism looms as the U.S. and its allies go to war and our technology-dependent society is stopped dead in its tracks. Martial law and global famine have begun. Can the characters survive?

Following the events of Planet of the Dead, survivors of the expanding outbreak take shelter in homes and bunkers and apartment complexes. Across the world, armed police and military struggle to maintain safety. Tensions mount as the worst imaginable comes to pass when nuclear weapons are used on civilian populations overrun with the living dead.