Dystopian Short Stories

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.

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.

It's not the end of the world...only humanity! All five books in the haunting Humanity Series have been brought together in one digital collection. Follow Scott Beck in his quest to keep himself, those he loves, and humanity alive. Combining dystopian, post-apocalyptic, and cyberpunk fiction, The Humanity Series depicts a future in which humanity is on the brink of annihilation. Join the adventure before it's too late!

Written in the classic science-fiction era of the 1950s and '60s, these stories have out-of-this-world endings reminiscent of The Twilight Zone episodes from the same time. Listeners encounter diverse characters, from a teen surfer and a 1940s boxer to space travelers and strange Arctic villagers. Thought-provoking themes create a unique blend of escapism and intellectual stimulation.

If the melt-down, flood, plague, the third World War, new Ice Age, Rapture, alien invasion, clamp-down, meteor, or something else entirely hit today, what would tomorrow look like? Some of the biggest names in YA and adult literature answer that very question in this short story anthology, each story exploring the lives of teen protagonists raised in catastrophe's wake - whether set in the years soon after the change, or in decades far in the future.

"Land's End" by Lauren Dane: The Land's End highway is one of the most dangerous places in the universe. The constant peril of brigands keeps Verity Coleman stuck in Silver Cliffs, dreaming of the open road - and of Loyal Alsbaugh, the tall and silent highway patrolman. When her town is attacked, Verity has a chance to win over Loyal's muted heart. But will his wounded past make him leave her along the road, or can she convince him to take her along?

This anthology, with an introduction by Robert Silverberg, offers a sweeping survey of robots as depicted throughout literature. Since the Iliad—in which we are shown golden statues built by Hephaestus “with minds and wisdoms”—humans have been fascinated by the idea of artificial life. From the Argonautica to the medieval Jewish legend of the Golem and Ambrose Bierce’s tale of a chess-playing robot, the idea of what robots are—and who creates them—can be drastically different.

Imagine a company so large that it touches the lives of the majority of citizens around the globe. Through technology, seemingly unlimited resources and philanthropy, kongo.com set out to change the world while making profits never seen before in business. Follow the actions of this behemoth company through four stories detailing the life-changing methods used to make the world a better place. What could possibly go wrong? Listen to these stories to find out exactly what can go wrong, even with the best intentions.

The Time Machine, perhaps Wells' best known work, tells the story of the first time traveler. In the distant future, the human race has evolved into two beings: the gentle Eloi and their dreaded cousins, the Morlocks, masters of the underworld. Ralph Cosham's performance is possibly the best narration ever of this science-fiction classic.

In a world with an uncertain future, do you imagine for the best or for the worst case scenario? Twelve writers tackle extreme solarpunk utopias and apocalyptic or political dystopias—and the gray areas in between—in Biketopia, the fourth volume of the Bikes in Space series of feminist science fiction stories about bicycling. Some find love and fierce resistance in the end times; others imagine an ecological future of saving technology, with solarpunk ecotopian visions, at times paired with crushing social control.

Richard just wanted a girlfriend - not the apocalypse. Richard Peak's senior year is looking painfully ordinary - fighting for position on the soccer team, his parents' constant arguing, a glaring lack of a girlfriend. He can't wait to graduate and join a soccer team overseas, preferably as far from home as possible. Then the president is assassinated and his life changes forever. As an alarming chain of nationwide terrorist attacks trigger a civil war, Richard finds himself on a dangerous journey for survival.

This collection of three novellas chronicles the dramatic events from the founding of the first Martian colony in the middle of the 21st century to the first election of the Martian Republic in the 22nd century. Together the three novellas are a sweeping, cautionary tale of a grand social and economic experiment on Mars.

The year is 2836: 800 years since the great war. Liberty has grown up in this postapocalyptic climate. Her home is an airship built by her adopted father. It has been five years since his death, and each day is just another day of trying to survive in a hostile environment. That is until a dying friend of her father asks if she'll take custody of a small, childlike robot.

Join the postapocalyptic adventure as David and the survivors of a solar storm taking out the grid try to find the means to survive another day. Earth and space are about to come into contact in a way that's new to human history.... Are you prepared for the loss of all modern electronic technology? The sun is waking up from a deep slumber. NASA says in next few years we expect to see much higher levels of solar activity and to prepare ourselves for a century-class solar storm event.

In a time when a pandemic is threatening the entire population, Risa and her family apply for coveted acceptance into a new Safe City - a place designed to keep the virus out and to preserve a select few of the population. But getting accepted into the city may not be worth it - especially when she is sedated for secure transport and wakes up, unable to find her family. Meeting a few new friends and an intriguing soldier named Camsen Luck may help, but none of them can convince her that self-preservation is more important than finding her family; or that trying to escape is suicide.

Ruby James has finally made it. As an official Rater, she's reached upper class society and all that comes with it - a huge house in a guarded neighborhood, box seats, and an elite client list. She even has the perfect boyfriend to go with it, one she expects to marry as soon as her career settles. Then she uncovers a terrible secret. One her boss will do anything to protect.

The Free Story Friday Collection Volume 2: "The Mythos Cycle" is a compilation of seven tales told in a universe inspired by the works of HP Lovecraft. From the ice of Greenland, to the suburbs of America, to alternate realities, parallel dimensions, and the sands of the Middle East, this collection ranges the gamut of Horror.

In 2025, neutron bombs wipe out much of the world’s drinkable water. For the next several years, survivors exist in deplorable conditions and their rations are dwindling. One woman arises from the camp, determined to improve conditions. Charlotte is ready to do whatever it takes to ensure clean water for her fellow survivors. Water is almighty. Whoever controls the water rules the world. Can Charlotte prevent the power from falling into the wrong hands?

Estos son cuentos de ciencia ficción o de eso que llamaría Adolfo Bioy Casares “la imaginación razonada”. Un conjunto de narraciones de lo insólito que van desde distopías hasta propuestas para el fin del mundo pasando antes por viajes hacia el universo interior.

In the future, biohacking has taken humanity to the brink of evolutionary advantage as Artificially Integrated Persons perform at maximal potential, but for Jagga, his utopia turns into a nightmare.