Science Fiction Litrpg

Two brothers face the end of all they know as the Earth is absorbed into something called War World. On Earth, they were up-and-coming duo competitors in ACS (Armored Combat Sports), and it is with those skills they just might survive.

When Erik and Rugrat entered the ten realms they didn’t know what was going on. They only knew that they had contracted the two week curse. When entering the second realm they came to understand their character sheets, and part of the system that is called the ten realms. A place that the strong make the rules and the weak cling to them for protection and hope that they might be left in peace. They passed through the trials of the Beast Mountain Dungeon, taking control of it and becoming the leader of nearly 200 people.

Arktania is a virtual game with a steampunk style. It's a place where magic spells, enchanted artifacts, steam-powered machines, firearms, and mechanical golems are a part of everyday life. Gamer Andrew Falk begins his journey in a small village on the border of Orcish territory. The locals are the keepers of many secrets, but their behavior is too realistic for characters in a game; so realistic, in fact, that Andrew starts to treat them as if they were real people.

I was having the perfect day when I suddenly found myself on the wrong side of an interdimensional portal. Instead of a weekend in wine country, I wound up in a trailer park that seemed stuck in the 1980s and filled with... goblin women? By the way, since when are goblins real? And why are the women so hot?

Melvin Murphy is your average everyday teen... until he finds the System. Melvin has normal problems. High School. Tests. Trying to find a girlfriend (and failing... miserably). But one day he awakens with access to a System that governs all magic. In his attempt to summon a teacher to show him the ropes, he botches the ritual and accidentally summons a magic-wielding girl named Kalliphae. Sure, she's powerful and deadly. A femme fatale who's more intimidating than even the most popular girls at school.

Things are heating up on Earth, and Rico is doing his best to keep a lid on the chaos. But it’s not easy to help deal with the threats at home when you’re randomly summoned away at a moment’s notice. From exploring a haunted mansion, protecting goblin trains, to a crooked card game, Rico does what he can to help his summoners that call upon him. The rewards for each summoning are nice, but a new arena challenge awaits Rico, and if he can come out on top, he just might gain the power he needs to keep our world safe.

Year 2197. Earth is suffering from the consequences of an environmental catastrophe. Cities the size of continents are drowning in a toxic industrial fog. Max Bourne is a typical teenager. Like billions of other people, he is forced to live in the protective shell of the individual life support module. His habitat is the virtual Layer. But one day, circumstances force the young man to leave the in-mode. He has no idea that fate will lead him through unimaginable hardships, bring him face to face with military AIs, and teach him to survive in the distant Outlands.

Yesterday, Altai was a war hero. Today, he is a prisoner who chose exile to Rhapsody instead of death. This planet, the Range, knows no mercy. Here, thousands of prisoners fight each other for a place under the strange, cold sun. Here, the leftover alien biomechanisms and out-of-control Terran war machines roam in the ruins, and human life is measured in virtual experience that can be exchanged for armor and implants. Surviving in the Limbo slaughterhouse, upgrading to the 10th level, and getting into the Green Zone is all any dead man can hope for. Except not everyone succeeds.

Rostislav Grokhotov, an ordinary clerk working for a privately-owned company, just wanted to earn some extra money in the game. He had no specific plans for his new character. Little did he know that his new nickname Rosgard would become the game's next greatest legend. Even the game's Creche zone may contain items of interest if you're observant enough. Rosgard's find didn't just change his own life drastically - it enveloped an entire game world in turmoil to boot! The adventuring player becomes a valued prize for Waldyra's leading clans. Our hero has to conceal his real name.

You'd think being isekai'd to a new existence would be fun, especially when you find out you're the lord of a new kingdom. Except this kingdom is at war, and the stakes are the fate of humanity. Now, Matt’s going to have to figure out how to rule a Magic Kingdom at War, with magical elemental creatures, buildings that form out of the very fabric of reality and Heroes at his command against a never-ending horde of monsters. Not the reincarnation that he expected, but it's still better than working in an office cubicle.

When a Demonic Assault occurs, most people stuck inside of a Fracture end up hiding inside of a bunker in the hopes that they don’t get killed by a demon. Others might even hope for the slightest possible chance at signing a contract with a spirit and becoming a Guardian. So when Scarlet was caught in a Fracture, the last thing she expected was to become a demon herself. Exactly two centuries ago, humanity was struck with their very first Demonic Assault.

Reclaimed by Shadows. Driven by Fate. In the wake of a devastating battle, Admiral Frost and his crew’s journey is far from over. Rescued by one of Eboni’s children, Everest, and her advanced conscious intelligence (CI) Atayu, Troy faces new perils and complex alliances. The mysterious Atayu is not only connected to his past but also to his future. As Troy uncovers more about Eboni’s enigmatic origins and her seven children, he realizes the stakes are higher than he ever imagined. Every decision he makes could either unify a powerful force or doom his crew to oblivion.

When Edward is swept into the world of Ivalis as a Dungeon Lord, the Dark's most powerful servant, he has no servitude in mind. He'll oppose the evil plans of the Dark god, Murmur, whatever it takes. Through only his wits and his guts to help him survive a weakened arrival, Edward must rise to power if he is to earn the right to live another day. But in the battle between Dark and Light, what can Edward choose if both sides are cruel, uncaring monsters?

Betrayed by the Gods, bearing unwanted Blessings which stain his soul with their foul divine taint, Orodan faces pursuit as the hostile divinities of Inuan seek to reclaim what they see as theirs. Dire odds, even for a time looper. And if unwanted godly attention wasn't enough, the ever-present threat of the Eldritch Avatar and the world's inevitable corruption draws nearer as always. Facing danger right from the beginning of each loop, Orodan must fight, die and repeat. Too bad he's never been one to quit; and never been one for planning and clever schemes.

With the newly hatched Nishari at his side, it is finally time for Hump to face his fate in Drakalyn, home of the wolf dragons, but to get there he must venture through the Fallen Lands—a realm lost to dungeons and monsters. Only, time is not on his side. The Book of Infinite Pages has awoken, and if Hump fails to master his manifested soul, others will seek to claim it. Even in these distant lands, a new danger approaches, and it seeks the blood of a goddess. The Dragon Keepers are all that stand between Celaine's people and death. The White Flame must blaze again.

Ashlock's ascension to the Nascent Soul Realm attracts all the wrong attention. It turns out a spirit tree calling down the wrath of heavens and forming an Inner World is quite the spectacle, so Vincent Nightrose—an ancient threat that has loomed over Ashlock and his sect for far too long—awakens and deems Stella Crestfallen's bloodline ripe for harvesting.

Life comes at you fast, and no one knows that better than Mark Fields. In a few short months he’s gone from a lowly dishwasher to an empowered soldier, gained new powers and friends, and survived the deadly Exlian aliens in the wilderness. And now, he’s a prisoner. Framed for murder and thrown into the deadly Tomb, forgotten and alone—no master, no team, no friends save the enigmatic cat Mime—Mark can only rely on himself … and the strange voice that whispers inside him.

As a monster, Shrubley is forbidden from joining the adventurers guild. In a world where essence artists rank up in power and most monsters are feral beasts, Shrubley is among the weakest of creatures and is treated as an outcast. With curiosity essence bound to his spirit, Shrubley might be weak, but he's intelligent and determined. Against all the odds, he discovers a loophole from the Druid that gave him life—but there's a deadly catch. For a chance of ever being accepted as a true adventurer, he must challenge an otherworldly realm threatening to consume everything.

Xavier Collins was sitting in class when the System integrated Earth into the Greater Universe, where countless vast kingdoms, empires, and collectives battle for domination. He didn't know what choosing to be a Champion would entail. He just liked the sound of it. But when he's teleported to the aptly-named Tower of Champions, he must face challenges against those who have known about the System since birth.

The best of the year's science fiction and fantasy stories as selected by the multiple award-winning editor Jonathan Strahan. Distant worlds, time travel, epic adventure, unseen wonders, and much more! The best, most original and brightest science fiction and fantasy stories from around the globe from the past 12 months are brought together in one collection by multiple award winning editor Jonathan Strahan.