System Fiction

Third Planet by Murray Leinster is a classic mid-20th-century science fiction novel that blends space exploration with a chilling warning about humanity’s future. Written during the height of Cold War tensions, the story follows the crew of the survey ship Lotus as they investigate a once-living planet reduced to lifeless ruin by nuclear devastation. What they uncover is more than an alien mystery—it is a mirror reflecting Earth’s own perilous path.

Colony 76 is silent. Distracted by civil war, its mother planet Kasian has been unable to reconnect. Until now. Catina, an Acolyte stuck within her Tests, spearheads a mission of mercy. Though each crew member has their own motives for being there, they must all band together to make it home.

Dr. Alfred Clarendon, once praised as a brilliant researcher, now spirals into darkness as his forbidden experiments unleash consequences he can no longer control. Isolated inside the California State Penitentiary, haunted by the failures of his fever research and manipulated by his mysterious assistant Surama, Clarendon descends into a psychological labyrinth where ambition eclipses ethics.

Getting dragged into an alien world was not high on Elias Critchley's to-do list. One moment, he's trying to avoid eye contact with people on the school bus. The next, he's suspended mid-air in a bizarre tutorial and dumped—naked—into a dangerous, System-bound world where survival is far from guaranteed. With nothing but his sarcasm, stubborn streak, dry wit and a few skills from his old life, Elias must navigate a world that feels like the games he used to play… only now, dying doesn't come with a respawn.

Humanity has colonized over 500 planets under the not-always-benevolent administration of the Federation of Planetary States via the FED Army and Navy. Longstanding grievances over economic exploitation by Earth-based companies have grown into a full-scale rebellion, and attempted secession has been tried by many of the more successful colonies. The Rebels believe a peaceful separation is possible. The FEDs believe an easy and swift military resolution is available.

Knells plans have begun to come together. His crew grows larger and more powerful with every passing day, and rumors of Captain Sorfina's death have already started to spread but not all attention is beneficial. A group who have lurked in the shadows for centuries are moving once more, and their leaders motives are just as shrouded as their past. More pieces enter the board of looming war, and Knells crew finds itself at the center of everything, whether they want to be or not.

Everything is going according to plan. Ivan Susanin has successfully installed a beacon in the undead territory and returned home. The situation changes when the next mission to the city of goblins is delayed, while his home planet becomes the battleground. Monsters invade Earth, and Ivan must become one of the leaders and unite the players under his banner, albeit within the borders of his own country. If circumstances demand that he discloses his identity and cooperates with the authorities, so be it! Modern weapons and equipment, instructors, financing, and protection by law....

The first stage is complete. Ivan Susanin has managed to survive and, together with the other leaders, unite the various players into the Alliance. Yet this is only the beginning. A huge goblin army is approaching from the city outskirts, while the undead roam inside the city. The people from Earth are stuck between a rock and a hard place. The only way to escape another massacre is to capture the goblin fortress and hold out until the end of the mission - or to abandon their wounded and scatter, hoping to avoid getting killed.

The battle for Sar rages on. The Alliance offensive has failed, ammunition is running out, and only nuclear weapons have saved the players from utter obliteration. Ivan Susanin, also known as Vasily, found himself in a Lich trap and escaped by a miracle. Yet the mission continues as long as the return card has not been used. He can still return and find a way to reverse this seemingly hopeless situation. Retreat is not an option—the fate of two worlds rests in his hands. Victory or death!

Beautifully read by Indira Varma and poignantly told, Marking Time is the second novel in Elizabeth Jane Howard’s bestselling family saga The Cazalet Chronicles, set during the onset of World War II. 'Compelling, moving, unputdownable . . . Maybe my favourite books ever' - Marian Keyes...

The Second World War has finally ended and so begins a new era of freedom and opportunity for the Cazalet family in Casting Off, the fourth novel in Elizabeth Jane Howard's magnificent Cazalet Chronicles. Read by Indira Varma (Game of Thrones, Luther and Oedipus at The Old Vic). 'Compelling...

Step into the shadowed streets of Victorian London with The Cabman’s Story, a gripping crime fiction short story by Arthur Conan Doyle. Told through the keen, world-weary voice of a London cabman, this atmospheric tale reveals how ordinary professions often brush against extraordinary—and dangerous—secrets.

When Mia Strong, proud geek girl and popular gaming blogger, auctions off her virginity online, she knows she'll make waves. But what she will not be making is a love connection. Her rules are set in stone: One night. No further contact.

Eloquent. Philosophical. Introspective. These are not the words usually associated with an autistic child. But in a remarkable display of courage and creativity, a boy named Tito has shattered stereotypes, and in The Mind Tree makes us question all of our previous assumptions about autism. For Tito is severely autistic and nearly nonverbal, and this is his story.

Set in the height of the Second World War, The Cazalet Chronicles continues with the third in the series, Confusion, where chaos has become a way of life for the Cazalet family. Read by Indira Varma (Game of Thrones, Luther and Oedipus at The Old Vic) 'Compelling, moving, unputdownable...

Simone knows if she plays with fire, she runs the risk of getting burned, but she just can't help herself. Living large off the paternity scam of a lifetime, she has two baby daddies cashing her out for her infant son. Even her own best friends are getting tired of her low-down, manipulative ways. Unfortunately, the streets begin to talk, and the out-for-self mother's luck taps out.

Dennoch wird es für Hal Mason kein Kinderspiel sein, die System-Apokalypse zu überleben. Während er einen Kautionsflüchtling dingfest macht, unterbrechen ihn durchsichtige, blaue Fenster. Sie kündigen es an: Das System – eine Welle strukturierter mystischer Energie, die Galaxien umspannt, alle Elektronik zerstört und der Menschheit Fähigkeiten aus Videospielen verleiht.

Major Larry Randall has been called to Pluto to retrieve Dr. Aaron Mikelson. Mikelson, no longer human after a horrific accident, is now melded to an AI. His enhanced senses have detected an alien artifact on Pluto’s surface, and he’s not leaving without it. Transferred to the research vessel studying Pluto, Randall and the other scientists are stumped as to the artifact’s purpose and origin. Looking for similar signs of aliens they make their way to Pluto’s moon, Charon, where, buried deep under its icy surface, something stirs―and wakes.

A Little Journey by Ray Bradbury is a poignant and quietly powerful science fiction short story that explores faith, aging, and the human hunger for transcendence. Written during Bradbury’s golden early-1950s period, the story follows Mrs. Bellowes, an elderly widow who joins a group of older women on what is promised to be a miraculous voyage to Mars—and ultimately, a path to God.

Millennia ago, Azazel fell from grace, severed from his halo and its divine connection. In defiance, Azazel joined Lucifer as the prince of Hell, angering the Creator, who cast the halo into the abyss, resting at the bottom of a frozen lake for millennia—forgotten until now. In a futuristic dystopia ruled by the iron fist of EarthCorp, eighteen-year-old hacker Ethan Blade stumbles upon this ancient artifact hidden beneath the frozen solitude of Lake Serenity.