System Fiction

After serving in the Civil War as a Confederate officer and then achieving business success in the North, Colonel Henry French returns to his hometown of Clarendon, North Carolina, and dreams of building a better future. In his absence, Clarendon has endured as a deeply prejudiced place—still permeated by systems of racist oppression even after the Civil War—but Henry believes he has what it takes to make a difference.

Local loner and hopeless romantic Iris Clarke is single, again, on Valentine’s Day. During the annual Cupid speech before the Grand Lover’s Day, Jaya comes across Iris’s file. Unable to look away from those beautiful brown eyes, Jaya chooses Iris for her imminent mission. When the winged woman shows up at Iris’s house and tells her she is going to find her a partner for the day, Iris can’t believe it.

По выходу из S-рангового подземелья меня ждала шокирующая новость – на особняк деда, где находились сёстры, кто-то напал. Какова цель тех ублюдков – неизвестно. Что случилось с девочками – тоже. Мне предстоит выяснить это самому. И ничто не сможет встать у меня на пути.

Das Wettrennen ums Land ist vorbei. Zwei Jahre nach der Ankunft des Systems auf der Erde bleibt nur noch ein begrenztes Gebiet, das sich abzustecken lohnt und die Gruppen außerirdischer Neuankömmlinge fallen in einem mörderischen Ringen um die Kontrolle übereinander her.

When robotic drones known as "watchbirds" are deployed to eliminate murder and safeguard society, humanity embraces a technological miracle—until the machines begin to redefine what it means to kill. As the watchbirds evolve and extend their protection to all living beings, even insects, society unravels under their rigid logic.

Step into a realm of lost chances and alternate destinies in The Worlds of If by Stanley G. Weinbaum, a masterfully crafted early science fiction short story that explores time travel, parallel realities, and the haunting question of "what if?"

Discover the eerie brilliance of "And the Gods Laughed" by Fredric Brown, a classic science fiction novella from the Golden Age of sci-fi. Set in a future of interplanetary exploration, this suspenseful tale follows space miners who encounter a mysterious race on Ganymede—only to uncover a chilling secret about possession, identity, and alien intelligence. Blending dark humor, paranoia, and psychological intrigue, Brown crafts a compact yet powerful story that questions what it truly means to be human.

Trident Nottingham III had an idea that would change the world forever: a shipbrain designed to make interstellar flight less restrictive and reduce the amount of time one spent attempting to meet regulations. What he didn't expect was that the shipbrain would develop a mind of its own.

Step into a haunting post-apocalyptic world where imagination is the only tool left to reshape reality. Proof of the Pudding by Robert Sheckley is a thought-provoking science fiction tale that explores the boundaries of creation, perception, and human connection.

Late 21st-century Earth is overcrowded, her natural resources dwindling rapidly. World governments and greedy mega corporations are forced to work together toward a solution. A crew of ten humans are sent to Mars aboard Hyperion I to locate a suitable site and establish the first colony. After a months-long flight to the red planet, just as they are about to descend to the surface, problems arise. A careless accident kills a crew member, damages the ship, forcing the others to launch early. And that's just the beginning of their troubles.

The mysterious Overlords destroyed all electronics on Earth, imposed a game-like System, and unleashed ravenous horrors upon the planet. Did you hear that Alex Dathers—yes, the Alex Dathers from Youtube with the channel about weapons and armor from the old days—killed a dragon? He actually killed a freakin’ dragon when he was only level 1. I heard it dropped him some epic loot and now he is going on a rampage through the System!

This one-of-a-kind sales guide shows you how to stop wasting your time calling people who don’t want to hear from you and boost your close rate to 80 or 90 percent! Send your commissions soaring, work less, and enjoy it more - all without ever making another cold call. Following Joanne Black’s proven, referral selling system, you’ll discover how to turn current customers and your myriad of contacts into rich sources of referrals - as you establish relationships that ace out the competition.

Diane Johnson returns with another expatriate comedy of manners in this tale of a young dot-com executive from California who sets off for Europe to find culture, her roots, and maybe a cause to devote her considerable fortune to. When Amy checks into one of the finest small hotels in the French...

Jay Lake's first trade novel is an astounding work of creation. Lake has envisioned a clockwork solar system, where the planets move in a vast system of gears around the lamp of the Sun. It is a universe where the hand of the Creator is visible to anyone who simply looks up into the sky, and...

Ein Jahr her hat das System die Erde in eine gesetzlose, apokalyptische Dungeonwelt verwandelt, und dem Kopfgeldjäger Hal Mason geht es gut. Doch nun bringen alte Freunde eine neue Gelegenheit, die trübe Politik der Galaktiker und überschneidende Verträge ins Spiel. Hal muss den ersten Zug beschützen, der die neue Wildnis des amerikanischen Mittleren Westens durchquert.

Alles läuft nach Plan. Iwan Susanin installierte erfolgreich ein Leuchtfeuer im Gebiet der Untoten und kehrte nach Hause zurück. Die Situation ändert sich, als die nächste Mission zur Stadt der Goblins verschoben wird, während sein Heimatplanet zum Schlachtfeld wird. Monster fallen auf der Erde ein, und Ivan muss einer der Anführer werden und die Spieler unter seinem Banner vereinen, wenn auch innerhalb der Grenzen seines eigenen Landes. Wenn die Umstände es erfordern, dass er seine Identität preisgibt und mit den Behörden kooperiert, dann soll es so sein!

Leveling systems create overpowered main characters. Cooking systems create master chefs capable of conquering any stomach. Founder systems create monstrous sects from nothing. However, who creates the systems?

Kautionseintreiber. Veteran. Überlebenskünstler. Dennoch wird es für Hal Mason kein Kinderspiel sein, die System-Apokalypse zu überleben. Während in Pittsburgh die Gesellschaft zusammenbricht und die mutierte Tierwelt durch die Stadt wütet, sind die Überlebenden bereit, jede Opfergabe darzubieten, um sich den nächsten Level zu verdienen. Im Angesicht der fallenden Toten und der zerbrechenden Zivilisation fragt sich Hal, welchen Preis seine Menschlichkeit hat. Sind die Credits das Blut wert, welches seine Hände immer mehr befleckt?

The Birth-Mark by Nathaniel Hawthorne is a hauntingly thought-provoking short story that explores the dark side of perfectionism, science, and obsession. With rich symbolism and moral complexity, Hawthorne crafts a powerful narrative that continues to resonate with listeners today. Ideal for fans of classic literature, psychological fiction, and philosophical allegory.

During a routine oil delivery to the capital planet, a massive starship manned by a skeleton crew mysteriously breaks down. Now the youngest, least experienced crew member, his captain, and his conspiracist of a crew mate seek survival and answers while trying to avoid looming threats on the ship.