sci fi – aliens

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Summary: Would neurodiversity be an advantage in an encounter with aliens? Let’s find out! Heartbroken starships. Human-sized hamster balls. Superpowers unleashed by anxiety. A planet covered in mathematical fidgets. And we finally learn why aliens abduct cows. A diverse, hopeful anthology of neurodiversity-themed science fiction short stories, poetry and art for anyone who loves science fiction, who cares about neurodiversity, or who wants to see optimistic visions of the future. Featuring stories, poems and art from Tobias S. Buckell, M. D. Cooper, Ada Hoffmann, Jody Lynn Nye, Cat Rambo, Clara Ward, and nearly forty other contributors, The Neurodiversiverse: Alien Encounters was edited by Anthony Francis, author of the award-winning urban fantasy novel Frost Moon, and Liza Olmsted, editor of the writing inspiration book Your Writing Matters. The Neurodiversiverse includes themes of autism, ADHD, PTSD, OCD, synesthesia, several kinds of anxiety, avoidant attachment disorder, dissociative disorder, and more. Many of these stories are told from an authentic neurodiverse #ownvoices perspective, featuring characters whose experiences and reactions are informed by authors who share their neurodivergent ways of thinking and being, and we are proud to bring you this anthology celebrating neurodiversity.

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Summary: A collection of five speculative short stories by H. L. Moore, including award-winning tales Entente and No Place of Honour.

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Summary: Half a century before Ray M. Holler sets off for the stars for the first time, a chance encounter near Neptune forever changes not only the course of human history but that of the entire Galaxy. Colonel Milan Pavel is a highly decorated officer in the Visegrád Union Navy, serving his last few months in command of the Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk, the flagship of the VU’s Third Fleet. When an alien ship appears near Neptune, he initially dismisses it as an elaborate pre-retirement prank by his crew, but he is quickly proven wrong. The situation escalates rapidly as it turns out that the ship is on the run from a powerful enemy who is not far behind. Colonel Pavel has a decision to make: Either follow protocol and leave the aliens to their cruel fate, or risk his ship and crew in an attempt to save them.

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Summary: It’s the summer of 1971, and all ten-year-old Janina Starcevich wants to do is spend the seemingly endless warm days riding her bicycle, climbing trees, and catching frogs in the pond in her back yard. But when a young drifter named Justin Lazarus walks into the hardware store owned by her next-door neighbor, Kathy Christian, a series of events are set in motion that will change them all forever. Justin is a melding of opposites—charming but odd, friendly but frightening, seemingly ordinary but at the same time deeply strange. Kathy compares him to an optical illusion before you’ve figured it out. Something’s wrong, but it’s impossible to say exactly what. The events of that sweltering summer turn the little village of Guildford, New York upside down. So why, twenty-five years later, can Janina—now happily married, with three children of her own—barely remember what happened? A chance mention at work starts her on an obsessive quest to reconstruct how the tragedy in 1971 unfolded, and to try to figure out what had been her role in it. The more she uncovers, the more puzzling and disturbing it becomes—an enigma that has lain buried for two and a half decades, centering around one single question: Who was Justin Lazarus?

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Summary: The fate of Lida looms. Agetha thought her fate was sealed, pushed to the edge of the colony to die. But with the revelation that the biomass is not only intelligent, but sentient, changes to colony are accelerating, threatening its very existence. Those who were controlled by the biomass once again have free will. Now, the human colonists are raising their voices and for the first time really influencing their new home. The planet-wide consciousness is slipping into a crisis of identity, when it doesn’t even have a sense of self. The wilds surrounding the colony are becoming increasingly unstable, and the colonists find themselves divided into those who have been touched by the biomass and those who are still wholly human. Can one small colony survive its inner conflicts as well as the titanic might of an entire planet?

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Summary: Silya comes into her own, but will she be enough? Silya finally has everything she always wanted: She's the Hencha Queen, head of the Temple, and is mastering her newfound talents. So why does the world pick now to fall apart? Her once-nemesis Raven is off riding dragons, and their mutual friend (and her ex) Aik is nowhere to be found. Meanwhile, a new threat menaces the Heartland from the East. If she can't convince a reluctant city council to prepare for the worst, she may lose everything—and everyone—she's ever cared about. As Silya wields her abilities, dry wit, and sheer determination to save her city, she's joined by Raven and his new friends, just as a dark storm threatens to sweep them all away. Will their aid help tip the scales? And will she and Raven finally find out what happened to Aik? Forget messy. Things just got apocalyptic.

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Summary: Tria and Resa have shared the same body since they were born. Like everyone on their home planet of Kinaru, their mind and body are divided down the middle: the logical right and the emotional left. Tria, the right, has a budding career as a biologist, while Resa dreams of more freedom than their home planet grants her.   When aliens land on Kinaru, Tria and Resa seize the opportunity to be the first of their people to travel to the stars. Karnath, the alien scientist assigned to study them, is convinced there is more to the Kinaru than meets the eye. But only days into the trip, crew members start turning up dead, and a mutiny redirects the ship toward a forbidden, war-torn planet—Earth.   To solve a conspiracy that threatens three planets, Tria must find out the truth of who her people really are, and Resa needs to finally tell Tria the dark secrets she's been hiding all their lives.

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Summary: In a post-apocalyptic world ruled by fear, where a mere glance could mean death, can one soldier rise above the chaos to reclaim humanity's lost hope? === The gorgons descended upon Earth in 2026, and by 2042, humanity is reduced to a mere whisper, hiding in fortified blockades away from the paralyzing gaze of these alien predators. For those who remain, the rules are simple: stay quiet, move quickly, and don't look. Sergeant Cameron "Jet" Shipley knows the stakes all too well; he's lost family, friends, and faith in a world where survival means living in the shadows. When he is thrust into a perilous mission to investigate mysterious thermal signals that could lead to more survivors, a new recruit within his squad unveils a shocking revelation: a weapon that could turn the tide against their alien foes. But as Jet grapples with the implications of this hidden technology, he is forced to confront a troubling truth: why has it been kept under wraps for so long? With a growing sense of distrust in the military, the sergeant is torn between loyalty to his superiors and the desire to see justice for his fallen loved ones. When the lines between friend and foe blur, can Jet confront his doubts and unite humanity against the gorgons, or will his thirst for vengeance blind him to the real threat lurking in the shadows? ===   Pick up your copy of a gripping post-apocalyptic novel with alien predators that plunges readers into the urgency of survival after invasion, where military sci fi and alien artifacts shape the fate of humanity. With a screen adaption underway for streaming networks, now is the perfect time to order your copy of this science fiction alien invasion series opener. Dissonance Volume I: Reality has it all: post-apocalyptic survival, military conspiracy, found family and horror all wrapped into one!

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Summary: Ray M. Holler is an interstellar shipping freelancer, expert smuggler, and an occasional thief with a troubled past which means that his life is far from the boring, mundane exploits of your average denizen of the Orion-Sagittarius Union, a political alliance of intelligent species inhabiting the Milky Way galaxy. In fact, more often than not, he finds himself up to his neck in situations that require wit, courage, and a decent amount of luck to maneuver out of in one piece. Throughout his adventures in a universe where a safe, peaceful life is possible but not guaranteed, Ray gets to meet a variety of interesting individuals, make new friends, reunite with old acquaintances, and maybe—just maybe—face his own demons. All Quiet In the Milky Way: Ray M. Holler’s Adventures vol. 1 brings forth five stories, accompanied by an equal amount of side vignettes. This collection will take you on an exciting journey to remote worlds that, in some aspects, may not be all that dissimilar from the one we live in today.

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Summary: Unseen by human eyes, something sinister is attacking the inner solar system. In his third clone incarnation, Joe has dedicated his life to two unwavering pursuits: the hunt for the elusive Tanakhai starships and the construction of a colossal war fleet. His mission - to protect humanity from the inevitable alien onslaught he believes is coming. An alien fleet suddenly enters the solar system, and the fate of humanity once again hangs in the balance. Positioned beyond Jupiter's orbit, the Fleet of Humanity stands ready, expecting an all-out battle. But, to everyone's shock, the alien intruders don't attack. Instead, four of their enigmatic vessels vanish, leaving the rest in an eerie stalemate. What is their true agenda? Humanity soon discovers the grim truth—a catastrophic crisis unfolds on Mercury and Venus, threatening the very existence of all human worlds. Time is running out, and the stakes have never been higher. "FALCON'S BANE" is the thrilling conclusion to the multi-award winning Falcon Trilogy, by author Mike Waller. Join the indomitable Joe Falcon as he faces humanity's greatest and most relentless adversary in a final showdown that will leave you breathless.

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Summary: Something is definitely rotten in the experimental settlement on Ceres. Jax wonders how it will affect her and her colleagues when along comes Nan and shows her a side to the complex she did not expect. Together, the two young women work to break the control the aliens have over the human settlers and begin to form the foundation of a fairer community.

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Summary: RISE (noun / verb) Eight definitions to inspire writers around the world, and an unlimited number of possible stories to tell: 1) An upward slope or movement 2) A beginning or origin 3) An increase in amount or number 4) An angry reaction 5) To take up arms 6) To return from death 7) To become heartened or elated 8) To exert oneself to meet a challenge Rise features 300-word speculative flash fiction stories from across the rainbow spectrum, from the minds of the writers of Queer Sci Fi.

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Summary: A genre-bending science fiction tale that takes place on several planets and through two lifetimes, rife with psychic magic as well as insights from psychology and physics. Yearning to reunite in the afterlife, a couple’s search runs afoul of both the materialistic Technists on Earth and the intransigent laws of Commensuration on their adoptive planet Xarbo, where rewards and retributions fly fast. Their quest for destiny leads to far-flung planets — one occupied by the disembodied brains of human astronauts, another by soulless clones — as the reincarnated pair find themselves on separate planets and following divergent paths. Hints of Star Trek and of Ram Das combine oddly with eroticism and mysticism in this epic tale of personal evolution.

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Summary: A guard and a thief. What could go wrong? Aik has fallen hopelessly in love with his best friend. But Raven's a thief, which makes things … complicated. Oh, and Raven has just been kidnapped by a dragon. Now Aik is off on a quest of his own, to hunt down the foul beast and make them give back his … friend? Lover? Soulmate? The whole not-knowing thing just makes everything harder. Meanwhile, the world of Tharassas is falling apart, besieged by earthquakes, floods, and strange creatures no one has ever seen before. Aik's ex, Silya has gone back to Gullton to try to save her people as the Hencha Queen, and Aik's stuck in a caravan with her mother and a damnable magical gauntlet that won't let him be. He has to find Raven, before it’s too late. Things were messy before … but now they're much, much worse.

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Summary: Forty years after landing on Lida, the colony still isn't finished. Agetha has survived many more battles than she anticipated when she first landed on her new home planet. She's older and wiser, has gained family and lost loved ones. And yet her reward for four decades of service is to be pushed to the colony’s outer edges with the other aging Generationals. But that was only the beginning of her adventure. The biomass has spent years studying the intruders who landed on its surface, carving a new home from its very essence. Never satisfied in its attempt to communicate with this new and invasive species, finally it has found a way to express its intentions. The colonists may never be the same. Discover the fate of the colony in the second book of The Biomass Conflux trilogy!

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Summary: 32 Stories 8 Authors All Genres Something for everyone · Abandoned at the abbey as a boy, Brother Silas holds a smoldering resentment of his fate. · Sailors often tell frightening tales of what they find at sea. No one warns you about the ships in the harbor. · A young man, tired of office-place bullying, is arrested for a murder that he didn’t commit -- but not for lack of trying. · Old buildings come with ghosts, and ghosts come with stories. Ghost stories are Emily’s favorite part of her job at Monmouth-Whitman Girls Academy. · A teen couple sneaks out into the woods at night, only to find they’re not alone. · A man struggles to find peace in a quantum world; where people are entangled; events are in superposition; and the uncertainty principle reigns. Welcome to Shelf 804! Under the Dewey Decimal System, Shelf 804 currently holds a designation of “not assigned, or no longer used” - naturally, we were only too happy to lay claim to this rare niche of unoccupied library real estate. Step into a literary treasure trove that brings together the creative prowess of eight authors, spanning genre and style, as we populate our very own Shelf 804 with the thirty-two short stories collected in this anthology. Each writer has engaged, in their own style, with four original prompts to inspire their writing. The result is an anthology as diverse as our imaginations. Join us on a journey that will transport you from a dueling piano bar in Denver, Colorado to the deck of a sailing ship worthy of Edgar Allan Poe; from the startling and unexpected world of ‘the innerverse’ to the gleaming, strangely quiet corridors of a moon colony. We are grateful for the support you’ve provided in purchasing a copy. Have fun discovering the hidden gems of Shelf 804.

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Summary: Four silver foxes from Earth discover that true love and second chances are not just for the young. Fly with Me - Let the good times roll! That’s Ava Martin’s retirement plan at least, until gray aliens abduct her from the middle of the Nevada desert. In her hair rollers no less! Talk about a rude awakening for this UFO skeptic. Above the Storm - It all started with a dare. Robyn Martin Donahue’s bestie says the Silverstar Agency can hook her up with an off worlder who will love and respect her, not try to rule her. As if. Wing and a Prayer - Happily ever after didn’t work out. If Meryl Faulkner learned anything from her divorce, it’s that she’s not defined by any man. Especially not that annoying, self-serving…sexy winged alien who’s divebombed into her orderly life. Trial by Fire - True love only happens once in a lifetime, right? Silverstar agent Nixy Vogel should be furious at the (smoking hot) alien trying to put the agency out of business. Instead, her shuttered heart burns for him. Welcome to the Silverstar Mates series, featuring intergalactic love matches for those over fifty.  Please note: This is a boxed set of books 1-4 of the Silverstar Mates series. Before you purchase this boxed set, please check your ereader to make sure you don’t already own these titles individually.

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Summary: Before Ardulum, there was the Mercy’s Pledge. One year after saving the Neek homeworld and redefining the people’s religion, the crew of the Scarlet Lucidity returns to the Charted Systems for a much-needed break. For Nicholas and Yorden, the Systems will always be home, but for Emn and Atalant, too many memories compound with Emn’s strange new illness to provide much relaxation. Tales from Ardulum continues the journey of Atalant, Emn, Yorden, Nicholas, and Salice as they try to define their place in a galaxy that no longer needs them while battling the artifacts of Ardulan colonization. Other stories include Yorden’s acquisition of the Mercy’s Pledge (and his grudge against the galaxy), Atalant’s exile from her homeworld, Ekimet and Savath’s romance, and many others.

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Summary: The planet wakes. Atalant is torn between two worlds. In uncharted space—head of a sentient planet—the new Eld of Ardulum now leads the religion she once rejected. Emn is by her side but the Mmnnuggl war brewing in the Charted Systems—threatening her homeworld of Neek—cannot be ignored. Atalant must return to the planet that exiled her in order to lead the resistance. She must return home a god, a hypocrite, a liar in gold robes, and decide whether to thrust her unwilling people into the truth of Ardulum, or play the role she has been handed and never see her family, or her world, again.

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Summary: A young woman in 1884 doesn’t have many options … But Susannah did not expect to be tutoring an alien snail child while aboard a ship sailing in space … Who will get the real education? Orphaned and penniless in Hong Kong in 1884 — what’s a young gentlewoman to do? Impulsive, adventurous, and self-confident, Susannah accepts an offer to become the governess to a young foreigner on a ship. She does not expect the ship to be in space, or the foreign child to be an alien who looks like a giant snail. Nevertheless, she throws herself into the job of bringing Victorian decorum to the natives. But when she is accused of spying and put on trial in an alien court, Susannah has to challenge the law of the aliens to save herself — and her young and slimy student.