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sci fi – alternative history

Sci fi stories that take place in a different version of our own past, often at a pivotal moment in history that unfolds in a different way. Return to general Sci Fi

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Word Count: 38000

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.

Rise Anthology
Rise
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Genres:

Word Count: 109,000

Summary: Time is running out for planet Earth. An insidious Martian plague has been infecting the planet for over twenty years, and has resisted all human efforts to eradicate it. With all life on Earth facing extinction, the only solution left is to directly access a specific piece of Martian technology. But, according to diaries left behind by Ogilvy the astronomer, the Martians have hidden it at the lake on the moon. In 1945, three rockets converted from Martian cylinders take off on the vital lunar mission, and amongst the crew is Ogilvy's nephew, Jack Stent. Will the astronauts locate the Martian shadow-weapon, thought to hold the desperately needed cure for Marseria? Can it really be used to instigate another timeline on Earth so that mankind can survive? The stakes are high and so is the risk of contact and conflict with Martians. Nearly two hundred years later, at a scientific colony on Mars, a shocking discovery is made about Jack Stent, and Ogilvy's Martian diaries are once again pivotal to human survival and the continuation of life on Earth. Gateway To Mars is the third volume of The Martian Diaries series that continues the classic H.G. Wells Mars novel in a compelling, unmissable action adventure. If you're a fan of The War Of The Worlds you won't want to miss this story of survival, despair and hope, that brings the original tale full circle. Get your copy today! What readers have said: “A really well written, excellent continuation of the story and a truly brilliant tribute to HG Wells! I do recommend!” “An excellent third part to this incredible series!” “Boy this was a good book! I love the writing style... it's very true to the original story.”

Gateway to Mars - HE Wilburson - The Martian Diaries
The Martian Diaries: Vol.3 Gateway To Mars
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Word Count: 82000

Summary: When Fatemeh Karimi married Ramon Morales, she neglected to share one small detail. She was already betrothed to a merchant named Hamid Farzan. She had no interest in Hamid or an arranged marriage. She wanted to live life on her own terms. Eight years after marrying Ramon, she assumed Hamid had long forgotten about her, as she had him. Settled in New Orleans, Ramon works as an attorney, Fatemeh owns a pharmacy, and they're proud parents of a precocious daughter. Out west, Apaches armed with powerful battle wagons have captured Fort Bowie and threaten Tucson. Businessmen with an interest in a peaceful solution ask Ramon to come west and settle the conflict. Meanwhile Hamid arrives in New Orleans and he has not forgotten Fatemeh or her vows to him. Now, the famed Owl Riders must assemble once again to reunite Ramon and Fatemeh so they can tame the Wild West.

Owl Riders - David Lee Summers
Owl Riders
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Word Count: 88700

Summary: Kat Wallace is on a mission. After escaping tortuous enslavement, she sets her sights on ending the human trafficking that has flourished in 24th century Earth. Adopted by the leader of the pirate nation of Bosch, Kat Wallace is determined to prove herself as a member of the Bosch Pirate Force and use her skills to avenge her enslavement and free other thralls. But unexpected love and a test of loyalty threaten to rob her of what she wants most: a home.

A Merry Life - Sarah Branson - Pirates of New Earth
A Merry Life
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Word Count: 70000

Summary: Do you know what your problem is? Celestine, the fifth of seven sisters, is tired of hearing about hers. Father thinks she’s frivolous because she likes pretty clothes and caters to the crowds in the taverns who adore her music. Mother thinks that because she’s the most social daughter in the family, she can’t keep quiet about anything. They’re both wrong. Celestine hides a secret she has kept for most of her life. As the family beauty and a talented musician with a lyrical voice, she has the best prospects for marriage to a prince. When such a liaison never happens, people assume Celestine is too choosy. But even in somewhat tolerant Ilari, a daughter hates to disappoint her family. How can she tell them she’s in love with a princess instead? Lucky for Celestine, all her sisters are obsessed with an invading army headed to their realm. Celestine would rather ignore the threat and enjoy the freedom their lack of attention gives her. But, her voice can unlock a power that may help save Ilari. And the woman she loves is determined to fight these invaders. And her family, for all their talents, seems clueless about how to motivate the masses. Celestine knows she can inspire the citizens of Ilari to do what needs to be done. Is it time to put her inhibitions aside and use her voice to save those she cares about?

She's the One Who Can't Keep Quiet - S.R. Cronin - War Stories of the Seven Troublesome Sisters
She's the One Who Can't Keep Quiet
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Word Count: 86000

Summary: The year is 1877. Russians have invaded the Pacific Northwest and are advancing into California. New weapons have proven ineffective or dangerously unstable and the one man who can help has disappeared into Apache Country, hunting ghosts. A healer and a former sheriff lead a band into the heart of the invasion to determine what makes the Russian forces so unstoppable while a young inventor attempts to unleash the power of the lightning wolves.

Lightning Wolves - David Lee Summers
Lightning Wolves
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Word Count: 92000

Summary: The year is 1876, Sheriff Ramon Morales of Socorro, New Mexico meets a beguiling woman named Fatemeh Karimi of Persia, escaping oppression in her homeland. When an ancient lifeform called Legion comes to Earth, they are pulled into a series of events that will change the history of the world as we know it. In their journeys, Ramon and Fatemeh encounter mad inventors, dangerous outlaws and pirates. Their resources are Ramon's fast draw and Fatemeh's uncanny ability to communicate with owls. The question is, will that be enough to save them when a fleet of dirigibles from Czarist Russia invades the United States?

Owl Dance - David Lee Summers
Owl Dance
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Word Count: 93765

Summary: Home, a place where we belong and are safe and loved. Home, the house in which we grew up, a neighborhood, a culture, even a country. Home is a state of mind, it is a place of the heart, and in the heart. Finding home, coming home, and bringing home the one we love is a journey, a journey that can be a dangerous adventure. For the lovers in these stories, adventures can include quests and fighting dragons and demons, past and present, physical as well as mental and emotional. Rocket launchers need to be dodged, the Wild Hunt needs to be outrun. For some of the lovers here, home has been lost, or they have been forced to leave, as is too common for LGBT+ youth. In this collection queer positive speculative fiction stories, explore the idea of what and where home is in the lives of these lovers. Will they survive their quests, defeat their monsters? Will they find a place to call home?  

To Bring Him Home and Other Tales - Warren Rochelle
To Bring Him Home and Other Tales
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Word Count: Information not available

Summary: Worlds collide and peace shatters in Book 3 of The Meaning Wars… On the way to a new wormhole-building gig, Crystal and her husband Jai fight over the future of their family. But the safe haven of their base is paradise compared to Pluto. Recovering from her imprisonment, Sarah and her cousin Toby try to scrape their lives back together and stay out of trouble on the icy planetoid. Rebel leader Patience Ngouabi's actions have triggered a growing insurrection on the colony planet of Indus, and the shock waves have reached even the Solar system's worlds. Both Crystal and Sarah will have to decide between uneasy peace and constant danger - if they get to choose at all. Content advisory: this book contains references to abuse, sexual scenes, torture, and mental health issues. Reader discretion is advised.

The Meaning Wars - Michelle Browne - Meaning Wars
The Meaning Wars
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Word Count: 61,000

Summary: James "Bodacious" Creed stopped a killer and helped bring peace to Santa Cruz, a coastal California city on the edge of the American frontier. Now, the undead lawman, resurrected with steam-based technology, takes on dangerous criminal cases as a private investigator. One night while riding by the wharf, Creed hears a gunshot. He and his coyote companion, Coconino, rush to the scene. In a forest clearing, he finds two dead men and a dying woman. Mechanical parts ring her neck and wrist, and as she whispers of her travails, the former Chinese slave dies in his arms. Someone in San Francisco is using illegal machinery to alter and control women like her. To hunt down the perpetrator, Creed travels to the City by the Bay. His journey takes him into the depths of Chinatown, reveals a secret society, and puts old and new friends in danger. How can Creed learn the truth before more women are changed, manipulated, or killed?

Bodacious Creed and The Jade Lake - Jonathan Fesmire
Bodacious Creed and the Jade Lake
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Word Count: 40000

Summary: Manifesto The Great rules Planet Hy Man, a Planet where meat is as toxic as nuclear waste. Faced with an uprising, Manifesto The Great turns to the only person he can trust----his mother; but she has days to live. With an army of malfunctioning Mae West robots and a committee as innovative as a sock puppet, Manifesto The Great loses control. And as his city falls under the hands of Fanny and her rebels, the grieving leader retreats to his cocktail bar. High on a cocktail of hormonal meat and hemp cocktails, Manifesto The Great returns to his committee for advice. But they have other plans, mainly to bat with the winning team, and from the looks of Manifesto The Great, he ain’t one of ‘em. Will he rise to command again or has he buried his balls along with his mother in a sea of cocktails and mad ramblings?

The Downfall of Manifesto The Great - Kerrie Noor
The Downfall Of Manifesto The Great
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Word Count: 42000

Summary: What lies hidden inside the Martian Red Weed and what is the secret of the lake on the moon? When the first Martian cylinder crash lands in England, Ogilvy the astronomer barely survives the deadly heat ray from the attack by aliens. He then accidentally stumbles upon the truth about the Red Weed and sends vital evidence to scientists in France on board HMS Thunder Child, but the ship is attacked by a Martian tripod. Years later in 1919, in the aftermath of World War 1 and Spanish influenza, a sinister plague emerges on Earth from the long forgotten Red Weed, and it threatens all life on our planet with global extinction. Ogilvy suggests a daring and risky plan to combat the devastating alien menace, involving alternate history timelines. He persuades other original War Of The Worlds characters to participate, but how on earth can they locate the secret weapon hidden by the Martians at the lake on the moon? Don't miss this compelling continuation of the H.G. Wells Mars novel in the gripping second volume of The Martian Diaries science fiction series. Get this award winning continuation of The War Of The Worlds today! Features a bonus chapter not included in the audiobook version. Bronze medal winner in the Readers Choice Awards 2020 WHAT PEOPLE HAVE SAID ABOUT THE AUDIO VERSION “I sat spellbound while listening to this...as I’ve always been convinced nobody could ever out-rank the original War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells, but he has succeeded in giving us this astonishing follow-up.” Breakaway Reviews "The storyline is mesmerizing, and Mr Wilburson has done a magnificent job of melding his story with the original War of the Worlds." Readers Favorite Reviews “I am in awe. I finished the audiobook an emotional wreck, especially after the epilogue...and cannot wait for episode three, Gateway to Mars." Goodreads reviewer “Author Wilburson's trilogy is an enthralling companion to H.G. Wells' War of the Worlds. The Lake On The Moon is an audiobook treat, highly recommended!” Veronica Cline Barton - Mystery & Suspense author Winner of 5 awards in the 2020 Los Angeles Science Fiction Film Awards, Audio Drama category, together with volume 1 The Day Of The Martians.

Lake on the Moon - HE Wilburson - The Martian Diaries
The Martian Diaries: Vol. 2 Lake On The Moon
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Word Count: 19582

Summary: The War Of The Worlds continues.... The terror of the coming of the Martians is all but a distant memory, a bad dream that has faded with time. All George wants is a quiet suburban life – but at breakfast one morning his newspaper reports the shocking discovery of a Martian cylinder, found intact and unopened, and carefully transported to London. Could it be from the first alien invasion and after more than seven years are there Martians still alive inside? By teatime George learns that vengeance seeking Martians and their tripod fighting machines are already on their way back. This time they are armed with a doomsday weapon, able to destroy all bacteria and completely annihilate Earth. The countless numbers of their projectiles form a huge green comet and invasion day will be just before Christmas. The first attack by aliens was enough for any lifetime, but who would expect to be involved with two? Can George and his wife escape this new Martian apocalypse and how will our planet survive a second time? The Day Of The Martians continues the iconic Mars novel by H.G. Wells, in this exciting action adventure – the first volume of The Martian Diaries science fiction series. If you're a fan of The War Of The Worlds you won't want to miss this award-winning 3 part continuation. Get the ebook today or check out the action-packed audio version featuring original music and sound effects. Winner of 5 awards in the 2020 Los Angeles Science Fiction Film Awards, Audio Drama category, together with volume 2 Lake On The Moon. WHAT PEOPLE HAVE SAID ABOUT THE AUDIO VERSION “...a wonderfully executed tribute to H.G. Wells.” Readers Favorite 5 stars ...sometimes in life, amongst all the boring stuff, something comes along to shake up your life and make you grateful for other people’s creations.” Breakaway Reviews “A splendid sequel.” C.A. Powell, science fiction author of The Last Days Of Thunder Child “A little diamond from Mars!” Goodreads reviewer

The Day of the Martians - HE Wilburson - The Martian Diaries
The Martian Diaries: Vol. 1 The Day Of The Martians
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Word Count: 111,000

Summary:

New York: two years after the Third World War. Humanity is rebuilding its cities brick by brick; the damage done to the people, however, is a lot harder to repair.
Dan Hardacre is one of those people. An aspiring stage actor and experienced draft-dodger, Dan struggles to find his place within the Utopic rebuild of New York City. When he’s not caught up with the duties of work, Dan lives a quiet life in mourning for his mother, Dyani, who went missing when he was a teenager.
One night, Dan experiences a vivid, terrifying nightmare that puts him right on the front lines of the war for which he dodged the draft; it ends with him facing Death itself in the form of a metallic, faceless humanoid creature that calls itself the Valkyrie. To investigate the reason behind his haunting experience, Dan seeks out a meeting with his estranged father, who reveals the startling truth about Dan’s dream: it wasn’t a dream.
With this newfound knowledge and the powers it brings, Dan makes it his mission to return to the scene of his nightmare. However, he soon comes to know that confronting the Valkyrie not only endangers him but the war-withstanding world he leaves behind.

Road to Juneau - Liam Quane
ROAD TO JUNEAU
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Word Count: 55300

Summary: Luxor City, a once lawless metropolis on the brink of civil war, is now at peace, but even in lighter times there are always shadows. In the technicolor streets of the Southern Empire, Junsu Sun, the Alpha heir to one of Luxor City’s great crime families, busies himself by dealing with a blacklisted group known as the Underground. After taking down one of the Underground’s notorious leaders, Junsu assumes he’ll be given time to rest and recuperate, but his mother, Alpha Xijuan Sun, has a new mission for him, involving a luxury cruise and a new mate, Omega Kaito Yamaguchi, of the powerful Yamaguchi family. Ever the dutiful son, Junsu obeys his orders as if it were any other mission, but this sort of engagement isn’t exactly the type of thing he’s used to and Kaito Yamaguchi certainly isn’t the sort of Omega he’s used to either. Kaito is impatient, impassable, and impossible. He’s a spoiled Omega who is pissed off that his family have reorganized his life and thrust him into this arranged mating with some Luxor City Alpha he’s never met before. Kaito hasn’t even seen a picture of Junsu Sun, a fact that Junsu uses to his advantage. Faced with a week spent trapped on a luxury cruise with a rude, bratty Omega who doesn’t even know who he is, Junsu decides to play a little trick on his future mate. But just how far will he let things go and where is the line between a little trick and a painful deception? Meanwhile, other secrets floating between empires and continents are about to spill out onto the deck.

Between Empires and Continents - Sasha Hope
Between Empires and Continents
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Word Count: 80000

Summary: What if there were a place that nobody else knew about – a secret place – where everyone was queer?” That’s the question Guy, an elderly, lonely gay anthropologist asks Richard, his young psychiatrist, as he searches for his tolerable truth. During each session, Guy tells Richard a story in which he survives the sinking of a cargo ship and is washed ashore on an uncharted tropical island along side the ship’s first mate, Luca. There, the two young men discover a world counter to everything they have ever known – a complex society in which almost everyone is homosexual and sex is considered the most basic form of communication. In his naive, awkward way, Guy attempts to integrate himself and win the love of a local man but first he must undergo a brutal initiation ritual, endure a crazed shaman, and swim across shark-infested waters. Meanwhile, Luca, who is unable to accept his sexuality, becomes obsessed with being rescued and degenerates into drug dependency. When Luca attempts to steal a large stash of gold salvaged from an old Spanish galleon and leave the island, Guy is forced choose between staying with the man he loves, or saving the life of the man who saved his. For more than 40 years Guy has been consumed by his longing to return to the island and recapture what he believes he has left behind. Although enthralled by his tale, Richard must be constantly wary of Guy’s attempts to manipulate him and meddle in his personal life, threating to upend his own sense of truth, leaving him to question if there could really be such a society, or does it only exist within the fantasy of a lonely old gay man? Rich with legends inspired by ethnography, this is a story within a story; the two collide when the depth of Guy’s subterfuge is revealed.

Eating the Moon - Mark David Campbell
Eating the Moon
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Word Count: 108000

Summary: Fifty years after a coup replaced President Franklin D. Roosevelt with a fascist dictatorship, America is a land of hopelessness. Ben Adamson, a 19-year-old farm boy in southern Illinois, wants only to spend his time fishing and hunting. But when his dead brother demands justice for his suspicious fate in a colonial war, Ben and Rachel, his brother’s fiancée, are drawn into an underground revolutionary movement. After staging a rally against the war, Ben and Rachel are arrested by the Internal Security Service, who have perfected the science of breaking people. Ben is given a choice: betray the rebels, including his best friend from childhood, or Rachel will be lobotomized. Although traumatized and addicted to a powerful drug, Ben refuses to doom anyone he cares about. Can he find a third option? Can he free Rachel and strike back at the dictatorship, while dodging the suspicions of police and rebels alike?

Born in Salt - T.C. Weber
Born in Salt
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Word Count: Information not available

Summary: A vampire hunter has his sights on Anne Perrin, threatening to unleash the very evil she and her friends are fighting to contain. Robbing Anne of her pulse hasn’t stopped her from living un-life to its fullest: she’s balancing two relationships, has returned to her waitress job, and is trying her best to not eat her customers. But Calum sees through her disguise, and no amount of charm can dissuade him from eradicating Anne and everyone like her from the face of the Earth. While Charlie is out of the country seeking help from the one person who might be able to save his life, Anne is abducted, leaving the rest of the Z-Tech crew with the desperate task of finding her before the vampire hunters finish her off — or a grief-stricken Zima destroys the city looking for her lost love. But Anne’s abduction could be just the first part of a larger, darker plan that may unwittingly unleash the very plague Calum seeks to prevent.

Angels Lost - Ryan Southwick - Z-Tech Chronicles
Angels Lost
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Word Count: 90000

Summary: A new generation of vampires embarks on a quest to save humanity. Opening a forgotten crypt during a military exercise, Dr. Jane Heckman is made a vampire and begins a journey to unlock the secret origins of her new kindred. Elsewhere, solitary vampire Marcella DuBois emerges from the shadows and uncovers a government plot to create vampire-like super soldiers. Daniel McKee, a vampire working as an astronomer, moves to a new town where he's adopted by a family, only to have government agents strip those he loves away from him. All three vampires discover the government is dabbling in technologies so advanced they'll tap into realms and dimensions they don't understand. To save humans and vampires alike, Jane, Marcella, and Daniel must seek out the legendary master vampire Desmond, Lord Draco and encourage him to resurrect his band of mercenaries, the Scarlet Order.

Vampires of the Secret Order - David Lee Summers
Vampires of the Scarlet Order
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Word Count: 71,661

Summary: A dead-end job, a slob for a boyfriend, and neglectful friends: this is Kat Wallace's life. Ever since her best friend got married, Kat has been struggling to find happiness. All that changes when she meets Melody Adebayo, a field agent with the mysterious transdimensional company Clockwork & Associates. Melody's job is to send the consciousness of others to a scarier dimension in order to make them kinder and more grateful for their lives, which, in theory, will influence them to do good. But when Kat is sent to B-215, she awakes in a world beyond her wildest dreams. She's wealthy, well-liked, and has a successful career. Kat realizes she doesn't need to find happiness in her own world ... she can just steal it from her other self. Because of a certain (ahem) incident, Melody owes a lot of money to her evil ex-girlfriend, and Kat works out a deal with her in order to keep visiting B-215. With each visit, a sinister plot unfolds. Kat discovers her life is at risk, and she isn't alone in this dimension. To eliminate the threat, she must team up with Melody, but can the two uncover the truth before Kat loses her life? More important, will they be able to move on from the mistakes they made in the past and find love with each other?

Duality - Chloe Spencer
Duality
Published:
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