sci fi – comedy

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Summary: "Scott has been writing science fiction for almost as long as he has been alive - his first short story, a futuristic Jetsons inspired tale, was written in fourth grade, was hand-illustrated in crayon, and won a young writers contest at the University of Arizona. His work has appeared in Galaxy’s Edge, Poplorish, The Mischief Corner Quarterly, and a number of anthologies, including Post Apocalipstick, Fix the World, Save the World, Transform the World, Earth 2100, Myths Untold - Faery, A More Perfect Union, Travels Through the Scarlet Equinox, A Taste of Honey, and many others. Thirty of his short stories are gathered together here for the first time, covering a wide range of sci-fi and fantasy genres, including several never-before published tales - Airlock Justice, The Summer Place, Ever the Rain, and Vibe Science. Enjoy these varied tales of Other Worlds from the never quiescent mind of author J. Scott Coatsworth."

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Summary: ALIENS VENMOED ME A TRILLION DOLLARS "The truth is out there... and paying very well." Doug Dawkins lives to debunk conspiracy theories, especially crackpot claims of aliens. So when his dead dad FaceTimes him (giving him crazy money and orders to cover up the truth of extraterrestrial existence), Doug is sure this is a hacker's scam and reports it to the NSA. Then government security servers melt down. NSA agents become convinced Doug and his wife are dangerous spies. But Doug is sure he'd never kill anyone or believe aliens exist. Could he be half right? One problem is that an astronomer just discovered the background static of the universe is actually unfathomably complex, interstellar communications, definitive proof of alien life, and that professor is... Doug's wife, Lena Fierro. Why would he want to turn down a trillion-dollar cosmic bribe, yet still conceal the truth from the world? Book Comparisons: THE THREE-BODY PROBLEM meets THE HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY. Movie Comparisons: DON'T LOOK UP meets CONTACT and GALAXY QUEST. "Spacetime is money."   Reviews: LITERARY TITAN: 5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Aliens Venmoed Me a Trillion Dollars is a wild, brainy, satirical sci-fi romp... It felt like Black Mirror collided with The X-Files and got notes from Arrested Development."   READERS' FAVORITE: 5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "sharply written, inventive, and fantastic story"

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Summary: “IMMORTALITY BYTES: Digital Minds Don’t Get Hungry” — Genre: Science Fiction/Humor/Heist-Thriller Tagline: “Living forever... it's almost worth dying for.” One-line Story Pitch: “When an idealistic hacker’s ex-girlfriend nears inventing digital immortality, an indicted tycoon compels him to steal it.” Accolades: • Winner “Best Sci-Fi: Cyberpunk” — 7th Annual American Fiction Awards (2024) • Winner “Best Science Fiction” & "Best Political Fiction" — American Writing Awards (2024) • Winner “Best Humor/Satire” — Storytrade Awards (2024) • Semifinalist — Chanticleer's Cygnus Award for Best Science Fiction • Triple Finalist: Best Sci-Fi, Best Humor/Satire, & Best First Novel — IAN Book of the Year Awards (2024) Back Cover Blurb: In a not-so-distant future dominated by AI, universal basic income, and “subtirees” living pod-bound lives of leisure, idealistic, semi-slacker hacker Stu Reigns dreams of more. When Stu’s brilliant ex, Roxy Zhang, develops digital immortality, the world’s powerful elite scramble to secure their eternal existence. Enter Chuck Rosti, a merciless, terminally ill tycoon made more dangerous since he’s on the brink of conviction for massive fraud. His plan? Coerce Stu into helping get Roxy’s groundbreaking invention so “Feds can incarcerate my corpse.” Caught between a sick billionaire, a Russian mob, digital mind clones, and a shrewd, devout Southern matriarch, Stu gets tangled in a twisted, high-stakes, ‘inverted heist.’ But as betrayals mount and revenge includes murder, Stu and new allies must race to save lives and seek justice in humanity’s digital immortality. Fans of smart cyberpunk, like Neal Stephenson’s Snowcrash, or sci-fi with humor, as in Andy Weir’s The Martian or John Scalzi’s Redshirts, will love Immortality Bytes. Book Trailer:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ul3KA2zT0aw Reviews: 1)  “Feels like an American Douglas Adams” — San Francisco Book Review 2) “A supercharged, high-stakes cyberpunk thriller.” — VERDICT:✓GET IT — Kirkus Reviews 3) “Perfect for anyone looking for a fun, easy read that combines sci-fi elements with a bit of social satire. Abrams’ sharp, witty prose and inventive world make it well worth the ride, especially for fans of snappy, humorous sci-fi." — 5-Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ — Manhattan Book Review 4) “Dark humor and crisp dialogue drive the twisty storytelling” — ✓EDITOR'S PICK — Publishers Weekly's Booklife Reviews https://linktr.ee/immortalitybytes

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Summary: In Space, No One Can Hear You Sing … Grayson Eck's life is a drag, in all the best possible ways. He's perfectly happy working in the belt alone as a wildcatter, prospecting asteroids by … well, not exactly by day. At night, he transforms into the Inner System's most famous Valeriana Storm — a secret identity that even his closest friends and family don't know about. When someone tries to steal one of Greyson's mining scores, he has half a mind to just toss the guy off his rock and into open space. But that all changes when he discovers the stranger's identity — and that he knows Greyson's secret. Now he's being chased by a pirate, and has to decide what to do with the apparent thief while also putting on his show. What's a space drag queen to do?

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Summary: They thought they were the only women on Planet Hy Man — until the rats arrived. Still reeling from the COVID-19 near-pandemic, H2 has gone from fearless leader to full-blown agoraphobe, unable to open a window, never mind rule a planet. She pins her hopes on Woody a quirky genius — until his mother is abducted. No one even knew Woody had a mother… let alone that she was living on the planet. As the shock wears off, H2 realises the only thing they know about kidnapping is the Mel Gibson film Ransom And before she can tap into Woody’s brilliance, he’s off, gone to save his mother and is as out of reach as a defunct satellite. H2 must face her fears, leave her room, and somehow save her people. A piece of galactic pie, right? The Other Side of Planet Hy Man is the eighth in Kerrie Noor’s comedy sci-fi series. If you love Terry Pratchett’s satire and Douglas Adams’ absurdity, then buy today and buckle up for an intergalactic farce at its finest.    

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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: You can choose your friends, but you can’t choose your family… Quirk and Moth have avoided killing each other long enough to solve another case. They decide on a local job next, and take up the search for a missing scientist. How could Quirk know this new mystery put them on a headlong collision course with his troubled past, a plethora of personal issues, and a hoard of genetic hybrid creatures with an appetite for anything that moves? When their client dies in mysterious circumstances, law enforcement pursues the dysfunctional duo all the way to a research lab in frozen Yellowknife. Can Quirk and Moth find the scientist before they are banged up for murder, or has she already been eaten? Is it coincidence Quirk’s father-in-law bought the company? Can they expose the shadow from Quirk’s past and clear their names? Quirk and Moth need time, but it’s fast running out, and the bodies are piling up. Find out what happens in The Carborundum Conundrum!

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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: On the 3rd Orbital Anniversary, a mining ship vanished, never to be heard from again. Twelve years later, Special Agent Evelyn Carlisle finds herself on the cusp of discovering what happened to it – if she can get the crew of the Galilean Moons Forensic Cleaning Company to talk. A tale from the Jovian Empire.

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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.

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Summary: Androids & Aliens is Scott's third short story collection - eight sci fi and sci-fantasy shorts that run the gamut from cyborgs to (comedic) alien invasions: Rise: The rise in sea levels caused by climate change swallowed Venice beneath the lagoon half a century ago. But what if we could bring it back? Ping: I was a real estate agent by day, and a museum curator in the evening at a sci-fi museum. What I saw one night changed everything. What the Rain Brings: Miriam struggles to make a living in post-climate-change Vancouver. But her friend Catalina has it even worse in the Arizona desert. So Miri hatches a plan. High Seven: Zan dreams of making full reals - immersive live virtual reality skins - but his low score may doom him to a life of cheap coding. Full Real: Dek's given up his life of spying for the city. But one more case awaits him. Will he regret it more if he takes it, or turns it down? Shit City: The Bay Area is being walloped by a hurricane, and seventeen-year-old Jason Vasquez has been relocated to a refugee city in the Nevada Desert. Will it be temporary shelter, or change his life? Firedrake: Kerry has always wondered about his deadly powers. But a mysterious bunch of violet roses starts him on the path to discovery - even if he's not sure he's going to like what he finds. The Last Human Heart: I'm one of the Remainers, the few cyborg humans still living on this busted planet. But if my still-human heart finally gives out, I may not live to find out the truth about who I am. This is the first time all of these stories have all been collected in one place, and the first publication of the Pacific Climate Tryptich - What the Rain Brings, High Seven, and Full Real - in any form.

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Summary: The fate of the planet rests with Beryl and Legless, a couple as capable as Homer Simpson with a toolbox. Ruling Planet Hy Man with the budget of a weekend camping trip is H2, a woman with as much experience in leadership as a toddler. When she discovers a portal to Earth, H2 summons the experts to investigate, unaware of the coronavirus — until a sea of rats stagger through the portal with every coronavirus symptom going. Stopping the virus from spreading is as easy as it was on Earth. And with a shopping list longer than a toilet roll, it’s up to Beryl and Legless to take the lead. Will they work as a team and rise to the occasion, or fall out faster than a soufflé in an earthquake? Rebel Without A Mask is the seventh in the Planet Hy Man series. If you love Terry Pratchett’s satire and Douglas Adams’ absurdity, then grab your facemark and buy today.

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Summary: 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. And her sexy, winged rescuer is no help either; he’s more concerned about obeying orders. Seems there’s only one way for this gal to get home—hijack his ship. All in the line of duty. The grays have been a burr in Captain Sovah Raptorclaw’s wing throughout his law-enforcement career, and now they have absconded with half his crew. If only the crazy stopped there. The stunning female he rescued is from a planet he has never heard of, yet she has him breaking every rule to keep her in his life. Can this high-flying duo make a daring rescue, conquer fears, return a cow—and other Earthlings—home, and discover that true love does not have an expiration date? Welcome to the Silverstar Mates series, featuring intergalactic love matches for those over fifty.

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Summary: They say, “Never work with androids or children.” Quirk had one job to do, deliver papers to a Milan mafia boss, before leaving Earth for his home in the asteroids. But that was before being tailed, poisoned—oh, yes—and hijacked into raising foulmouthed fourteen-year-old convent girl Angelika Moratti, aka Moth, who'd rather see him asphyxiate in space. Fleeing assassins, Quirk, Moth and her syRen® android S-0778 ride the space elevator to the Moon, where Quirk hires on to hunt an ex-terra-former who somehow used an android to murder his doctor. But which android of the two hundred under Lunaville’s dome? The trail of bodies grows, time is running out; the only way they can save the dome and the two thousand souls beneath it is to solve The Mandroid Murders. Genres: Science Fiction / Thriller / Mystery / Adventure / LGBT and Non Binary Market: Adult

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Summary: The mind of a befuddled muse... is full of odd nooks and crannies. This quirky, thoughtful, engrossing collection of short fiction contains twelve short stories and a novella across sci-fi and related genres including Time Travel, Alternate History, Hauntings, Circus Noir, Historical Fiction, Interspecies Communication, emails with the dead, and more... The Stories include: Curved Space: The crew of a sleeper ship awakes to find themselves lightyears from earth and in danger of starvation. They are shocked when a pizza deliveryman knocks at their airlock. The Daemon Muse A man tries to ignore his muse and finds out she is not a jealous lover, but she demands his creativity to express her inspirations. Times of Life and Death A field historian specializing in Tudor England becomes entranced by Lady Jane, England's nine-days queen. He convinces her to forgo her execution and come with him back to 2085 where, he says, she will be safe. Heart's Desire The newly elected president of the United States finds out that even when the devil loses his bet, he wins. A Sticky End A freak accident leaves an astronaut dying and stuck in the airlock with his robot. As he prepares for his end, he desperately tries to find humanity in his one remaining friend. The Singer of Starfish A young dolphin is convinced that she is the long-prophesied "Singer of Starfish" who can finally communicate with the strange animals keeping her and her pod captive. The Offering A sculptor weeps as he carves a memorial for his painter friend who had completely failed to understand the brutality of the French Occupation of Algeria. Both is French family and his secret Algerian family would pay the price of his naiveté. The Big Gumshoes A Clown PI must solve the murder of his friend and mentor in both his careers. Along the way, he breaks up a corrupt side-show, finds love, and returns a kidnapped dog to its owner. A Day in the Life of the Great Space Explorer A nursing home finds a unique way to entertain its staff and residents by celebrating the writing of their resident Sci-Fi author who can only remember the day he is living at the moment. Something That Will Not Let Go A woman returns to her childhood home to hide from the law. Once there, she finds out her imaginary friend, who helped her live through the abuse from her father, is not so imaginary after all. Together, they avenge the pain they suffered as children. Pea Soup A mild-mannered, puzzle-loving court reporter is duped by the beautiful, but corrupt prosecutor. The Severed World The Field Historian and Lady Jane from Times of Life and Death find out her decision to travel back to his time has dramatically changed history and that his promise that she would be safe in 2085 could not have been more wrong. A Thread Across The Veil An internet scammer discovers that he can converse by email with his recently deceased lover and that she wants to reform him from his evil ways.

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Summary: On Planet Hy Man, power is a tug-of-war — and Bette and Beryl are digging in. Bette, an ex-cleaner with a love for order, is grimly hanging onto her leadership. Champing at her heels, rewriting history is Beryl, a woman so ambitious she has rewritten Planet Hy Man’s Geographic—Manifesto The Great’s legacy. Manifesto The Great is livid and plans a coup, but the men on Planet Hy Man are way too old and couldn’t give a toss about any legacy. Will Beryl grasp the leadership, and his legacy be rewritten forever? Or will Bette remain and show him mercy? The Legacy Of Manifesto The Great is the third in the Planet Hy Man comedy series. If you like Terry Pratchett's satire and Douglas Adams' absurdity, then buy today and buckle up for an intergalactic farce of a lifetime.

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Summary: The revolution has started — and the leader is drinking through it. Faced with an uprising, Manifesto The Great turns to the only person he can trust- his mother, but she has only 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 into 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 turns to his committee for advice. But they have other plans, mainly to bat with the winning team… Will he rise to command again, or go down in history as the man who lost a planet from behind a bar? The Downfall Of Manifesto The Great is the second in the Planet Hy Man comedy series. If you like Terry Pratchett's satire and Douglas Adams' absurdity, then buy today and buckle up for the farce of the century.

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Summary: A planet in chaos, a leader in denial, and a woman who won’t be owned. Planet Hy Man is a planet as pure as a baby’s belly button until a spaceship arrives full of celibate men and women hungry for all things ‘earthy’. They hurl themselves into a frenzy of real meat, real air, and procreation until Manifesto The Great’s forefather takes control, creating order, rules, and a sewage system. Manifesto The Great watches as his forefather pollutes the planet, treats women like they're walking wombs, and designs dodgy robots, and when his forefather dies, Manifesto The Great is left to pick up the pieces. Will he rise over the tidal wave of discontented women and claim his throne, or drown under a sea of underwire and oestrogen? The Rise Of Manifesto The Great is the first book in the Planet Hy Man comedy series. If you like Terry Pratchett's satire and Douglas Adams' absurdity, then buy today and buckle up for an intergalactic farce.

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Summary: True love only happens once in a lifetime, right? Nixy Vogel found wedded bliss, only to be widowed soon after. Her job of matching others with their forever-loves gives her focus, and joy. And now some smoking hot alien wants to put Silverstar out of business? She should be furious; instead, her shuttered heart burns for him. Waiting several lifetimes for “the one.” The ancient mate-matching tradition of Kai Firewing’s clan could end unless the Silverstar Agency is exposed as a fraud. Simple enough to do…until his rival lights a fire in his heart as only the soul mate of an immortal phoenix can. Will Nixy embrace her second chance before it—and Kai—goes up in flames? Welcome to the Silverstar Agency, specializing in intergalactic love matches for those over fifty.

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Summary: Happily ever after didn’t work out. If Meryl Faulkner learned anything from her divorce, it’s that promises aren’t always forever. But life goes on, and she’s not defined by any man, or alien. Especially not that annoying, self-serving…all right, fine…sexy winged alien who’s divebombed into her orderly life. And she’s not his mate either, dammit! Deemed un-mateable from birth. Years ago, Rol Raptorclaw came to terms with the solitary life society thrust upon him. Serving his monarchs keeps him too busy to be lonely—or at least it did. Now one beautiful and maddening human female, who challenges him at every turn, has somehow inserted herself into his unworthy heart. Rol is determined to prove to Meryl he is not a flight risk, but can he do so before the trade negotiations with Earth wrap up and he must return home? Welcome to the Silverstar Agency, specializing in intergalactic love matches for those over fifty.