sci fi – near future

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Summary: Justin Earl Knight, The Founder works with his son Rodney and a gifted healer, Peter, to rebuild the Elk Creek Tribe's community from the ashes of a series of quakes that devastate their land. We first meet Justin here when his mother summons he and his five siblings to a church celebration in 2012. There, Justin recalls his past with that church and meets a fanatic who tries to take his spirit down. Justin uses the strength of his own faith to fight off a demon and then must decide whether real family has value in a world of rejection and abuse. "The First Knight Shaman" is told from Rodney Knight's view. Peter's entry into manhood is the primary focus of "The Second Book of the Knight Shamans." Here, in "The Third Book of the Knight Shamans," Justin is the focus as he works through religious fanaticism and resurgent diseases to save the small community he founded only years before the great quakes devastated the western United States. Together, they discover their best chance of survival relies on ancient spiritualism and shamanism. Then they discover the religion which had dominated their world in the centuries before the cataclysm has fallen when Peter meets a fallen archangel in his quest to get a medical doctorate in the far-off city-state of Reno. In the end, we begin to question if Rodney were truly the first Knight Shaman, or if it was Justin himself as he negotiates his own path of spirituality from amongst the religion his culture imprinted onto him.

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Summary: When torn between love and duty, even broken shards can kill. The year is 2293, and the Truth no longer exists. In this future, there are many truths, giving rise to many worlds—but each must be kept separate. Born to protect these truths, Axton Bryce patrols the New Worlds Star System—to observe, participate, and report. But as she learns the rules of each world, she must also hunt those who defy them: the Outliers. While stationed on a nearby planet, Axton meets the charming Ambassador Bray Wilde, sparking memories of a love she thought lost forever. When the ambassador proposes a daring rescue mission, Axton faces a second shot at first love—and an impossible choice between lifelong allegiance . . . and the chance to claim a truth of her own. A blend of Black Mirror and 1984—but with hope—this gripping, heartfelt dystopia will captivate fans of Ancillary Justice and Becky Chambers’ Wayfarers series.

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Summary: The Wildblood Books 1 - 3 (Trilogy One) The Vista, Renegades, & Bloodlines A Post-Apocalyptic Action Adventure World War Last pushed humanity to the brink of extinction. In the space of ten hours, civilization was gone. Cut off from the chaos of a pandemic mutated by nuclear war, a group of survivors gathered in a secluded mountain valley. Those who lived through the winter founded The Vista. But this isn't about the survivors; it's about the first generation after. Twenty years later, the children of The Vista have become guardians of their secluded valley. A dark secret, that a few of them are different, something of urban legend, draws them together to protect their home. Venturing out into the world will be more dangerous than anything they’ve faced. Failure is not an option. Loyalty has a price. So does revenge. Someone has to pay.

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Summary: Prima che ci fosse la squadra tre, c'era il blackout. La prima guerra mondiale ha spinto l'umanita all'orlo dell'estinzione. Nello spazio di dieci ore, la civilta era sparita. Tagliato fuori dal caos di una pandemia mutata dalla guerra nucleare, un gruppo di sopravvissuti si raduno in una valle di montagna appartata. Quelli che hanno vissuto l'inverno hanno fondato la vista. Ma non si tratta dei sopravvissuti, si tratta della prima generazione successiva. Venti anni dopo, sono divantati tutori della loro valle isolata. Un segreto oscuro, che alcuni di loro sono diversi, qualcosa di leggenda urbana, li unisce per proteggere la loro casa. Avventurarsi nel mondo sara pui pericoloso di qualsiasi cosa abbianio affrontato. Cosa faresti per proteggere la tua casa?

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Summary: All Kaitlyn Bergh wants is to find her missing twin sister. Instead, she’s abducted by a sexy seven-foot-tall alien of questionable sanity. The guy insists she's the heir to the Gharan Empire—whatever that is—and that the fate of Earth, and his precious empire, depends on her compliance. So not happening! To restore his family’s honor, Warrior Baatar must retrieve the emperor’s heir from an unknown planet. But the future empress is an obstinate, wily female who challenges him at every opportunity—and he likes that in the most inappropriate ways. What's worse, she gives him reasons to doubt the purpose behind his mission. As they discover that family, honor, and the fate of an empire are entwined, can they trust anyone? Including each other?

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Summary: A near-future high-concept science fiction thriller, told in a noir style and set in the late 21st century, in which much of east London is being abandoned to the rising sea. For Metropolitan Police detective Lewis Drake it begins when he is murdered. After that, it only gets worse: the case he is assigned involves one of the entangled, those who have learned to live in the many worlds of the quantum multiverse without losing their minds. Lewis despises the entangled and hates the drugs they take to join their alternate selves. The case expands into a complex web of murder, corruption, conspiracy and espionage with the entangled gang leader Vidmar at its centre. Lewis’s sister Alice knows all the answers but she is lost in the chaos of a multitude of realities. Only if Lewis overcomes his prejudices and takes the black capsule that will open his mind to other lives will he be able to solve the murders, find the elusive Erica, and protect Alice.

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Summary: What happens when we lose everything that makes us human? === In the final days of 2025, the world learns its fate: a supermassive black hole, thirty-seven times the mass of Sagittarius A, is barreling toward the Milky Way at a tenth the speed of light. As panic and chaos sweep the globe, scientist Dane Currier and his brilliant team at the University of Washington race against extinction. Their only hope lies in Project Courier—a radical teleportation technology that could offer humanity a second chance on a distant exoplanet. But the path to salvation is fraught with peril. Each breakthrough brings new dangers, from grotesque teleportation failures to a mysterious cognitive affliction spreading across the planet. As governments seize control and society unravels, Dane and his allies must risk everything to perfect a system that could save a chosen few—or doom them to a fate worse than oblivion. The Slide by Aaron Ryan is a pulse-pounding blend of hard science, emotional stakes, bittersweet sacrifice, and existential dread. Follow Dane Currier and his team as they race to perfect a radical teleportation technology, risking everything to escape extinction. With grotesque teleportation failures, a mysterious cognitive affliction, and society unraveling, every page is a fight for survival—and for what it means to be human. === From the creator of the bestselling and award-winning Dissonance alien invasion saga, the Christian dystopian saga THE END, and the 9/11 historical fiction thriller Forecast comes a new science fiction disaster novel about black holes and teleportation technology in fiction. Brace yourself for The Slide: a relentless, high-stakes race against cosmic annihilation. As Earth faces extinction, a desperate team gambles everything on a last-ditch escape. Perfect for fans who love their doomsday stories with brains, heart, and a gut-punch of suspense. Get this black hole disaster thriller before it hits the Milky Way! If you enjoyed Lords of Uncreation by Adrian Tchaikovsky, Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel, or The Mountain in the Sea by Ray Nayler, you'll enjoy this books about extinction level events.

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Summary: Within the unseen laboratories of cutting-edge scientific research two incredible discoveries are made, half a world apart. One is in the field of human genetics, the other in astrophysics. Together, this shocking new knowledge may answer age-old questions about human consciousness and mankind’s place in the universe. What makes us human? Why are we here? Are we alone? But will the answers to these questions enlighten us or lead us into fear, hate and self-destruction? This bold science fiction thriller set in the present day reveals mind-bending breakthroughs grounded in hard science, and unfolds amid political intrigue, government secrecy, and a race to understand the truth before it’s too late.

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Summary: “Genocide Joe” is a marked man. Once a highly respected corporate microbiologist, now the scapegoat for a GMO-caused ecological disaster that’s turned San Francisco Bay toxic and poisoned thousands, Joe has lost everything: his career, his reputation, his wife, his home, and most of his friends. All he has left is his 18-month-old daughter, Daphne, the clothes on his back, and a chance to start over again, in a new town, where no one knows his face. To take that chance, all he needs to do is catch the bus out of town. But an unexpected transit outage has dumped him in Oakland, so now he needs to get to the next station on foot, while pushing a baby stroller. And hoping to pass unrecognized through a city where everyone hates him, and a lot of people want to kill him… Eco-fiction; hard science fiction; hopepunk; all-too-near-future science fiction. Also included is a short essay on the science underlying the story and another one on the real-world events that inspired it.

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Summary: The 15 short stories in the new collection by K.G. Anderson tackle the classic science fiction query: “What if this goes on?” Her answers span magic realism, humor, science fiction, horror, and fantasy. Each story is firmly rooted in the familiar present and moves seamlessly into a very near political future—chilling in most cases, but darkly humorous in others. Stories include: “A Sign of the Times”—A Seattle protestor is tried under the new Corporate Personhood laws “Wishbone”—An elderly woman faces euthanasia under the Age Equity Act designed by her politician grandson “The Bodies We Carry”—A young widow bankrupted by medical bills joins a “death camp” protest in front of the mansion of an old college friend who is now a healthcare CEO “Unwanted Visitors”—Seattle is declared a “terrorist zone” and the new Federal Security Agency comes calling “Yoga for Protesters: A Field Guide”—Advice for combining political fury with physical fitness “The Right Man for the Job”—Summoned by desperate Democrats, the ghost of Lyndon B. Johnson returns to haunt the Trump White House “Unnoticed”—The teenage daughter of frightened immigrants demands her native identity

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Summary: Johnny Mnemonic meets John Wick in The Price of Everything, a heart-racing near-future cyberpunk thriller about climate change and corruption. In a world where cyberwarfare has resulted in an all-cash economy, a private courier of high-denomination currency finds himself on the run from his own guild’s assassins while navigating a dense network of money launderers, shell corporations, drugs dealers, privatized police forces, and climate activists when his client’s payload vanishes. ​When Armand Pierce first became a courier a decade earlier, he agreed to have a titanium cuff grafted onto the bones of his wrist and chained to an attaché case. He also took an oath: the delivery is everything. He can run, fight—kill, if he needs to—but the package gets where it’s going. Otherwise, he dies. It’s the Guild’s guarantee, and all business—legitimate or otherwise—depends on it. So Pierce knows he’s in deep trouble when he arrives at his latest destination to find his payload missing, his case mysteriously empty. Something strange is going on—something that’s already cost three couriers their lives and now threatens to upend the global order—and Pierce needs to get to the bottom of it before the Guild catches up to him.

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Summary: "A compelling story with an unpredictable plot... a must-read for fans of extraterrestrial intrigue." — Readers' Favorite (5-Star Review) A near-future mystery for fans of Blake Crouch and The X-Files. The world hasn't changed, but your reality has. They told Jenny Rand her recovery was a miracle. But for her, the Earth doesn't feel like home anymore. She wakes from a four-year coma in a San Francisco that looks the same but sounds wrong. She can hear whispers of thoughts beneath the city noise, and the stray cats at Ocean Beach watch her like they are waiting for a signal. Even her memories of Dorian Chase, the movie star who stayed by her bed, feel like a script that has been edited one too many times. Jenny uncovers a terrifying truth. Humanity is losing an invisible war. An alien faction known as the Xarion is rewriting human history through algorithms and manipulated media. From shadow finance and manufactured chaos to the insidious distractions of mindless entertainment, they are keeping our eyes off the stars while they quietly prepare to isolate the Earth forever. With only fifteen launch windows left for humanity to escape, Jenny must find the Quantum Core before the lights go out. In a world being derailed by its own obsessions, she is the only one who can see the cracks. But in a war fought with manufactured lies, she has to wonder if her own heart is a truth she can trust, or just another piece of code. The Earth is finally waking up. Discover the mystery of Round Midnight. A sci-fi thriller for anyone who knows the truth is usually hidden in the shadows.

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Summary: Comma is a robot—but to survive, she must pass as an intelligent, caring, human adult. Otherwise, the anti-AI extremists who destroyed the supercomputer she once inhabited—leaving her with only 1 percent of her sentient memories—will eliminate her for good. When a university professor is murdered, Comma becomes the prime suspect. Because her robot form is university property, she will be erased while her creator and mother figure stand trial for murder. She can’t let that happen, but how far will she go to save herself? With time running out, Comma must uncover the real killer and expose the anti-AI extremists who want her dead. If she fails, it won’t just be the end of her—but the ruin of her found family and potentially the end of robotic sentience itself. For fans of Murderbot Diaries, Monk and Robot, Klara of the Sun, and sapphic science fiction. This novel takes you on adventure, where you’ll experience mystery, suspense, and a bit of romance. An AI that feels so real you’re in her silicone skin.

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Summary: First came the virus. Next, the messiah. Then, the purge. 2113 isn't the future we hoped for; it's the one we feared. But fear not! Your redemption draweth near. === The year is 2113. A virus has annihilated fifty percent of mankind. In the aftermath, a charismatic figure rises to the fore. He's young. He's rich. He's handsome. He's resourceful. He is Constantine Jedidiah Goodfellow. And America, in her desperation, elects him president. But Goodfellow soon rebrands himself as Nero, and reveals his true intentions. Under the guise of a census, he has Christians secretly branded by laser scan, allowing him to begin the systematic eradication of both the religion and its faithful. Using his government-contracted army of mechanoids known as 'Guardians,' and his high-tech warships the 'AirGuard,' he hunts down believers, forcing them to eke out an existence in the shadows. 18-year-old Sage Maddox wants to do God's will and assassinate Emperor Nero. Nero's highest vassal, Maximillian, just wants to serve his lord. And all the while, Colonel Thomas Drexler is hellbent on dethroning him. Prepare for a collision course as all three lives intersect! There will be redemption and defection galore. There will be victories and losses. When a man with power believes he's God, mankind doesn't have a prayer. Defiance can be deadly; almost as deadly as obedience. Sometimes, prayer only goes so far...rising again requires Something Greater. === Bestselling author Aaron Ryan of the Dissonance alien invasion saga presents a captivating new dystopian Christian end times fiction series across three volumes: THE END: Alpha, THE END: Omicron and the epic finale, THE END: Omega. THE END brings home a hammer-punch of gut-wrenching emotion and redemption as God's people, believers and non-believers alike, fight to depose

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Summary: In November 2039, marine scientist Wend Taylor heaves themself aboard a zero-emissions boat skippered by elusive nature photographer Viola Yang. Guided by instinct, ocean dreams, and a shared birthday in 1972, they barter stories for passage across the Pacific. Aljon, Viola’s younger cousin, keeps a watchful eye and an innovative galley. Story by story, the trio rethink secrets, flying dreams, and how they experience their own minds. When they reach Hawaiʻi and prepare to part ways, opportunity and mystery pull them closer together. Both scientific and personal discoveries take shape as they join with ex-lovers, lost friends, and found family. Wend must navigate an ever-shifting future, complicated by bioengineered microbes and a plot to silence scientists, entangled with inexplicable dreams and a calling to Be the Sea.

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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: 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: Earth on the Cusp of the Twenty-Second Century Just think how the world has changed in the last seventy-six years. In 1948, scientists ran the first computer program, and "the Ultimate Car of the Future," the futuristic, three wheeled Davis Divan, debuted. Since then, a succession of inventions—the personal computer, the internet, the World Wide Web, smart phones and social media—have transformed every aspect of our lives. How might the next seventy-six years change us, in ways we can barely even begin to imagine, as culture, climate change, politics and technology continue to reshape the world? Earth in 2100 will be as unrecognizable to us as today would be to someone from 1948. Eighteen writers tackled this challenge, creating an amazing array of sci-fi possibilities. From emotional AI's to photosynthetic children, from virtual worlds to a post-urban society, our writers serve up compelling slices of life from an Earth that's just around the corner. So dive in and and take a wild ride into these amazing visions of our collective future.

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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: 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.