sci fi – soft sci fi

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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: 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: Ismat’s dating life is terrible, and a lot of it has to do with honesty. Not that he doesn’t want to be honest, he just can’t – or it will ruin his life. He can’t tell anyone he works for the Dominion Security Bureau counter-terrorism division; he can’t tell his date who his father is, even if he knows them, and he most definitely can’t tell them how he actually feels about the gender he has to wear. A possible security breach in the Bureau means that he and his immediate boss are the only people who can be trusted with a case. Things rapidly become more complicated as the Bureau’s Director pulls two foreign agents into the mix. More complicated than others because Ismat finds one of them very attractive, something which he would rather the agent not know. Unfortunately – she’s telepathic. When the investigation leads them to a women-only charity event, Ismat finds some use for the dresses kept in the back of the closet and finds out that having a partner who knows what you think is not such a bad thing. A stand-alone book set in the Worlds of the PACT universe.

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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: Sloane, a traveling mage and hustler, encountered a curious little creature—a chatty spider that fit snugly in their hands. But this wasn’t a harmless garden or cellar spider. It demanded blood and flesh, and when mice failed to suffice, moved on to bigger prey. Sloane appeased it as best they could, but as the spider rapidly shot up in size, turned their focus from butcher shops to farms. Together, they concocted a plan to “solve” a manifested loss of cattle. The spider got a steady supply of food, and Sloane got street cred as a “monster slayer”. But that neat plan swiftly falls apart when the spider brings new life into the world, hundreds of equally ravenous juvenile spiders. Now Sloane has a very real infestation to contend with, along with suspicious rangers and wannabe hunters edging in on their turf. “…I’m gonna need a bigger boot.”

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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: "Today I swam through MOMA. Leon says it was a waste, encasing the art, then flooding the museum—frivolous and elitist. I say it was a gesture of optimism, a triumph of technology and political will." Want to thrill to the possibilities of a hopeful future? We asked a bunch of sci-fi writers to spin tales of a better future, imagining ways in which the world might become a better place. From a swim through an underwater museum to a joyous dance at a futuristic concert, from the eco-friendly aftermath of an alien invasion and retreat to the refurbishing of an old climate-ravaged home in New Vancouver, these fourteen short sci-fi stories will to restore your faith in the future. A world transformed is a world we can all hope for. Book three in the Writers Save the World short story anthologies. If you enjoy this book, check out Fix the World and Save the World.

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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: Lem and her dog, Spock, have a late-night encounter with a stowaway. ’Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the Teapot… Not a creature was stirring, not even a lonely robot; The stockings were hung in the mess hall with care In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there.

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Summary: A secret unicorn, a desperate family, and a cop dead set on hunting them down. Lem and the rag-tag gang of galactic adventurers on the starship Teapot are set to become roadies for the galaxy’s hottest band – but an urgent call from Bexley’s family means the rock stars will have to wait. Bexley’s soon-to-be-born sibling has a big secret: wings. On planet Hwin, skeledivergence is outlawed, so the Teapot crew swoop in to help the family escape. But their planet won’t let them go that easily. Hunted across the galaxy by a fanatical and eerily familiar cop, the Teapotters must find a way to outwit their pursuer and secure a future for skeledivergent people everywhere. Dive into the next adventure in this satirical space opera series. Artfully intertwining deep themes with tongue-in-cheek humour and intergalactic ridiculousness, Consider Pegasus is a must-read for fans of Ryka Aoki’s Light from Uncommon Stars or TJ Berry’s Space Unicorn Blues. Scroll up and grab your copy now!

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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: “Pain is pain. It all hurts the same.” Inflicted with dark desire, one man chooses between idyllic pretense and disturbing reality. Haunted by the silence of deep space, an engineer chases an eerie melody. Torn between penance and pride, a dishonored prince challenges the course of history. Suffering cracks our hearts and splinters our minds. It scars and alters us in irreversible ways. Yet while pain breaks us apart, it also binds us together. Our broken pieces can never rejoin as they once were, but they fit together to create new and distinctive wholes. Like the Japanese art of kintsugi, we can fill the velvety darkness of our scars with gold. Inflicted with life, an intelligent machine questions the illogic of family. Tempted by the desire to die, a shop clerk confronts the promise of his life. Offered the chance to transform his disfigurement, a ruined being looks to the smallest of lives for acceptance. An amalgamation of science fiction and fantasy subgenres, Inflicted invites you to peer into your own pain, examine your scars, and remember you are not alone. Pain binds us all, and how we face our brokenness redefines us. Immerse yourself in the brokenness of others and come away with a new understanding of self.

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Summary: He’s kind. He’s gentle. He’s trouble. Since childhood, Skylar Trimble has admired Maggie Bock from afar. Now, years later, her friendship is more than he ever expected, or deserves, especially after the terror his traitorous late father rained down on her family during the invasion. Dare he hope for more? Maggie treasures the day Skylar slipped into her heart like a missing puzzle piece. But an accusation of murder doesn’t equate with the caring, unassuming man she knows. He’s innocent, and she's determined to prove it, with or without her family’s blessing—and damn the evidence.

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Summary: Life in 1960 Fellowship America is tenuous. High school senior, Ian Hobart, dreams of becoming a star reporter. Until one symbol changes his life forever. One fall day in 1960 Fellowship America, Ian rides his bike home after his shift as copy boy. He is dreaming of the day he is a star reporter and can afford his own car, but all his dreams vanish at the sight of the Fellowship shield burned into the family’s front door. He can’t believe it. Doesn’t want to believe it. The Fellowship’s Angels of Death Took his parents and older brother. And that can mean only one thing—he and his siblings will be next. Pursued by Fellowship agents, Ian gathers his younger siblings and what supplies they can carry. They flee into the wilds of the Blue Ridge Mountains, where they rely on Ian’s savvy and survival skills. But life in the mountains is brutal and unforgiving. Resources are limited. Food is scarce. And winter is coming. They won’t survive without help. With no one else he can trust, Ian turns to his best friend. And puts all their lives in danger.

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Summary: A little blue world, the third planet from the sun. It’s home to 7 billion people with all manner of faiths, beliefs and customs, divided by bigotry and misunderstanding, who will soon be told they are not alone in the universe. Anyone watching from the outside would pass by this fractured and tumultuous world, unless they had no other choice. Todd Landon is one of these people, living and working in a section of the world called the United States of America. His life is similar to those around him: home, family, work, friends and a husband. After the attack on San Jose, Todd is appointed to Special Envoy for Terran Affairs by the nentraee, a position many world leaders question. Undeterred Todd wants to build bridges between both people. However, this new position brings with it a new set of problems that not only he, but his new allies Mi’ko and Mirtoff must overcome. Will the humans and nentraee learn to work together despite mistrust and threats of more attacks by a new global terrorist group, or will the terrorists win? Will this bring an end to an already shaky alliance between nentraee and humans?

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Summary: A little blue world, the third planet from the sun. It's home to 7 billion people with all manner of faiths, beliefs and customs, divided by bigotry and misunderstanding, who will soon be told they are not alone in the universe. Anyone watching from the outside would pass by this fractured and tumultuous world, unless they had no other choice. Todd Landon is one of these people, living and working in a section of the world called the United States of America. His life is similar to those around him: home, family, work, friends and a husband. On the cusp of the greatest announcement humankind has ever witnessed, Todd’s personal world is thrown into turmoil when his estranged brother shows up on his front porch with news of ships heading for Earth’s orbit. The ships are holding the Nentraee, a humanoid race who have come to Earth in need of help after fleeing the destruction of their homeworld. How will one man bridge the gap for both the Humans and Nentraee, amongst mistrust, terrorist attacks and personal loss? Will this be the start of a new age of man or will bigotry and miscommunication bring this small world to its knees and final end?

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Summary: “Take your kids to live in space.” “They’ll love it!” “It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity.” It all makes sense to first-time parents, Alex and Gryf, and everything goes well… at first. Now their youngest, Maggie, is missing—stowed away on her mother’s transport to Earth, leaving not only her parents frantic, but the entire crew of Atlantis as well. Maggie’s mission is simple: find Santa and let him know she and her siblings live aboard her parents’ space cruiser now. And that she wants a puppy. No big deal, right? What she didn’t expect is for her disappearance to set off a chain of events that brings Christmas to Atlantis. Join the Bock family as they celebrate what makes the holiday season so very special. (Blue Christmas is a companion story to my novel Prophecy, Book One of the Prophecy Series. This story takes place three months after the end of Prophecy.)

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Summary: A heart-rending loss… Flora Bock will never forgive the Anferthian invaders for murdering her birth-parents. Growing up with the grandson of her sworn enemies is living a nightmare—until the day she sees him through the eyes of a young woman. But giving her heart to him is the ultimate betrayal of her parents’ memory. A life in peril… There are precious few places in the galaxy where Fander K’nil is safe. One look into Flora’s beautiful, hate-filled eyes is proof enough that Terr is not one of those places. He must keep her at a distance and stay alive long enough to fulfill his destiny. No matter what his heart desires. An empire at stake… Just as Fander and Flora begin to discover the depth of their feelings for each other, they are thrust into a deadly game of politics and assassination with an enemy who stops at nothing to stay in power. With the lives of everyone they love at risk, they must find a way to avert a new invasion before it’s too late—even if it means making the ultimate sacrifice.

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Summary: A blessing and a curse… Seven years ago, a single moment changed the course of Nicholaus Bock’s life forever—the moment his preternatural Gift to heal awakened in him. A gift that made him an invaluable commodity to the known galaxy. Now his mentor’s intriguing and secretive new student goes out of her way to challenge his loyalty to everything he values. A dark secret… After facing death and destruction during the Anferthian invasion, Sakura Yamata revels in her new-found Gift to heal. Helping Earth’s survivors keeps her mind off the loss of her family, and the memory of the terrible choices she made. Nick could penetrate her defenses and discover what she’s hiding. She must not let the handsome healer close enough for that to happen. A race facing annihilation… When a mysterious disease strikes the hidden sanctuary of the Anferthian dissenters, Nick and Sakura are called in to help. But someone is going to great lengths to ensure the dissenters don’t survive. Nick and Sakura must set aside their differences and work together to save them before the fragile peace between three worlds is shattered.

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Summary: Garrison "Gunner" Reed thought the Anferthian invasion of Earth was life-changing, but that was nothing compared to rescuing April Buroski from the invaders' slave ship. Now, he can't get the petite, honey-blonde woman out of his mind. But, April's pregnant with her deceased boyfriend's child, and there doesn't seem to be room in her life for another man. April will never forget the man she lost in the invasion, her first love, Dave. Yet, when the chips are down, Garrison is there for her and her baby. The emotions stirring in her heart for the former Army colonel war with her feelings for Dave. Can she let go of the past and embrace her future before it's too late?