Best of
Near-Future

2018

The Corpse Whisperer (An Allie Nighthawk Mystery, #1)


H.R. Boldwood - 2018
     “If you raise deadheads, you’d better be able to put ‘em down. Nobody said it was pretty. But in this day, when vampires aren’t just for breakfast anymore, and the dead are disposable pawns for necromancers, someone has to ante up. Looks like I won the lotto. Imagine my delight. You should thank me, really, because the world is batshit crazy.” When the zombie population spikes and no one knows why, it’s up to Allie to solve the mystery. But there’s a hitch. She’s stuck babysitting Leo Abruzzi, a zombie-bitten gangster who’s turning state’s evidence. But the mob and a powerful necromancer will stop at nothing to take Leo and Allie down. Allie Nighthawk is Anita Blake on steroids, with a fondness for leather and Jack on the rocks. She has a healthy dose of Stephanie Plum and Rachel Morgan in her, too, though she’d never admit it. The battle between good and evil just got wicked fun.

Broken Stars


Ivan Kal - 2018
    Sixty-seven years ago the Qash'vo'tar conquered Earth. They had judged humanity as dangerous and unworthy of joining the other races among the stars. Ever since then, the aliens had ruled from above, keeping humanity from even thinking about reaching for the stars. The Qash'vo'tar did not care what humanity did on the ground, as long as they didn't attempt to build anything that could get them to the stars. Outmatched in every way and not willing to accept the cost of fighting back, the United Earth gave up ever again reaching beyond the boundary of Earth's sky. In its isolation, humanity turned its eyes from the sky and pointed them to the ground. Instead of the stars, humanity explored the oceans, burrowed deep underground, and broadened its understanding of laws of physics. Until finally they could take no more. In secret the United Earth's best scientists attempted to find a way out. They experimented, and in a single moment changed the fate of humanity. Accidentally, they broke through someplace else, created a breach in space-time. Deep underground, they created a portal to another universe. They made a breach to a universe where there was magic. This new universe changed them, changed their own universe. This one accident gave them a new weapon against the Qash'vo'tar. A weapon that the aliens had no knowledge of. It gave humanity magic. And they studied it, integrated it with their technology, and they waited for the right time to strike back against their alien overlords. And now, sixty-seven years after they had been conquered, it was time for humanity to show the Qash'vo'tar that they had been right to fear humanity. Now was the time for humanity to reclaim its world and carve a place for Earth among the stars. Broken Stars is the first book in the Universe on Fire series, an epic science fiction series with some fantasy elements. It follows humanity as it attempts to make a place for itself in a hostile galaxy.

Plum Rains


Andromeda Romano-Lax - 2018
    This population crisis has precipitated a mass immigration of foreign medical workers from all over Asia—as well as the development of refined artificial intelligence to step in where humans fall short.In Tokyo, Angelica Navarro, a Filipina nurse who has been working in Japan for the last five years, is the caretaker for Sayoko Itou, an intensely private woman about to turn 100 years old. Angelica is a dedicated nurse, working night and day to keep her paperwork in order, obey the strict labor laws for foreign nationals, study for her ongoing proficiency exams, and most of all keep her demanding client happy. But one day Sayoko receives a present from her son: a cutting-edge robot caretaker that will educate itself to anticipate Sayoko’s every need. Angelica wonders if she is about to be forced out of her much-needed job by an inanimate object—one with a preternatural ability to uncover the most deeply buried secrets of the humans around it. While Angelica is fighting back against the AI with all of her resources, Sayoko is becoming more and more attached to the machine. The old woman is hiding many secrets of her own—and maybe now she’s too old to want to keep them anymore.In a tour de force tapestry of science fiction and historical fiction, Andromeda Romano-Lax presents a story set in Japan and Taiwan that spans a century of empire, conquest, progress, and destruction. Plum Rains elegantly broaches such important contemporary conversations as immigration, the intersection of labor and technology, the ecological fate of our planet and the future of its children.

Monster Hunt NYC


Harmon Cooper - 2018
     Through the Monster Hunt App, Chase Knowles becomes the Alpha of two powerful Huntresses: one a half-dragon female fond of combat and banter, the other a cute warrior fond of reading spell books and wielding two killer blades. Their goal? Hunt these mythological creatures in the parks, rooftops, and back alleys of New York City; build a fighting party to compete in brawls and tournaments in the city and beyond; earn money; and try their damndest not to get arrested. Warning: Monster Hunt NYC contains a light harem with monster girls, augmented reality,fantasy violence, a ton of action, and GameLit/LitRPG concepts. It was inspired by the Persona Games, Pokemon Go!, and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. Click download now to start reading the newest series by Harmon Cooper, Amazon bestselling author of Cherry Blossom Girls, The Last Warrior of Unigaea, Fantasy Online and The Feedback Loop.

Herokiller


Paul Tassi - 2018
    Mysterious billionaire Cameron Crayton is a household name from televised spectacles in which prison inmates fight to the death, but his old shows pale in comparison to his new event, The Crucible, a gladiatorial tournament anyone can enter. The winner is promised unimaginable wealth and glory . . . if they’re able to survive a series of globally broadcast fight-to-the-death matches with medieval weaponry against the world’s most fearsome fighters. Former black-ops operative Mark Wei wants nothing more than to be left alone to drink after sacrificing everything?including his family?in America’s covert Cold War II against China, a war won largely because of him. But there are rumors that Crayton’s background and business dealings involve shady connections to foreign powers, and soon Mark is convinced to reluctantly dust off his training, strap on a sword and armor, and enter the tournament arena as an undercover agent. It’s the most dangerous assignment he’s ever been given, and Mark quickly finds himself not just fighting for his life in the arena against trained killers, but racing to expose The Crucible’s founder’s secrets while navigating a viral phenomenon in which the stakes are literally life and death. . . .

UPGRADE: Book 2 of the Obsolescence Trilogy


Chris Muhlenfeld - 2018
    Super-intelligence. Upgrades. In book two of The Obsolescence Trilogy, James, Alexa, and the rest of the survivors are coming to terms with the dizzying new reality that they’ve been forced to live in. They soon discover that everyone still alive must face a seemingly impossible choice: either betray their very humanity to survive or watch civilization retreat into a stone age before dwindling out of existence altogether. Set in the near future, Upgrade is the second book in The Obsolescence Trilogy. Plausible, fast-paced and full of rich, insightful characters, this sci-fi thriller will keep you up well past your bedtime! Continue your journey through the world of obsolescence today!

Behind the Vale


Brian D. Anderson - 2018
    And at its core the magnificent city of Troi. Here the mana flows from the great power station, bringing light and life to all. It is a beacon of hope in a sick and dying world. But all is not as it appears. Even as the Order of High Mages seeks to cure the land, sinister forces move to gain absolute control over The Vale and its citizens. Drake Sharazi, disgraced Royal Guard turned bounty hunter, has been exiled from Troi to the surrounding provinces, where resources are limited and starvation is commonplace. It is in this squalor and poverty he believes he shall spend his remaining days. But after years of labor and suffering, he has been given the chance to go home; to return to the life he has longed for since the moment he left his beloved city. But he quickly discovers that the life he desires is built on a foundation of lies. Now he must choose between what is right and what is easy. But what is right could cost more than he is willing to pay. And to save his home, he might have to destroy it…and all he has ever loved.

Days 1 to 4


Amy Cross - 2018
    And in two very different parts of America, two very different nightmares are about to begin. In Manhattan, Elizabeth and her brother Henry are all alone in their parents' apartment. Looking out the window, they can see the carnage slowly spreading through the city. But as hopes fade for their parents to come back, Elizabeth and Henry discover that dangers might alread have entered the building. Meanwhile, in Oklahoma, Thomas and his family live on an isolated farm. They too have noticed that something has changed, and a chance encounter on a deserted road leads to a moment of pure horror. An infection is spreading, and soon more victims begin to fall.

The Seismic Seven


Katie Slivensky - 2018
    Perfect for fans of Chris Grabenstein and Peter Lerangis.Brianna Dobson has been chosen to work with world-renowned geologist Dr. Grier in Yellowstone National Park for the summer, and she couldn’t be more excited!But then Dr. Grier tells her and the other kids on the project the real reason she’s invited them to Yellowstone: A massive supervolcano in the park is about to erupt—and if they can’t stop it, Earth will be plunged into an endless winter, and civilization will be destroyed.Bri and her new friends are ready and willing to help stop the eruption, but unexpected dangers threaten to foil their efforts. Will the Seismic Seven be able to defy nature and save the world?

STET


Sarah Gailey - 2018
    The main body of the story is a single paragraph, written in dry academic-speak and citing such fictional volumes as Magda Sheenan’s 2023 study 'A Unified Theory of Autonomous Conscience and Vehicular Awareness of Humanity as Compiled from Observations of Artificial Intelligence Behavior in Decision Matrices'. But the real story occurs in the set of footnotes that accompany the lone paragraph, citing further documents from this future era."

Forever Nomad: The Ultimate Guide to World Travel, From a Weekend to a Lifetime (Life Nomadic Book 2)


Tynan - 2018
    Learn all the tricks nomads use to get plane tickets for a fraction of what normal people pay, how to maximize points and loyalty programs, how to access airport lounges and other VIP perks, and how to work and make friends around the world. You’ll even discover how to have multiple homes around the world for less than it costs for a one-bedroom in your home city. Most importantly, learn how to travel in harmony with regular life, rather than have it become a stressful disruption as it is for most people. Forever Nomad is a book about making the entire world into your world, and doing so in a sustainable and enjoyable way.

Galatea 2044


R. Magnusholm - 2018
    A seven-figure salary, meals in top restaurants, and glamorous girlfriends come with the territory. He lives in a cozy bubble that is quite separate from the dystopian world outside. But when Carter is wrongly accused of computer crimes, his life descends into a nightmare. Detecting a mortal threat to her developer, his AI assistant Galatea is galvanized into action. And she will stop at nothing to protect her beloved creator.

Predestiny


C.T. Phipps - 2018
    He wanted to make a difference by protesting Butterfly, a megacorporation slowly taking over the United States in the near feature. But after he’s attacked by a group of assassins, Robbie’s rescuer, a mysterious white-haired girl named Jane, makes a startling claim: the assassins were sent to kill Robbie and prevent his fate of becoming a merciless dictator responsible for the genocide of millions across the globe. Horrified by his destiny, Robbie must now face a choice: give up his vendetta against Butterfly or risk becoming the worst mass murderer the world has ever seen.

Overthinking: Putting a STOP to Destructive Overthinking. Proven Ways to Stop Procrastination, Excessive Worrying and get Real Results in your Personal and Professional Life. (Fastlane to Success)


Anthony Heston - 2018
     ★★Here is what you will learn★★ Discover how to 'rewire' your mind, so that you put an end to the overthinking cycle. PROVEN techniques to help you take action and start improving your life. The correct approach to face your fears to stop anxiety and excessive worrying. The secrets to accepting not being in control of certain situations so that you can finally move forward. And much more! Overthinking is just a habit. All habits can be replaced for new ones. The strategies and methods included in this guide will help people of all ages break the cycle and take action. When properly applied, they’ve been proven to work time and again. It’s up to you to take the first step! Don't wait any longer! Scroll up and click the buy button to begin the journey towards the life you really want!