Book picks similar to
The Black Hole by Ray Hammond


dystopian
free-reads
science-fiction
1_postapocalytic_<br/>dystopia

Almost Perfect


Orly Krauss-Winer - 2011
    Three women, all deeply connected in some way to the victim, are swept into the investigation, involving a post-WWII love affair, an embezzlement case, and a brilliant police detective. When the truth is revealed, secrets are exposed – they must all face a difficult, complex, and unexpected reality. Almost Perfect is a light thriller, which does not require a thorough reading to trace the hidden details. You will find a sophisticated, intriguing story, variety in the narration, and many secondary stories (interesting in themselves), connecting to a harmonious overall picture. It has humanity and longing for warmth and love. The writer sets her stories in the real world, where the smells, tastes and feelings are known and accessible to the reader. These make the book enjoyable, thrilling, and allow the reader to connect with the characters.

Just Another Day in the Zombie Apocalypse


L.C. Mortimer - 2019
    Ravaging the living, it takes no survivors. The end of the world comes swiftly and silently without much noise or fuss. It sneaks up on a group of neighbors who must bind together in order to survive. Alice is caught by surprise when the dead begin to rise. She's a paralegal: not a warrior. She's comfortable with paperwork and filing, but killing? That's not exactly in her job description. Soon Alice learns there's more to the end of the world than fighting the undead, though, and she realizes that if she's not careful, her companions are going to learn her secret. Mark is a soldier. He thought he'd left the pain of war behind, but now he knows that soldiers never really leave the battlefield. Even when your physical wounds heal, there's always some remnant of horror left behind. There's always something terrifying you. Kyle isn't afraid of the dark. At least, that's what he tells himself. He's an IT guy. He's not a fighter. He has no place in the zombie apocalypse, so he has to craft one for himself. Together, they'll make or break their own survival. Together, they'll figure out whether or not they can make this work. After all, it's just another day in the zombie apocalypse. Just Another Day in the Zombie Apocalypse was originally released as an episodic serial; however, it is has been revised and expanded by the author and appears here in its entirety. Perfect for fans of The Walking Dead or Z Nation, Just Another Day in the Zombie Apocalypse takes a closer look at what a dystopian reality truly looks like.

The Holocaust


Open University - 2016
    This 12-hour free course examined the Holocaust, historical arguments surrounding it, whether it is unique and why it happened as and when it did.

The Dark Roads


Wayne Lemmons - 2016
     A group of men including Richie, Buddy, and the unlikely Elvis resolve that times are way too hot in Miami, Florida and decide to trek out, on their own, as far to the north as they can make it. Richie, who is the leader of their faction, suggests Alaska as the most favorable destination and the journey begins. They find themselves navigating the U.S. and Canadian Highways through long and lonely nights, sleeping in underground dwellings to avoid the deadly radiation of the daylight hours. Throughout their travels they scavenge limited supplies in department stores and gas stations in order to sate thirst, hunger, and the need for ammunition to protect against the looming threat of human nature. As the three life-long friends make their way toward Alaska, they encounter new friends in the form of a strong, but damaged, woman who will hold them even closer together, a young girl and her substitute father, and an improbable stray cat. They find grave dangers in the forms of a loving father and his two seemingly innocent daughters, groups of cannibals and the people trying to avoid them, and a lack of easily procured supplies that have met the same fate as the charred plants and animals of the globe. The sun, though the most obvious hazard to their journey, is seemingly the easiest to overcome. Only determination, cunning, and loyalty to each other can ensure their survival in this savage existence.

Fair City Blues (Jack Dillon Dublin Tale Book 5)


Patrick Emmett - 2017
    In the 5th action packed Dublin tale by Patrick Emmett (Mike Faricy's Irish alter ego). US Marshall Jack Dillon is still detailed to Dublin's Special Investigative Unit. Once a headless body with a US Marine Corp tattoo is found floating in Dublin's Royal Canal Dillon is on the case. At every turn he seems to come up with more unanswered questions. Meanwhile a series of ATM robberies are occurring across the city and the police seem powerless to stop them and Dillon's looking for a missing American college student...but then Dublin can quickly become an amazingly small world. WHO WILL LIKE IT: Fans of Dev Haskell and rascals like him. Also the fans of Robert B. Parker, Elmore Leonard, Carl Hiaasen, Lee Child, Laurence Shames, strong Minnesota men, especially when transplanted to Ireland and drinkers of Guinness everywhere. "Faricy is the next Carl Hiaasen..." - Crime Scene "Faricy is America's hottest new mystery writer..." - The Dirty Lowdown

Wulf


Set Sytes - 2016
    He must understand and survive the perils of a savage new world, a world of purple skies over canyons and prairie, where everyone and everything – be they outlaws and mountain men, or monstrous creatures of the dark, seem to want him dead.And if that wasn’t problem enough, a man with green eyes is hunting him, a man from another dimension who will stop at nothing to put the universe right.The Fifth Place is about the universe under mysterious control, and the group of antiheroic misfits determined to survive it and be free no matter what comes. Ideal for fans of Stephen King's The Dark Tower books, Garth Ennis’s Preacher comics, Joe Abercrombie, and the Farscape TV series, The Fifth Place is for those who want a pull-no-punches adult series merging western, sci-fi, gritty fantasy, dystopian, adventure and horror genres, with a diverse, irreverent and tragically flawed cast of characters to root for against all odds.

Bailey's Law


Meg Lelvis - 2016
    But it doesn't take long for Jack to realize Todd should've thought twice about what he did to several girls he dated. Was his murder justified?Jack Bailey, small town hard-boiled detective, must solve the crime, but his own unrelenting demons rising from his struggle with PTSD and buried family secrets complicate his task. Daily work at the station affords Jack distraction from the inner turmoil that penetrates his nights. Darkness brings unwanted memories, nightmares, and the realization he needs to face what happened ten years ago.Through the searing Texas summer heat, Jack's team of detectives works hard interrogating witnesses in an effort to discover Todd Kaplan's true character. But it's patrol cop, Denise Williams, who rises above her calling to assist in questioning a crucial witness. Smart and sassy, she holds her own with Jack's moody temperament. All the while, a new romantic interest with a woman who is off limits proves problematic for Jack as he tries to make the right decision.Was this small town murder an act of justice or revenge? Only a parent who has tragically lost a child can hold the answer in their hearts. Jack understands. Only too well.

The Comet Clement Collection #1-4


Kevin George - 2017
    Siberia... A tiny comet rips through Earth's atmosphere and explodes above the Tunguska region of Siberia, instantly engulfing thousands of square acres of the mostly desolate region. The explosion is heard for hundreds of miles, the light of the comet seen halfway across the globe. Had the comet hit a few hours earlier in a more populated area, millions would have been killed... A century later, another comet - this one hundreds of times bigger and more powerful - encounters a black hole in deep space and is pushed onto a new, deadly course leading straight to Earth... A small group of humans - including the President of the United States, a former astronaut and a middle school science teacher - discovers the existence of this potentially deadly comet and keep its existence hidden from the rest of the world. Although the group - which calls itself the Inner Circle - has twelve years to deal with the problem, they will need every second of that time. Not only must they figure out a way to avert this crisis, they must also start to make plans in case they can't avoid a catastrophe that could annihilate humankind... Book 2 - Interception The Inner Circle's plans to deflect the comet are in place but Neil Peterson's long journey to intercept Clement faces serious tests... The president is embattled in a bitter re-election attempt and knows that losing could lead to the comet secret being exposed to the world... NASSA's plans to build the biggest space station for 'scientific purposes' are put into effect... Earl Ackerman's paranoia leads him to making rash decisions about the secret that's slowly destroying the little sanity he has left... The secret can't stay hidden forever... Book 3 - The New Space Race Plans continue to move forward on the space station, which draws the ire of the country, but the Inner Circle won't be deterred from preparing for the worst... Tyler Ainsworth Jr. has learned of the secret and begins to make plans for his own massive shelter, this one to be in the ocean depths instead of the heavens... The president exchanges information about the comet with Russia for help on the station and Russia plans for their own safe haven deep in the mountains... A new American leader emerges who does not seem to share the Inner Circle's passion for constructing the space station... Another country enters the race to build a space station unlike anything humankind has ever seen... Book 4 - The Three Arks With a new president in office - and an apprehensive new ally in the Inner Circle - the men planning for the end of the world face new struggles. Will the space station be finished in time? How will they get passengers on board the space station without giving away the secret of Comet Clement? Tyler Ainsworth faces his own troubles with his seacraft. He needs more money to complete his boat but doesn't want to go to the Inner Circle for fear of losing even more control. How will he raise the funds? Can he maintain control of his seacraft's ownership? Will his high-class passengers lose their patience while waiting for the end of the world? The underground facility deep in the Ural Mountains seems to face the least amount of problems and some of the space station'

The Antiterrorist


Al Macy - 2015
    Not exploding, not dropping out of the sky, just disappearing. When the Hubble Space Telescope vanishes, reluctant hero Jake Corby is dispatched to figure out who or what is responsible. He's used to solving problems for the FBI, but hunting down missing satellites? That's a new one. The mysterious force next cripples the International Space Station and destroys the only spacecraft that could rescue the astronauts. The race is on to avert the final death blow to the ISS and execute a risky plan to get the astronauts back home. Before it's too late. This short prequel to Contact Us is filled with the quirky surprises and humor that Al Macy's readers have come to expect. The Antiterrorist is a standalone book, with no cliffhanger or "to be continued" at the end. It may be read before or after other books in the series.

The Amplified Trilogy: The Amplified Books 1-3


Lauren M. Flauding - 2017
    Includes The Amplified, The Dissenters, and The Restrainers.

Take Us To Your Trump


Andrew Stanek - 2018
    Okay yes, all that stuff too, but I'm not talking about that right now. The government has also been lying to us about space aliens. Aliens have landed on the National Mall and are asking to speak with the President of the United States. For the sake of the planet, diplomat Michael Wallenson is tasked with keeping them away from Donald Trump at all costs. Will Michael succeed? Or will these heavily armed, easily offended aliens succeed in reaching our leader? Building the border dome, coal-powered missiles, and the true identities of the men in black - all in Take Us To Your Trump, another hilarious satirical comedy from author Andrew Stanek.

Children of a Broken Sky


Adam J. Nicolai - 2013
    In its wake, everything changed. Now the sun rises in the south, if it rises at all. Animals go mad. Crops ripen and die overnight. The Church - a body of miracle-workers who can heal the sick and walk through fire - warns that God's final judgment is at hand. THE WORLD WILL SOON END.Now, stories tell of men that speak with beasts and peasants who work their own miracles. The Church decries these heretics, hunting them like animals and demanding the same of the faithful. In a remote village, a small group of childhood friends are caught in the crossfire. Accused of heresy by the Church and sentenced to death, they escape their village as it burns behind them.BUT SOME MAY FIND HOPE.Their Church hunts them. A cursed world assails them. To survive, one of them will learn the true meaning of her beliefs; another, that some portents can be deceiving. But only one revelation has a chance to save them:That they are not forsaken. They have each other.Bestselling Kindle Suspense author Adam J. Nicolai invites you to a land beneath a broken sky, where sorceries clash with miracles, mountains are crowned with lightning, and faith - true faith - can topple empires.

The President's Killers


Karl Jacobs - 2013
    Nobody knows he is an innocent new recruit with a secretive government intelligence agency. The agency insists it has never heard of him. All Denny Kinney knows is every law-enforcement officer in the country wants to put a bullet in him. If he wants to live, he must elude a massive manhunt and he and girlfriend Meesh Walker must slip into Washington, D.C., to try to discover who framed him and who is really responsible for the President's murder. It is a novel that may leave you wondering all over again if we will ever know the whole truth about the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King or any other historic event where there are are disturbing unanswered questions.

Ashes of the Fall


Nicholas Erik - 2016
     In the year 2048, the crumbling remnants of western North America are suddenly buried in ash, weakening the grip of the brutal dictatorship. A factional landscape springs from the ashes, con man Luke Stokes artfully navigating the clash. But he can't remain above the fray for long, as each faction seeks the truth from Luke regarding his murdered brother's final project. A neural-interface technology that will forever shift the fragile balance of the ashen plains. With the true believers, desert nomads, survivalists and existing regime closing in, Luke must delve deeper into his genius brother's secrets. And the truth about his last project will dramatically alter the remnants of civilization. Because the fall isn't always the end - sometimes, it's only the beginning.

Beyond the Wall, Books One and Two


Lucas Bale - 2015
     Centuries have passed since life ended on the blue planet. Humanity's survivors are now dispersed among distant colonies, thousands of light years from the barren, frozen rock that was once their home. At a time when power means everything, the ultimate power, the imperium, rests with the Consulate Magistratus. In return for its protection, citizens must concede their rights absolutely. The Magistratus controls interstellar travel, access to technology, even procreation. Every citizen is implanted with a device to monitor their location, health and emotions. Freedom, religion and self-determination are anachronisms. Humanity's true history survives only in whispers of a secret archive. Yet there are those who preach a new religion and who want to be free. A revolution is coming… The Heretic In the cold of a winter's night, a small village is the subject of a brutal attack. A fourteen-year-old boy, Jordi, sees armed men approaching and manages to wake his family. He and a handful of survivors flee into the frozen, snow-covered forest to wait for the preacher who told them their way of life was based on lies. Shepherd, a freighter-tramp and smuggler, is commissioned to deliver illicit medical supplies to a hostile border planet near the Wall. He is dragged into a fight he does not believe in and a desperate struggle to protect his ship, his way of life and the lives of the persecuted few who seek only freedom. Defiance The murder of a man in the lowest caste is seen as inconsequential, but Weaver, one of the few Caesteri lawmen who still believes in justice, refuses to ignore it. Fighting his own indoctrination, and the voice inside his mind that forces him to ignore his conscience, he follows the trail of evidence all the while struggling to hang on to the thin thread of his humanity. The killer he hunts is violent and unstable, and haunted by her own callous ghosts. A woman who sells her body to fuel her drug addiction. She possesses an almost supernatural ability navigate the wormholes which connect humanity's distant colonies - an ability the Magistratus fears and must eradicate. Weaver will follow her to a planet the Magistratus has abandoned, where the only law is that of criminals. And then to the furthest reaches of space, where the truth that awaits them leads to the corrupt heart of the Republic - a truth the Magistratus will do anything to conceal. The Heretic and Defiance are the bestselling first two books in a longer tale spanning four volumes. The award-winning Beyond the Wall series is gripping, epic space opera, written as hard science-fiction. It is the story of humanity's future and the discovery of the truth of its past.