Book picks similar to
Framed by Simon Haynes


science-fiction
sci-fi
short-story
science-speculative-fiction

Office Wars: The Mailroom Clerk


James G. Patton - 2017
    He sleeps in a real bed and eats real food and only jumps into Neuroma to work. All he wanted was to log in, work and log out and live in general obscurity. Getting the attention of a CEO, meeting a stranger in real life, and forced to play in a secret game of corporations were not penciled into his calendar. While that was bad, he started to question whether Odditek was still in control, or had their complacency created the noose tightening around their neck. Bran was not yet aware of the choice before him. He could no longer stand back and watch, and he had to pick a side and fight before he lost the ability to choose. Would he recognize the inevitable in time? Was it possible to make a ‘correct’ choice, or had the lines blurred so much that hero and villain were indistinguishable? This novel is part of an Odditek series and is a LitRPG novel. I realize it’s the first Odditek series, but more are coming. This series started as a companion series to a book called Lantern Online. I wanted a way to build up the world as it now exists, and to explain what Odditek is. Neuroma and Nerves are mentioned in Lantern Online, and I felt all that information was taking away from my story and is mostly not relevant, but good to know information. I took a lot of it out and added it to this series. Anyway, out of that came Office Wars. I hope it's different than most LitRPG you will read, and brings another dimension to the genre. Explicit language! I will not lie, there is a satirical nature to this story, and a lot of the language and scenarios are morally questionable on purpose. In this story and I use a lot of curse words and controversial commentary. Just look on Facebook or any half a dozen social media sites, and you will see similar language, conversations, and other nonsense. If we all moved into a digital world, this is how I view that world.

It Was You Who Made My Blue Eyes Blue


Scott Alexander - 2015
    This plant is used exclusively to comply with the extremely complicated ritual laws set down in the Tablets of Enku.

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.

Attack of the Mammary Clans


David Blake - 2018
    after a cleaner unplugged his cryogenic freezing machine by accident, Detective Inspector Capstan wakes up to find that he's been in a state of suspended animation for over four hundred years. As he's forced to adjust to life in the future he finds himself reinstated as a policeman, and together with the great great great great grandson of his former subordinate, Sergeant Dewbush, he's put on the case of a missing cow.

Clovenhoof's Diary: September


Heide Goody - 2018
    And St Michael’s Secondary School has got a new member of staff. Jeremy Clovenhoof, has spent six years living the quiet life in the suburbs after losing his job as Lord of Hell and now he thinks it’s time to share all he has learned with the next generation. Whether it’s turning toilet graffiti into art, getting a date by making nuisance calls or making the most of being ill, he’s got advice for everyone. Join Clovenhoof at the start of his year-long journey to tackle the big issues in life.

Out There: A Short Tale of the Weird and Wonderful


Justine Avery - 2014
    until something utterly unfamiliar suddenly lands in your back yard.Susan is the epitome of the happy housewife, contentedly conducting her daily ritual of cleaning her home and keeping everything just as it should be. Wrapped up in her own little world within those familiar walls, she hardly notices the altogether different arrival in her own back yard. She may ignore the sudden shaking beneath her slippered feet, she might even neglect to spot the conspicuous sight itself—but she can't evade the stench. Something's wrong. Very wrong. And Susan's incapable of determining just what to do about the uninvited eyesore in her back yard. Turning to her best friend for help with the impromptu emergency threatening to shake up her very existence and happy home, Susan combines efforts with neighbor Trisha to decipher the composition and meaning of the frightfully large and utterly unpleasant new arrival. But are these two women really capable of realizing the gift of new awareness they've just been given by an unseen entity? Or will they continue to fail to see the world that exists out there? What a difference a day makes... unless you choose to ignore it. Start Reading Now...What are you waiting for? Unexpected surprises, urban fantasy, unveiled mysteries, a touch of humor, a dab of "new weird", and so much more await you.

The Methuselah Treatment


T.C. Powell - 2015
    Not everyone can. Who decides? Desperate to save his daughter from a mysterious sickness, Daniel applies for the Methuselah Treatment. If she gets it, his daughter won’t just recover, she’ll live forever. But the drug is tightly controlled, and only the special, the talented, and the truly deserving ever receive it. There is nothing special about Daniel’s destitute ten- year-old girl—or is there?

The Chicolini Incident


Robert Kroese - 2014
    When Rex encounters a band of stick-wielding separatists on the planet Chicolini, he thinks he’s found the buyers he’s been looking for. But Rex’s greed knows no bounds, and he’s determined to scam the separatists out of their cargo so that he can re-sell his black-market booty a few more times before leaving the planet. As the complications in Rex’s plan multiply, he becomes a target of not only the separatists, but also of paramilitary thugs, the local cops, and even the Ursa Minor mafia. Will Rex’s long-suffering robot companion talk some sense into him before he gets them both killed? Or will Rex, the self-described “greatest wheeler-dealer in the galaxy,” finally succeed in outsmarting himself?

GOON SQUAD 2014 Summer Special


Jonathan L. Howard - 2014
    The Goon Squad 2014 Summer Special contains an introduction to the Squad, and four short stories: "Red Wolf, Red Wolf, Does Whatever a Red Wolf Can," "Changes," "No-No Dojo," and "Tale of Terror." Join Puppet Girl, the Revenant, Red Wolf, and Talos as they protect the fairly innocent, are sharply critical about modern newspapers, talk to a door in Salford, and recount the day the city nearly blew up.

Bodega: Tales from the Bodegaverse


Edward Forsyth - 2019
    Lover. Sniper. Thief. Scourge of the wicked. In fact, scourge of anyone if there's money to be made. A lawless man in a galaxy overrun by villains, Mork beasts, Dildonians and the dreaded imperial forces of Crem Slumdump. Aided by his otherwise unemployable crew of drunks, criminals, assassins and broken down combat droids, Bodega seeks fortune, and trouble seeks him. Armed with his array of hi-tech gadgets, and of course his famous las-gun, Bodega careens around the corners of the known Universe in his ship, the Disco Volante, guided by his unique sense of justice, and his love for the psychic entity known only as Majesta.Bodega: Tales from the Bodegaverse contains all the episodes of Bodega previously transmitted via the Triforce Podcast, and heaps more Bodega action besides. What're ya waiting for, pard?

ADAM


A.K. Stone - 2012
    That warning was the only thing protecting the child. Why? Perhaps because he was abandoned without parents or AI-implants, when almost everyone else has them. Perhaps because the rest of humanity is connected mind-to-mind to compete with pure robotic AIs, but bio-extremists see deadly threat in his power. Or perhaps because they wonder at the mystery of his origins when humankind reaches for the stars, only to find something out there watching, and waiting. All Adam wishes for is what most teenagers want: a home, to find out who he is, maybe even some friends & family. But forces at work in our little corner of the galaxy ensure he’ll be forced on to a journey that is far more exciting - and dangerous - than he ever could have imagined. “…truly brings about the question of what you define as "human"...one of the best sci-fi novels I've read!" (–C Hsu, ‘Ethereal Pages’.)What Readers Say About “ADAM” (from 133 reviews Amazon.uk, and 311 ratings Goodreads):★★★★★ ‘Wonderfully crafted sc-fi…if A.K.Stone isn't a pseudonym for an already acknowledged master of the sci-fi genre, then I have to say that I am amazed…The quality of the plotting and writing is superb…filled with complex imagery and concepts….extraordinary vision...’★★★★★ ‘Fabulous…A great journey from the first chapter to the last, with great character development.’★★★★★ ‘A wonderfully rich sci fi, full of twists and fascinating technology, a great read…’★★★★★ ‘Excellent…This book is as good as it gets…’★★★★★ ‘engaging, imaginative and beautifully written.’ ★★★★★ ‘Clever, different, gripping…’★★★★★ ‘Awesome story!! a very magical and detailed reality. The reading flows and the more you go on, the more you want to read.’★★★★★ ‘Science Fiction of the first order.’★★★★★ ‘Every so often you come across a little known book where it seems a crime that it should be unknown and this gem is one of those books.’★★★★★ ‘Excellent…big galaxy spanning story, with a lot of heart and soul.’★★★★★ ‘Couldn’t put it down…a plot that twists and turns, taking you on an exciting and sometimes emotional journey.’★★★★★ ‘This is literature, a beautifully crafted novel…One to savour,…’★★★★★ ‘Great Great read…I’m a really fussy sci-fi reader and this ticked all the boxes.’★★★★★ ‘Absorbing and thought provoking, Adam pulled me into to its world and stayed with me long after I had finished the book.’★★★★★ ‘Brilliant, Aliens, AI and a mystery. Tell me there is a book 2!!’ ★★★★★ ‘Excellent. Brilliant plot. Wonderful language. Amazing ideas and tech…’★★★★★ ‘Fantastic What a great book. Very different from the normal. Intelligent and fascinating. A real page turner!’★★★★★ ‘The ultimate underdog story …gargantuan space ships…and an enemy that will make humans, Aliens and AIs quake!! Read this!’★★★★★ ‘Best this year. Why is this not a film? Great read , could not put down, mysterious and thought-provoking. Get your teeth into this adventure.’

Mindjack Origins Collection


Susan Kaye Quinn - 2012
    It contains three novellas, two deleted scenes, mindjack flash fiction, and more. TOP 5 FINALIST for 2012 Best Indie Book, Young Adult Fiction - The Kindle Book ReviewThe Mindjack Origins Collection is comprised of THREE SHORT NOVELLAS which are companion stories to the Mindjack Saga (read after Free Souls), a young adult science fiction series. There are three novels in the original trilogy, five novellas that accompany the series, and plans for another trilogy in the works (see Susan’s latest novella, The Locksmith, for a peek at a new Mindjack character for the coming trilogy – or better yet, subscribe to her newsletter, and get The Locksmith for free!).READING ORDERMindjack Trilogy (novels): Open Minds, Closed Hearts, Free SoulsMindjack Origins (shorts): Mind Games, The Handler, The Scribe, KeeperThe Locksmith is a standalone novella that can be read independently of the trilogy and novellas.

Funny Science Fiction


Alex ShvartsmanShaenon Garrity - 2015
    Fiction by Hugo and Nebula award winners and nominees as well as talented newcomers. Stories were selected by the Unidentified Funny Objects series curator Alex Shvartsman.

Dunes Over Danvar


Michael Bunker - 2014
    The word is out that the legendary city of Danvar has been found, and every diver, brigand, and pirate with a sarfer is racing to find it. But out in the dunes there's only one inarguable fact... The sand don't care, and it never did. Dunes Over Danvar is a short story set in New York Times Bestselling Author Hugh Howey's world of SAND, and is written and published with the permission of Hugh Howey.

The Last Girlfriend on Earth: And Other Love Stories


Simon Rich - 2013
     In Magical Mr. Goat, a young girl's imaginary friend yearns to become "more than friends." In Unprotected, an unused prophylactic recalls his years spent trapped inside a teen boy's wallet. The stories in Simon Rich's new book are bizarre, funny, and yet...relatable. Rich explores love's many complications-losing it, finding it, breaking it, and making it-and turns the ordinary into the absurd. With razor-sharp humor and illustrations, and just in time for Valentine's Day, Rich takes readers for an exhilarating, hilarious ride on the rollercoaster of love.