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After Such Knowledge by James Blish


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Star Fire


Ingo Swann - 1978
    Essef - Fictional story about a rock superstar who has discovered his own astonishing Psychic powers, his out of body mind voyages have revealed rival Russian and American instalations for developing psychic weaponry.

A Memory Of Demons


David Ambrose - 2003
    But Tom's demons return with a vengeance as he discovers the baby is possessed by the spirit of another girl, who went missing 10 years ago - the night Tom had his last drug-fuelled blackout.

The Past Through Tomorrow: Vol. 1


Robert A. Heinlein - 1977
    Heinlein wrote most of the Future History stories early in his career, between 1939 and 1941 and between 1945 and 1950. Most of the Future History stories written prior to 1967 are collected in the two volumes of The Past Through Tomorrow, which also contains the final version of the chart. That collection does not include Universe and Common Sense; they were published separately as Orphans of the Sky.Contents: Introduction (The Past Through Tomorrow) (1967) • essay by Damon Knight Life-Line [Future History] (1939) / short story by Robert A. Heinlein The Roads Must Roll [Future History] (1940) / novelette by Robert A. Heinlein Blowups Happen [Future History] (1940) / novelette by Robert A. Heinlein The Man Who Sold the Moon [D. D. Harriman] (1950) / novella by Robert A. Heinlein Delilah and the Space-Rigger [Future History] (1949) / short story by Robert A. Heinlein Space Jockey [Future History] (1947) / short story by Robert A. Heinlein Requiem [D. D. Harriman] (1940) / short story by Robert A. Heinlein The Long Watch [Future History] (1949) / short story by Robert A. Heinlein Gentlemen, Be Seated [Future History] (1948) / short story by Robert A. Heinlein The Black Pits of Luna (juvenile) [Future History] (1948) / short story by Robert A. Heinlein 'It's Great to Be Back!' [Future History] (1977) / short story by Robert A. Heinlein (variant of "It's Great to Be Back!" 1947).

The Frozen Sky


Jeff Carlson - 2010
    Robot probes find an ancient tunnel beneath the surface, its walls carved with strange hieroglyphics. Led by elite engineer Alexis Vonderach, a team of scientists descends into the dark... where they confront a savage race older than mankind...FIRST CONTACTBased on the award-winning short story, The Frozen Sky is a new full-length sci fi thriller novel from the international bestselling author of Plague Year.

Control


T.W. Piperbrook - 2016
    A short story to be read after Outage 5: The Change due to spoilers A year after The Great Storm has ended, two survivors cope with the aftermath.

The Belt: Complete Trilogy


Gerald M. Kilby - 2018
    The ship contains an experimental quantum device, lost while en route to a research colony on Europa. On Earth, powerful corporate forces are moving to resume unrestricted, inter-AI communications, their objective being to gain complete dominion over the colonized solar system. But the outer worlds are mobilizing to prevent them from achieving their objective, a fight back which is being led by Solomon, a sentient quantum intelligence (QI), also on Europa. However, once word of the crew’s discovery gets out, they soon realize that ownership of this technology could fundamentally change the balance of power within the solar system, and they now find themselves at the very nexus of a system-wide conflict. Their fight for survival plays out across the solar system, from the mining outposts of the asteroid belt to the moons of Jupiter and Saturn, and from the great Martian city of Jezero to the irradiated wastelands on Earth. This is an epic tale of humanity’s struggle for survival and meaning in a time when artificial intelligence has finally out-paced our own ability to control it. About The Belt: The story is set a century or so into the future where humanity has colonized most of the inner solar system. The asteroid belt (The Belt) is now a hive of mining activity and ships ply the trade routes to Earth and Mars. The technology depicted, for the most part, is what I consider to be technically plausible, although I do stretch it a little with quantum entanglement. That said, you won’t need a calculator or a slide-rule to enjoy the story.

Dark Space: The Original Trilogy


Jasper T. Scott - 2014
    This trilogy is standalone from the sequels. Dark Space I HUMANITY IS DEFEATED Ten years ago the Sythians invaded the galaxy with one goal: to wipe out the human race. THEY ARE HIDING Now the survivors are hiding in the last human sector of the galaxy: Dark Space--once a place of exile for criminals, now the last refuge of mankind. THEY ARE ISOLATED The once galaxy-spanning Imperium of Star Systems is left guarding the gate which is the only way in or out of Dark Space--but not everyone is satisfied with their governance. AND THEY ARE KILLING EACH OTHER Freelancer and ex-convict Ethan Ortane is on the run. He owes crime lord Alec Brondi 10,000 sols, and his ship is badly damaged. When Brondi catches up with him, he makes an offer Ethan can't refuse. Ethan must infiltrate and sabotage the Valiant, the Imperial Star Systems Fleet carrier which stands guarding the entrance of Dark Space, and then his debt will be cleared. While Ethan is still undecided about what he will do, he realizes that the Imperium has been lying and putting all of Dark Space at risk. Now Brondi's plan is starting to look like a necessary evil, but before Ethan can act on it, he discovers that the real plan was much more sinister than what he was told, and he will be lucky to escape the Valiant alive. . . . Dark Space II: The Invisible War THEIR SHIP IS DAMAGED Ethan Ortane has just met his long lost son, Atton, but the circumstances could have been better. After a devastating bio-attack and the ensuing battle, they've fled Dark Space aboard the Defiant to get away from the crime lord, Alec Brondi, who has just stolen the most powerful vessel left in the Imperial Star Systems' Fleet--the Valiant, a five-kilometer-long gladiator-class carrier. THEY ARE LOW ON FUEL They need reinforcements to face Brondi, but beyond Dark Space the comm relays are all down, meaning that they must cross Sythian Space to contact the rest of the fleet. Making matters worse, they are low on fuel. They'll have to travel on the space lanes to save fuel, but the lanes are controlled by Sythians, and they are fraught with entire fleets of cloaked alien ships. Dark Space III: Origin THE DEFIANT IS STRANDED Ethan and his son, Atton, have been arrested for high treason and conspiracy, crimes which will surely mean the death sentence, but it's beginning to look like theirs aren't the only lives in jeopardy--the Defiant is stranded in Sythian Space, and the vessel which Commander Caldin sent to get help has used all its fuel to get to Obsidian Station, only to find out that the station has been destroyed. Now the Defiant's last hope for a rescue is gone, and everyone on board is about to die a cold, dark death. HUMANITY IS STILL FIGHTING ITSELF Meanwhile, the notorious crime lord, Alec Brondi, is plotting to capture the remnants of Admiral Hoff's fleet, just as he captured the Valiant, but Hoff's men are on to him, and Brondi is about to get a lot more than he bargained for, forcing him to flee to the one place he knows will be safe--Dark Space. AND A NEW INVASION IS ABOUT TO BEGIN But Dark Space is only safe because the alien invaders don't know exactly where it is, and now they have a plan to find it which will threaten not only Dark Space, but the entire human race.

The Long Night Box Set: The Complete The Long Night Series - Books 1-6


Kevin Partner - 2019
     Modern technology designed to heal has been sabotaged, leaving hundreds of millions dead. For the survivors, each day brings new horrors as the world descends into madness, all while powerful forces seek to take advantage of the turmoil. One man will stand apart in the chaos, seeking to reunite with his family as he becomes embroiled in a desperate attempt to save those few who survived The Long Night. From #1 best-selling post-apocalyptic author Mike Kraus comes a brand new, never before seen take on the end of the world, ripped straight from the headlines. When the leader of the largest healthcare company in the world drops dead on national television, over ninety percent of the civilized world follow in his wake. Health tracking implants called BonesWare were supposed to predict disease, prolong life and lead to a healthier, more robust society. Until they didn't. Now, for the few who remain alive, the question of their continued survival rests on the shoulders of one unlikely man. Solly Masters is having a rough night. He lost his job, his marriage is on the rocks and his wife and son are halfway across the United States on the eve of the holiday season. After witnessing The Long Night, when nearly every living soul around him drops dead at the same moment, his fleeting troubles suddenly become unimportant and one goal coalesces in his mind: get to his family, no matter the cost. Raw survival turns into something more when he comes across a man who claims to know what happened - and predicts that the rest of the survivors will soon follow in the footsteps of those who already died. Thrust into a pit of intrigue, corporate sabotage and greed, Solly must weigh his responsibility to his family with the knowledge that he just might be the key to preventing The Long Night from leading to the extinction of the human race. The Long Night is a collaborative work between Kevin Partner and Mike Kraus. A unique take on the apocalypse and on the post-apocalyptic genre, The Long Night box set is the complete post-apocalyptic series in one convenient box set.

MUTINY: A Post-Apocalyptic Thriller


Lee West - 2019
    On the last night of their cruise, while most of the passengers are sleep--the unthinkable occurs. A suspected electromagnetic pulse (EMP) damages most of the cruise ship's critical systems, forcing the crew to divert the remaining power to essential systems.While the massive ship struggles in rough seas, the seasick passengers grow increasingly uneasy about their situation. The flow of food and drinks has been significantly reduced, air-conditioning is non-existent and the ship's security team is visibly armed. What they don't know is that the ship has lost contact with the mainland, and their Captain is on the verge of making life-altering decision for all of them.Skeptical of the conditions onshore and unwilling to pull into the ship's homeport without the assistance of local pilot craft, the Captain elects to leave the area and seek safe harbor to the south. There's just one catch. The ship only carries enough food and fuel to last a few more days--and their destination remains uncertain. The geographical scope and magnitude of the damage caused by the mysterious event remains unknown to the crew.With Joe and Meg's prospect of returning home about to slip away, the Birch's face an agonizing choice. Stay with the ship and take a chance on the Captain--or steal a lifeboat and try to return home. Joined by likeminded passengers and a few salty crewmembers, they decide to make their own destiny--despite the unknown dangers.THE MUTINY chronicles this impossible, gut-wrenching journey to get home, where it quickly becomes obvious that THEIR STORY IS FAR FROM OVER!

The Two Dead Girls


Stephen King - 1996
    No one understood their brutal deaths, not even the man who killed them. But John Coffey is about to gain a new insight, about his life in prison, and about the one man who will walk him down that green mile . . . toward destiny.Prepare yourself for Stephen King's boldest exercise in nerve-twisting suspense. A multi-part serial novel that begins on death row and goes on from there to realms of revelation that make death seem sweet. This is Stephen King's most irresistible journey ever. To be continued . . . --back cover

Quick Killer and the Iceman


James N. Cook - 2019
    But at the end of the world, danger is never far away. When a young woman is kidnapped, and the local authorities are powerless to help, Eric and his stalwart friend Lincoln Great Hawk embark on a rescue mission. But the kidnappers, a band of ruthless savages, will stop at nothing to get what they want. To succeed, Eric and Lincoln will need to enlist help from an unlikely ally. And while the fate of the hostage is unclear, one thing is certain. Blood will be shed. Don’t miss this exciting new short story set in the Surviving the Dead universe!

In the Days of the Comet


H.G. Wells - 1906
    But mankind is too busy hating, stealing, scheming, and killing to care. As luminous green trails of cosmic dust and vapor stream across the heavens, blood flows beneath: nations wage all-out war, bitter strikes erupt, and jealous lovers plot revenge and murder. The earth slips past the comet by the narrowest of margins, but all succumb to the gases in its tail. When mankind wakes up, everyone is completely and profoundly different. An ill-fated romance between Willie Leadford and Nettie Stuart unfolds in a world buried in misery and bent on its own destruction. After the earth passes through the comet's tail, suffering, pettiness, and injustice melt away. Willie, Nettie, and everyone around them are reborn. They now see themselves and their world in a dramatically new and wonderful way.

Chaos of the Covenant Series Box Set #1-3


M.R. Forbes - 2018
    Thousands are dead. A fleet is in ruins. Can a group of criminals the galaxy doesn't want become the heroes the galaxy needs? *SPECIAL NEW RELEASE PRICE FOR A LIMITED TIME.* Book one - HELL’S REJECTS: The most powerful starships ever constructed are missing. Thousands are dead. A fleet is in ruins... Lieutenant Abigail Cage never expected to find herself in Hell. There was a time when she was one of the most respected soldiers in the military. Now she's doing hard labor on the most miserable planet in the universe. Not for long. The Earth Republic is looking for the most dangerous individuals it can control. The best of the worst, and Abbey is one of them. The mission is simple. Find the missing ships and kill the traitors who stole them. It's most likely suicide, but she has nothing to lose. There's only one problem... A new evil is rising in the galaxy. One with a power unlike anything anyone has ever seen. One that's been waiting for this moment for a very, very long time. And they want Abbey too. Book Two - FIRE AND BRIMSTONE: Abbey is pissed. You would be too if you had been blamed for something you didn’t do, given something you didn’t want, and changed into something else. She still isn’t even quite sure what that else is. The one thing she does know? Things are getting messy, and this is only the beginning. Gant is gone, Captain Mann has been captured, her so-called team is ready to make a run for the stars, and she’s pretty sure the gift that saved her life is no gift at all. Even worse? The enemy didn't just steal the two most powerful starships in the galaxy. They’re building a whole fleet of them. Book Three - THE DEVILS DO The devil you know or the one you don’t? For Abbie and the Rejects, things are guaranteed to get ugly whichever they choose. On the plus side: They know where the enemy fleet is being built, they’ve got a killer new ride, a few surprising new allies, and they don’t all hate one another quite as much as they used to. On the minus: The enemy fleet is coming online faster than they hoped, the new ride is running on backup life support, the new allies can barely be trusted, and there isn't anywhere in the galaxy where Thraven can't reach. There’s nowhere to rest. There’s no time to reload. The stakes are higher, the pressure is up, and only one thing is certain: One way or another, there’s going to be hell to pay. The rest of the CHAOS OF THE COVENANT series (not included): 4. Kill the Queen! 5. Damned If You Don’t 6. Good Intentions 7. Queen of Demons Perfect for fans of Star Wars, Guardians of the Galaxy, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, or anyone who enjoys a hearty blend of military science-fiction and space opera spiced with magic. Pick it up today, and then try to put it down.

Typhon Pact: The Khitomer Accords Saga: Plagues of Night, Raise the Dawn, and Brinkmanship


David R. George III - 2012
    For almost three years, the Federation and the Klingon Empire, allied under the Khitomer Accords, have contended with the nascent coalition on a predominantly cold-war footing. But as Starfleet rebuilds itself, factions within the Typhon Pact grow restive, concerned about their own inability to develop a quantum slipstream drive to match that of the Federation. Will leaders such as UFP President Bacco and RSE Praetor Kamemor bring about a lasting peace across the Alpha and Beta Quadrants, or will the cold war between the two alliances deepen, and perhaps even lead to an all-out shooting war? Raise the Dawn After the disastrous events in the Bajoran system, Captain Benjamin Sisko must confront the consequences of the recent choices he has made in his life. At the same time, the United Federation of Planets and its Khitomer Accords allies have come to the brink of war with the Typhon Pact. While factions within the Pact unsuccessfully used the recent gestures of goodwill—the opening of borders and a joint Federation-Romulan exploratory mission—to develop quantum-slipstream drive, they have not given up their goals. Employing a broad range of assets, from Romulus to Cardassia, from Ab-Tzenketh to Bajor, they embark on a dangerous new plan to acquire the technology they need to take control of the Alpha and Beta Quadrants. While UFP President Bacco and Romulan Praetor Kamemor work feverishly to reestablish peace, Captains Sisko, Jean-Luc Picard, and Ro Laren stand on the front lines of the conflict...even as a new danger threatens the Bajoran wormhole as it once more becomes a flashpoint of galactic history. Brinkmanship The Venette Convention has always remained independent, but it is about to become the flashpoint for a tense military standoff between the two power blocs now dominating interstellar space—the United Federation of Planets and the recently formed Typhon Pact. The Venetan government turns to the Typhon Pact’s Tzenkethi Coalition for protection in the new order, and has agreed to allow three of their supply bases for Tzenkethi use. But these bases—if militarized—would put Tzenkethi weapons unacceptably close to Federation, Cardassian, and Ferengi space. While Captain Ezri Dax and the crew of the U.S.S. Aventine are sent to investigate exactly what is happening at one of the Venette bases, Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the U.S.S. Enterprise are assigned to a diplomatic mission sent to the Venette homeworld in order to broker a mutually acceptable resolution. But the Cardassian delegates don’t seem particularly keen on using diplomacy to resolve the situation, which soon spirals out of control toward all-out war. . .

At Last Goodbye


Glynn James - 2011
    Ten years after the apocalypse destroyed the world that she knew, a survivor returns to her home town, hoping to piece together the bits of her past that have troubled her so much ever since.Sometimes the past is best left behind us, but sometimes we all need to say goodbye."At last, goodbye" is a short story set in the world of the Diary of the Displaced novel series.