Book picks similar to
Phantom Limb by Reiko Scott
science-fiction
short-stories
online
straight-novels-rated-4-0-or-more
Acquired
Charlotte Byrd - 2017
if you had to pay a large debt you never knew you had. Would you sell yourself at an auction to a man of your wet dreams? When I see her, I go all in. I crave her. I buy her. I want to give her non-stop pleasure with no strings attached. I have more money than I know what to do with. My body is chiseled out of stone. I love sailboats and I don't believe in relationships. But then things get more serious…is this what they call love? WARNING: This is a HOT modern day STANDALONE erotic romance with an alpha billionaire for fans of EL James, Pepper Winters, and Alexa Riley. It contains NO CHEATING and a Happily Ever After. For a Limited Time, this book includes FREE bestselling Bonus books!
The Bear That Fell From The Stars
Keith C. Blackmore - 2011
On the night he decides to strike, his life, and his world, are forever changed. Alien scientists from across the cosmos, abduct and place Kazaka in deep storage for centuries. When they revive him with the intent to subject him to extraterrestrial evisceration, the ninja escapes. The shadow warrior then begins to hunt his captors, one by one, leading up to a battle that will shake the galaxy.The Bear That Fell From the StarsA different kind of alien terror. NOTE: This is a Novella of approx. 20,000 words, or about 60 pages.Science Fiction Fantasy and not hard SciFi.Some scenes of graphic violence.
Madi: Once Upon a Time in the Future
Duncan JonesRosemary Valero-O'Connell - 2020
She and the rest of her team have retired from the military but are now trapped having to pay to service and maintain the technology put into them during their years of service. They're working for British conglomerate Liberty Inc as mercenaries, selling their unique ability to be remote controlled by specialists while in the field, and the debts are only growing as they get injured completing missions. We meet Madi as she decides she’s had enough. She will take an off-the-books job that should earn her enough to pay out her and her sister, but when the piece of tech she’s supposed to steal turns out to be a kid, and she suddenly blacks out... she finds herself on the run from everyone she’s ever known.
Bright Water, Dark Sky
Augusta Li - 2014
We guard our treasure well and the fun loving part notwithstanding we’ll fight to defend what’s ours. Amidst all this I’m trying to find my mate. He has to be somewhere.Photo Description: A digital painting of a very fit, moonlit man submerged to the waist in the ocean and with tentacles emerging around him.This story was written as a part of the M/M Romance Group's "Love’s Landscapes" event. Group members were asked to write a story prompt inspired by a photo of their choice. Authors of the group selected a photo and prompt that spoke to them and wrote a short story. This story may contain sexually explicit content and is intended for adult readers. It may contain content that is disagreeable or distressing to some readers. The M/M Romance Group strongly recommends that each reader review the General Information section before each story for story tags as well as for content warnings.
Book of Disappearance
Ibtisam Azem - 2014
Set in contemporary Tel Aviv forty eight hours after Israelis discover all their Palestinian neighbors have vanished, the story unfolds through alternating narrators, Alaa, a young Palestinian man who converses with his dead grandmother in the journal he left behind when he disappeared, and his Jewish neighbor, Ariel, a journalist struggling to understand the traumatic event. Through these perspectives, the novel stages a confrontation between two memories. Ariel is a liberal Zionist who is critical of the military occupation of the West Bank and Gaza, but nevertheless believes in Israel's project and its national myth. Alaa is haunted by his grandmother's memories of being displaced from Jaffa and becoming a refugee in her homeland. Ariel's search for clues to the secret of the collective disappearance and his reaction to it intimately reveal the fissures at the heart of the Palestinian question.The Book of Disappearance grapples with both the memory of loss and the loss of memory for the Palestinians. Presenting a narrative that is often marginalized, Antoon's translation of the critically acclaimed Arabic novel invites English readers into the complex lives of Palestinians living in Israel.
The Golden Crystal
Nick Thacker - 2013
One is shunned and resigns in disgrace, and the other is all but forgotten. Years later, an original copy of the plans long thought to have been destroyed is found, with hastily marked notations by Thomas Jefferson and George Washington.During the second World War, American military scientists discover some fascinating properties of the hydrogen atom and its link to an ancient mystical number. The exact findings are never published, but a national laboratory is built in 1943 to further their research in covert silence. America is told it is a defense project, code-named The Manhattan Project. An egomaniacal entrepreneur and his company, Vilocorp, will stop at nothing to build the perfect human specimen. His firm's research has been getting closer every day, but they seem to have uncovered a horrific, ancient secret that has been locked away for thousands of years.Now, it's up to two men to understand the mystery surrounding the events and ancient symbolism before Vilocorp unleashes a hellish fury upon the earth; one that hasn't been seen for ages.
Husk
J. Kent Messum - 2015
Kent Messum, a speculative serial killer thriller for fans of The Silence Of The Lambs and Black Mirror.LIFE GOES ONFor a lucky few, death is merely an inconvenience. With the help of technology the mind can survive long after a body has been laid to rest. This afterlife, however, is far from paradise...MAKING A LIVINGRhodes is a 'Husk'. It's an illegal, controversial and highly lucrative job - renting out control of his body and mind to the highest bidder. It's a sure way to gain a better life, but some clients go too far. Sometimes, he wakes up with scars.MAKING A KILLINGThen the visions start - terrible sights that haunt his waking hours. They could be dreams, or they could be something far worse - they just might be memories...
An American Homo in Paris
Vanessa North - 2015
City of Love, my ass. Now I’m sitting here in this café near the Eiffel Tower, sipping the cheapest coffee they had on the menu, heartbroken and unsure of my next steps.Without a place to live, no job, not much money left in the bank, and speaking only a little French, I guess it’s time to put my tail between my legs and head back home to Bumfuck, Idaho.Unless…Photo Description: The Eiffel Tower looms in the background as two men kiss in the foreground of the black and white image.This story was written as a part of the M/M Romance Group's "Love is an Open Road" event. Group members were asked to write a story prompt inspired by a photo of their choice. Authors of the group selected a photo and prompt that spoke to them and wrote a short story. This story may contain sexually explicit content and is intended for adult readers. It may contain content that is disagreeable or distressing to some readers. The M/M Romance Group strongly recommends that each reader review the General Information section before each story for story tags as well as for content warnings.
Breathing Again
Sofia Grey - 2015
I was injured in my last deployment to Afghanistan and lost my leg. My partner of ten years left when I needed him the most, and he took my beloved dog along with him. After months of depression, denial, and a stint in the hospital because of alcohol poisoning, my brother finally insisted I see a therapist to get the help I needed. Little did I know that my luck was about to change the moment I stepped into that office.Photo Description: A handsome, athletic young man working out in a gymnasium, and supporting himself on a pair of hand rings. His right leg is missing from the knee down, replaced with a skeletal prosthesis. His expression is calm and thoughtful, as though he is completely focused on his workout. His chest is bare, and displays an array of colourful tattoos.This story was written as a part of the M/M Romance Group's "Love is an Open Road" event. Group members were asked to write a story prompt inspired by a photo of their choice. Authors of the group selected a photo and prompt that spoke to them and wrote a short story. This story may contain sexually explicit content and is intended for adult readers. It may contain content that is disagreeable or distressing to some readers. The M/M Romance Group strongly recommends that each reader review the General Information section before each story for story tags as well as for content warnings.
Restricted Fantasies
Kevin Kneupper - 2018
The technology is fast approaching, and within our lifetimes the vast majority of humanity may be plugged into their own private worlds, living out dreams indistinguishable from reality. It sounds like a paradise. But even paradise has its price. Restricted Fantasies is a collection of short stories about lives lived inside and outside of virtual reality. The advent of simulated realities raises questions of philosophy and technology that drive at the core of our nature as humans—and in the tradition of classic sci-fi, the stories in this collection wrestle with these questions and with the shape of things to come. You’ll meet a child protective services agent tasked with rescuing children being raised by Neo-Nazis in an illegal simulation of their own darkest fantasies. You’ll meet a man who discovers the cheat code to our reality—and watch as it all goes horribly wrong. You’ll go on a futuristic Rumspringa with an Amish woman who lives it up in virtual reality for a few years before deciding whether to go home to the last unplugged community on Earth. You'll peek into the lives of virtual reality addicts, aliens, and mad billionaires. And you’ll journey into Sim-Sing, a simulated prison with a very unpleasant jailer. Whether you’re a fan of classic sci-fi or not, if you’ve ever wondered whether the things around you are real, whether The Matrix was just a movie, and where the line is between reality and fantasy, you’ll love this glimpse into a future that may yet come—and that may already be here. Author Kevin Kneupper is an attorney and writer of various books, screenplays, and webcomics, including the bestselling They Who Fell series and Argonauts.
Women of Wonder, the Contemporary Years: Science Fiction by Women from the 1970s to the 1990s
Pamela SargentConnie Willis - 1995
Science Fiction by Women from the 1970s to the 1990s — A companion volume to 'The Classic Years', dispelling the notion that women don't write "real" science fiction, showcasing recent science fiction by women. Here are Octavia E. Butler, Pat Cadigan, Angela Carter, Nancy Kress, and Connie Willis, among others.Contents: Introduction and Bibliography by the Editor. Cassandra / C.J. Cherryh; The Thaw / Tanith Lee; Scorched Supper on New Niger / Suzy McKee Charnas; Abominable / Carol Emshwiller; Bluewater Dreams / Sydney J. Van Scyoc; The Cabinet of Edgar Allan Poe / Angela Carter; The Harvest of Wolves / Mary Gentle; Bloodchild / Octavia E. Butler; Fears / Pamela Sargent; Webrider / Jayge Carr; Alexia and Graham Bell / Rosaleen Love; Reichs-Peace / Sheila Finch; Angel / Pat Cadigan; Rachel in Love / Pat Murphy; Game Night at the Fox and Goose / Karen Joy Fowler; Tiny Tango / Judith Moffett; At the Rialto / Connie Willis; Midnight News / Lisa Goldstein; And Wild For To Hold / Nancy Kress; Immaculate / Storm Constantine; Farming in Virginia / Rebecca Ore.
None So Blind
Joe Haldeman - 1994
But Haldeman, like Einstein, proves that clerks can have enough vision to rock the cosmos. This book includes 11 stories and four story poems, ranging in length from two pages to just over 100. Together they have earned two Nebula, two Hugo and one World Fantasy awards. Each one showcases the author's grasp of what it means to be alive and human (or inhuman), written with a powerful clarity and a subtle imagination. Publishers Weekly called this one "a stunner."Contents:Feedback (1993)Passages (1990)Job Security (1992)The Hemingway Hoax (1990)Images (1991)Beachhead (1991)The Monster (1986)If I Had the Wings of an Angel (1991)The Cure (1994)Graves (1992)None So Blind (1994)The Homecoming (1990) poemFire, Ice (1994) poemTime Lapse (1989) poemDX (1987) poem
Budding Love
Adara O’Hare - 2014
In fact, the whole of Kazuo’s life has been about his obligations to his father, never about what he wanted for himself. Anything alien absolutely fascinates Kazuo, but the majority of Kazuo’s alien education has come strictly from his studies.To help Kazuo gain more business experience and contacts, his father requires him to attend an industry gala held by one of the most well-known extraterrestrial importers on Earth, a Sirynthalian known as Aethos. While Aethos is certainly a main attraction in attending the gala, Kazuo also remembers a past visit to the property’s enormous extraterrestrial greenhouse— a visit he’d like to repeat, as long as he can avoid touching the plants this time around.As far as decisions go, leaving the party to look at the exotic flora seems to be a fairly harmless one to Kazuo. But a walk through the greenhouse becomes a life-altering event when Kazuo comes across an alien plant with a mind of its own... and a desire for Kazuo. Now Kazuo has a life-or-death decision to make. The question is: does he have all of the facts he needs to make it?This story was written as a part of the M/M Romance Group's "Love’s Landscapes" event. Group members were asked to write a story prompt inspired by a photo of their choice. Authors of the group selected a photo and prompt that spoke to them and wrote a short story. Photo Description: An illustration in the style of Japanese manga artwork features a young Asian male, nude from the waist down, blushing in embarrassment as thick green plant tentacles hold him aloft, binding his arms behind his back and spreading his legs wide. A wide tentacle protruding from the center of a large pink blossom penetrates his anus. Three smaller yellow tendrils, also from the center of the flower, reach toward his erect cock.This story may contain sexually explicit content and is intended for adult readers. It may contain content that is disagreeable or distressing to some readers. The M/M Romance Group strongly recommends that each reader review the General Information section before each story for story tags as well as for content warnings.
Proto Zoa
Lois McMaster Bujold - 2011
Bujold’s "work remains among the most enjoyable and rewarding in contemporary SF” – Publishers WeeklyContains "Barter", which was first published in The Twilight Zone Magazine, March/April 1985. "Garage Sale", which was first published in American Fantasy, Spring 1987. "The Hole Truth", first published in The Twilight Zone Magazine, December 1986. "Dreamweaver's Dilemma", first published in Dreamweaver's Dilemma, 1995. "Aftermaths" (epilogue to Shards of Honor), which first appeared in Far Frontiers, Vol. V, Spring 1986.
Triangulum
Masande Ntshanga - 2019
In 2040, the South African National Space Agency receives a mysterious package containing a memoir and a set of digital recordings from an unnamed woman who claims the world will end in ten years. Assigned to the case, Dr Naomi Buthelezi, a retired professor and science fiction writer, is hired to investigate the veracity of the materials, and whether or not the woman's claim to have heard from a "force more powerful than humankind" is genuine. Thus begins TRIANGULUM, a found manuscript composed of the mysterious woman's memoir and her recordings. Haunted by visions of a mysterious machine, the narrator is a seemingly adrift 17-year-old girl, whose sick father never recovered from the shock of losing his wife. She struggles to navigate school, sexual experimentation, and friendship across racial barriers in post-apartheid South Africa.When three girls go missing from their town, on her mother's birthday, the narrator is convinced that it has something to do with "the machine" and how her mother also went missing in the '90s. Along with her friends, Litha and Part, she discovers a puzzling book on UFOs at the library, the references and similarities in which lead the friends to believe that the text holds clues to the narrators's mother's abduction. Drawing upon suggestions in the text, she and her friends set out on an epic journey that takes them from their small town to an underground lab, a criminal network, and finally, a mysterious, dense forest, in search of clues as to what happened to the narrator's mother. With extraordinary aplomb and breathtaking prose, Ntshanga has crafted an inventive and marvelous artistic accomplishment.s crafted an inventive and marvelous artistic accomplishment.