Book picks similar to
A Shadow in the Flames by Michael G. Munz
science-fiction
sci-fi
cyberpunk
ebooks
Beyond
Maureen A. Miller - 2012
College beckons, as does her dream of becoming an engineer. On an early evening walk, her cocker spaniel charges into the woods on the other side of the pond. Aimee trails after him, and in the stillness of that forest the unthinkable happens. She becomes paralyzed and watches in horror as her hands vanish before her eyes. Waking to the sound of voices, Aimee realizes that she has been kidnapped. Little does she know how far away from home she is, though. In an attempt to flee her captors, she launches from their confines only to freeze at the view outside the window. The sky is black and filled with stars, and in the distance is a familiar blue globe. The planet Earth. A group of humans forced to flee their planet after an epidemic destroyed their civilization now travel the galaxies in search of an antidote. Retrieving samples of plant life from every solar system, on this occasion Aimee was accidentally seized instead. Aimee must learn to avoid the advances of an awkward young scientist who seems intent on dissecting her, as her own fascination turns to the exotic young warrior, Zak. Having fallen in love with Zak, she is now torn with the decision to return to Earth or live beyond the stars.
The Boy who Lit up the Sky
J. Naomi Ay - 2012
Duty comes before personal choice for a princess especially when her country has been at war for more than a thousand years. Lydia's pregnancy removes her brother and new husband from their respective lines of succession placing her yet unborn infant at the head of the both queues. No one is happy about this, especially Lydia who dies during childbirth from wounds caused by the talon-like toenails of her very strange newborn son.Grief stricken at the loss of his daughter, the Mishnese King hastily sends Senya, his infant grandson off to a decrepit inner city orphanage with the intent to retrieve him much later when things got sorted out. At the orphanage, Senya is protected by the invalid Sister Meri who instantly falls in love with the little fellow. She's not bothered at all by his strange telekinetic and telepathic powers, flickering pupil-less silver eyes or wicked clawed toenails. The House Father takes a shine to the lad too and when Senya is six years old, he is summoned to the Father's chamber. The Father ends up in flames forcing Meri and Senya out into a snow storm running for their lives. Thus begins the tale of Senya, a prince created to be king of a planet but then tossed aside until his twelfth birthday when Lt. Taner, a Royal Guard detective is sent to retrieve him. It is unclear to all whether Senya is the product of something good or something evil but in either case, it is very apparent that he is something more than just Lydia Kalila's son.Note to readers - This title contains graphic language, violence and sexual situations. It is not intended for children or young teens.
The Woodlands
Lauren Nicolle Taylor - 2013
Sixteen-year-old Rosa lives in one of the eight enclosed cities of The Woodlands. Where the lone survivors of a devastating race war have settled in the Russian wilderness because it’s the only scrap of land left habitable on the planet. In these circular cities, everyone must abide by the law or face harsh punishment. Rosa's inability to conform and obey the rules brands her a leper and no one wants to be within two feet of her, until she meets Joseph. He's blonde, fair-skinned, green-eyed, and the laid-back complete opposite of Rosa. She's never met anyone quite like him, and she knows that spells danger. But differences weren't always a bad thing. People used to think being unique was one of the most treasured of traits to have. Now, the Superiors, who ruthlessly control the concrete cities with an iron fist, are obsessed with creating a 'raceless' race. They are convinced this is the only way to avoid another war. Any anomalies must be destroyed. The Superiors are unstoppable and can do anything they want. After all, they are considered superheroes by the general public. But not everyone sees them this way. When they continue to abuse their power by collecting young girls for use in their secret, high-tech breeding program, they have no idea that one of those girls has somehow managed to make friends even she didn't know she had. And one man will stop at nothing to save her.
Starstruck
Brenda Hiatt - 2013
Orphaned as an infant and reluctantly raised by an overly-strict "aunt," she's not even sure who she is. M's dream of someday escaping tiny Jewel, Indiana and making her mark in the world seems impossibly distant until hot new quarterback Rigel inexplicably befriends her. As Rigel turns his back on fawning cheerleaders to spend time with M, strange things start to happen: her acne clears up, her eyesight improves to the point she can ditch her thick glasses, and when they touch, sparks fly--literally! When M digs for a reason, she discovers deep secrets that will change her formerly mundane life forever... and expose her to perils she never dreamed of. Book 1 of the award-winning Starstruck series, where teen romance blends with science fiction to open a whole new world of action, adventure and discovery.
The Journal of James Halldon
Glynn James - 2011
It is a dark and terrifying place, hidden from the world we know by borders that only the most unfortunate of souls will ever cross.James Halldon woke up in the dark, alone, without any food or water, without a clue where he was, and with no memory of where he came from.It only got stranger.James has somehow found his way to The Corridor, a midnight place that no human should ever see and the prison of a creature that has destroyed entire worlds. Somehow James has to learn to survive.But he is not alone. The lost souls of others who have drifted into The Corridor, and died, also haunt this world, and they have been waiting a long time for someone to come along.The Journal of James Halldon is a dark sci-fi novel that follows Halldon's struggle to survive whilst trying to understand the strange, dark, and terrifying world in which he is trapped.If it's dark when you wake up, and you can hear growling, then close your eyes and maybe it will go away.But maybe it won't...
The Fog of Dreams
Justin Bell - 2015
He's motivated and ruthless, and an evil conglomerate has made him angry... and they won't like him when he's angry. William Strickland feels like a stranger in his own skin. Somewhere deep inside him, a beastly force tries to claw its way out. With his sharpened senses, he has no trouble spotting the men in suits who watch his every move. The human part of him can remember faint traces of a family gone missing. And in fevered nightmares, he can’t escape the half-forgotten memory of a mysterious woman frozen with fear. When one of the guards reveals the dark truth of William’s twisted DNA, he resolves to fight tooth and claw to break free from the sinister corporation holding him captive. Only then can he discover the secrets behind his missing memories and the family he hopes still lives. To stop an evil conspiracy and reunite with his loved ones, he’ll have to give himself over to the monster snarling under his skin. But once he transforms, there may be no turning back… Buy The Fog of Dreams to unleash a beastly thrill ride today! FIVE STAR REVIEWS "If you are looking for action, this book has it. A lot of it" "Well written, captivating story that I couldn't put down!! "What a fantastic book!"
The Last Dance
Martin L. Shoemaker - 2019
The alleged mutineer is Captain Nicolau Aames, whose command of the massive Earth-Mars vessel Aldrin has come under fire. The vast System Initiative says he disobeyed orders, but his crew swears he’s in the right.En route to Mars, Park gathers testimony from the Aldrin’s diverse crew, painting a complex picture of Aames’s character: his heroism, his failures, even his personal passions. As the investigation unfolds, Park finds herself in the thrall of powerful interests, each pushing and pulling her in a fiery cosmic dance.Corruption, conflicting loyalties, and clashing accounts make it nearly impossible to see the truth in fifty million miles of darkness, and Park faces danger from every direction. All eyes are on her: one way or another, her findings will have astronomical implications for the Aldrin and the future of space travel.
Point Apocalypse
Alex Bobl - 2013
A place of no return harboring the death of the universe. No proper food or drinking water, no modern technologies. He doesn't know who he is. He can't tell friend from foe. He has no idea what brought him here. He has no time to think. He lives from one objective to the next. The Earth's laws end here. No one to turn to for help. The lives of thousands of people now depend on him alone.
Fate of Perfection
K.F. Breene - 2017
But her daughter inherits more than superior genetics…little Marie has a rare ability that the world has never seen, and her conglomerate, Moxidone, will stop at nothing to have sole possession of the child.Teamed with Ryker, the formidable master of security, Millicent must risk everything in a life-and-death struggle to tear her daughter away from the ruling force who wants to own them all. The odds are stacked against them, but Moxidone will learn that the pursuit of perfection comes at a perilous cost—and that love can’t be bought at any price.
Greenshift
Heidi Ruby Miller - 2012
Greenshift is a tale set within the world of Ambasadora.Mari’s rare eye color makes her a pariah within Upper Caste society, which is why she prefers plants to people…except David, the former Armadan captain who shuttles scientists around on a refurbished pleasure cruiser.But someone else is interested in Mari and her distinctive look—an obsessed psychopath who tortures and murders women for pleasure.When the killer chooses Mari as his next victim, the soldier inside David comes alive, but it is Mari who must fight for her own life and prove she isn’t as fragile as the flowers she nurtures.
The Thought Readers
Dima Zales - 2014
Everyone thinks I’m a genius. Everyone is wrong. Sure, I finished Harvard at eighteen and now make crazy money at a hedge fund. But that’s not because I’m unusually smart or hard-working. It’s because I cheat. You see, I have a unique ability. I can go outside time into my own personal version of reality—the place I call “the Quiet”—where I can explore my surroundings while the rest of the world stands still. I thought I was the only one who could do this—until I met her. My name is Darren, and this is how I became entangled with all the Russians and learned that I’m a Reader.
Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom
Cory Doctorow - 2003
He's lived long enough to see the cure for death and the end of scarcity, to learn ten languages and compose three symphonies...and to realize his boyhood dream of taking up residence in Disney World.Disney World! The greatest artistic achievement of the long-ago twentieth century. Now in the keeping of a network of "ad-hocs" who keep the classic attractions running as they always have, enhanced with only the smallest high-tech touches.Now, though, the "ad hocs" are under attack. A new group has taken over the Hall of the Presidents, and is replacing its venerable audioanimatronics with new, immersive direct-to-brain interfaces that give guests the illusion of being Washington, Lincoln, and all the others. For Jules, this is an attack on the artistic purity of Disney World itself. Worse: it appears this new group has had Jules killed. This upsets him. (It's only his fourth death and revival, after all.) Now it's war....
Planet Urth
Jennifer Martucci - 2013
The planet has been battered by war, its inhabitants plagued by disease and death. Few humans survived and remained unaffected. Most changed dramatically and evolved into something else entirely. Irrevocable alterations caused by chemical warfare have created a new species. North America is in ruins and has been overtaken. Humanity has fallen at the hands of mutants known as Urthmen. Seventeen year-old Avery is alive and unchanged. But she has not been immune to the harshness of the new world. She has lived on the run for much of her life, in terror. After losing her father, Avery is the sole guardian of her eight-year-old sister, June. Avery is now charged with June’s safety as well as her own, a nearly impossible task.Forced to hide deep in the forest and away from the cities overrun by Urthmen, Avery and her sister are constantly hunted. Danger awaits them at every turn. They fear they are the only human beings left, that they are the last of their kind. But are they truly alone?Find out in this raw and rousing first installment of the Planet Urth series.
In Times Like These
Nathan Van Coops - 2013
How do you break time? Can something so bad happen that you fracture the world?" Benjamin Travers has been electrocuted. What's worse, he and his friends have woken up in the past. As the friends search for a way home, they realize they're not alone. There are other time travelers, and some of them are turning up dead. When Ben meets an enigmatic scientist and his charming, time-traveling daughter, salvation seems at hand, but escaping the dangers of the past may lead to a deadly future. If he hopes to save his friends, Ben must learn to master space and time, and survive a journey where past and future violently collide.
Orientation
Al K. Line - 2014
Then it got a name: The Lethargy. Everyone just gave up, all interest in life relentlessly gnawed away.Marcus was different - he became the most powerful man alive. A man able to bend reality to his will and peel back the layers of the complex world he found himself alone in.His only true desire was to help safeguard mankind's future, so The Commorancy was constructed, a fabled safe haven for those lucky enough to get an invitation after passing his strict and convoluted entry requirements. But there are those out to ensure humanity is wiped from the planet entirely, led by a tattooed red man that will stop at nothing.Three hundred years living a life that was never meant to be means that Marcus' grip on reality is becoming severely warped. When fifteen year old Letje finally gets her invitation she finds herself completely out of her depth. Haughty goats, an almost mythical man obsessed with changing his clothes at every available opportunity, and doors that go whoosh don't help her situation as the very future of mankind hangs in the balance.