Book picks similar to
Skybound by Lou Iovino
science-fiction
fantasy-science-fiction
indie
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City of Blaze
H.O. Charles - 2011
Its soldiers find entertainment in the beds of the castle's servants rather than fight, believing they are safe from the deadly embrace of wielders. Wars are fought to encourage otherwise absent mortality, and countless citizens suffer the terrible pangs of nalka - the hunger for intimacy. All the while, Cadra's king concerns himself with choosing which of his disappointing concubines to execute next. The duty falls upon his son, Morghiad, to restore the city's strength and the army's purpose. As Morghiad attempts to do just that, he uncovers darker horrors and encounters a young servant who could either be his greatest ally or his greatest hindrance.
The Whirlwind in the Thorn Tree
S.A. Hunt - 2013
Dearly departed Dad was a famous fantasy novelist, and the 300 fans that show up for the funeral demand that Ross finish E. R. Brigham's long-running magnum opus.Ross and two of the author's devotees investigate his untimely death and discover that he might have been murdered...and the time-bending gunslingers of Dad's steampunk novels might be real.As they try to acclimate to the arid deserts of the author's fantasy world, the three damaged heroes become pawns in a war for humanity's survival. The Muses have grown tired of immortality and now incite atrocities on Earth, trying to lure down a leviathan from the stars.Can Ross and his new friends stop the scheming satyrs before both worlds are eaten?
99 Stories of Blood on the Wall: A collection of 99 word horror stories
Kevin Cathy - 2019
99 words. 100% horror!
Free Science Fiction Books On Kindle: Linked List of over 350 Free SciFi Classic Stories And Early Fantasy Novels
Morris Rosenthal - 2011
To download free eBooks directly, you must use Kindle Fire. Amazon has changed their other Kindle reader software (PaperWhite, eInk and Touch) so those users must use this eBook in Amazon's downloadable Cloud Reader (read.amazon.com) on a PC or laptop to select and send the free classics to their Kindle. iPad users must use the Cloud Reader from "Manage Your Kindle" to use the download links, see "From The Author" below. Amazon Prime members are welcome to use their free monthly borrow to get this list and download hundreds of the free classics for future reading.This linked list of over 350 free science fiction stories and novels in Amazon's permanent collection was recently updated with hundreds of works from famous science fiction writers who wrote in the 1950's and 1960's and apparently forgot to extend their copyright protection. For the more recent authors SciFi fans will be familiar with, I just list the links (arranged by author) that will take you to their titles in the Kindle store for free download. For the earlier writers, I usually include a one or two line summary of their books.I thought I read all the classic SciFi twenty years ago, but I found a couple dozen authors I'd never heard of while researching Amazon's free collection. Most of the titles in this linked list of the free classic science fiction on Amazon were written before the "Golden Age" of science fiction, but influenced the authors who came later. I've included several early utopia/dystopia books, a popular subject in the late Victorian period. A few supernatural titles are included when the author also wrote other types of books. I didn't include fairy tales, and I made judgment calls on skipping science fiction/fantasy that was written for children and young adults, or just included a few samples from those authors.This list of free science fiction eBooks on Amazon works best on Kindle WiFi devices, and Fire. The newest 3G and 4G Kindle Paperwhite and Touch readers will only allow you to use the clickable links for free Amazon eBooks when you are using them on a WiFi network. Clicking the linked titles will bring you directly to the product page for the free eBook in the Kindle store, where you can sign into your Amazon account (required the first time only) and download the eBook immediately. (source: Amazon)
Sleepers
Megg Jensen - 2011
Now she's filled with uncontrollable rage and access to magic she thought had been bled from her people years ago. Even her years of secret training in elite hand-to-hand combat and meditation can’t calm the fires raging inside her.Her heart is torn between two boys, the one she’s always loved and the one who always ignored her. But when the kingdom threatens to tear itself apart due to rumors surrounding the queen’s alleged affair, who will Lianne protect and who will she destroy?
Biohack
J.D. Lasica
Kaden Baker, an elite hacker who dabbles in covert ops, finds her life turned upside down when she discovers her parents were not who she thought they were. Where does she come from? Who’s been financing her high-stakes secret missions? The answers lead back to the same sinister biotech firm. As Kaden and Valerie become allies, they make one startling discovery after another about the company’s intentions. But each step closer to the truth puts their lives at greater risk. The stakes couldn’t be higher—for Kaden’s freedom, for Valerie’s fate, and for the future direction of humanity itself.
Outliers
Kate L. Mary
Within their walled city, exclusive access to the only remaining technology gives the Sovereign an advantage that seems impossible to beat. In exchange for meager scraps and free reign outside the walls, they use the brawn of the Fortis to their advantage while the Outliers struggle to survive. Living on land that has not healed from the poison of the past, and surrounded by dangers too numerous to count, the Outliers have adapted - but to the Sovereign and the Fortis, they are nothing. Indra is an Outlier. Each day she braves the wastelands, making the dangerous journey from the wilds where she lives to the City so she can serve the Sovereign in order to give her family a better life. Inside the walls, she has no rights and no freedom. Not only is she powerless to resist the Sovereign’s harsh rule, but she is also unable to do anything to save her people from the brutality of the Fortis. For centuries they have made their abuse of Outliers a sport, but when Asa comes to Indra’s rescue, she sees something different in him. Something that marks him as so much more than just a Fortis guard. But as Indra’s world begins to unravel, even the quiet alliance she has formed with Asa cannot save her from the wrath of the Sovereign. In one life-altering moment, everything Indra has ever known is ripped away, forcing her to face a world even more harsh and unforgiving. Broken and scarred, Indra finds herself on a journey that will challenge everything she’s ever been taught, learning along the way that she’s stronger than she ever imagined. Maybe even strong enough to free her people forever.
The Sails Of Tau Ceti
Michael McCollum - 1992
The twenty-third century saw interstellar flight finally within grasp of Earth's population. But before humans could begin to search the stars for alien life, aliens came to them. Refugees from the Tau Ceti system, victims of a sun gone nova, the Phelan were remarkably similar to humans in attitude, behavior and culture - or so they claimed...Tory Bronson was the software engineer on the "Starhopper", the interstellar probe that met the Phelan ship in space. When the Phelan petitioned Earth for land to settle upon, they chose her as their advocate - and she found herself offering her fellow humans world - changing alien technology in return for territory to house the refugees. Opposition to Phalen settlement was fierce, but Tory knew the objections had to be overcome - for she, as the Phalen advocate, was keeping a deadly secret from the world: the aliens were masters of deception, and far from helpless...
Ignite the Shadows
Ingrid Seymour - 2015
It’s been this way ever since I can remember, and it isn’t getting better. In fact, I think I’m about to freaking lose it.When I finally blow, it isn’t pretty. I wreck my bike and barely escape with my life while trying to get away from James McCray, the leader of a rebellious group known as IgNiTe.His presence makes the shadows in my head go nuts until I feel my brain will explode.What gives?My symptoms and my weak ability to control them are immediately noticed by James. Soon, he recruits me into IgNiTe and reveals its secrets.It turns out I’m not insane, but man, a straightjacket would be better because...I’m infected.Something lives inside of me, and if I don’t learn to control it, it will permanently take over my brain, the way it has done to half the people in Seattle. It turns out the world is under attack, and it’s time to fight for the survival of our kind.For fans of dark urban fantasy and doomsday fiction. Ignite the Shadows has intrigue, romance, and a heck of a lot of action.
The Visitor: First Contact SF
Tony Harmsworth - 2019
Specialist astronaut Evelyn Slater encounters a small, badly damaged, ancient, alien artefact (British spelling) on the first ever space-junk elimination mission. Where was it from? Who sent it? International governments impose a security clampdown. Evelyn leads a team of hand-picked scientists who make amazing discoveries within the alien device. Secrecy becomes impossible to maintain. When the news is finally released, she becomes embroiled in international politics, worldwide xenophobic hatred and violence. This is book one of Tony Harmsworth’s First Contact series of novels. If you like realistic near-future stories which compel you to imagine yourself as the protagonist, The Visitor is the book for you. The Visitor – science fiction written for the 'thinking' reader, and with a wicked twist. Buy it now and be transported into orbit. Recent review "This is unquestionably the finest first contact novel I have ever read. "All of the activity that takes place in outer space is realistic, well-informed yet easygoing. It is a completely plausible milieu and this adds considerably to the gravitas and integrity of the plot and its theme. "The whole first contact scenario is depicted in a fresh, innovative way. By this I mean the technological side of the process of discovery and analysis of the object; and also the nature, integrity and motivations of several pivotal characters. The behavior of other characters, of course, is sadly predictable, because this cannot be changed in any story one expects people to actually believe. "The way that conflict plays out is enormously satisfying to me.
"I recommend this book very highly."
The Perception Trilogy Boxed Set
Lee Strauss - 2013
He's taken up his deadfather's cause, speaking out and protesting against unfair GAP policies that areresponsible for the massive social divide between wealthy GAPs and poorernaturals.If only he could keep hismind off of perfect Zoe Vanderveen, daughter of the GAP family his mother worksfor.And can he really fillhis father's shoes?PerceptionSeventeen year old ZoeVanderveen is a GAP--a genetically altered person. She lives in the security ofa walled city on prime waterfront property along side other equally beautifulpeople with extended life spans.Her brother Liam ismissing.Noah Brody is a naturalwho lives on the outside. He leads protests against the GAPs and detests thewidening chasm they've created between those who have and those who don't. Hedoesn't like girls like Zoe and he has good reason not to like herspecifically.Zoe's carefree lifetakes a traumatic turn. She's in trouble and it turns out that Noah, the lastguy on earth she should trust, is the only one who can help her.VolitionZoe Vanderveen is on therun with her captor turned rescuer, Noah Brody.They're in love.Or at least that's whathe tells her. Her memories have returned but her feelings are dreamlike--thinand fleeting. Her heart can't be trusted. Just look at what happenedwith Taylor Blake.Senator Vanderveen's newteam of cyborg agents are in hot pursuit, and a reward for their capture isbroadcast nationwide. Record breaking cold and snow hinder their escape. Someonedies helping them.And their fight forsurvival has only begun.ContritionZoe, Noah and the other plane crash survivors are stranded in the Arizona desert.They all have secrets,and reasons to hide.But they're not alone.Cyborg soldiers.War.Humans and humanoids.Who can be trusted?Zoe's life is in danger.Noah must make an impossible choice.Will their love survive their brokenness?Will the world as they know it end before they can find out?
Plague Wars Trilogy
David VanDyke - 2016
When the Eden Plague is loosed upon the world, the forces of order and chaos, good and evil must battle it out in a struggle for control and supremacy. A PTSD-damaged combat medic, a female Marine with no legs and a sniper with no remorse might be its only hope of survival. Can these flawed heroes drive back those who would enslave humanity? Or will the darkness spread and swallow them up?Begin your journey through the epic saga of the Plague Wars with the gripping first three books of the bestselling apocalyptic series, for the first time in one enormous volume. Plague Wars follows in the apocalyptic tradition of Hugh Howie and Max Brooks, and the military science fiction tradition of Christopher Nuttall, David Drake, Vaughn Heppner and David Weber.Additionally, you get COMPLETELY FREE BONUS STORIES. also by David VanDyke, consisting of LOW JUSTICE: Four short stories of the supernatural, and UNFETTERED: A sci-fi-horror novella.Plague Wars: Decade One- The Eden Plague- Reaper's Run- Skull's Shadows- Eden's Exodus- Apocalypse Austin- Nearest NightPlague Wars: Alien Invasion- The Demon Plagues- The Reaper Plague- The Orion Plague- Cyborg Strike- Comes the Destroyer- Forge and SteelPlague Wars: Stellar Conquest, a direct follow-on to Plague Wars:- First Conquest- Desolator- Tactics of Conquest- Conquest of Earth- Conquest and Empire
Wang's Carpets
Greg Egan - 1995
One of the copies of Cater-Zimmermann, Paolo Venetti, arrives at Orpheus; a water-world inhabited by floating mats that perform as a Turing machine.
Project Mnemosyne
Kim Frauli - 2017
There, she and her best friend Declan work on medical advancements to benefit the world outside. Everything they do is dictated by the rules of the New Regime. When Guardian Costma, the leader of the New Regime, summons them to assign a new project, Julianna has serious objections to the nature of the project. With Declan’s help, she devises a plan to get them out of the Scholars Compound and live a life of their own making. However, they are blindly entering a world about which they know very little, and Guardian Costma will not let them go without a chase. Will they be able to find freedom they seek? Are their family members still out there waiting for their return? Or will the truths they learn be too much to handle?
Tubby Dubonnet Mysteries Vol. 8-9
Tony Dunbar - 2017
But a youthful Tubby chanced to see it happen, and the tragic event's haunted him throughout his life. Decades later, an established (but not exactly driven) lawyer, yet successful enough to have time on his hands, Tubby decides to conduct his own investigation into the forgotten crime. He quickly stirs up a hornets’ nest of far-reaching political feuds, police corruption, government agents, and old men with secrets to hide.But as in all Tubby Dubonnet novels, the plot takes a backseat to local color, colorful characters, odes to fine food, wry observations, and a whole lot of humor. It's a little like spending a weekend in da Big Easy, dawlin'--complete with three well-chosen meals a day!Vol 2 – FAT MAN BLUES – The NINTH installment in Tony Dunbar’s humorous, hard-boiled Tubby Dubonnet mystery seriesEx-con Angelo Spooner is trying to start a legit business, but he just can’t catch a break. Just as his healing Holy Water, “Angelo’s Elixir” is about to go upscale, the sticky strands of the Big Sleazy’s tangled web of crime and corruption reach out to ensnare him. What’s a law-abiding parolee to do? He can’t get caught with a gun, but maybe that axe in his shed could help him extricate himself. But when low-level creep Frenchy Dufour’s henchman turns up nearly beheaded, Angelo’s fate rests in the capable hands of laid-back lawyer Tubby Dubonnet.Tubby’s been trying hard to lay low, too. As those closest to him are targeted by frightening attacks, he suspects his dealings with the clandestine society of Cuban exiles who’ve plagued him lately are far from over. Tubby would love to have nothing further to do with “that crazy band of geriatric lunatics”. But the old Cuban revolutionaries have taught their sons well. Now their grandchildren, heirs to a substantial cache of weapons and money, burn with a dangerous zeal to prove themselves.Meanwhile … a man’s got to eat! The epicurean counselor does his best thinking when he’s well-fed. Our good luck! –as we vicariously sample our way across New Orleans’ culinary panorama on the hunt for an axe murderer. But sleuth does not live by bread alone—even in a Tony Dunbar legal thriller. Ignoring his own advice to his client to “keep your head on your shoulders”, Tubby’s lost his to the lovely Peggy O’Flarity. It’s about time Tubby had some steamy sex – and maybe a little happiness? But fortune teller Sister Soulace has her doubts.