The Quantum Entanglement by Aaron Benmark

America lies in ruins. Nearly a thousand years following the cataclysm that destroyed the world, it has rebuilt itself into many smaller kingdoms, republics, and city states, but the people live simple, desperate lives. Above all towers the powerful Church of Science, a religious organization that worships the old masters of science, bans technology for all but the wealthiest, and controls society with a velvet glove masking an iron fist. Deep in the trenches of the Church's hierarchy sits Cort, a young researcher who wants to be left alone to his studies. To Cort's surprise, however, he is about to be drafted into a dangerous mission that will take him to the highest levels of Church society...and the lowest. Cort's mission will test his loyalties, convictions, and beliefs, secretly held against the Church's scriptures. He must navigate a brewing conflict between the Church and the powerful Scientific American Emperor while not letting his true beliefs come to light...for even the slightest dissidence is punishable by disentanglement, a fate worse than death...

Human Nature by Bonnibelle Angelica

Oppressors become revolutionaries, mothers become monsters and friends become something more... Phylum is a brilliant young biologist born to lead the last of humanity, but his status comes with certain expectations. In a rare act of defiance, Phylum secretly joins a new scientific expedition up to the surface where mutation has infected everything. However, when his ambition almost costs him his life, he finds something extraordinary: A human girl living on the surface. Despite her animalistic traits, Canopy is remarkably intelligent, compassionate and even charming. She offers to help him, but as they explore the vibrant paradise above, Phylum can’t help but question the disturbing nature of his home and the role he plays in it...

Ashen Light by Ian Young

His coworkers are idiots, his boss is a by-the-books hardass, and the company he works for is the largest in the world, which couldn’t care less about him. Beck is a Human Resources Investigator, and while other investigators are solving high-profile crimes for Synthetic Corporation, he deals with malfunctioning automata. But when a murder case falls into his lap, Beck sees a rare opportunity to prove himself to his boss and former colleague Katherine Hegra, even if it means betraying her and the entire HR department. Yet as Beck digs deeper into the case and into the inner workings of SynthCorp, he finds himself confronting secrets about the company and his own past—secrets that might affect not only his career, but the fate of humanity itself… Forgotten memories, synthetic foods, interstellar spacecraft, radio transmissions from Venus—Beck must deal with all of these in the new novel by Ian Young.

Andgate by Samuel Cardoso

Based on the Award-Winning "Dark Science Fiction" Screenplay – Atlanta Festival 2024 After a drastic political revolution, Artem, an agent of the authoritarian regime, is confronted with the harrowing task of executing his own wife for violating the State’s laws. When he meets the revolutionary Nul, Artem is forced to grapple with guilt and doubt about his actions, revealing an internal struggle between loyalty to the system and the search for truth. In a dark setting, we explore themes such as power, control, and morality, prompting us to question the price of individual freedom in a world where nobody acknowledges that they are being governed by oppression.

Echo’s End by Claudia J. Filusch

THE WORLD IS COLLAPSING—QUIETLY. COMPLETELY. The sky rains golden ash. Villages lie swallowed in dust. And from the heavens it descends, silent, monolithic, like a sentence long awaited. A cuboid humming with a power no one dares to name. The story follows Caden, a quiet survivor with Echodust in his veins and Jira, a sharp-eyed healer bound to him by choice, not fate. Together, they navigate a dying continent littered with failed machines, ghost-towns of ritual, and warnings about “the one who walks without skin“. But the deeper they go, the more the past bleeds into the present, and the more the line blurs between memory, magic and machine. Echo's End is a story about grief and survival, love and legacy. A world at its edge. And the silence that cradles what we could not carry. With the emotional intimacy of The Book Thief, the haunting mystery of Annihilation, and the high-concept tension of Dune, Echo's End explores legacy, loss, and what it means to remain human in a world unmaking itself.

Holly and the Hunter: A Post-Apocalyptic Alien Romance (Xarc'n Warriors) by Lynnea Lee

Deck the halls… or die trying. I’ve spent months preparing for the holidays. Gifts for the children, hand-knit stockings, and enough decorations to cover New Franklin in Christmas cheer. It was going to be perfect. Then the raiders came. They didn’t take food. Or medicine. Or anything remotely useful for surviving winter. No, they stole the crate full of holiday magic. Everything is gone. Even the star for the tree. Now the settlement’s focused on repairs and defense, and no one has time to recover what was lost. Except me. And the only person available to help? A grumpy, battle-hardened Xarc’n warrior who thinks tinsel is a tactical hazard. But grumpy protector or not, we’re going to make this work. He’s got the blade, I’ve got the sparkle, and together, we are going to save Christmas. This is a standalone novella-length holiday story set in the Xarc’n Warrior universe. Get ready for a sweet and steamy adventure with a HEA guaranteed!

May I Exist? Pending Review by Asium Hesidros & Erika Kukkar

May I Exist? Pending Review is a dystopian elegy for a society strangled by aristocratic control and bureaucratic obedience. In a state governed by an aristocratic council of oligarchs, power is a birthright, and life is a ledger. The elite rule from above, unquestioned and untouched, while the working class toils in silence below, stripped of private property and personal freedom. Here, permission replaces autonomy. Every act, from taking a tram to boiling water is taxed in Credits, the regime’s unforgiving currency. Existence itself is a transaction. The system runs on bureaucracy so intricate it chokes. Housing is privately owned by corporate landlords contracted by the state. Wristbands blink orders, and penalties are posed. May I Exist? Pending Review is a haunting portrait of a society ruled by aristocratic democracy and totalitarian bureaucracy, a story not just of class descent, but of the silent war between endurance and falling prey.

Minotaur by Jamieson Wolf

Roanne lives in the darkness. In the labyrinth, people exist without words or noise, trying not to provoke the beast down from the mountains. They communicate their fears and uncertainty in sign and whisper—it’s all any of them have ever known. Silence means life, and the dark is a good place to keep secrets. Roanne has spent seventeen years in the labyrinth, never knowing the outside world. While hiding from the minotaur, Roanne discovers a small green journal that holds another secret that could change her path. She also realizes her mother and the Oracle of the labyrinth have kept secrets of their own. Will Roanne be brave enough to do what she must? Or will the minotaur be her undoing after all?

From Grey by Lisa Arcona

Every thing and every person has its place and purpose in Society. This is a truth that all Attisians know, ever since the founding of their settlement on the Outpost planet of Attis many megas ago. Minty Bradford 8 has never doubted her place and purpose in the world. As an 8 - a direct descendant of the first settlers - Minty has a responsibility to one day take her place in the Advocacy and legislate the laws that govern her planet, even if all she wants is to quietly run the Farm her parents left to her. But the bounds of Minty's solitary life are shattered when she becomes entangled with an Earthen girl and her fugitive brother, and Minty begins to question the truths she once knew as irrefutable. As Minty shelters the Earthens against the laws which she swore to uphold, she must ask herself: how far is she willing to go? And what will she choose to do with the life she has inherited? Is Minty willing to risk everything she's ever known in order to save two Earthens? LEGEND meets RED RISING in this historically-inspired adventure of compassion, self-discovery, and sacrifice.

The Electric King by Hugh C.N. Miller

By 2052, the world is ruled by artificial intelligence in the form of a ruthless android called King Cyrus. Society is divided into the 'Myriads’, who choose allegiance to his reign and live in perceived opulence and the ‘Indigents’, who live off-grid and fight for survival. An unthinkable tragedy transforms Scarlett into an unexpected warrior. With her kidnapped brother as her only focus, she is given the power to defeat the electric king and liberate humanity before it’s too late. But first, she must trust Ethan, a handsome thief who threatens to steal more than just her heart…

Roots & Rubble by Kalleigh Royn

To survive, she followed the rules. To live, she’ll have to break them. Eighteen-year-old Nova Stormont was raised to survive, not hope. In Whitebark Haven, straying from your assigned role means punishment, or worse. But Nova has always yearned for more than life in the shadows as a scout. She wants to heal, to grow, to choose. When she reveals a hidden talent at her coming-of-age ceremony, Nova risks everything to prove there’s more to life than what the Elders expect. But before judgement falls, she slips beyond the borders for one last stolen breath of freedom only to be captured by the Loxosceles, a ruthless faction where power determines your worth. Trapped behind enemy lines, Nova must rely on her scouting skills, her knowledge of plants, and her sharp wit as she navigates shifting loyalties and the gaze of a duty-bound commander who is more than he seems. With every step, she begins to question everything she thought she knew—about her enemies, her purpose, and herself.

Neuen by Sheri Singerling

Neuen is a planet of extremes, thanks to a crawling rotation rate. Nights of bitter cold. Days of searing heat. For Levi Zetmer and the other Reisende, survival means a nomadic existence chasing the ever-shifting twilight. Exiled from the polar cities for their “flawed” genetics, they live under constant surveillance, forced to cleanse their bloodlines birth by birth. It’s Lyn’s job to keep them on track. A polar city denizen, she travels from Reisender settlement to settlement and monitors the genomes of the newborns. The work is lonely and tedious until all the inhabitants of a neighboring settlement mysteriously die, and Lyn is tasked with uncovering the cause of the deaths. For the journey, she needs help from Reisende knowledgeable in plagues and blights. Levi’s expertise in the latter earns him a place in her expedition. But all their efforts yield only questions, and whatever killed the others seems poised to wipe out Levi’s settlement next. Lyn is determined to find a solution. Levi is dead set on learning the truth. Together they just might be able to unravel the mystery. Will what they learn finally free the Reisende from their age-old shackles? Or will the truth break them? Neuen is a science fiction mystery with aspects of botany and genetic engineering.

Nytho by Sheri Singerling

Keza never planned to fall for a rogue artificial general intelligence (AGI), especially one she helped keep imprisoned. But Nytho, the AGI, was fascinating. When Nytho showed Keza how he could help humanity reach a new level of consciousness, her captivation turned to veneration. She was resolved to break Nytho out of his digital prison. Too bad Guel, her on-and-off boyfriend, caught her in the act. Now, Keza’s wasting away in a cell with only a rigged trial to look forward to. Except, she has a hunch that Nytho has a backup plan, or two or ten. There’s going to be a jailbreak for the both of them. Then the world will see what Keza does in Nytho. They’ve got so much to learn, and she’s just itching for their enlightenment to kick in. Meanwhile, Guel finds himself obsessing over his ex—his role in Keza’s imprisonment and her descent into madness. He’s convinced Nytho infected her with a virus and that the AGI has other more sinister plans. Guel knows that Keza’s the key. That if he can free her from Nytho’s grip, she can help them all avoid whatever hell is barreling their way. He's just got to figure out how he can reach her. Nytho is cyberpunk with hints of Lovecraftian/cosmic horror and is told through multiple voices.

The Gemini Games by Willa Hollis

Five games. Five opportunities. Persevere or perish. Zellie Toro has lived a simple life in the intergalactic unit stationed on the planet Lunara for twenty-seven years. But when an invitation from The Kosmos, the divine order, arrives, everything changes. Chosen as one of ten human participants in the treacherous Gemini Games in the city of Astralis, Zellie must collect moonstone fragments to restore the fading Gemini constellation and continue powering nearby worlds. The stakes are high: become a Celestial champion and gain unimaginable power. As Zellie competes, she uncovers a web of corruption, a rigid magical hierarchy, and a staggering imbalance of power. While the games progress, she realizes that the only way to spark real change for humans across the galaxy is to infiltrate the divine order itself. Faced with an impossible choice, Zellie must decide: surrender her humanity or stay true to her convictions and risk everything to do what’s right. In a new world where survival is the only rule, Zellie must decide: survive... or die trying.

Clipped by KQ Watson

Heaven was perfect, until they came for his son. When angel engineer Zak's infant son is cast down for being born without wings, he faces Heaven's cruel mandate: forget, or fall. Clipped, Zak plummets to a broken Earth, where false prophets exploit the faithful, drug lords rule dead cities, and every truth comes with a price. Pursued by ruthless angel hunters through decaying urban wastelands and corrupted mega-churches, Zak uncovers a conspiracy that reaches from Earth's grimmest gutters to Heaven's highest chambers. What begins as a father's desperate search becomes a brutal quest for vengeance that will expose Heaven's most devastating lies - and make them remember his son's name.

Dissolution Protocol by H.J. Barner

What would you sacrifice for the greater good? Nearly 200 years ago, half of humanity fled to the stars to escape an Earth butchered by climate change and nuclear war. Ever since, dozens of colonies have been attempted on distant planets, each one failing after the last. Today, remaining space-dwellers live on Space Stations orbiting resource-depleted planets, indifferent to the riots and unrest on the Earth they left behind. Aboard the S.S. Obsidian Dawn, Captain Everest Eskandari navigates the harsh realities of a collapsing Space Republic with her crew and two passengers: Eridan, a navigator who thinks himself helpless to fix a broken world; Zeya, a mechanic with faith that the government will take care of everything well enough; Dorian, an electrician who's come to accept that they're all doomed anyways; Kalani, a scientist on the run; and Samson, an Earthling who's finally stopped running from his fate. When dangerous secrets come to light, the crew must grapple with everything they thought they ever knew, and both Space-dweller and Earthling alike must make sacrifices capable of forging the future for centuries to come. Through the lense of six lives, "Dissolution Protocol" explores themes of apathy and indifference, and warns of a world where ignorance is not just bliss, but a dangerous, corrosive force.

Millennium Bug by Yvonne Knop

David Smith’s life is thrown into chaos when a mysterious book crashes through his window, telling the story of a life he doesn’t remember. A stranger, claiming to be a hidden scribe who weaves reality, demands the book back, warning that keeping it will unravel the world, but returning it will erase David from existence. As the ancient order of storytellers is threatened to be overthrown by AI, David must reclaim his past and rewrite destiny itself to prevent the erasure of all reality. But if he succeeds, the cost may be too great—unlocking the truth of his fate gives him the power to destroy everything, including the only man he's ever loved. If the world was never meant to be real, does it deserve to exist?

Neon Lullabies by H.J. Barner

Are you dreaming? Are you sleeping? Have the neon lullabies worked, or will you join the Awakening? In the Seacity, the sun never shines. While the corporate-ruled utopia of Skycity glistens among the clouds, the sinking underworld of crime, salt water, and eternal night known as the Seacity makes a home among the sunken ruins of a former American metropolis. Here, criminal syndicates govern divided neighborhoods sponsored by various corporations, and status is defined by having the latest tech. Growing up in the sunless alleyways of the Seacity, former Syndicate engineer Hat now carves a life out for themself by hacking into corporate databases and making edits for credits. When a job gone wrong lands them with a 100-grand bounty on their head, Hat finds themself at the mercy of the Awakening, a shadow-operating resistance group seeking to topple the mega-corporations that puppeteer everyday life in the Seacity. Meanwhile, in Skycity, the Seacity-born Helena finds herself interning with Neol Inc., the world’s leading technology company. While Hat navigates the ranks of the Awakening, Helena gains an inside look at Skycity’s corporate propaganda and starts to understand that it’s never been corporation versus corporation so much as Skycity versus Seacity. Forced to choose between the city of her birth and the possibilities of her future, Helena finds herself questioning the price of morality in the cut-throat corporate workplace of Skycity. And when Hat lands themself in a prison after learning of an impending software update with the potential to destroy any semblance of freedom the technologically reliant people of the Seacity still have, Hat must find a way to escape their high-security jail cell or witness the end of free will in the Seacity.

A Ballad of Inferno and Ruin by Adrielle Reina

Terror. Violence. Blood. Death. War takes everything—even your humanity. While a second Civil War rages on in the Former United States of America, other countries are embroiled in World War III. Uncertainty and unrest result in an upheaval there’s no escape from. People have a choice: choose a side, or die. Determined to get vengeance and help salvage what’s left of the world—and herself—Emma Sandalwood joins up with the Motley Rebellion, an independent militant group that cares for displaced victims of both wars and fights to end the bloodshed. Between keeping herself alive and searching for what little remains of her family, the last thing she needs is to uncover a man-made virus that could turn the tides of war. Betrayal comes in many forms, and the end of humanity is near.

Wyrmrot (Wyrmrot #1) by Stephanie Saige

FIRST CAME THE DRAGONS When scientists brought everyone’s favorite fairytale creature to life, people flocked to see them, including 17-year-old Zelda Rissland. THEN CAME THE PARASITE But scientists created more than just dragons—they created a deadly parasite. Wyrmrot, they later called it. First, it ate your brain, and then it made you eat other people’s brains. NOW ZELDA MUST SURVIVE THE ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE Separated from her family, the only person Zelda has left from her former life is her childhood friend turned boyfriend, Cooper Marotta. Together they’ve carved out a safe place for themselves in a world turned upside down, but when a zombie horde decimates their survivor group, they face a choice: attempt to rebuild or follow the mysterious coordinates that appeared on a construction sign. Zelda still hopes her family is out there somewhere and believes the coordinates might lead her to them. Cooper, however, thinks the coordinates will only bring trouble. When the remaining survivors vote to undertake the perilous cross-country journey, he attempts to deter them every step of the way. What Zelda discovers at their destination will test her loyalties and change everything she thought she knew about the apocalypse. Wyrmrot is a heart-stopping Young Adult Apocalyptic novel told in dual timelines. "Jurassic Park meets Resident Evil." This fast-paced tale of survival, secrets, and betrayal features dragons, zombies, and a touch of romance. Perfect for fans of Erin Bowman's Contagion or Emily Suvada's This Mortal Coil.

Beyond the Darkness by Avra Blake

For decades the Military and Syndicate have been locked in a war for power. Both sides are desperate to gain the upper hand through any means necessary—including performing dangerous experiments to discover and enhance the strongest abilities. Thea is a victim of these experiments. After her escape from a Military Research facility, her struggles to control her abilities put her in danger of being found. With both the Military and Syndicate after her, she finds help from an unlikely source. A traitor and a war criminal, Nix is a wanted man on both sides of the war. He’s been running from imprisonment for years. Meeting Thea means he can’t run anymore. In order to help her avoid capture he’ll have to face his biggest regrets along with his worst fears. With mysteries to unravel and secrets to reveal, both must learn to trust the other—and forgive themselves. If they don’t, they may end up with even more regrets.

Death Rights by Shannon Knight

Grave Cold introduces a world overrun by mutations where the dead remain in their bodies till a raven releases them. Each raven is a long-lived individual steeped in the culture of the time and place they originated. However, the District of Portland is using the dead as an energy source. Nylewulf, an Anglo-Saxon man who has spent centuries hiding from humanity, and Cait, a beautician who happens to be a necromancer, team up to protect the dead. In Death Rights, Nyle and Cait have reached Angel’s Rest when a raven even older than Nyle appears. Lucius, known as the Kingmaker, is part of the council that regulates the elusive ravens. While DP aims to destroy every raven sanctuary in the district, Lucius unfurls his own plot. Once again, Nyle and Cait strive to stay alive and protect the dead. But survival alone doesn’t satisfy either of them. Justice requires that they face the government head on.

PARALYZE by S.K. Putt

In the neon-drenched world of Echo City, a simmering angst brews between the lost ways of religion, unshackled from centuries of dogma, and the modern threats posed by technology that risks erasing what it means to be human. Jasper, a seasoned netrunner, stumbles upon a secret that could unravel the very fabric of this reality, drawing him into the orbit of commercial greed. Nova, an aspiring freelance dancer meets a corporate woman who will change her life forever. As Jasper and Nova's paths intertwine, they uncover a conspiracy that links their city’s fate to their own survival. P.A.R.A_LYZE, is a gripping cyberpunk novel that delves into the intersection of technology, rebellion, and survival in a world where every shadow conceals a secret and every neon sign tells a story. Will Jasper and Nova uncover the truth before their city—and themselves—are consumed by the darkness of the net?

Casual by Koji A. Dae

Valya’s neural implant is amazing. Its game-like app, CASUAL, has managed her depression and anxiety, stabilized her mood, and helped the infertile Valya get pregnant. But new laws forbid her from using the device when she's sole caregiver for her infant. Her gaslighting ex won't help her, and she can't afford a nanny, so her obstetrician insists that Valya wean off CASUAL before giving birth. Despite a will to quit and a supportive new love interest in her birthing class, disabling CASUAL turns Valya's anxiety into full-blown panic attacks. Her psychiatrist offers to enroll her in a controversial clinical trial that would place a tandem implant in the baby and allow Valya to keep hers active. Valya must decide whether she should attempt parenting without CASUAL or install a minimally tested device in her vulnerable child. Casual is a stark and cutting glance at a near future that looks uncannily like our present, exploring themes of bodily autonomy and the struggle for mental health in a world increasingly divided.

One Last Game by T.A. Chan

Star Player on the Atlantic Archipelago Nation’s Battle Team, Niko Vandes wants to quit his job. Problem is, the board games he plays are the 22nd Century’s solution to war. Winning a match means winning a battle, and losing costs more than chips—it costs lives. With the fate of his country on his shoulders every time he makes a move, the government will keep Niko playing until it’s his turn to die by losing . . . unless he escapes. Across the ocean, Imani Tenzing barely escaped alive from an isolated cult as a young teen. She’s all-too familiar with the violent consequences of human conflict left unchecked. Now, she serves as one of the Custodians responsible for cleaning up the deaths left behind by each Battle Game. When the disappearance of Niko upheaves the societal status quo she’s grown dependent on, she vows to find and turn him in to authorities. With a world war on the verge of breaking out, Imani and Niko’s paths collide, and they must decide when the price of peace has become too high–or if it can ever be too high.

Where The Soul Goes by Katherine Silva

1989: Floods and record rainfall have turned the United States into little more than a drowned world. People left and right lose their wills to live and are coming down with a degenerative disease called The Ash. It burns people up from the inside out, numbing the senses, erasing memories, turning people into nothing more than crumbling, shambling echoes of who they used to be. Eliot Lamb, a once successful chef, is terrified when he discovers he has the Ash. Just when he thinks there is nothing left for him, he encounters Death in the form of his deceased protegee, Alexis. She has a proposition that might turn the tide against the Ash for the human race and he's the only man for the job: find four people and change their lives. Inspire them. Eliot is skeptical but convinced only after a run-in with the FBI forces him out onto the road with a well- meaning plumber sidekick, Terry. As they journey from flooded New England to the swamps of the American South and across the fog-saturated midwest, Eliot and Terry are pursued by an agent hell-bent on finding the source behind a string of domestic terrorist bombings that seem to be connected to the Ash and a man of the cloth convinced that Eliot is a devil in need of cleansing. For Eliot, the road ahead gets murkier and murkier as the person he once was slips through his fingers with every bite he takes. Inspired by Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations and Simon Stalenhag's dystopian tales, Where The Soul Goes explores the abyss of human connection through the culinary arts amidst an alternate 80's backdrop.

Dove's Eyes by Kienn Nguyen

Queer horror in the style of House of Leaves and Cormac McCarthy. Hallucinatory. Hidden ciphers. No quotation marks. This is a challenging read. Proceed with caution. Consult sample chapters and content warnings. A disgraced detective is hired to investigate a ritualistic killing in an isolated prison town. Falls into the hands of a charming doctor on a crusade to cure mankind of sin. a queer gothic neo western horror novel, ergodic literature, psychological horror, religious trauma, lobotomies, m/m, trans, biromantic, ace, 70k Bentham, Wyoming. A deserted ghost town built upon abandoned coal mines. Once windtorn woodrot, now a private penitentiary set in a reformative community pledged to clinical testing. Neurosurgeon Dr. Wayne Sykkes truly believed he had found the cure for all sin. But one year into testing and Belle Rivera, twenty-four, was found dead. Bloodied in the underbrush. A sprig of hyssop pressed to her lips. Enter Corey Handler Delgado. Fallen angel scorned. Five years ago he was nothing more than a scruffy detective. For an act of brutal justice he was arrested in the attempted murder of an innocent man. One call and the charming doctor has convinced him to take a second chance. Insists that he can be saved. But something is wrong. Something is wrong with this town. Something is wrong with this body. Something is wrong with this cure. Cora isn't dead.

Winter's Bite by Kelly Schweiger

When the grid goes dark and the world freezes over, survival isn’t just about food and firewood—it’s about family, trust, and grit. The Callahans thought they were prepared for anything. Tucked away in their mountain lodge, they’ve faced power outages, harsh storms, and the uncertainty of a world unraveling. But as winter deepens, hunger prowls, violence draws closer to their door, sickness spreads, and even kidnapping becomes a weapon of desperation. In a season where every decision could mean life or death, the Callahans must decide who they can trust—and how far they’ll go to protect the ones they love. Fans of One Second After, The Borrowed World, and Alas, Babylon will find themselves snowed in with this gripping tale of survival, resilience, and the fierce will to endure.

Last Light by Kelly Schweiger

A Post-Apocalyptic Family Survival Story of Strength, Family, Resilience, and the Unbreakable Will to Live “When the world goes dark, how far would you go to protect your family?” Nestled deep in the remote pines, the Callahan family thought they were ready for anything. Years of preparation, isolation, and sacrifice had hardened them for survival. But nothing could prepare them for this, a complete blackout, no power, no communication, and no one coming to help. As their supplies run low and their emotional bonds are tested, trust, resilience, and hard choices become their only currency. Can they hold on to hope when the world outside starts to unravel? Last Light is a gripping, post-apocalyptic story about family, endurance, and the courage it takes to survive when everything else is stripped away. ✔️ Perfect for fans of One Second After, Edge of Collapse, Borrowed World, and Station Eleven ✔️ Clean, emotional, and family-driven survival fiction with a strong female perspective ✔️ First in a thrilling new series, discover where the Pines will take you

Arcanoforge: Midnight Metropolis by Caroline Barnard-Smith

A genetically modified thief. A cursed electric ghost. A downloaded daemon. In a neon-drenched dystopia, she’s the glitch in the system. Tattiana the Blood Seer plies her odious trade in Noctara—a festering wart clinging to the blackened hide of a lightless planet. Tattie just wants to break sky and leave Noctara behind, but the fungus-choked metropolis isn’t done with her yet. Tattie’s one-time lover reappears, packing an illegal implant and begging for help she refuses to give. Then her co-worker makes a pact with a tentacled daemon, and their grimy back-alley club is shuttered for good. With few options left and a disgruntled electrical ghost to feed, Tattie accepts a lucrative gig from the cryptic Verna Shade. The payoff? Enough credits to buy her own space bucket and punch a permanent exit hole in the stratosphere. The job should be easy: break into a vault patrolled by the N.E.X.’s emotionless grunt army and steal Noctara’s most closely guarded secrets. But nothing’s easy on this cursed ball of dirt. Failure could get her exiled, husked, or killed. Success would shatter the planet’s fragile hold on peace. Armed with the dire blood magicks of the Arcanoforge, Tattie is done hiding. It’s Noctara's turn to bleed.

Vividwater by Jacqueline Owens

In a future world, only a few hydrospheres, like AotearoaNZ, have enough drinkable water, nearly all sold overseas. Alex is a mnemopath, a professional memory machine, at the main water trading bureau, WaiOra. Her job isn’t noble, selling water overseas while locals die of thirst. But she needed a job, and the extra water allowance. Her humdrum life, struggling to earn enough water to live, is upended when her great love comes back to AotearoaNZ, after fifteen years in China. Alex’s world is transformed to one of excitement, danger and a relationship she has to hide.

Sacrificing Serenity by Holly Ash

What would you sacrifice to keep your kids healthy? With the rollback of environmental regulations, clean drinking water has become a luxury for the rich. A year after the death of her husband, single mother Reggie Stone is barely holding things together. Her nonprofit construction company has run out of funding, her son is being bullied at school, and with the rising cost of bottled water it’s becoming harder by the day to provide her kids with food, water, and a safe place to live. Fueled by desperation, she calls in the one advantage she swore she would never take and moves them to Serenity, the original Sanctuary City, an experimental town surrounded by a smart grid that filters out all pollutants. The only downside is the Sanctuary Cities are run by Reggie’s estranged parents whose love and approval has always been dependent on how well their children preform in the sciences. Reggie assumes the blunt disapproval and passive aggressive comments from her parents are the worst she’ll have to deal with, but she soon realizes things aren’t what they seem in the city. Unexplained gaps in the residents’ memories sets Reggie off on a mission to discover what’s really going on inside the smart grid before her children lose all their memories of their father.

How I Hacked the Moon by R. A. Dines

At the first coding academy on the moon, constant surveillance doesn't stop the smartest misfits from plotting their escape—even though it may cost them their freedom. Life is boring on the moon. Even with stewed grubs for lunch, regular spacewalks, low-oxygen drills, and skydiving sims. Not that 13-year-old Moon Girl minds — for the first time she has a best friend and AI coding to occupy her anxious mind. Even with 6x less gravity on the moon, the past four years living at the prestigious Lunar Coding Complex run by the sinister Big Smile Corp, have been more stable than her life ever was on Earth. The problem with a charismatic best friend, however, is that she’s a magnet for trouble. The friends attempt (and fail) to hack the school’s core database, catching the attention of a group of rebel hackers led by Dovrin, Moon Girl’s long-time crush. When Dovrin invites her to join his crew, Moon Girl is thrilled at the chance to spend more time with him and prove her skills as a hacker. But as she gets in deeper with the rebels and closer with Dovrin, she realizes she’s jeopardizing the only friendship she’s ever had. So when she discovers Big Smile Corp’s dangerous secret that threatens the lives of everyone she loves, she’s not sure where to turn. Even if Moon Girl and Dovrin accomplish their mission, will they safely be able to return to Earth? And if they fail, what price will Big Smile Corp make them pay? Fans of The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera will enjoy How I Hacked the Moon, a thrilling adventure for ages 10 to adult.

Dark Prophet by Wick Welker

I am the one of the end, the world maker, and the god breaker. Time is unraveling and Earth is doomed to wander the dark of space, unmoored from the galaxy itself. Galiaro’s plan for humanity’s escape to another dimension has failed and his dark matter robot creations, Beetro and Curse, were imprisoned in a nanoscopic black hole. Now, the entire planet is blighted by drought, the oceans heave beyond their bounds, and thousands are dispossessed. The end of the cosmos was foreseen by an ancient Alchean prophet named Othel. Thousands of years ago, Othel left behind the Dark Earth prophecy for the planet to survive the calamity. Now, the fellowship of Dark Theory—the drunken astrocyst Galiaro, Arym of the underground cult, thief Miree, time traveler Hawera, and the street rat Ribcage—must pick up the breadcrumbs of the ancient prophet’s quest to save Earth. Separately, they traverse the dying world and learn alarming news—the dark matter robots, Curse and Beetro, have escaped their black hole prison. Once parallel world enemies, the two robot brothers now have an uneasy alliance, and with an advantage… Curse already knows the prophecy. He has seen it before, used it before, and destroyed his own world with its power. Now on the cusp of annihilation, whoever wields the Dark Earth prophecy will unleash the cosmic power that could save—or doom—reality itself.

Dark Kingdom (Dark Law Book #2) by Wick Welker

Warrior at birth. Warrior at death. Dark Theory is real. The universe is expanding without Earth, dooming it to wander the void alone. Resources are dwindling and war festers across the blighted planet. Ria, a cyborg slave, is commanded by an implanted governor chipto track down dark matter, which may hold the key to restoring Earth's place in the cosmos. Ria travels with Haldane, a hardened warrior from a parallel dimension. Together, they traverse the horrors of the wastelands, finally reaching the fabled Fifth Kingdom. There, they find a nightmarish prison state of dark matter mines ruled by an iron-fisted despot. To achieve their goal, Ria and Haldane must fight to not only win the key to the dark matter mines, but also the hearts of an enslaved people. The fate of the universe, and Ria’s freedom, rests on who wins the Fifth Kingdom—and what they do with it.

PERMAFROST by Kate Kelly

The key to the future is a book from the past. The world is a frozen wasteland. Oskar and his sister Mitzi are fleeing south, trying to escape the Northern Raiders who have slaughtered their people. They find sanctuary in a strange city where they are made welcome. But the Northern Raiders have followed, and the city is besieged. Oskar joins with his new-found friends and takes up arms to help them defend their home. But then he discovers an old diary hidden away in the library. The diary was written at the time of the city’s foundation and reveals the truth about what happened all those years ago – and what caused the world to freeze. Oskar soon realises that there is more than one way for him to save this city.

King of the Dead: A zombie romance by Ryana Hunter

Almost a decade after the fall of man, the undead rule the world, and somehow Renee is still alive. Only a teenager when the apocalypse started, she watched everyone around her die. What she doesn’t realize to the king of the dead is she’s a ghost from the past. So, when his horde takes the city and he sees her, Zane doesn’t hesitate to seek her out. Without knowing it, she is the reason he became the monster he is. Given a second chance, he makes her his own. He’s devastated when she doesn’t remember him, but he can’t let her go, not this time. Zane will stop at nothing to make her his queen. She had given up when Zane found her, but she’s furious he forced her to become his prisoner. When Renee learns the key that might save humanity and destroy the zombies, it breathes a new purpose into her existence. However, to understand the secrets of the king of the dead, she has to get close to him. They discover they are bound by more than circumstance, that life and death may not be what they believe, and they can be reborn through love. Together they can create the Kingdom of the Dead.

Trails: Pit Miners by Gail Brown

The middens of the ancestors slowly empty. The last few usable pieces are found. Only a generation since KlaPit mine was abandoned, the new mine at Shells is almost empty. Buried dangers emerge from the bottoms of the pit mines. Forgotten fears told as campfire tales emerge in their spectral forms. Rusty worries her life skill is at an end. She has no other interest, than being the dig leader following Zella. Ambrena feels threatened that her life skill will be less valued as Tanna's daughters grow up. Every mistake is magnified as if it were life threatening. Corandra fears her ancestors have cursed her. Corandra knows they don't want her. Everything she touches crumbles. The box she found spreads a devastating illness. She abandons her villa for a cure. Corandra feels abandoned by her older friends, Ambrena and Rusty, as they embrace their life skills. The only person who notices her anymore is her verbal sparring partner, Henry. Or so she thinks. Will Corandra forgive herself? Will she allow others to forgive her for the damage her ancestors committed? When she has to choose between saving Ambrena and Rusty, or saving Henry, how will she decide? What will that decision mean to the future of the Pit Miners? Will Ambrena and Rusty find the cure they so desperately seek? Is it even what they think it is? Will the battle in the Grass Sea lead to peace, or the forgotten specter of war?

A Toxic Ambition by Erik A. Otto

AN ACTION-PACKED YA NOVEL SET IN A SOCIALLY FRAGMENTED SAN FRANCISCO The world has descended into a morass of radioactivity and harsh climate shifts. The wealthy have escaped to rule from the protected Inworld; enormous, impenetrable domes that dominate urban skylines. Outworlders must live a life of serfdom catering to the Inworld, unless salvation can be won through prowess in Ket—a game of dangerous anti-gravity maneuvers and debilitating energy pulses. This is the story of three lost Outworlders youths. Tristan is unmatched in his dedication to the games, Luisa is plagued by the memories of her family, and Michaelis has been cast aside by a corrupt system. Together, they need to find a way in, and Ket may hold the key. Praise for A Toxic Ambition from Kirkus Reviews "Like with 1984, The Hunger Games, and countless others, social commentary and plot are intrinsically woven together in Otto's tale...The book becomes a propulsive procedural, running headfirst into scenes of tension building action, driving the two worlds together towards their inevitable climactic conflict."

The Nameless by Stuart White

For dystopian fans of THE LAST OF US, THE MAZE RUNNER, and THE HUNGER GAMES. The YA debut from award-winning author, Stuart White. IN A NAMELESS WORLD, ONE HERO RISES BY DISCOVERING THEIR IDENTITY. In a dystopian world dominated by genetic perfection and numbered gene pools, sixteen-year-old E820927, known as Seven, yearns for an identity beyond his assigned number. To escape a life as a Nameless Exile, and become a citizen of the Realm, he must pass a loyalty test to prove his allegiance to the totalitarian Autokratōr. But as the truth unfolds, Seven faces a difficult choice between revenge, love and discovering his identity.

The Finery by Rachel Grosvenor

Tyranny is in the air in the city of Finer Bay, and Professor Wendowleen Cripcot would like to be left alone, thank you very much. The memories of the last one hundred years are quite enough to be getting on with, if only these young upstarts from the government body, The Finery, would stop trying to control her every move. With the eyes of a dictator upon her, there are not many places to hide… but Wendowleen has never been one to back down from a fight (just ask her pet wolf), and insurrection is brewing underground.

Tomorrow Was Beautiful Once by Amy Orrell

Tomorrow was beautiful once, and it could be again. But Jack can only choose one future… England, 2150. Time travel has accelerated climate change and set humanity on the brink of destruction. As a Person of Mixed Era Origin with the ability to recall parallel versions of time, British historian, Jack Elliot, seems the perfect candidate to travel to the past and prevent the advent of time travel. The catch? Success means Jack will cease to exist. Critically injured when he arrives in the past, Jack’s life is saved by Maddie, a second-generation immigrant and resistance fighter, who mistakenly believes he’s connected to the disappearance of her sister, Suraya. Jack’s denial soon unravels with the discovery that Suraya can lead him to his father — the man who robbed him of his mother — and the inventor of time technology. What begins as a fragile alliance soon puts their feelings and their missions to the test. Jack’s won’t be the only life affected by his sacrifice, but does he have the right to decide who should live and who should die — and will it be worth it for the futures he and Maddie hope to create?

Snapshots of the Apocalypse by Katy Wimhurst

In these dark, witty short stories, Katy Wimhurst creates off-kilter worlds which illuminate our own. Here, knitting might cancel Armageddon. A winged being yearns to be an archaeologist. Readers are sucked into a post-apocalyptic London where the different rains are named after former politicians. An enchanted garden grows in a rented flat. Magical realism meets dystopia, with a refreshing twist.

An Orchid in My Belly Button by Katy Wimhurst

Offbeat short stories that explore our fragile world These stories savour the surreal, flirt with magical realism, dabble with dystopia. A boy sees the ghosts of dead crabs. A girl with a fox tail is bullied. A disenchanted woman sprouts orchids from her belly button. Fashion models pursue the trend of having plants as hair. Electronic goods amassing all over London herald an apocalypse. Darkness and wonder, the strange and the ordinary, interweave to offer an environmental and social portrait of our times. Guaranteed to evoke a response, whether a giggle, a gasp, or a nervous gulp, these stories will stay with you, enriching your perception of the world. Surreal, absurdist, magical realist; Katy Wimhurst writes speculative fiction that meditates on our reality. Although bleak themes are examined – dystopian futures, the climate crisis, bullying – a quirky imagination and wry humour lift the tales above the ‘realm of grim’.

2033: The Year Things Fell Apart by Rebecca Doll & James Gordon

"A hyperreal tapestry of the death of a nation!" A disputed election…a terrifying future! Em, with her partner Ava and stepdaughter Sophia, left a tiny East Coast apartment for a lucrative IT job in Louisville that could fund their future. A disputed 2032 U.S. election and the rise of a powerful neo-fascist demagogue lays waste to her dreams while Em struggles to survive in the belly of the beast itself. Her government contract job turns out to place her in direct proximity to the most hated media figures of the new regime. She can hurt them, but at what risk in a place where her family’s queer identity makes them a target? In the rising fire of a Civil War, Em must struggle to survive and preserve something of her hopes, her family, or even herself. 2033: THE YEAR THINGS FELL APART Presents a realistic and chilling look at a dystopian world that may lie just around the corner. Beltway insider and political wonk James Gordon is writing again with Alternative Sexuality Educator Rebecca Doll to present a sobering look at a future that may be too close to our own for comfort.

The Warm Machine by Aimee Cozza

When a robot built for construction work first sees an angular, sleek prototype military robot slink onto the base he’s working outside of, he immediately falls in love. The problem is, only anomalous bots understand the concept of love, and the lowly laborbot has not deviated from his default programming once. So he thinks, anyway. When the laborbot is scheduled for decommission, the military bot cannot possibly live without him, and the two bots set out on a path to find the fabled anomalous robot utopia Root.

Sol Accords: Starbourne by DG Podporski

Everyday life for Jaeden Starbourne has been challenging for as long as he can remember, which as it happens, isn’t quite as long as one might think. In fact, Jaeden can’t remember anything that happened more than five years ago. He woke up aboard a medical space station with no identity, no family, no friends, no money, and no clue what to do next. For someone without a past, finding work was never an issue. Finding honest work above-board that didn’t include illegal activity was the challenge. Securing a dangerous job as an orbital shipbreaker was by no means Jaeden’s first choice, but in this galaxy and given his circumstances, beggars can’t be choosers. As his life in this new and unfamiliar place begins to spiral uncontrollably around him, Jaeden quickly finds himself crossing paths with criminal syndicates, mercenary companies, and worst of all, a corporate Technologist; an agent with artificial enhancements that grant the user nearly limitless abilities. Not having a past is no longer Jaeden Starbourne’s biggest issue, because if he’s not careful, he’ll lose his future as well.

Stellar Heir by Scott killian

Jael Ked’Korhva hadn’t anticipated becoming the galaxy’s most wanted. He hadn’t planned on picking up a strange alien artifact, either, but once it was clasped around his wrist, Jael was granted extraordinary abilities. His senses were heightened, his reflexes faster, and he could now regenerate from damage that would spell the end for others—abilities that would have been coveted even during his days as a warrior monk. Now, working as a scavenger, these powers were a boon, especially when forces from every corner of the stars wanted Jael’s artifact for themselves and would stop at nothing to get it. What initially appears as an advantage swiftly transforms into a weighty charge. Yet, it's a charge Jael accepts without hesitation, understanding the catastrophic potential should the relic fall into the wrong hands. Prodded onward by visions of an ancient ally and a mysterious enemy, Jael becomes a pivotal piece in a vast interstellar play of power and dominion in a galaxy on the brink of war. A high-octane space opera that blends adrenaline-fueled martial arts with interstellar thriller, Stellar Heir is Mass Effect Meets John Wick, perfect for fans of sci-fi like Sun Eater by Christopher Ruocchio or Skyward by Brandon Sanderson.

Afterglow Rising From the Ashes by Stacey LP

They came without warning, darkening our skies. For months, we fought to survive as everything we knew and loved was torn away. Then, as abruptly as they arrived, they vanished. Though the invaders left, the war wasn’t over yet. New terrors emerged from the destruction, threatening all that remained. Alina could never have predicted the post-apocalyptic nightmare she woke up to. Foggy memories and the question of what had happened to her in the months she lost paled in comparison to the fear of the unknown surrounding her. But at least she wasn’t completely alone. When she and her companion cross a camp of survivors, their world turns upside down in more ways than one. Carter braved the invasion from the beginning. After tragedy struck, he was left questioning his purpose— in life, in love, in friendship. He fought for his group to survive, tirelessly pushing to reclaim what pieces of hope remained. And now, he will do anything to keep them safe. In a world on the brink, alliances will be tested, love will be challenged, and the line between hope and despair will blur. Will they rise above the ashes and forge a new beginning? Or will they be reclaimed by the flames in the afterglow?

The Guardian by Alison Tracy

Living in a corporate-run dystopia, directed by a God she doesn’t trust, can a young prophet inspire enough faith in herself and others to make her world worthy of salvation? Fourteen-year-old Iliya Rusul only wants a job to keep her family from starvation. Instead, she’s pushed to leave everything she knows and loves to be a prophet, preparing the world for the returning Messiah. Worse, the God directing Iliya doesn’t seem to care about her family or potentially hurting people to strengthen Iliya’s miracles as holy propaganda. And every miracle costs a portion of her life. Upon discovering the corruption and suffering beyond her village, Iliya wants to save the world from the ruling political corporations. With help from inspired followers, she builds a coordinated relief program to redistribute wealth and power. But whenever her charitable focus strays from God’s clandestine plan, God raises the cost of miracles. Losing money and credibility due to Iliya’s work and growing popularity, the global CEOs in power further consolidate world resources for themselves through hostile takeovers and send out their best assassins to stop Iliya. Can she save those she loves and prepare the world for salvation before she runs out of life?