Apocalyptic Thriller

The best-selling Extinction Cycle series by Nicholas Sansbury Smith first introduced listeners to a world ravaged by an engineered virus that turned men into monsters. Humanity's only hope was not a cure, but another bioweapon. When deployed it killed 90 percent of the infected, but the remaining 10 percent transformed into even more terrifying creatures called Variants. Here's a collection of Extinction Cycle short stories that explore the human spirit and the fight for survival in the face of overwhelming odds from some of the leading voices in the post-apocalyptic genre.

First, the unthinkable: a security breach at a secret US government facility unleashes the monstrous product of a chilling military experiment. An epic and gripping tale of catastrophe and survival, The Passage is the story of Amy - abandoned by her mother at the age of six, pursued and then imprisoned by the shadowy figures behind a government experiment of apocalyptic proportions. But Special Agent Brad Wolgast, the lawman sent to track her down, is disarmed by the curiously quiet girl and risks everything to save her.

Wyatt survived the initial destruction, but he’s lost someone important to him. While he fights to distract himself from harsh realities, he ventures for the rendezvous point, eager to reconnect with his past. Blaze and his son, Luke, travel south, deeper into Mexico, in an effort to shut the remaining Rings off at the Nu-En facility. But Alan’s odd behavior and sordid past leave many questions unanswered. Luna discovers just how strong she can be and treks across the deadly country with her new friend. While reluctant to trust anyone, Luna finds she has no choice.

It starts in a laboratory. A man-made strain of flesh-eating virus. Created by a power-hungry cartel. Capable of turning victims into brain-dead carnivores. Smuggled aboard a cruise ship that's about to set sail . . .One by one, the passengers are exposed. A U.S. senator. A young couple. An undercover agent. A beautiful assassin. Some will be infected. Others will survive. But no one will be spared if the outbreak isn't contained and the dead outnumber the living.

Idaho! The compound! They had finally made it! After several months of harrowing, fraught with danger around every corner, never knowing what was going to come at them, they could finally rest and relax. Or could they? Some things are just not meant to be in a post-apocalyptic world, and Nathan and his newly adopted family realize there is no rest and relaxation anymore.

Logan Willis’s life is falling apart: he lost his job and found out that his wife is cheating on him all in the same day. Thinking that his world has ended, Logan checks into a hotel and turns on the TV to see that he's not far wrong - radio telescopes have detected mysterious signals coming from inside our solar system, and the source is moving toward us at over 500 miles per second. The media concludes that these signals must be of an alien origin. Still reeling from the news, Logan gets a phone call from his brother-in-law.

Wes, finding himself between a rock and a hard place, had to make an impossible decision, one he's not sure he can forgive himself for. In his journey to always make the right choices, he risks his morals and the safety of those around him. Knowing exactly how he got there and unable to change his decisions, he struggles to keep going day by day....With time running out, and dark forces moving on his family, he has to become more than a simple moonshiner and occasional poacher. He has to survive what’s to be some of his darkest days and keep his humanity.

How far will he go to save his daughter? How far will he go to get revenge? It's 2053, and runaway climate change has brought civilization to the brink of collapse. Billions are threatened with starvation, and mankind is slowly moving north in a world stricken by war, drought and superstorms - easy prey for the pandemics that sweep across the globe. Easy prey, too, for the violent gangs and people smugglers who thrive in the crumbling world where 'King Death' reigns supreme.

With the doomsday ship only days away from impacting the Earth, humanity's demise seems all but assured. In every corner of the world, news of the impending destruction has led to chaos, looting, and the collapse of the rule of law. As the foundations of civilization crumble around them, Jack and Mia must race to find answers to perhaps the most important questions of all time. Why have the Ateans repeatedly eradicated life on our planet? And could the key to ending the cycle of extinctions be locked somewhere within the Salzburg Chromosome?

In a post-apocalyptic world caused by a devastating solar flare, two sisters escape a traumatic past and find solace in a hidden refuge. Facing dangers and making tough decisions, they uncover the power of chosen family and the enduring strength of love and hope amid chaos. As news of society's rebuilding trickles in, their unbreakable bond serves as an unwavering beacon, signifying the resilience of humanity and the power of sisterhood.

The evil world leader Nicolae Carpathia officially takes his place as the Antichrist and begins his three-and-a-half year reign of terror over the earth. Technology provides the means to place the mark of the beast on every human, and the Trib Force scrambles to survive.

As if living in a zombie-infested world wasn't bad enough, Dr. Tara Lee and her companions reach Fort Detrick only to discover that for some betrayal is second nature. Having thwarted Lieutenant King's attempted coup, they believe the worst is finally behind them. They couldn't be more wrong. Biding his time, Lieutenant King launches an audacious attack abducting Tara and Amy, and leaving Alex on the brink of death.

On the cusp of a nation seeing the power grid restored since an EMP sent it into darkness seven months ago, Colby and Alicia are riding out the final days of chaos at his Grandfathers cabin in Upper Klamath Lakes, Oregon. When they discover a boy believed to be dead, the two of them find themselves at the center of a conspiracy of silence that holds answers about the blackout.

With a four-legged companion and no food in the pantry, Grant Walton faces an uphill battle. His wife is still missing; downtown is a smoldering crater; and radiation is killing more people every day. Torn between searching for his wife and gearing up for what's sure to come, Grant is forced to put more than his morals to the test. Leah Walton escaped a nuclear bomb that flattened her hospital and vaporized her friends. Now she's racing to find her husband miles away. She'll have to rely on the kindness of strangers to survive and hope none of them kill her in the process.

When the trumpet sounds, where will you be? Passengers in an airborne Boeing 747 find out in this riveting novel by renowned Christian speaker Tim LaHaye and master storyteller Jerry Jenkins. Without any warning, passengers mysteriously disappear from their seats. Terror and chaos slowly spread not only through the plane but also worldwide as unusual events continue to unfold. For those who have been left behind, the apocalypse has just begun.

Five years after a devastating solar storm wipes out civilization and spawns a strange race of mutants, Rachel Wheeler and her misfit family must choose whether to hide away or fight to join other survivors. As their food supply dwindles inside their bunker, radiation from abandoned nuclear plants is altering the world around them. Not only are the mutants building their own cities and weapons, the remaining dregs of the US military are massing for an attack.

A plan to take down the New World Order. When Solomon calls in a favor, Josh is obligated to hold up his end of the bargain. He quickly regrets binding himself and the group to the open-ended agreement after hearing what Solomon has in mind. The mission is not only dangerous and foolish, but Josh considers it to be down-right impossible. Lucius Alexander’s OASIS cities are living up to their namesake by providing security, healthcare, food, shelter, and even recreation. But admission to these modern utopias come at a cost.

With deadly clouds of radiation swooping in from the wasteland of American port cities, Paul Edwards and his father-in-law, Buck, seek shelter in a spectacular government bunker, the likes of which has never been seen. They've succeeded in finding safety from the dangers outside, but in a world without rules, trust can be a deadly thing.

Best-selling author Julianna Baggott presents the second volume in her new post-apocalyptic, dystopian thriller trilogy. We want our son returned. This girl is proof that we can save you all. If you ignore our plea, we will kill our hostages one at a time. To be a Pure is to be perfect, untouched by Detonations that scarred the Earth, and sheltered inside the paradise that is the Dome. But Partridge escaped to the outside world, where Wretches struggle to survive amid smoke and ash.

Navy SEAL Brendon O’Neil spent the past decade executing dangerous missions across the globe. He never expected to be deployed in his own country. A biological weapon has hit much of the world - including the United States. People are turned into twisted creatures hellbent on destruction. As the country tumbles headlong into utter collapse, O’Neil leads a team of SEALs fighting to defend America against the devastation sweeping city after city.