Dystopian World

With their shelter destroyed and their sense of security shattered, Vivian, Axl and the group set off in search of a safe place. But the group's morale is at an all-time low, and they now know it's not just the dead they have to fear. Weeks of wandering brings sickness, death and loss to the survivors, and Vivian soon finds herself losing hope of ever discovering a safe place to live. To make matters worse, two members of the group go missing, leaving the others to wonder not only what happened to them, but if they will ever see their friends alive again.

In the Shadow of the Towers compiles nearly 20 works of speculative fiction responding to and inspired by the events of 9/11, from writers seeking to confront, rebuild, and carry on, even in the face of overwhelming emotion.

Captain Decker Donald is perfectly content in his isolated misery, until he receives news that his friend and former colleague has vanished. Decker intends to get to the bottom of his friend’s disappearance, and more importantly, keep the light on. Harriet was looking forward to being posted alongside her father, but he was gone before she arrived, and there is something wrong in the tower. Stenner Braunn commands the Daylight Crew. Their ship is headed east, with nothing but ancient ruins to guide their way.

When Alaric Mason flies a new client into a remote area of the Pacific Northwest to study a population of grizzly bears, it’s supposed to be a routine trip. But when an EMP is detonated during the early morning hours, Alaric must lead himself and his client out of the dangerous wilderness and to his family before the chaos of the EMP reaches his homestead. Life has hardened Joanna Mercer, and she has spent the years since her husband's death preparing herself against the uncertainties of life. After an EMP destroys the nation's power grid, every ounce of that strength will be tested.

What happens when all means of transportation and communication suddenly vanish? What happens when you can't call for help? What happens when the only person you can rely on is yourself? Captain Kate Hillman is about to discover those answers after an EMP sends New York City, and it's nine million residents, back into the stone age.

A world subjugated by tyranny. A society unraveled. A nation in shambles. A population decimated. A future boundlessly uncertain. A community of families on the verge of extinction. The Russell family is finally reunited and the citizens of Trout Run Valley are blessed with a period of repose, but the interlude does not last. Measures of aggression resume against them yet again, only this time, escalate to an unprecedented degree of ruthlessness, forcing the surviving victims to their breaking points.

Now eight months into a global blackout, the residents of Oak Hollow are trying to cope with the deep winter nights and a gnawing hunger from a food shortage. The struggle to survive can bring out the worst in anyone. A teenage friend of the Brannings has been found shot while hunting, and his slain deer is gone. Suspicions immediately fall on Mark Green, the son of a convicted murderer. Before he can prove his innocence, vigilantes force the sheriff to arrest him.

Fourteen people are trapped on Skek, a barren island in the middle of the North Sea somewhere between the coasts of the UK and Denmark. Over the years this place has served many purposes - a fishing settlement, a military outpost, a scientific base - but one by one its inhabitants have abandoned its inhospitable shores. Today it's home to Hazleton Adventure Experiences, an extreme sports company specializing in corporate team building events. Life there is fragile and tough. One slip is all it takes.

With the doomsday asteroid looming, Detective Hank Palace has found sanctuary in the woods of New England, secure in a well-stocked safe house with other onetime members of the Concord police force. But with time ticking away before the asteroid makes landfall, Hank’s safety is only relative, and his only relative—his sister Nico—isn’t safe. Soon, it’s clear that there’s more than one earth-shattering revelation on the horizon, and it’s up to Hank to solve the puzzle before time runs out...for everyone.

In the late 2020s and early '30s, corporations managed to render the major governments of the world obsolete. The big corporations owned most of the territories as well as the majority of the world's wealth. While many of the old traditions were still observed in various parts of the world, the true power was with the corporations. In the late '30s, what would be known as the Corporate Wars began as larger companies initiated hostile takeovers in a whole new fashion. Employees, armed with corporate weapons, warred for dominance. On May 1st, 2067, it all ended in a nuclear fire.

In the future, the world is at war. For the last decade, King Lazuli of the Eastern Empire has systematically taken over the world. No one knows much about him other than a series of impossible facts: he cannot die, he has not aged since the conflict began, and he wants to rule the world. All Serenity Freeman has known is bloodshed. War has taken away her mother, her home, her safety. As the future emissary of the Western United Nations, the last autonomous region of the globe, she is responsible for forging alliances where she can.

Stranded in the middle of the Mojave Desert, surrounded by zombies, Vivian and Axl are sure they're facing the end. They meet a billionaire who's promised them safety and security, but it's almost too good to be true. Vivian hopes she'll finally be able to deal with the loss of Emily, her growing feelings for Axl, and the terrifying new world they're facing. But their sense of security is soon shattered when they discover the shelter isn't the utopia they thought it would be.

Months after a super-EMP attack devastated the United States, the country is now unrecognizable. Major cities are run by gangs, survivors are dying of starvation and the government is falling victim to lawlessness. Those who were prepared for the end find that they weren't really prepared at all. While some seek vengeance for their losses, others are determined to restore the nation. Gordon, Samantha, Sebastian, Barone, Connor and Pablo are all on different paths, but they are all in search of a home away from chaos.

Since the war ended, Tegan has dreamed of an epic journey, so when she has the opportunity to sign on as ship's doctor, she can't wait. It's past time to chart her course. Millie Faraday, the kindest girl in the free territories, also yearns to outrun her reputation, and warrior-poet James Morrow would follow Tegan of the staff to the ends of the earth. So their company seems set, but fate brings one more to their number. Tegan will battle incredible odds while aiding the Uroch vanguard who has ventured forth to save his people.

In the winding underground tunnels of the Library, the great peacekeeper of the three systems, a heinous secret lies buried—and Freida is the only one who can uncover it. As the daughter of a Library god, Freida has spent her whole life exploring the Library's ever-changing tunnels and communing with the gods. Her unparalleled access makes her unique—and dangerous.

Nico Bell has been working undercover in San Antonio for over a year, trying to infiltrate a dangerous gang, led by the mysterious Santiago. Desperate for a meeting with Santiago, Nico agrees to be a courier to pick up and deliver a package. It should have been easy, but easy isn't in Nico's vocabulary. EMP isn't in his vocabulary either, but it soon will be. Kate Chandler, who requires a service dog, desperately wants to forget her past. She works as a bartender at a historical hotel next to the Alamo in San Antonio. Young and tough, she uses the bar as a barrier, so nobody will ever get close to her again.

When a deadly virus sweeps the country, Vivian Thomas sets out for California in hopes of seeing the daughter she gave up for adoption. Then her car breaks down, and she's faced with a choice. Give up or accept a ride from redneck brothers Angus and Axl, but she's prepared to do whatever it takes to reach her daughter.

In November 1939, a German anti-fascist named Georg Elser came as close to assassinating Adolf Hitler as anyone ever had. In this gripping novel of alternate history, he doesn’t just come close - he succeeds. But he could never have imagined the terrible consequences that would follow from this act of heroism. Hermann Göring, masterful political strategist, assumes the Chancellery and quickly signs a non-aggression treaty with the isolationist president Joseph Kennedy that will keep America out of the war that is about to engulf Europe.

After the longest winter of her life, Vivian is thrilled to have Ginny back at her side. But joy soon turns to shock when the group learns that not only is Hope Springs in contact with other survivors, but that the CDC is working on a vaccine. And Angus could be the last hope for the human race. With an armed escort, the group sets out on a mission to get Angus to Atlanta. But the world proves to be more dangerous than the people of Hope Springs believed, and their lack of preparation ends in deadly results.

Lauren Russell is a daughter fighting tenaciously for everything in which she believes, on an endless search for answers, for herself and the world that was taken from her... Alan Russell, a husband and father tragically disconnected from everything he’s ever known, is in heartrending pursuit of his family and a life that left him behind. Alan once told Lauren that he believed they were indivisible, for, they possessed a bond between them that was beyond compare.