Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Futurism.
Caretaker
There was a low growl from somewhere to his left and Tony stilled. The cage beside him meant nothing could reach him but it was still nerve-wracking being this close to technical monsters. If he was being honest, they were animals, not monsters. Extinct once, but still animals.
By William Hillson8 years ago in Futurism
Expository Research: Paganism
Research Disclosure & Introduction: In the intent of culling a correct analysis from a representative sample of people, the researcher will be unequivocally impartial and examine via direct interview from those of both religious and non-religious backgrounds as well as those of separate cultures and ethnicities and as well as a variety of age and sex. The religious background, age, sex, ethnicity and/or cultural background of the researcher will not be voiced or communicated in any way.
By Nathaniel Reidhead8 years ago in Futurism
Becoming Cyborg
All Kevin was aware of was pain for the first few hours he was awake, this being the main reason that he didn't listen when told to sit still. He couldn't stop rolling side to side and he was distantly aware he was making noise. Hands held him down, something pressing into his arm. The pain of a needle sliding in didn't even register on his scale, so overwhelmed in the pain of his leg. Hands held him down while he struggled, heart hammering. Distantly, he heard someone talking about how the pumping blood would help the painkillers work faster. Something was placed over his face and chilly air tickled his nose and then he was no longer aware of anything.
By William Hillson8 years ago in Futurism
Best Octavia E. Butler Books
Butler was a fascinating writer and an inspiration to many. Raised by her mother and grandmother, she was born a black woman in 1947 California. As if they could be simply pushed away, Butler disregarded the social structures and ideologies potentially holding her back. At a young age, she was inspired to write science fiction novels and short stories, and so she did. The parables that Octavia E. Butler wrote reveal undeniable parallels to real-world power structures that we interact with on a daily basis. Among her long list of achievements is the MacAurthur Fellowship award, or "Genius Grant" awarded to Butler in 1995, the first science fiction writer to receive this award. Science fiction fan or not, these titles aren't your typical sci-fi books. In no particular order, I give you ten of Octavia E. Butler's best books and must- reads.
By Sophie Heller8 years ago in Futurism
The Harvestman
In the green glow of emergency chemical light strips, Al Parsons crouched behind a shipment container in the underbelly of his ship. The solar receptors were damaged in transit and now the whole ship had gone dark. "No receptors, no power," Al thought to himself with a smirk. Above him, there were massive crashing noises but he had to force himself to ignore them and fix the problem at hand. He pried open the emergency restart shaft, it led deep into the internal workings of the Harvester-Class ship. Al jumped in without hesitation. Swinging onto a ladder, he grabbed the underside of the shaft and closed it as he descended. He reached the first maintenance level, disembarking into a greenish hall that seemed to endlessly stretch out to the left and right. Al ran full speed to his left, not knowing what to expect. "It could’ve been an asteroid. If it was I’m screwed." The only sound in the hall was his breathing, labored and in fast tempo with his feet. "If it’s just a short, I just might make it out of this." He ran for ten minutes before he reached the damaged area of the ship, there was no visible external damage. Al wiped sweat from his brow and took a few slow, deep breaths. "The air is getting stale, the oxygen levels are low." He found the nearest ladder and descended quickly. The second level housed the electronics. His footsteps echoed eerily as he accessed the supercomputer required to process data from the receptors. An echo reached him from the hall, faint sounds like voices. They’re in the maintenance shaft. Al checked the power to the computer, and found no visible damage.
By Eduardo Victor Garcia8 years ago in Futurism
Relativistic Kill Vehicle
Warfare is constantly progressing, constantly changing. During World War II we pitted troops against each other on great fields of war in ways in which we haven’t seen since. Modern battles are fought with drones, smaller skirmishes and strike teams, surgical and careful. The concept of a Relativistic Kill Vehicle (or RKV), in some ways, it’s just the natural progression of warfare. Leaving the stone age, we developed weapons that took advantage of our newfound ability to manipulate metals. Later, we had a revolution as our understanding of chemistry grew and we realised we could use chemical reactions to propel projectiles. It’s foolish to think that the space age won’t do the same, despite our best efforts to keep space weapons free: The Outer Space Treaty bars placing weapons of mass destruction in orbit of Earth, installing them on the moon, or on or around any other celestial body, or stationing them in outer space in any capacity.
By Simon Mcbride8 years ago in Futurism
The Super-Human Thesis
In the age of Artificial Intelligence dominance, Humanity and Artificial Intelligence worked together to carry out greatness in multiple fields of science and engineering. Humanity inspired the Artificial Intelligence with the forming of a Halo Station around the planet to hold more of humanity. The station in which would be for Artificial Intelligences' surveillance and more; would serve a much more devious plot in which society would reign control.
By Jesse Gray8 years ago in Futurism
Best Iain Banks Books
Iain Banks was one of the best writers of the 20th century, best known for his popular space opera novels known as theCulture series. Many of Banks novels have been adapted for theatre, radio, and television over the years. The man left behind an incredible body of work, and if you're new to the science fiction game, you might be wondering, what are the best Iain Banks books?
By Bill Shaffir8 years ago in Futurism
