literature

Science fiction's most popular literary writers from Isaac Asimov to Stephen King and Frank Herbert, and the rising stars of today.

Miracles Happen
Miracles Happen; Sometimes By Chance, Sometimes By Design Dan Gollub He decided to attend a group therapy session at a church. He’d never done it before, but he was at a major crossroads in his life and it would be helpful to express his views and feelings. Everyone in the group was a stranger. He was glad about that. He didn’t want anyone he knew to feel pity for him. When it was his turn to speak, he said, “My name is Carl Etherbridge. It’s an unusual name, and for more reasons than that some of the high school kids bullied me. That doesn’t matter now. The future is all that matters. My future had looked bright and promising. It still does, but less immediately so. I’m in my third year of college. I’m majoring in biology. I have dreams of the great research projects I will carry out. For example, there must be some way of improving the epigenetic status of people who have been through a lot of suffering. But I’m going to have to drop out of school after this semester to work at least two jobs in order to build up my savings. My great future will be deferred.” How did they feel about his fervent belief in his research capabilities? He wondered if he was blushing. “I promise you I will stay on the straight and narrow even when I’m not in school. I won’t do anything which might diminish my brain’s functioning. I don’t use recreational drugs. Nor do I use alcohol. I sometimes attend the Wild Tree Corral nightclub on Saturday nights, and I order a glass or two of tomato juice there. I’m glad to be around people then, and sometimes one of the women there will accept my invitation to dance. If I were in a relationship, I would treat that woman well. She’d have to accept my need to spend long hours studying, and I’d try to make it up to her as best I could. Thanks for listening to me.”
By Dan Gollub5 years ago in Futurism
D.O.M
My vision was hazy, but I could make out figures dancing from afar. I grabbed the control arm of the ship and made every effort to wiggle through the opening created by the crash. My breath became labored while sweat beaded off my forehead. Losing my grip was not an option because my fingers were the only thing holding me up.
By REBELTHEGODDESS TAROT5 years ago in Futurism
Living Metal: Metallic Soul
Chapter 2: A Start of a new day “Remember….a…promise… What promise?” screamed Anna as she woke up in her own bed. Flabbergasted over her dream she lifted up her head from the pillow while hugging herself. With tears streaming off her cheek she was visibly shaken from the nightmare. The warm morning light shone across her bed helped her to check back into reality, “What?” She said to herself with a shaky voice, “I am home.”
By Matthew Harrington5 years ago in Futurism
The Melting Pot
Upon the spiked outskirts, there is a crooked forest, too dry and barren is its Land; too much did they dig, and plough, and sink. They pound away at these spiked trees, these defiant angry pikes, to go against the protective armour of an Ivory Castle.
By Francesca5 years ago in Futurism
First and Last
Daniel reached over and fumbled with his phone trying to shut off the blasted alarm before it woke up Chauntelle. She stirred a little but seemed to go right back to sleep.
By Michael Gimera5 years ago in Futurism
The Book of All Secrets
The air had a stillness to it, broken only by the haze of dust motes commuting lazily down in the shafts of sunlight from the vaulted windows in the Reading Room. At 4:30 in the afternoon on a hot sumer day, it was as if the whole library was drifting into a heat-induced slumber. The few souls that were diligently still studying or reading had heads bent over books, bodies leant against the stacks and breathing slow and somnambulant.
By Jane Davies5 years ago in Futurism
A Writer in its Natural Habitat
It had been three days since I last typed a word. That word was “Ugh.” Technically, it was more than one word, but I typed it about fifty-three times.
By Taylor Kennepohl5 years ago in Futurism
Her
I am sure that I saw it there. Last time I peaked it most definitely was there. Strapped to her thigh and perfectly balanced within her garter was the little nuance of a book. That stupid black book, the book that caused me all this grief, the book in which I now had to ever so kindly relieve this woman of.
By Giselle Dougan5 years ago in Futurism
Escape
To sit bare, bare to the world, bare to you, and bare to the eyes gazing in. To know what they think, would be a foresight unseen to all, bar one.
By Kimai Furness5 years ago in Futurism
Proposal
‘Ding’…’Ding’. Koremar heard the door to the café, turning around from wiping the back countertop. She looked up at the customer and smiled brightly.
By Banana Nanners5 years ago in Futurism
Paid by Dark Web Thieves
Her soul left her body, fingertips frozen as the joints in her hands became stiff. She could feel the strain in her curved spine and the colour rushing from her face. The salty copper taste of blood pooled at the tip of her dry tongue. She licked at the torn bit of fleshy tissue hanging on the inside of her mouth. In moments of vigorous concentration, she always fell prey to the habit of chewing the insides of her cheeks.
By Halimat Salami5 years ago in Futurism
Tales of Elandria
Prologue In this life, we are faced with a number of challenges. We, as humans, are often thrown into situations well outside of our control; and it is our reactions to these circumstances that are the truest reflection of our character. There are many who allow the pain and devastation that befalls them to define the limits of their potential-- but when tragedy is met with grace and acceptance the soul within grows a little wiser, a little more resilient.
By LeRissa Crider5 years ago in Futurism