In this science fiction short story, a rich young woman enlists to serve in her government's military to honorably complete her duty to society. She expects to deal with people who come from the lowest economic classes, so it is no surprise that her roommate is not from a wealthy background. The many rumors from prison sector W84-88D, "Wolf Block," are no surprise either, but she dismisses the notion of a secret conspiracy. However, she does not expect to be wrapped up in the mystery when the enigmatic prisoners of Wolf Block take a special interest in her.

This somewhat dystopian story is approximately 9750 words long. It was originally written for a novelette contest on Reddit. After the contest, revisions were made based on feedback from readers. The story has now been released under the Creative Commons: Attribution-ShareAlike open license. This means, among other things, that you are free to share it with others, and you may be able to get a copy for free. However, getting it through an e-book platform (e.g., Google Play Books) will simplify loading the story into your e-reader of choice.

Coming home, it's such a joyous occasion... unless nobody remembers you. And you can't find your family. And your office is gone. Walter was away for many years, but he never expected this. His explanation for where he was all that time isn't helping either, and his friendly taxi driver isn't sure what to do with him.

Please note: This is a short story of approximately 1,860 words. It is a vignette told from the perspective of the taxi driver. This story will leave you with unanswered questions, just as drivers never learn the full stories of their passengers. If you prefer to read stories with tidy endings, this story may not suit your tastes. However, if you are a fan of The Twilight Zone or The Outer Limits, this short tale might be perfect for you!

This book is a collection of short stories that are mostly science fiction. "Journey to Yandol" follows the misadventures of a space freighter pilot who just wants to go on vacation but finds that it keeps eluding her as crime and corruption drag her into something much larger. "Power Off" explores an alien invasion scenario kicked off as retaliation for an attack we didn't know we were making. "Tea Leaf Technology" introduces a sneaky and technologically-empowered galactic cult. Finally, "Tramp Avatar" is a short tale of a young man confronting the complexity of reality on what started as an ordinary day.

The approximate lengths of these stories are: Journey to Yandol, 10,000 words; Power Off, 2800 words; Tea Leaf Technology, 2400 words; and, Tramp Avatar, 1800 words.

The book is released under an open license that would allow you to obtain some or all of the stories for free. However, if you order a copy here, it will simplify the process of adding the book as a complete product to your mobile device.

A Psychological Thriller in a Science Fiction Setting
A man like Birkran Kinru should feel comfortable in a highly-automated world. Birkran likes to be left alone. People make him nervous. With menial labor handled by robots and digital communications making in-person interaction unnecessary, Birkran should be able to enjoy the tech-enabled seclusion. This might be possible, if only he had a permanent home of his own. Instead he must scuttle through the underbelly of the city, from one hiding place to another, knowing the government can watch every move.
Birkran wants nothing to do with politics. He especially wants nothing to do with Corlane Deryala, an ambitious young politician who seems burdened with health problems. Nor does Birkran want any connection to a mysterious hacker with strident anti-government views. Birkran would stay far from these other men, but he seems trapped in a strange connection to both of them. His off-the-record doctor seems motivated to help, but Birkran is left with more questions than answers. Despite his paranoia, people seem to leave him alone... until he realizes that somebody is toying with him for their own benefit. What he learns about the politician and the anarchist opens a surprising new door for Birkran.

Mirickar is on the hunt.His quarry: An ancient enemy race that others deny are even in the kingdom. Mirickar knows better. The kurakvin murdered his parents and he couldn't even give them a decent burial. But Mirickar grew up on a farm and doesn't know much about combat.

Sraikura, the neighbor girl, also survived the kurakvin raid. She just wants to run and hide. Mirickar delays his mission of vengeance to seek a hiding place for her in the nearby forest. She has other ideas and begs him to stay with her, insisting that a mysterious magical power in the forest will protect them both. Protection isn't what he wants. Protection won't rain vengeance on his parents' killers. Before they can agree on a plan, a tragic accident takes Sraikura away from him.

Despondent and questioning all of his decisions and actions, Mirickar sets out to die in battle with his enemy. By chance he meets an old warrior, a man who might teach Mirickar to fight. To be successful in his hunt. But the old warrior thinks it's folly, and he presses Mirickar with troubling questions. Can he really find any kurakvin to fight? If so, will he prevail? And to what end?

But Mirickar will not be deterred. There are kurakvin in the land. Kurakvin he intends to kill.

Confident that he understands what the founding fathers wanted and that the US has gone astray, and determined to restore liberty to the land, high school history teacher Dan Starney is willing to break the law to recruit his best students to his cause. He doesn't want a bloody revolution, but leaving the bloated federal government in place is not an option. When he is unwittingly drawn into the public spotlight as part of a school controversy, Dan feels the need to speed up his plans, but he's not sure what to do about Karena.

Math teacher Karena Walsh has little interest in politics, unlike her late father. When she starts to suspect that Dan is doing something unethical and possibly dangerous, she decides to secretly find out what she can. As she learns more about Dan, her goal of investigating him starts to conflict with her growing romantic feelings toward him, and she finds more than her career and reputation at risk.

After he admits his true role in his failed attempt to overthrow the US government, Dan Starney suddenly finds himself out of prison and on the run. The police are on his heels, but they're not alone in looking for Dan. The bonds of loyalty are stress-tested repeatedly as Dan seeks to regain control over his own future and what remains of his revolutionary army, but a shadowy organization has other plans for him.

 Imagination can take us far beyond our home world, and it may not be long before spacecraft will literally take us to Mars. This story, accompanied by richly-colored illustrations, is a fanciful tale of a boy on Earth who looks to the sky and finds out he is not the only one captivated by the idea of venturing to other planets. 
Written to help beginning readers build their skills, and at the same time inspire them to dream about exploring our solar system, the story uses a limited vocabulary and basic sentence structure to develop confidence as a reader. Earth and Mars are presented in a way that highlights differences without presenting either planet in a negative way. 

Resources in the back of the book help teachers and parents find more factual information about Mars for young readers who show an interest in learning more.