First published 2013
The future arrives with blood on its hands. In these speculative tales, survivors navigate worlds where corporate overlords dictate who lives and dies. Citizens face impossible decisions as their governments collapse and new power structures emerge from the chaos. Some stories thrust readers into post-apocalyptic wastelands where the remnants of humanity cling to existence. Others explore societies where technology serves darker purposes than anyone imagined. Characters confront the brutal mathematics of survival when resources dwindle and moral boundaries dissolve. Each story examines how ordinary people respond when civilization's safety nets disappear. The collection moves through time and space, visiting futures both near and distant. MacLeod constructs scenarios where progress becomes regression and hope transforms into horror. These are not distant nightmares but plausible tomorrows that feel uncomfortably close to today's headlines.
Genres: science-fiction, dystopia, horror, 21st-century, dark-fantasy, dark, apocalyptic
Vibes: dark, emotional, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, moral-dilemmas, societal-collapse
332 pages · Paperback · Grey Matter Press
Content warnings: death, graphic-violence, violence