Showing results for "the system" in Short Stories

The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman is a haunting psychological short story that explores isolation, mental health, and the constraints placed on women in the 19th century. Through the unsettling diary of a woman confined to a room with disturbing yellow wallpaper, Gilman crafts a chilling descent into obsession that remains one of the most powerful feminist works in American literature.

The Selected Short Stories of Frank Herbert brings together a fascinating collection of early speculative fiction from the legendary author of Dune. Featuring “Missing Link,” “Old Rambling House,” “Operation Haystack,” “The Nothing,” and “Try to Remember,” this volume showcases Herbert’s sharp intellect, psychological depth, and early exploration of ideas that would later define his iconic career.

The Philip K. Dick Short Story Collection gathers some of the author’s most unsettling and visionary works—stories that helped define modern science fiction and inspired generations of writers, filmmakers, and thinkers. In this gripping volume, Philip K. Dick explores paranoia, identity, war, and perception through razor-sharp ideas and unforgettable twists.

"A Pail of Air” by Fritz Leiber is a haunting and poetic science fiction short story set in a frozen, post-apocalyptic Earth where the sun has gone dark. Written in the early 1950s, this atmospheric tale follows a resilient family struggling to survive in a world turned to eternal night, where even breathable air must be collected by hand. Told through the eyes of a young boy, the story captures the stark beauty of isolation, the desperation of survival, and the enduring hope that flickers in humanity’s darkest hours.

The Glamour of the Snow is one of Algernon Blackwood’s most haunting supernatural tales—a hypnotic blend of winter wilderness, psychological tension, and eerie elemental forces. When an English traveler becomes captivated by a mysterious woman who appears only in the snow-covered Swiss Alps, he is drawn into a chilling dance between beauty and danger. As fascination deepens into obsession, the seductive pull of the mountains reveals its true, otherworldly power.

Step into the shadowed streets of Victorian London with The Cabman’s Story, a gripping crime fiction short story by Arthur Conan Doyle. Told through the keen, world-weary voice of a London cabman, this atmospheric tale reveals how ordinary professions often brush against extraordinary—and dangerous—secrets.

A Little Journey by Ray Bradbury is a poignant and quietly powerful science fiction short story that explores faith, aging, and the human hunger for transcendence. Written during Bradbury’s golden early-1950s period, the story follows Mrs. Bellowes, an elderly widow who joins a group of older women on what is promised to be a miraculous voyage to Mars—and ultimately, a path to God.

During a routine oil delivery to the capital planet, a massive starship manned by a skeleton crew mysteriously breaks down. Now the youngest, least experienced crew member, his captain, and his conspiracist of a crew mate seek survival and answers while trying to avoid looming threats on the ship.

Two souls, Tah and Abigeiru, are bound by a love that transcends space and time, and they embark on a transformative journey through a shimmering portal that takes them back to their celestial home planet, Maia. They are met with devastation and destruction, and they embark on a perilous journey to uncover the truth behind the tragedy and save their planet.

Earth as a new Dungeon World means opportunities and dangers galore. One of the enduring aspects of the System is the Shop, an interdimensional series of stores that compete for the opportunity to service clients and make a profit doing so. New clients on a new Dungeon World mean rare and heretofore unseen items and massive profits. No surprise that the vultures have arrived, searching for easy marks.

The Insanity of Jones is one of Algernon Blackwood’s most haunting psychological tales—a gripping fusion of supernatural mystery, reincarnation, and unresolved vengeance that blurs the line between madness and metaphysical truth.

Morning in Whitehorse, and everything is normal. All too normal. A girlfriend who loves him; an evening at the farmer’s market in Shipyard’s Park. Idyllic, relaxing, peaceful. What more could a man want? John Lee isn’t sure, but stray thoughts intrude, and memories of a different time, a different place, a different world keep intruding. Angst-ridden, exhausting memories of a world of pain and struggle. Nothing like the paradise he lives in. Now, if only John wasn’t so attracted to them.

Day-to-day life is hard for film students. Whether you're an editor, a scriptwriter, or a videographer, it's never easy. More so when an apocalypse has arrived, taking with it the industry you've dedicated your life to, and leaving you with skills ill-suited to a post-apocalyptic fantasy hellscape.

What happens when the apocalypse is over; to love, strained and torn? How do you pick up the pieces, when life stabilises? It's a question our heroes must ask themselves, when they're no longer fighting off swarms of monsters, no longer struggling for Credits and Levels. Valentine's in the Apocalypse is set four years after the System Apocalypse has arrived, between books 5 and 6 of the System Apocalypse and features new characters. The story is set in Vancouver, BC.

Step into the chilling depths of H. P. Lovecraft’s The Festival, a haunting tale of ancestral secrets, forbidden rituals, and cosmic dread. Set in the eerie town of Kingsport during the Yuletide season, this gothic masterpiece unravels a nightmarish journey where family heritage intertwines with unspeakable horrors.

In the System Apocalypse, a single title can make or break a build. And in the entire Galactic System, there are Title Seekers, those who make it their life quest to acquire the most unusual and rare titles possible. Earth, a new Dungeon World offers multiple possibilities. Not least among them, the one from a familiar set of golden arches. For the Kyaz, it’s a chance in a million to get a rare title. If he can manage to evade the machinations of a fellow Title Seeker and trust his human sidekick, Xi Ping.

The Birth-Mark by Nathaniel Hawthorne is a hauntingly thought-provoking short story that explores the dark side of perfectionism, science, and obsession. With rich symbolism and moral complexity, Hawthorne crafts a powerful narrative that continues to resonate with listeners today. Ideal for fans of classic literature, psychological fiction, and philosophical allegory.

One Man’s Poison by Robert Sheckley is a witty and suspenseful science fiction short story from the early 1950s that explores alien life and survival with a darkly comedic twist.

Dos jóvenes caballeros van de viaje por el sur francés. Llegan a las cercanías de un manicomio privado, que suscita la curiosidad de uno de ellos. Su acompañante, que conoce al director de la institución, se aviene a presentarle, y al punto, a consecuencia de su fobia a los lunáticos, se despide. El joven es invitado a entrar por el director, que le informa cumplidamente de todo lo que quiere saber, pero pronto se ve sorprendido por la conducta de unos y otros. Al final, durante el transcurso de la cena, tienen lugar extraordinarios acontecimientos.

Trident Nottingham III had an idea that would change the world forever: a shipbrain designed to make interstellar flight less restrictive and reduce the amount of time one spent attempting to meet regulations. What he didn't expect was that the shipbrain would develop a mind of its own.