Extinct Doesn't Mean Forever18 Stories for only $2.99 / £2.14
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OK, I'm biased, but I didn't write any of these stories and I just sat passively by as they came my way, so I think I can say pretty objectively that this book is a really good read! There were solid, publishable stories that didn't make the cut, so the stories here all had to rise above, whether through quality of writing, idea, humor or a combination thereof.
In fact, I think a handful could be serious contenders for awards.
The stories are categorized as:
- Mainstream
- Mythic and Near-Future
- Speculative
- Humorous
I do have favorites, but I'm not going to tell you which they are. I will say:
- One story, in particular, makes me cry every time I read it.
- One makes me laugh every time.
- One energizes me and takes me along for a wild, rollercoaster ride.
Here's the description from Amazon, with a little teaser from each story (in the order it appears in the book) and the name of the author who wrote it. I've added links to their primary social sites.
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Echoes of yesterday touch the lives of ordinary people in extraordinary ways in 19 provocative stories by some of the best up-and-coming authors of mainstream and speculative fiction around the world.
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She didn’t realize how deep her loss ran, until a saber-tooth cat helped heal the past and point her toward a future she didn’t know she needed - PAST SURVIVORS by Sarah Adams
Vesna discovers from an unexpected source just how old the dance of love truly is - FOOTPRINTS ON THE BEACH by Aleksandar Žilja
John doted on the French touring car he’d lovingly restored. Can his dead wife teach him other things are worthy of his love too? - THE RESTORATION MAN by Simon John Cox
When a single mum returns home to Tasmania with her young son, her efforts to settle back in take a strange twist - A DARK FOREST by Jen White
Keeping a baby dinosaur secret from prying TV people and scientists is no easy task, except when your family have been keeping sacred traditions secret for generations - MY OWN SECRET DINOSAUR by Jo Antareau
When a Neanderthal skeleton arrives at her museum, Cassie learns a woman dead for thousands of years still has something to teach the living - THE LANGUAGE OF ICE by David North-Martin
With human hunters closing in, Kerg concocts a desperate plan for survival. Just one problem: he isn’t the only one looking out for family - TWILIGHT OF THE CLAW by Adam Dunsby
When Neanderthals, born from surrogate humans, kill a man for just cause, will the court let them have their say? - TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT by Kyle Aisteach
(This story appears in the first edition but not the second; prior contractual agreements meant it's unable to be offered exclusively on Amazon. It is available as a stand-alone short story.)
Lucia doesn’t believe in angels — but she might believe in a little boy cloned from a forgotten race - THE ANGEL GENOME by Chrystalla Thoma
Geri’s father finds the remains of an alien culture, proof we're not alone. But he leaves Geri feeling more alone than ever - IN RING by Scott Thomas Smith
Had it been left to protocols rather than human ingenuity, Commander West’s expedition might have overlooked one of Mars’ greatest treasures - BONES OF MARS by D Jason Cooper
Endless Power, Inc prepared Angel for the physical dangers of harnessing a new energy source. But no one prepared him for how to cope afterward - HUNTING THE MANTIS by Adam Knight
Bridges of meaning built through symbols alienate as much as connect. But the Virtual Bridge Sri plans could reconnect the lost hopes of a dying civilization - CONNECT by Kenneth Burstall
Fleeing with the last remnants of the Oshen race, Indigo has only one chance to ensure his people are never forgotten - INDIGO'S GAMBIT by Adam Israel
When his pampered world loses the technology it depends on, extinction looms faster than lonely survivor Levo could ever expect - BLOOD FRUIT by Shona Snowden
When a new bio-weapon in the wars on drugs and terror gets out of control, can the supplier really be held responsible? - A THORNY DILEMMA by Rory Steves
Capturing mammoths was all in a day’s work for Deke. The saber-tooth cat, though, was going to require something bigger than an elephant gun - INVOICE H10901: 3 WOOLY MAMMOTHS by Robert J. Sullivan
After George makes a momentous discovery, the distractions start piling up. His wife cooks up a surprise to remind him love is always worth sacrificing for – DISTRACTIONS by Peter Dudley
