In Ken Breniman's a three body solution, during a period of political collapse, Tâm, Chip, and TaDoo become internationally famous after presenting their committed thruple as a public alternative to fear-driven leadership and social isolation. Their rise begins with the MMMurphyBed, a futuristic invention that...

Jeff Nesbit’s Autocrat is satirical, grotesque, and timely; it follows a narcissistic reality TV host named Rex Vanner who launches and wins the 2015 presidential campaign. But his leverage is a network contract, and what he succeeds in summoning is the darkest impulse in the...

“There’s no such thing as a whole, functional, fuck-up-free human. We all have our problems and things that prevent us from being perfect.” True, and that may include Nicholas Bruechle, author of the novel All Writers Are Liars. At the very least, his characters certainly...

A Walk in the Dark: The Invisible Man by Niknesha Hairston tells the story of Gabriel “Gabe” Omen, a blind forensic psychologist and FBI consultant with Heightened Sensory Detection (HSD). Before all this, Gabe was just a young boy with a loving family. Unfortunately, a...

The Chinese thinker Lao Tzu once said, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step,” and that sentiment is echoed in Kaci Curtis's Along the Trail. Winnifred “Winnie” Hayes and her family take that first step as they leave their home and...

“Always have papers in your hand, walk fast, and look worried. Fewer people bother you.” Interestingly and funnily enough, I experienced this at a job I once had, though we used a clipboard, not papers. Even funnier is the whimsical nonsense in Average Civil Employee:...

All Things Green by John Westren is a story on two levels. Jack Adams has a major problem to solve, which will impact his life and that of his family, who depend on him. He has promised to defend the pharmaceutical company he works for...

Angela MacKenzie, a lawyer in Idaho, was driving home when the trunk of an enormous Sycamore tree crashed into her car’s hood. Luckily for her, she escaped with minor injuries and received help from a stranger who had been driving behind her. He introduces himself...

A Life Worth Living by Don Lehmkuhl follows the story of an eccentric professor and his young protégé over the course of two decades. Kameron Burkhardt attended Saint Augustine's University in Cincinnati, Ohio, in the late 1980s. With youthful vigor, Kameron delved into university life...

A Dangerous Friendship by Robin Merle is a novel about grief, obsession, and the strange hunger for connection after loss. The narrator, Tina, begins the story in emotional turmoil, newly divorced and exhausted by a series of endings. Seeking distraction and a reset, she throws...