Showing results by author "Craig A. Falconer" in All Categories

When Dan McCarthy stumbles upon a folder containing evidence of the conspiracy to end all conspiracies - a top-level alien cover-up - he leaks the files without a second thought. The incredible truth revealed by Dan's leak immediately captures the public's imagination, but Dan's relentless commitment to exposing the cover-up and forcing disclosure quickly earns him some enemies in high places.

As the relentless approach of a truly gargantuan mothership sparks chaos on Earth, many believe the end times are here. The unknown beings are more technologically advanced than humanity can even comprehend, let alone match. For the first time since Dan McCarthy's initial contact with aliens a full 16 years earlier, the whole world is united against an existential threat. But while billions understandably cower in fear, a few stand defiant. A showdown is coming. And be it on Earth or in space, the McCarthys will be there.

When a sudden impact sends a spacecraft bound for a distant research station hurtling toward a previously unseen and inexplicable planet, responsibility for the safety of its passengers immediately falls on Ivy 'Holly' Wood, a former poster child of the public space program now fleeing Earth's tyrannical leadership. The mysterious planet's startlingly Earth-like atmosphere initially breeds optimism among Holly's group of stranded survivors, but before long it becomes clear that Earth's rules don't apply.

When Kurt Jacobs imagines the ultimate gadget—one capable of replacing phones, credit cards, keys and TVs—the idea consumes his every waking moment. When the Sycamore corporation buys into Kurt's creation and The Seed becomes a reality, his every dream comes true.

At long last, the dream of a functioning research colony on Terradox has become reality. Thousands of men, women, and children now call the distant romosphere home, with experts in countless fields recruited from Earth to spearhead the most ambitious research projects ever devised. All eyes fall on the closing stages of a colony-defining isolation test within Terradox’s least hospitable zone—the man-made hellscape of Little Venus, where six astronauts-in-training have survived 51 weeks surrounded by an almost impossibly hostile atmosphere.

Continuing the legacy of decades gone by, these fast-paced standalone stories offer wondrous settings, philosophical sci-fi questions, and twists that pack a punch.

Three nights in a log cabin, out here in the Scottish wilderness with no one else for miles around. Three nights in this idyllic kind of halfway house. Three nights to reflect on the incident at my own pace and draw a line under my recovery. The sights and sounds will soothe you, they said. Doctor Chambers told me to listen for the birds. The guidebook on the table promised deer and red squirrels. But no one mentioned the lights in the sky. No one mentioned the Visitors.

Beyond Horizons explores classic sci-fi themes through a contemporary lens. Continuing the legacy of decades gone by, these fast-paced standalone stories offer wondrous settings, philosophical sci-fi questions, and twists that pack a punch.

When the government's new private welfare system begins rewarding unemployed viewers for watching the right kind of ads, Roger Birch welcomes a Funscreen into his home. Like millions of others, Roger and his family soon depend on ad-viewing income for their survival. Unlike millions of others, the events of one uncomfortable evening leave Roger aware of the government's shadier reasons for investing in Funscreens.

All eyes fall on the closing stages of a colony-defining isolation test within Terradox’s least hospitable zone—the man-made hellscape of Little Venus, where six astronauts-in-training have survived 51 weeks surrounded by an almost impossibly hostile atmosphere. But while the astronauts of tomorrow count down their final few days until freedom, the gravest threat of all might already be on the wrong side of their Isolation Kompound’s impenetrable walls....

When Kurt Jacobs imagines the ultimate gadget—one capable of replacing phones, credit cards, keys, and TVs—the idea consumes his every waking moment. When the Sycamore corporation buys into Kurt's creation and The Seed becomes a reality, his every dream comes true. Power like this has never existed. But amid all of the awe and optimism, there is far more going on behind the curtain than Kurt or anyone else could ever have predicted.

When a group of prize-winning high school graduates blasted off on a mission to space, their parents beamed with pride. When news of the disaster came in, a nation mourned. But nothing is truly as it seems.

There's no time like the present, but there's no place like Yester Year... When Paula Frederick gets a weekend job on Dream Rock, a former prison island that now serves as the world's largest leisure destination, she can hardly believe her luck. Dream Rock's outlandish surroundings are a welcome break from her studies. Paula's fully costumed role within the island's smallest zone, a medieval-themed amusement park called Yester Year, seems set to allow for even more immersive fun than she imagined.

Four years after Ivy "Holly" Wood's dramatic escape from Terradox, the once-hostile romosphere's new hotel and leisure development is thriving. But while adventurous guests from all corners of the Earth marvel at the awesome wonders of the Terradox Resort's artificial environment, a deadly threat looms large. When it becomes clear that an unimaginable risk offers the only hope of preventing an unimaginable disaster, responsibility for the safety of the many innocent civilians stranded on Terradox once again falls on Holly's shoulders.

With the Terradox colony stable and established, attention turns to the most ambitious endeavour in human history: the creation of a planet-sized romosphere capable of carrying a sizeable population on a one-way course for the stars.

"Terradox Zero: Before the Crash", an illuminating prequel story to the best-selling Terradox series, giving new insight into the journey's crew and passengers.

Across oceans and ages, the same tales have persisted. The lights in the sky. The whirring sounds at night. The ships that cross the darkness and the headaches that come when they pass overhead. But for some, the feelings have intensified. Lately, it all feels...closer. EJ, a humble artist, senses that the long-foreseen arrival is imminent. Denounced as a self-promoter seeking attention and fame, he finds few listeners, but never stops trying to raise the alarm. When dusk falls, the prophecy rains down.

When Tobias and Kira raise the alarm from the next farm over, they're dismissed as two meddling kids with two overactive imaginations. But as the Halloween festival draws near and tourists flock to their usually sleepy town of Hallow Creek, those two meddling kids' one crazy idea might be the only thing that can stop disaster in its tracks. No tricks. No treats. Just a pumpkin splice shockoccino with a dash of danger and a sprinkle of terror.

On their golden wedding anniversary, Lorraine Green and her husband made an unbreakable pact. As the surviving partner, her life insurance payout will fund a one-way ticket to the solar system's most exclusive retirement community: Sunset Stays. Her children say she is too old. Too vulnerable. Too frail to face the many risks of space travel. But Lorraine Green is nothing of the sort. Though the real reason for the pact can never cross Lorraine's lips, she leaves no doubt that her mind is made up. The adventure of a lifetime calls...but so does a burning thirst for justice.

Chad Mitchell is an outsider. Born on an alien-controlled colony and with human servants for parents, a good life was never in his future. But as he develops into a remarkably fast learner and unrivaled pilot, Chad finds himself valued more and more by his autocratic alien overlords. From the edge of the colony's inner circle, the true extent of the aliens' wickedness becomes apparent. Chad's human friends watch him mingle with the leadership and think he has changed - that he has sold out to the oppressors - but Chad Mitchell knows better.