Welcome to the first year's worth of stories from the new online magazine ZNB Presents published by the small press Zombies Need Brains. In these pages, you will find original science fiction and fantasy stories of awe and wonder, darkness and light, ranging through all of the subgenres, including urban fantasy, alternate history, space opera, fairy tales, and more. They come from the most talented authors in the field today—new voices as well as trusted and familiar names. Join us as we explore visions of the past, present, and future, as we encounter strange new creatures, both in our own backyard, in the depths of space, and our own imagination. Here you will: —Enter an abandoned colony on a hostile world —Come face-to-face with a horrific Stampede on an alien planet —Search for a murderous golem made of salt —Fight in the brutal pits of an apocalyptic America —Fight in the brutal pits of an apocalyptic America —Fight in the brutal pits of an apocalyptic America —Find betrayal and redemption in a world full of clowns —Hunt for those who are killing your fellow gunslingers —Rebel with the Little Match Girl in a search for something beyond her story And so much more! Twenty-four stories written by Brian Hugenbruch, Jason Palmatier, Diana A. Hart, Evan Marcroft, Cislyn Smith, Hazel King, Barbara Ashford, Ryan T. McFadden, Maria Z. Medina, Adria Bailton, Marie Brennan, Crystal Sarakas, Marc Fleury, Anaea Lay, Desmond Astaire, A. Katherine Black, P.A. Cornell, Alma Alexander, Antony Paschos, Jack Gallegos, Brian Crenshaw, Chloie Piveral, Evergreen Lee, and L.D. Colter, each with its own illustration by artists Kat D'Andrea, Ariel Guzman, or Gulzara Tokhtamysheva. Welcome to the multi-faceted worlds of ZNB Presents . Find us on Patreon at: http://www.patreon.com/zombiesneedbrains

Who Needs a Friend, When You Have a Familiar? Animals have been our companions since the dawn of time, but in science fiction and fantasy, often that bond is taken one magical—or technological—step further. In Familiars we asked authors to put their own unique spin on this idea, resulting in this collection of fifteen stories that explore the range of familiar bonds—from cats to caterpillars, squids to squirrels, and everything in between. With settings from fantasy to science fiction, and stories ranging from humor to horror, there's something to appeal to everyone! Featuring stories by Brian Hugenbruch, Lawrence Harding, Jean Marie Ward, Jordan Bricco, Alexander G.R. Gideon, Gini Koch & Bebe Bayliss, Russell Hugh McConnell, Kari Sperring, Alicia Cay, Jim C. Hines, Sharon Lee & Steve Miller, Shanna Germain, Jacey Bedford, A. Katherine Black, and Jason Palmatier. The buddy system is back, baby!

Each month The Dark brings you the best in dark fantasy and horror! Selected by award-winning editors Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Michael Kelly, and Sean Wallace and published by Prime Books, this issue includes two all-new stories and two reprints:"It Is Not So, It Was Not So" by Megan Arkenberg"Tether" by A. Katherine Black (reprint)"Tiger, Tiger Bright" by Benjanun Sriduangkaew"Pomegranate Pomegranate" by Jack Westlake (reprint)

A dance with Death. The perils of colonization. A memorable gustatory experience of cosmic proportions. Whether it's paying the price for resistance, shouldering the responsibility of ancestral power, or seeking the comfort of a secret friend, the characters in these twenty-five stories and poems take readers on an adventure that crosses traditional boundaries and challenges expectations of the many forms a fairy tale can take. Deliciously dark and sumptuous, Fractured Reveries is like a walk in an enchanted forest. Which path will you take? Claire Eliza Bartlett - A. Katherine Black - Fija Callaghan - Ellie Campbell - Gio Clairval - Alison Colwell - Chelsea Conradt - Hillary Dodge - Antonia Eliason - Christina Hira - Wailana Kalama - Haralambi Markov - Allison Pang - Helen Patrice - Rhea Rose - Katherine Heath Shaeffer - Anami Sheppard - J.M. Spronk - Roni Stinger - Nike Sulway - Daniela Tomova - KT Wagner - Dianthe West - Leslie Wibberley - Mercedes M. Yardley

Sliced Up Press proudly presents twenty-two visions of peculiar monsters and weird phenomena from around the world, and beyond. Familiar or not, you'll soon learn to fear what lurks within, whether it's music stolen from the dead, ravenous beasts of burden, inexplicable bodily growths, or dreadful things slipping through your letterbox. Plus much more! With all-new poetry & prose from: A. Katherine Black, Die Booth, Lorenzo Crescentini, Maxx Fidalgo, Maija Haavisto, Eve Harms, Pedro Iniguez, Ai Jiang, Joe Koch, Basile Lebret, Sam Lesek, Caitlin Marceau, Avra Margariti, Andrés Menéndez, Tiffany Morris, H.V. Patterson, Sarah Peploe, Stephanie Rabig, David Sandner, Lorraine Schein, Angela Sylvaine and Tabatha Wood.

"If you could take a pill that showed you the truth about the world, would you take it?" After Dinner Conversation - Season One is a collection of the best short stories published in the After Dinner Conversation series to date. Short stories span all genres; science-fiction, near-future, dystopia, spiritual, fantasy, urban fantasy, AI, historical fiction, contemporary women, political, horror, thriller, and children's stories. The important thing is that the story is compelling, and that it asks a specific ethical or moral question. Imagine the "trolley problem" in short story form. Reader Reviews "...a terrific collection of short stories (for teaching) courses on civics, ethics, or contemporary social problems, in high school or junior college." Philosophy Professor at Chapel Hill, Luc Bovens "Tears Your Heart. Heart breaking discussions fueled by this book." Amazon Reviewer MariaJ "...these stories as a whole so far, have been haunting, staying with me long past finishing." Amazon Reviewer Andrea L. Stoeckel Each short story is also accompanied by discussion questions for the reader, or for a group of readers, to discuss. Many of the short stories have associated podcast discussions on iTunes, Spotify, Pandora, Stitcher, and Youtube, as well as on our website, After Dinner Conversation. Included Stories Top Ranked In The Following Amazon Categories! #1 in Utilitarianism Philosophy #1 in Aesthetics #1 in Zen Philosphy #1 in Children's Books On Values #1 in Pragmatism #2 in Historical Fiction Short Stories #1 in Death, Grief And Spirituality #1 in Occult Magic #1 in Free Will And Determinism #2 in War Fiction #1 in Religious Intolerance #1 in Political Fiction #1 in Sociology of Race Relations #1 in Epistemology #1 in Ethics & Morality #1 in Good & Evil Philosophy #1 in Children's Books on Values #1 in Jewish Life #1 in Christian Ethics #2 in Mental Illness #1 in Compulsive Behavior #2 in Children's Short Stories #1 in Children's Multicultural Folk Tales #1 in 30-Minute Teen & Young Adult Short Reads #2 in 30-Minute Literature & Fiction Short Reads #1 in Historical Australian & Oceanian Fiction #2 in One-Hour Science Fiction & Fantasy Short Reads #2 in Hard Science Fiction #2 in Parenting Morals & Responsibility #1 in Natural Law Perspectives #2 in Criminal Law #1 in Comparative Law and many more! Short stories by (in alphabetical order) A. Katherine Black, Ana Carolina Pereira, Andre Lopes, Christine Seifert, David Shultz, Dean Gessie, Jann Everard, Jenean McBrearty, Joanna Michal Hoyt, John Sheirer, Margaret Karmazin, Michael Rook, Shikhandin, Tom Teti, Tyler W. Kurt, Vera Burris, Veronica Leigh, and Viggy Parr Hampton.

An anthology magazine of Science Fiction and Fantasy short stories. Andi C. Buchanan's I Will Teach You Magic, a love letter to a child of their future. The Association of Twelve Thousand Flowers from Ursula Whitcher is about a bisexual sex worker on another planet investigating a murder. A. Katherine Black's moving This is Not a Diary, This is Not a Confession, where being different, and bullied for it, can make one-prickly. Thomas Ha's Horangi, about a boy growing up with Korean mythical creatures in Hawai`i. Confessions of a Forward Thinker from Derrick Boden, where being able to see the future leads to what is really important. The Game Will be Mortal by Gillian Secord, with the prickling in the head from the dice, what will the next Game bring. Jess Hyslop's Risings brings us a young girl whose father is a 'collaborator' working as a Necromancer for the invaders. In Echoes Under My Skin by Alexandra Seidel, a refugee finds love in their adoptive home and their child fights to defend their new home from invaders. We close with Jessica Lévai's Starter Culture, she's working from her own recipes, but something isn't right.