Dystopian Fiction | Self-Publishing Review

Final Chance by Van Fleisher

A third disturbing reflection on the American mindset, Final Chance by Van Fleisher is a prophetic piece of fiction, and the climactic conclusion to the author’s dystopian near-future trilogy.

Bouncing between our real-world present and an uncertain imagined fate, Fleisher takes readers through a sci-fi envisioning of pandemic-peppered decades ahead, and the desperate decisions the world must make to ensure humanity’s survival. Society has never stood on a more fragile precipice, and while the Domed Generation of the 2050s is growing used to life inside, protected from the “alien” atmosphere, the increased susceptibility to respiratory disease makes remaining populations dangerously […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-10-29T07:45:09+02:00October 29th, 2021|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Dystopian Fiction, Van Fleisher|

Review: Of Starlight and Plague by Beth Hersant

A catastrophic spiral of human folly and unflinching perseverance, Of Starlight and Plague by Beth Hersant is a stunning cautionary tale, and an engrossing dystopian thriller. Whether you’re a lover of zombie fiction or a sucker for stories about genetic engineering, this novel is a slow-burning but riveting ride.

After an impossible-to-predict tragedy robs him of his daughter, shortly after losing his wife, Dr. Aaron Pickman turns a corner in his life. Fueled by grief, he dedicates his life to finding a cure for rabies, the rare culprit in his daughter’s case, while also possibly revolutionizing drug-delivery techniques to the […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-10-07T03:42:57+02:00October 6th, 2021|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Apocalyptic Fiction, Beth Hersant, Dystopian Fiction, Zombie Fiction|

Review: Friendship City by Carl H. Mitchell

A terrifying fling fifty years in the future, Friendship City: Hanging by a Thread by Carl H. Mitchell is a twisting, breakneck thriller that feels uncomfortably realistic. Following on directly from the events of Mitchell’s first novel, Sundown, this high-stakes story is riveting, conspiratorial, and seemingly ripped from the current state of the world.

While the sinister World Council schemes to wipe out half the human race (at least) with a deadly virus, Nick Garvey is fighting to keep the new President safe from all sides, watching his daughter fight to find her memories after coming out of a […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-08-26T04:40:30+02:00August 26th, 2021|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Carl H. Mitchell, Dystopian Fiction|

Review: The Venus World by Hywel Richard Pinto

A femme-dominated future falls into fracture and peril in The Venus World by Hywel Richard Pinto, a sprawling slice of post-apocalyptic and speculative fiction.

Men are reduced to reproductive necessities after a freak biohazard virus is unleashed on the world, wiping out males across the world in staggering numbers. With their population diminished and their power contained, it seems that the future truly is female, but not all are in agreement about the way forward.

Six queens rule over this new world, and each of their regions has its own supplies and demands, leading inevitably to conflict and decidedly bad […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-09-17T06:54:42+02:00August 13th, 2021|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Dystopian Fiction, Speculative Fiction|

Review: Pandemic by Dieter Gartelman

A novel that strongly argues the point that reality is stranger than fiction, Pandemic by Dieter Gartelman is a fictional retelling of the pandemic still wreaking havoc around the globe, and a hypothetical fate we all may still face. Blending true history with semi-hysterical visions of the future is a storytelling gamble, but Gartelman hits the mark in this prophetic and troubling portrait of America.

Having a diverse range of protagonists provides a uniquely well-rounded perspective on the global crisis at the center of this story. Michael Thompson’s expertise in public health, his wife Dorothy’s intrepid reporting skills, John Othallo’s […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-08-09T02:49:26+02:00August 9th, 2021|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Contemporary Fiction, Dieter Gartelman, Dystopian Fiction|

Sheltered: When a Boy Becomes a Legend by Jacob Paul Patchen

Jacob Paul Patchen transports readers to a smoky and unexpected American battlefield in Sheltered: When a Boy Becomes a Legend, a bold YA American dystopia.

After the attack came the invasion, when the men, women and teens were scooped up by black-fatigued men and shipped off to prison camps. The children left behind, however, have found a way to survive, and a leader to follow. Young James is not only an excellent storyteller, but also a fierce warrior, a natural survivor, and a pretty good leader, especially because he never expected to be at war as a 12-year-old in […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-02-15T09:55:50+02:00February 15th, 2021|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Dystopian Fiction, Young Adult|

Clan Woodsmen: The General’s Refuge by A.C. Gillies

Author A.C. Gillies weaves a frightening vision of the future in Clan Woodsmen: Book 1: The General’s Refuge. In a dystopian timeline that feels eerily close to our present one, the shattered factions of society must fight for survival, for love, and for one another.

A young woman is taken into one of these surviving clans, and soon discovers the potential for beauty and joy, without forgetting about the looming threats that lurk on all sides. Readers are immersed in a twisted version of reality – our world through a carnival mirror – allowing this book to act as both […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2020-10-22T03:00:01+02:00October 21st, 2020|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Dystopian Fiction, Romance|

Review: What Branches Grow by T.S. Beier

Author T.S. Beier paints a grim and brutal American landscape in What Branches Grow, depicting a dystopian world where books are sacred, humans are a commodity, and trust is perhaps the most elusive resource.

Three decades after a war devastated the natural world and reduced civilization to scrabbling ruins, a mysterious woman on an impossible quest manages to keep hope alive. When Delia arrives at the walls of Churchill, she makes it clear that she’s only passing through, and looking for a safe place to sleep until she can continue on her journey north. Gennero, the right-hand enforcer of […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-08-09T09:13:04+02:00June 22nd, 2020|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Dystopian Fiction, Post-Apocalyptic|