Everyone has superpowers, and mine wasn't anything special... until I got recruited out of prison. [June 2023 RR Magazine Contest] This short story is a study of a background character in a collaborative project I've been working on with a fellow RR author, Arlen K. Our collab is projected to start posting in 2024, so if you are enjoying Codename: Ghost and would like to see more of this world that he lives in, smash that "Follow Author" button to be alerted to new releases. If you would like more of this world now, check out Portal to Regret. Maybe you'll recognize the MC. = As always, comments, follows, favorites, ratings and reviews are appreciated, especially as there is a lot more planned for this world. Codename: Ghosthas been exclusively published on RoyalRoad. All other sites have stolen the story. If you find this title anywhere else, please PM me on RoyalRoad or email me at [email protected]. Thank you!
8.64 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 18:22
Epsilon Twilight | one_shot | Complete
My chimera, my Alta. You were born for greatness. Alta has been trapped for all their life in darkness, a jail warded by demons and other creatures. But as they manage to escape the outside world with a hint of their true lineage, they understand that the outside was far bigger than their prison cell had been. After rescuing a fairy, they shapeshift into one and joins the fairy village, looking to find themselves, rather than their family. Author's synopsis: Gender-fluid, shapeshifting bloodthirsty creature wants to be happy and discover the world. Also fairies. A lot of fairies. WE HAVE ART! [Winner in the Royal Road Writathon challenge April 2023!]
33.36 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 18:23
Majorian | one_shot | Complete
Cadet Commissar Karl Waino wanted to be a war hero. After years of schooling, he finally got his chance on the planet Banshee, attached to an Imperial Guard regiment to prove he had what it took to lead men into battle. What started as a simple reconnaissance mission becomes the ultimate fight for survival as Karl Waino learns just how horrible war is in the 41st millennium.
15.43 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 18:20
Wulfrann | one_shot | Complete
The best thing ever invented, you tell me one morning, is sliced bread. "Really?" "Yeah," you say, waving your buttered slice around for emphasis. Your fingers will be smeared with butter, and I know that later, you will complain about it. For now, though, this is a necessary part of your explanation. "I mean, it's obvious, isn't it?" Spoiler: Story Warnings Obsessive-compulsive behavior & Nonverbal shut-down
0.76 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 18:19
DarenGillingham | one_shot | Complete
Demons, Dragons, ghouls, and gheists. The monsters of Terra are many. I, Nicholas Wolfram shall tell you all about them in the hopes you may avoid the fate of some of my students. Read on, lest a lack of knowledge be your undoing. These monsters are based on those found in The Alchemist Series.
20.83 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 18:22
The first truly immersive Virtual Reality system has just been announced. Made by NERV, the EVA-series immersion pods promise a Better Than Life experience, unlike anything that's been seen before. Gone are clunky goggles and wired controls. Now you simply lie down, and the machine does all the work. Following up on their previous hit games, NERV has created the first true VRMMORPG, a sci-fi offering calledDreams Amongst the Stars. Because of the impressive display he made during the closed Beta of the game, one player has been offered a contract as a paid streamer, and the chance to play the game on the highest difficulty possible. Watch as he forges his own path, into the black.
433.93 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-21 17:04
Joe Kuster | sci_fi | Complete
"By far, the greatest danger of Artificial Intelligence is that people conclude too early that they understand it." Eliezer Yudkowsky Hey all, we're moving over to book 2. This content is in a state of transition. The book is now availble on Amazon (includes extra chapters): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07W1534R8/ Artificial intelligence was nearly mankind's last invention. AI took off like a rocket, then when it racked up an impressive death toll, it crashed before it could blossom and took most high-tech industries with it. Resistance and fears became deep-set. Two decades after the infamous Rev. 4.6 incidents, humanity hasn't quit dreaming of the wealth and power that could be at their fingertips. A new generation of mega-corporations rose from the ashes. When one melds a quantum computer to a barely functional mental patient as a PR move, there are those who seek to profit, those who want to destroy it, and Alex. Alex Sage is a typical college student trying to keep up his grades and maybe find a meaningful connection with the fairer sex. Then, an automated semi crashes into his home, killing his family and turning his head into a pin cushion in the process. Alex awakens to find most of his memories gone and an illegal AI hidden in his brain implant. Now the pet project of a tech billionaire and heavily in debt, Alex struggles to stay valuable enough to be kept online. Still grappling with the repercussions of his injuries, and threats from a dangerous anti-augmentation political movement, there are no easy answers and threats loom around every corner. Alex must use whatever resources he can to escape from under the thumb of a ruthless corporation, while keeping those he comes to love safe. Chapters will stay up on RRL until Aug 10. It'll go up on Kindle Unlimited after that. How do you get those extra chapters I didn't have planned for RR? If you want them, they'll be in the published book. Book 2 will still make sense without them - I made sure of that. But... isn't $3 a lot for extra chapters? Think of it as tipping me for a good job and you'd also be getting my eternal thanks. If you enjoyed it so much that the idea of missing out a few chapters haunts you, I did my job as an author and made an engaging story. What's in those extra chapters? Resolving a few issues, set up for the cybernetic revolution, a rather intense sex scene with a new partner, revelations of who's really pulling strings, and a bit of set up for book 2. Complaints that people missed out on itwhen it was published here won't help (sorry!). I posted this for the folks who helped me shape the book, which is you all! (Again, yay!) But... Why! Why not keep it all on RR forever? My editor likes being paid for one. For two, I'd like the ability to get broader readership. If I break even on editor costs, I'll be incredibly happy. What about book 2? Drafts for Book 2 will go up around Sept 10. My draft of Book 2 is done, and it will be handed to the editor once Book 1 is published. Feedback has been even more positive. Beta readers devoured it and wanted more. I'll add a link to Book 2 once it's up on RR. I'm more or less, using you all for Beta Readers, so you get it before it's "canon" and edited. I invite active and meaningful feedback during this process. In return, you get early access to chapters. That does mean that the book content or plot might be adjusted before it gets published as I refine it. Sex Y/N? Yes. I heard the feedback, 90% wanted it explicit. You all will get the "full" experience. Will I dump all of book 2 here? Honestly, I'm not sure yet. At a minimum, it'll be up to the 75% mark as we collect feedback, much like what I did with book 1. It really depends on how good the feedback is and how nice people are. Lots of support + meaningful feedback to make it better =higherlikelihood you get all the book. Will be it up here indefinitely? No, it'll probably go up on KU at some point, but I'll make sure there's enough time for a large readership to grab it here. Then we move to book 3 which already is around 60K words already. What about other adventures in the same universe/characters? Yep. Absolutely. Nothing ready to share yet though. I plan to keep those side chapters and more slice of life stories as RR exclusive. Since I'm carving this off in book-sized segments, I'll have to figure out where those disconnected story arcs belong. I'm open to suggestions.
7.36 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 18:19
Salt Blossom | sci_fi | Complete
All Adam wanted was to join the US Marines and escape the ghetto. The omnipotent Goddess of the space colony Astraea decided otherwise. Marked as Her Chosen, Adam is loaded up with futuristic tech and shunted into an alternate world, where the skies bleed red and corruption seeps into the land. His task is to travel this world, hunting, fighting and saving the Goddess's lost War Maidens, who have succumbed to corruption and transformed into monsters. The more War Maidens he saves, the smoother the taskin theory. However, the War Maidens are a zealous sort. Adam, as their Goddess's Chosen, is precious to them. He is to be defended at all costs, and may the Goddess have mercy on anyone that dares to threaten him& Updates on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays (UTC time). Support the series on Patreon or Ko-Fi!
74.86 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 18:21
Eli Freysson | sci_fi | Complete
The Galactic Fringe is a deadly place. But as a fugitive from justice, Gaylen's options are limited. Now a dangerous gamble has earned him his own ship and a small crew. It's enough to survive, to stay mobile, from one trouble spot to another. Savage pirates, starport gangs and bounty hunters are dangerous enough, and now a brewing war threatens a new brand of chaos. Good thing he knows how to kick ass. Flights of the Addax is an action-packed sci-fi adventure saga. If you like Firefly, Han Solo, scrappy survivors on the edge of space, and lots of shooting and punching, you'll love this one.
154.83 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 18:30
TheMoldySausage | satire | Complete
Santa Claus is real, but he doesn't deliver presents, he hunts Yetis.
0.13 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 18:16
The anarchist rioters and flaky deadbeats thought their juvenile rebellion had succeeded...until the grownups arrived. Then they sullenly realized playtime was over. I first released this novel in September 2021. Unsettlingly, it's only become more true since then. Available on Amazon. Master fiction list here.
43.97 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 18:18
Mircea Florea | satire | Complete
"I am Sir Agandir of the house of Paltrinon, and I seek your aid in performing my quest.""What quest will that be, my lord, Sir Agandir?""Slaying the cursed beast that roams the skies of Wellos.""I would gladly assist you, sir, but I am afraid slaying dragons was one of my weakest talents and it has decreased with age.""Don't play with me, old man!" The knight leaned over the counter and grinned through his thick scruffy black beard. "I NEED POTIONS!"
0.68 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 18:15
TackySlappy | satire | Complete
Emma Longstone is not a regular person; she's famous for holding the world record for most Sweepstakes won by a single person! Her luck is good to the point where she's won the lottery multiple times in a row, accurately predicted the value of stocks years in advance, and never lost rock-paper-scissors. Unfortunately, things aren't always rosy at the top; having earned a fortune from her efforts as a professional sweepstaker, business owners everywhere despised her. That's why they assassinated her. On her way to the afterlife, her journey was disrupted by a deity called Tchadd. He offered her a chance to escape a brutal afterlife if she agreed to work for him. She agreed and was hired as an Isekai Winner, a person with qualities impressive enough to save entire worlds. Now she finds herself using sweepstaking to save worlds in non-intuitive ways!(Note: this description is misleading)
16.67 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 18:18
Glacialfury | satire | Complete
What if the illustrious Mr. Hawking was right and searching the stars for life is a bad idea? Read on for a different take on the age-old question.
0.59 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 18:15
I just found a silly little thing I wrote in 2010 about the year 2022. Thought I'd share it here :)
0.52 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 18:15
kylebstiff | satire | Complete
In a future of bottomline-oriented global megacorporations, some people have chosen to have their Creature removed. Once you have your Creature removed, life becomes a breeze. You can clock in, do your job, and clock out without any problems. Meanwhile, your Creature can party like an animal, stumbling through the streets, getting into fights, and humping anything that moves. It's a win-win situation! Except sometimes& sometimes Creatures go rogue. This is a COMPLETE story, one hundred percent finished.
2.90 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 18:15
TealiciousTea | satire | Complete
The first chapter is based on a short story originally written by Robert Walzer in 1914, and translated by Christopher Middleton. It is a retelling for 2021 or the "long 2020" by me. The following chapters are originals by myself.
0.83 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 18:14
fsarbolaez | satire | Complete
A new island rises off the coast after a major earthquake. Soon, small valuable gems are discovered, while the civilians and government begin coming into conflict with one another. However, something primordial stirs deep within the land and under the waves. (Content Warning: Contains foul language, violence, gore, xenophobia, traumatic experience, and moments of allusions to assault, self-harm, and harm ideation)
9.55 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 18:15
Pillage Your Village | satire | Complete
A young man by the name of Otto Von Peter wakes up on a chilly morning as a beef patty. His life is forever changed, especially after he is bestowed cheese. He must attempt to gain levels in order to survive and traverse the human body. How will he survive? Will his friends help him? Is there a way out? Only time will tell.
2.26 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 18:14
Kitsune's Inkwell | satire | Complete
Kitsune's Inkwell is a small collective of (mostly) fan-fiction writers who have come together to help each other grow. We have monthly Write-Offs to stretch our literary muscles by tackling things that normally would be outside of our wheelhouse.Prompt:Have you ever had that moment when you're listening to the radio and mishear what's playing? Write about a situation where the character does a double-take on what they just heard on the radio...and finds out that they actually heard correctly for once. Requirements:Submissions were to contain only original characters and settings, a minimum of 1000 words up to a maximum of 2000, and have a dedicated plot hook.
9.56 Ten thousand words | Updated at 2024-03-29 18:14