Beneath the Surface

by Milo James Fowler

Twenty years after the end of the world, the earth is a desolate, alien place. For Willard and his people, their bunker has provided everything they've needed over the past decades; but now it's time to strike out into the unknown and rebuild civilization. The problem: Willard doesn't want to risk contamination on the surface, and so far, everyone who's left the bunker on a scouting mission has returned...changed.

23 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 31, 2013

About the author

Milo James Fowler is the cross-genre author of more than thirty books: space adventures, post-apocalyptic survival stories, mysteries, and westerns. A native San Diegan, he now makes his home in West Michigan with his wife and all four seasons. Some readers seem to enjoy the unique brand of science fiction, fantasy, horror, and humor found in his ever-growing body of work. Soli Deo gloria.

Reviews

[Randy Harmelink · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting, fast-paced short story. It went quick and was easy to read. Is it safe to leave the bunker after 20 years underground? Find out.

However, I got it as a freebie. I wouldn't pay the $0.99 regular price for the "book".

[Lyndon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Milo James Fowler is one of my favorite short story writers, I know him online and we share a background in education and spec fiction writing. So that's the disclaimer - I'm inclined to be biased. However, I read this post-apocalyptic, dystopic tale with some skepticism since I've read a number of these short sagas in the "after the bomb" vein. But I was pleasantly surprised.

First, this story goes a different direction than what I was expecting. And second, it leaves a lot for the imagination - and is ripe for a sequel. If you're familiar with Hugh Howey's Wool then this might be described as a possible future tale in that kind of world, a "post-silo" SF/horror, if you will. I liked it and hope Fowler tells the next chapter.

[Judith-Victoria Douglas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sci-fi short
This is a sci-fi short worth making into a novel. There are many questions to be answered about what happened to the Earth in the last 20 years since nuclear destruction and what is it about the dust causing mutations. It's last minutes are tense. Tucker is abandoned to save the many, but was there another way? A well-written story worth the short time it takes to read it. It will make you think of alternate scenarios for the future. It was purchased through iBooks.

[Richard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short Amazon freebie post-apocalyptic tale.