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Dystopian Dreams: Four Stories from The Last Book Café on Earth
We dream about the future. We dream of freedom.
Four dystopian worlds. Four heroes fighting for their lives.
From The Last Book Café on Earth comes a collection of dystopian short stories:
- A woman on the run carries a secret that could mean death for her and the outlaws who take her in.
- A businessman ports his consciousness into an enhanced robotic shell for years – until the day he loses control.
- A poor Outsider risks everything to protect her family. But even her life might not be enough.
- A freak accident opens the door for a longshoreman’s dream to become a reality – if he’s willing to pay the price.
Experience non-stop action and mind-bending plot twists, and immerse yourself in imaginative sci-fi worlds. Perfect for fans of post-apocalyptic and dystopian fiction, The Handmaid’s Tale and Black Mirror.
Four dystopian worlds. Four heroes fighting for their lives.
From The Last Book Café on Earth comes a collection of dystopian short stories:
- A woman on the run carries a secret that could mean death for her and the outlaws who take her in.
- A businessman ports his consciousness into an enhanced robotic shell for years – until the day he loses control.
- A poor Outsider risks everything to protect her family. But even her life might not be enough.
- A freak accident opens the door for a longshoreman’s dream to become a reality – if he’s willing to pay the price.
Experience non-stop action and mind-bending plot twists, and immerse yourself in imaginative sci-fi worlds. Perfect for fans of post-apocalyptic and dystopian fiction, The Handmaid’s Tale and Black Mirror.
226 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 30, 2020
58 people are currently reading
65 people want to read
About the author
Alison Ingleby
25 books250 followersI write dystopian, sci-fi and fantasy fiction for young adults and adults who are still young at heart. As a former emergency planner with an interest in climate change and sustainability, I spend a lot of time wondering what the future will be like.
Some of my favourite things: reading, Yorkshire Tea, exploring new places, feeling the wind in my hair, climbing mountains, being by the sea.
I live with my husband and our campervan, Sadie, in West Yorkshire, England.
If you’d like to find out more about what I’m working on, the inspiration behind my stories and special launch deals, you can sign up for my Readers' club on my website: alisoningleby.com
Some of my favourite things: reading, Yorkshire Tea, exploring new places, feeling the wind in my hair, climbing mountains, being by the sea.
I live with my husband and our campervan, Sadie, in West Yorkshire, England.
If you’d like to find out more about what I’m working on, the inspiration behind my stories and special launch deals, you can sign up for my Readers' club on my website: alisoningleby.com
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
February 6, 2020
How do you know that you really enjoyed a dystopian story? You get to the end of it and you wished there was another 100 pages!
4 incredible short stories written by 4 amazing dystopian authors.
Alison Ingleby's "The Machinists Daughter" is a story about the rules that you will break to protect your family and survive. A father out of work after an injury, a mother with an addiction, a sister that is doing nothing but causing trouble and one girl that is trying to keep her family together and alive
Clare Littlemore's "The Gender Guardian" is what the world would be like if men and women were segregated. In this world men are considered basic and vicious and not apart of the civilisation Auro grew up in until she runs away and finds herself face to face with the people she has been taught are dangerous, the enemy and not to be trusted.
Tracey Korn's "The Feral" Is a story of how far you would go to have everythign you have ever wanted after a freak accident, but at what price, what rules will you break, how much trouble are you willing to get into.
Alanah Andrews "Vessels" This is the shortest of the 4 stories so i won't give to much away but if you love stories that have to do with people taking over another body like i do you will really enjoy this, and you know if its a hsort stlry all is not gping to go well.
4 incredible short stories written by 4 amazing dystopian authors.
Alison Ingleby's "The Machinists Daughter" is a story about the rules that you will break to protect your family and survive. A father out of work after an injury, a mother with an addiction, a sister that is doing nothing but causing trouble and one girl that is trying to keep her family together and alive
Clare Littlemore's "The Gender Guardian" is what the world would be like if men and women were segregated. In this world men are considered basic and vicious and not apart of the civilisation Auro grew up in until she runs away and finds herself face to face with the people she has been taught are dangerous, the enemy and not to be trusted.
Tracey Korn's "The Feral" Is a story of how far you would go to have everythign you have ever wanted after a freak accident, but at what price, what rules will you break, how much trouble are you willing to get into.
Alanah Andrews "Vessels" This is the shortest of the 4 stories so i won't give to much away but if you love stories that have to do with people taking over another body like i do you will really enjoy this, and you know if its a hsort stlry all is not gping to go well.
February 11, 2020
4 stories, 4 dystopian worlds. All anthologies have stories that speak to you and stories that don't, so rating's difficult.
The first is "The Machinists Daughter" by Alison Ingleby, a companion-prequel to The Wall series. I liked getting to see the backstory of Barnes and how she came to be involved in the main story Her family life is so sad. Could be read without any knowledge, but probably works best as a companion to the books because you're already invested in the world and characters.
I loved Clare Littlemore's "The Gender Guardian". I've never read any of the series this is a companion story to but it didn't matter as it was a perfect balance of mystery and reveal. Let's face it, you knew where it was going just by reading the title, but the tension and bleakness of the narration kept me hooked.
"Feral" by Tracey Korn was a bit confusing. I loved the time is money - literally, you pay with years of your life- idea but I didn't understand why characters did what they did and the whiplash pacing got me lost. Maybe it's a prequel better read with knowledge of the series, or else it just wasn't just for me.
"Vessels" by Alanah Andrews is a twisted tale with echoes of Ghost In The Shell/Humans - human consciousness going into mechanoid bodies. It features a particularly obsessive, unlikable protagonist who we watch battle with his hatred of biological living when there's the option of being inside a machine host with none of the messiness. But of course, not all messiness is biological. Really liked the sci-fi world building considering it's such a short story.
The first is "The Machinists Daughter" by Alison Ingleby, a companion-prequel to The Wall series. I liked getting to see the backstory of Barnes and how she came to be involved in the main story Her family life is so sad. Could be read without any knowledge, but probably works best as a companion to the books because you're already invested in the world and characters.
I loved Clare Littlemore's "The Gender Guardian". I've never read any of the series this is a companion story to but it didn't matter as it was a perfect balance of mystery and reveal. Let's face it, you knew where it was going just by reading the title, but the tension and bleakness of the narration kept me hooked.
"Feral" by Tracey Korn was a bit confusing. I loved the time is money - literally, you pay with years of your life- idea but I didn't understand why characters did what they did and the whiplash pacing got me lost. Maybe it's a prequel better read with knowledge of the series, or else it just wasn't just for me.
"Vessels" by Alanah Andrews is a twisted tale with echoes of Ghost In The Shell/Humans - human consciousness going into mechanoid bodies. It features a particularly obsessive, unlikable protagonist who we watch battle with his hatred of biological living when there's the option of being inside a machine host with none of the messiness. But of course, not all messiness is biological. Really liked the sci-fi world building considering it's such a short story.
February 27, 2020
Review of Dystopian Dreams:
Four Stories from The Last Book Café on Earth
Dystopian Dreams is made up of four great and interesting stories. All four of the stories were so cool and amazingly well written. Each story introduces you into new worlds, new worlds that I would love to know more about as well as the characters. Each story is unique in its own way.
I recommend all four stories to dystopian and or science fiction fans. One click your copy today!
Review of The Machinist Daughter by Alison Ingleby
Rae Barnes Lives in a divided world. In one part there are the Insiders and on the other side are the Outsiders. The insiders are the upper class who has everything and the ones who sort of rule over the Outsiders who have to work hard so they don’t live on the streets.
Rae loses her job by letting her temper get the best of her. Her father loses his job after injuring his hands in an accident at work. With both of them out of work they will probably end up living on the street. Rae comes up with a plan to save her family but if she is caught it will be very dangerous for her.
Sneak Peek
So that’s what the collars do.
I shiver and turn away, not wanting to see any more. The thought that someone – something – could take control of a person like that sends an icy chill running through me. I know why the man was trying to get Inside. Like so many Outsiders, he was desperate for work. By the look of him, and hunger sends you crazy after a while.
Review of The Gender Guardian by Claire Littlemore
A young girl is running away from her home. She finds a cabin in the woods and decides to stay in the cabin over night and leave the next morning before the owners come back but she sleeps longer than she planned. She awakens staring into a pair of blue eyes. She is staring into the eyes of a male. She has been taught all her life that males are mean and very dangerous. Males is the one of the reasons she fled her home in the first place.
Sneak Peek
She can never stop running.
One hand massages her stomach, attempting to alleviate the pain of the stitch that creases her over, yet she stumbles on. Ahead, buried in the depths of the trees, is some kind of building. A little run down, but with four walls and a roof. enough to provide shelter from the elements. It’s been almost two days since she slept. Surely she can risk a short stop?
Review of Feral by Tracy Korn
Imagine living in a world where you have to pay all medical bills with your life. A man is working one night when he is in an accident that leaves him with lots of medical bills. This young man learns from experience what it truly means to pay with your life.
Sneak Peek
“Oh, that’s right!” Pritchard fired back. “You get that med-school application in?”
I sighed. “Don’t even start, OK?”
“I knew it! How many tries is that?” Pritchard turned the crank inside the loading rig, aligning the guide light over the crates. “I keep telling you, man, they don’t want Grind medics in The Citadel. Education is for the educated?”
Review of Vessels by Alanah Andrews
A world where humans travel from place to place by having their soul transferred to a machine or an AI known as a vessel. One man uses a vessel to travel on business and finds himself in mortal danger after reaching his destination.
Sneak Peek
“Just over to Melbourne for work,” he replied shortly, slipping the card back inside his wallet. After all, even if he had felt some sort of connection to Kate on a mental level, he knew she wouldn’t earn enough in her role as a customer attendant to use the MindPort system more than once or twice a year. Tarran would never get involved with someone who couldn’t afford to be in a real relationship with him, one that transcended the human form.
February 10, 2020
He careful with your life, it may be better than you think.
This book is an excellent read, a new look at what technology can do and what the consequences of the action is to humans.
Each story tells of someone who wants to be something they are not, the problem is that they do not always work out the way they are expected. This leaves the humans in a quandary, can things really work out better for them or is everything tainted at its most basic state?
An excellent read for all Sci-Fi readers.
This book is an excellent read, a new look at what technology can do and what the consequences of the action is to humans.
Each story tells of someone who wants to be something they are not, the problem is that they do not always work out the way they are expected. This leaves the humans in a quandary, can things really work out better for them or is everything tainted at its most basic state?
An excellent read for all Sci-Fi readers.
March 6, 2020
All four of theses were great reads! They are not full books, but just enough to determine if you would like to continue reading. A resounding yes to all of them! All four are dystopian and each one is completely different from the others. They were all written very well with non-stop action from the first page. Three of these authors are new to me and I can't wait to read more from all of them. The author who is not new, Alison Ingleby never disappoints. If you like dystopian this is a great way to find new reads!
March 1, 2020
Dystopian Dreams by Tracy Korn is a very wonderful book that I have read. This is writen by a brand new author for me to read and I will continue reading this authors work. I highly recommend this story to everyone who loves reading about Sci-Fi and suspense stories.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
December 4, 2022
An amazing book.
I don't really know if I like short stories or not and this book has four. They were all great but I always feel that I'm sucked in and before I know it I'm at the end. They were all amazing but I wanted more. I definitely recommend them to anyone because they are great stories.
I don't really know if I like short stories or not and this book has four. They were all great but I always feel that I'm sucked in and before I know it I'm at the end. They were all amazing but I wanted more. I definitely recommend them to anyone because they are great stories.
March 1, 2020
Different worlds and amazing reads. I am a big fan of Tracy Korn and love her stories and originally, her story was my focus but, I love all of the stories in this book. Overwhelmingly awesome!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
March 2, 2020
This is a great collection of stories from some of my favorite authors. If you haven’t read books by these authors then I definitely recommend this one. Get a taste of their writing and you’ll want to read more.
March 28, 2021
Semi-pro effort.
Author freebie. Suitable for teens and adults. Four authors from a dystopian group bring us four novels. All of these novels are of magazine quality and are quick reads.
Author freebie. Suitable for teens and adults. Four authors from a dystopian group bring us four novels. All of these novels are of magazine quality and are quick reads.
February 7, 2020
4 great short stories that stop and leave you wanting to read more. If you like a fun filled short story collection then this fits the bill. Not the zombie thing but very good reads.
February 22, 2020
Nice collection!
These stories are very interesting. I can really see this kind of thing happening. Come give them a try today.
These stories are very interesting. I can really see this kind of thing happening. Come give them a try today.
March 27, 2020
Four completely different stories from four authors, all very interesting and well written. A good quick read, most enjoyable.
December 27, 2020
Four very unique stories very well written and keep you drawn in, wanting to know more. Absolutely loved each and every one.
June 25, 2023
Die beiden ersten Geschichten gefallen mir gut, ich erwäge die anschließenden Serien zu lesen. Die anderen beiden waren nicht mein Fall, die letzte macht mir Angst.
August 4, 2025
Plottus Interruptus
I loved what I read, but the authors interrupt the stories in the middle and ask you to download the rest.
I loved what I read, but the authors interrupt the stories in the middle and ask you to download the rest.
November 29, 2021
I like all the short stories in this book. I actually found two out of the four stories that I will be looking into to read more about. Sounds so interesting to me. I like when books have several short stories in them to get you interested in reading more! Good job!
February 18, 2020
Short stories where good guys don't wear white hats and bad guys aren't so easy to spot. Most actions are reactions to split second decisions that require immediate attention.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
August 23, 2025
DYSTOPIAN DREAMS is a good way to dip your toe into the waters of four different authors and explore the worlds they've created. Anthologies are always good for this, and I found myself intrigued by Ingleby's Expendables world. I look forward to reading more of her work!
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews