Future Remnants

by Benjamin L. Owen

'Future Remnants' is a mesmerizing collection of stories and poems from the outer limits of the imagination.

♦ “Round Trip” tells of an ex-con who sets off on a cruise across the solar system to find a new life but takes a very different trip instead.

♦ The mujahideen contemplate a terrifying plan to establish world peace in “Watching The World Burn.”

♦ In “Stefan Unlocks a New Feature,” a sparring couple’s afternoon takes a sharp turn when a wonderful new device gets out of sorts.

♦ A traipsing band of explorers find more adventure than they planned for in “Journey to the Center of the SUN.”

♦ “Fixing Blips” follows a struggling coder hemmed in by software that identifies future criminals.

Featuring previously published and never before published works, this magnificent collection of more than thirty stories and poems opens doors into unexplored territories of the heart and mind.

Benjamin L. Owen lives in New England. His favorite authors include Philip K. Dick, Mark Twain, and George Orwell. 'Future Remnants' is his third book.

251 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 24, 2022

About the author

Benjamin L. Owen resides in New England. His favorite authors include George Orwell and Philip K. Dick. He can be contacted at benl.owen@yahoo.com .

Reviews

[Winter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this on Goodreads Giveaways. Thank you, Goodreads!

These short stories will definitely give you "Twilight Zone" vibes.

Bit of Mulder and Scully-type lunacy going on here. However, interesting enough that it will keep you reading.

The good thing is that they are short, and the entire book is not long.

Read at the doctor's office or wherever you may have to wait a long time. At least you won't be bored!

[Shelby Keller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this book in the Goodreads giveaway, and am so glad I did! It is a collection of short stories and poems retrieved from a future dystopia. The various different perspectives and outlooks, as well as storylines, create one big picture of a horrifying earth. While reading the first few stories, I was hoping that it would come back to them and wrap up their plot since the felt unfinished, but ultimately that added to the uneasy undertone throughout.
My favorite short stories included:
-Some Good Parts, because of the picture it paints of the world
-Performance Metrics
-Odd Morning (aka Who's Tim), because of the sudden abrupt turn it takes
-Unbored to Unsane
-Journey to the Center of the SUN, because it is absurd and hilarous
-Pet Predicaments
-Griz Visits a Holy Latin Rabbit
-Watching the World Burn, the longest and most powerful story in my opinion; a perfect way to wrap up the collection

Overall a great read, and I would recommend it to others.

[Rudolph Ronswik · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a collection of short stories and poems. Very short stories, most are only a few pages. They're reminiscent of the sort of stories you'd find in The Twilight Zone, pulpy and weird, but it does have jank and it feels outdated in a way I can't describe.

Mostly, it seems a good chunk of the stories were written without an ending in mind. Some do stick the landing, others do a really cool flip and then face-plant.

There's also some interesting editing decisions. Some paragraphs need to be split, and one of the earlier stories switches into first person from third for a bit. Plus the first story changes format partway through, from being a written letter to being in the moment. Nothing too distracting, but will catch your attention.

Still, it's fun. I read it while waiting on food or whatever.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to goodreads for providing me a copy of this book to read. It is not your typical read. It is 30 stories and poems. The book takes an example of where the world can go and whether an individual will want to live in the described setting. Then it provides someone or thing who either follows their dreams and takes a leap of faith or not. The story doesn’t go past the choice!

Many are in a world that doesn’t exist but still provides a choice and brings you to wonder given these set of circumstances of your life how would you choose which way you would go.

It’s interesting because I am older I’m not sure if I was younger I would make the same choices as I would now. Probably not! Give it a read!

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thought provoking

I received this book through a Goodreads Giveaway. This is a collection of short stories and poems focusing on the direction our society could be moving in. Each is interesting and stands alone. I liked that it felt like wandering through a modern day Twilight Zone.

[Michael Coury · Rating 4 out of 5]

Food for thought.

These stories and poems are designed to provide the reader with plenty of material for contemplation and introspection. Some of the stories are rather predictable but others take twists and turns that end up in surprises.

While I generally prefer a longer, historical fiction novel, this read was entertaining and thought provoking.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was ok. The description talks about the book containing stories from "the outer limits of the imagination" and that reminded me of the she The Outer Limits. I love that show. Some the stories here I liked ok, but most of them just didn't grab my interest.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

There were alot of good short stories in this book. Adopt a pet told from the HUman as potential shelter pet perspective, and what if the Mujahudeen took over America and had to deal with hold outs..Took me a long time to read because of some family issues, but a good read

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love the collection of stories and poems

[Mike Hepp · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Goodreads giveaway. Well written, great variety of short stories