Showing results by author "Nicholas Sansbury Smith" in All Categories

At the end of the world, who will survive? The year is 2061, and the planet is dying. Cataclysmic solar storms have forced leaders from around the world to finally put aside their differences and agree on one thing-to jump ship. The human race is headed to Mars. Dr. Sophie Winston is hired by New Tech Corporation to test a biosphere deep within the heart of Cheyenne Mountain; a mission she believes will help prepare the company for the three-year flight to the red planet. But, just days into the assignment, things start to go wrong. When the blast doors open, it's a changed world.

Over two centuries have passed since the Third World War reduced civilization to ashes in a global nuclear inferno. Unforgiving geomagnetic storms rage, blocking out the sun and poisoning the radioactive Earth. Humanity clings to survival above the tempestuous skies in giant airships, sustained by Hell Divers—brave souls who risk their lives plunging to the surface for essential parts and supplies. But this is not the story of the Hell Divers.

Newly christened as the leader of Delta Force Team Ghost, Master Sergeant Joe Fitzpatrick arrives in Normandy over 70 years after Allied Forces joined the fight against the Nazis. The war to free survivors and eradicate pockets of adult Variants and their offspring is underway by the European Unified Forces. But as the troops push east, rumors of a new type of monster spread through the ranks. Fitz and his new team quickly realize that the fight for Europe might be harder than anyone ever imagined.

The best-selling Extinction Cycle series by Nicholas Sansbury Smith first introduced listeners to a world ravaged by an engineered virus that turned men into monsters. Humanity's only hope was not a cure, but another bioweapon. When deployed it killed 90 percent of the infected, but the remaining 10 percent transformed into even more terrifying creatures called Variants. Here's a collection of Extinction Cycle short stories that explore the human spirit and the fight for survival in the face of overwhelming odds from some of the leading voices in the post-apocalyptic genre.

In the aftermath of a devastating civil war, America has fallen into anarchy and chaos. Los Angeles is divided into different territories controlled by criminal organizations. Don Antonio Moretti has won a slice of the pie, but is hungry for more. In his quest for power, he sends his nephew and a small crew to Mexico to negotiate a new deal for their staple product, while the don returns to Italy for some unfinished business.

With the alien armies growing stronger, Sophie's biosphere decides to join forces with the team from NTC's submarine. Using data from a surviving satellite, they discover strange alien poles at each of the world's seven highest summits: alien technology that the survivors believe may hold the key to shutting down the alien ships once and for all. But before the two teams can launch an offensive, the biosphere must deal with sabotage from within and a strange nanotechnology that has infected several of the survivors.

The aliens have invaded, wiping out almost all life on Earth. Their goal: water. Huge spaceships are draining the oceans, and the few remaining humans have been herded into farms, where their bodies are harvested to support the growing alien army. Humanity's last chance lies in the biospheres that have been planted secretly across the globe. But all is not peaceful in the biome led by Dr. Sophie Winston. With resources dwindling and tensions high, her small group of survivors is divided. Some want to fight, some want to stay hidden, and Sophie just wants to keep everyone alive.

One month after the North Korean attack, the United States continues to fall into anarchy. In Estes Park, Colorado, Police Chief Marcus Colton and tracker Sam "Raven" Spears work tirelessly to defend their hometown. But after a brutal coordinated attack, they realize it will take much more than roadblocks and a volunteer militia to protect their borders and keep their families safe.

The mountain town of Estes Park, Colorado, is scrambling to recover from the betrayal of two of their police officers, and prepare for threats outside their borders. But with Chief of Police Marcus Colton imprisoned by rival Sheriff Mike Thompson, the job to protect the isolated town is left to Sam "Raven" Spears and newly promoted Captain Lindsey Plymouth. They will do everything they can to bring Colton home and save their citizens, but one thing is certain: a war is coming to Estes Park, and no one will be spared from the horrors.

On the eve of extinction all seems to be lost, but there is still one final hope.... Operation Liberty has failed. Humans are losing the war. With no other option, General Kennor decides to pull back the troops and give science a second chance.

The dust from Dr. Kate Lovato's bioweapon has settled. Projections put death counts in the billions. Her weapon was supposed to be the endgame, but it turned a small percentage of those infected with the Hemorrhage Virus into something even worse.

The motto of Marine Sergeant Ronaldo Salvatore lives on in his son, Dominic, and his undercover team known as the Saints. With the support of LAPD Captain Zed Marks, the Saints embark on a mission to destroy the criminal organizations that have a stranglehold on Los Angeles. Through brains, cunning, and sheer ruthlessness, the most powerful leader, Don Antonio Moretti, has risen from underdog to contender for the throne. He believes that only the Vega family of narcos stands in his way, but he has underestimated another underdog.

The war continues…Two days after the events of Extinction Aftermath, European Unified Command calls on Team Ghost for a top secret mission. The residents of a small Inuit fishing village in Greenland have gone missing and reports of Variants unaffected by Kryptonite have surfaced. Fatigued, injured, and unaware of the events back in the United States, Master Sergeant Joe Fitzpatrick leads Team Ghost into the remote and alien winter landscape to determine the fate of the missing villagers.

Dominic Salvatore leads the Saints, a secret team of elite operatives, in a final push to purge the city of its demons. After sending their families into hiding, the Saints know that the stakes have never been higher—they will succeed decisively or perish. Broken by the death of his wife, Don Antonio Moretti seeks revenge against her killers. He embarks on a body-strewn campaign to crush his last rivals and secure the crown of Los Angeles. Nephew Vinny Moretti tires of the killings and wonders whether his uncle is going too far.

Central Command is gone, the military is fractured, and the surviving members of Team Ghost, led by Master Sergeant Reed Beckham, have been pushed to the breaking point. While the strong return to the battlefield, the wounded are forced to stay behind on Plum Island and fight their inner demons.

Operation Redemption, the final desperate mission in taking back the planet from the Organics has failed. Captain Rick Noble and his soldiers have been captured and imprisoned on an alien ship. But not all is lost. Their sacrifice allowed Doctor Sophie Winston, Doctor Emanuel Rodriguez, and their small team to escape in the NTC Sunspot - their destination, Mars. The perilous journey to find a lost human colony may offer Sophie and the rest of humanity a chance at life.

Almost seven weeks have passed since the Hemorrhage Virus ravaged the world. The remnants of the United States military have regrouped and relocated Central Command to the George Washington Carrier Strike Group. It's here, in the North Atlantic, that President Jan Ringgold and Vice President George Johnson prepare to deploy a new bioweapon and embark on the final mission to take back the country from the Variants.

What would you do if you lived in a world where your every move was scrutinized by your own personal artificial intelligence - a world where everything is regulated, from power usage to relationships - a world where everything you thought you knew turned out to be a lie? Welcome to Tisaia - the last hub of modern civilization in a world left scorched by the nuclear fires of the Biomass Wars. Surrounded by a fortress of steel walls and protected by a fierce and loyal Council of Royal Knights, Tisaia seems relatively safe to the average State worker and citizen.

Sasa is a young immigrant who has been left for dead outside the safety of the Tisaian steel walls. It is only by a dash of luck the rebels find her and bring her back to Camp Salvation in the middle of the Wastelands. She is put to work as a technician, working to purify the camp's water, but more than anything she wants to fight.

Welcome to Tisaia - the last hub of modern civilization, in a world left scorched by the nuclear fires of the Biomass Wars. Surrounded by a fortress of steel walls, and protected by a fierce and loyal Council of Royal Knights, Tisaia seems relatively safe to the average State worker and citizen. A plentiful supply of Biomass powers the cities, and food is abundant, but security has come at a terrible cost.