Eric del Carlo

Fascism. Greed. Tyranny. An ideal future vision of humanity is a place where these words have no bearing. It is a place where we have collectively realized that progress is for everyone or not at all. But the road to reach this future is a rough one. It will not be easy. There will be conflict. There will be heartache and loss. A primary goal of Brick Moon Fiction is to explore the tensions of the moment in hopes of understanding what our role is on the road to a better future. Here, then, are nine stories from Brick Moon Fiction - some classic, some new, all selected to best encapsulate these themes. Fascism Greed. The End of Tyranny.

It is twenty years since humans, all at once and without explanation, have stopped being born with emotions, separating the world into olds and colds. Kyle Norris, a 40-year-old executive sleepwalking through the slow extinction of his kind, instigates a transactional romantic/sexual relationship with Alice, a 20-year-old cold who cannot feel anything for him. Does he dare love this woman? Is there time left for true emotion for the doomed colds of this grim reality?

In an 1867 that never was, the American colonies are finally gearing up to revolt against oppressive British rule enforced by advanced technology. British airship captain Hamilton Arkwright is captured by the rebels when his vessel is commandeered. The insurgents are also aided—reluctantly—by young Jonny Callahan, a thief and ne'er-do-well who would rather carouse on the streets of New Orleans than fight for independence. When the two seemingly opposite men are thrown together on a harrowing journey across the war-torn colonies, they must grudgingly rely on each other for survival. Despite their efforts to resist, the attraction between them threatens to throw a wrench in their plans to remain enemies. They battle their way through American guerillas and a demolition-derby-type highway to reach the decimated streets of Chicago, where British forces are preparing to commit a war crime of enormous magnitude. Though affection has grown between them during their mission, they are still on conflicting sides, and they may have to choose between loyalty to their causes and their love.