The world breaks everyone, and afterward, some are strong at the broken places... In a future of bleakness and roboticism, a totalitarian government enforces upon the people a lifestyle that lulls them into a state of obedience. Your career and social status are predestined and you cannot alter it - this is a reality that walks a fine line between evoking sensations of fear and inducing a sense of futility. A dystopian reality can sometimes turn out to be as powerful and strong as it can be fragile, collapsing in on itself from one second to the next. As a race, we are fascinated with what comes next, what's over the hill and, inevitably, what happens if we're left all alone. How can things go on? What lessons can we learn? Broken Worlds takes a peep into an all too possible future. Narration and style change from story to story, but the core of this volume is human emotion. Coloured by their cultures and backgrounds, the storytellers featured in this volume take the idea of a society at extremes and weave a variety of outcomes. We invite you to read and hope you enjoy this collection. The Sad Man by Thomas Brown (competition winner) From the fifth-floor window of his inner-city flat, a man keeps watch for his friend, the Sad Man. Pioneer by Joe Saxon Lidia lives in the waterworks, always hungry, until she receives a message from the supervisors of the upper floors. The Insects by Gavin Bryce Thia is a city with millions of electronic eyes. On his retirement day, Roman Huxley has planned a special retirement present for the entire megacity. Screens by Alix Owen A story inspired by the advent of Google Glass; when one young man contracts a biomechanical disease, he is forced to see what the world has become while everybody else was social networking. Machinations by Shira Hereld A marriage is slowly falling apart as both partners become more and more reliant on mechanical Andros for everything from housework to intimacy. The Architect by Gavin Haran A local obituarist tracks the sinister transformation of his town through the introduction of mysterious architectural constructions with unexpected consequences The Deepening Well by Sam Hurcom Can a state of mind be considered dystopian - how would the end of history affect the last survivng individual? 3AM Job by Mark Schultz On a future Earth, where absolute free market capitalism controls the globe, a freelance butcher accepts an early morning job which turns out to be far more profitable than it seems at first glance. The Farm by George Vernon A farmer and his family are threatened by their rebellious herd. Also in the collection... Vision of Paradise by Clare Banks The Last CanvaS by Paul Dawson The Leadership Gene by Francis Beckett Watch by Miles Gatrell Water Rats by Terry Holland The Rebel's Daughter by Virgina Ballesty Meat is Murder by David Turnbull Equity Lamp by Adam "Bucho" Rodenburger Dreg Town by Steph Minns It was the Best of Times by Konstantine Paradias Carved in Ice by Doxa J. Zannou Silva's Plague by Ian Green Urbanova by Christian Cook Cover art, Broken Worlds by Daniel Tyka

Broken Worlds: Dystopian Stories

Literature & Fiction

Paradias, Konstantine

Beckett, Francis

Seddon, Holly

Rodenburger, Adam "Bucho"

Owen, Alix

Hurcom, Sam

Haran, Gavin

Banks, Clare

Vernon, George

Brown, Thomas

Short Stories & Anthologies

Almond Press

For fans of Gillian Flynn, Laura Lippman, and Paula Hawkins comes Holly Seddon’s arresting fiction debut—an engrossing thriller full of page-turning twists and turns, richly imagined characters, and gripping psychological suspense. Some secrets never die. They’re just locked away. Alex Dale is lost. Destructive habits have cost her a marriage and a journalism career. All she has left is her routine: a morning run until her body aches, then a few hours of forgettable work before the past grabs hold and drags her down. Every day is treading water, every night is drowning. Until Alex discovers Amy Stevenson. Amy Stevenson, who was just another girl from a nearby town until the day she was found unconscious after a merciless assault. Amy Stevenson, who has been in a coma for fifteen years, forgotten by the world. Amy Stevenson, who, unbeknownst to her doctors, remains locked inside her body, conscious but paralyzed, reliving the past. Soon Alex’s routine includes visiting hours at the hospital, then interviews with the original suspects in the attack. But what starts as a reporter’s story becomes a personal obsession. How do you solve a crime when the only witness lived but cannot tell the tale? Unable to tear herself away from her attempt to uncover the unspeakable truth, Alex realizes she’s not just chasing a story—she’s seeking salvation. Shifting from present to past and back again, Try Not to Breathe unfolds layer by layer until its heart-stopping conclusion. The result is an utterly immersive, unforgettable debut. Praise for Try Not to Breathe “A brilliant, beautifully written thriller.”—Augusten Burroughs, New York Times bestselling author of Running with Scissors “A razor-sharp plot and wonderfully complex characters . . . Not since The Girl on the Train have I been so captivated by a work of suspense.”—New York Times bestselling author Tess Gerritsen “A fast-paced debut about long-buried secrets and tangled truths.”—New York Times bestselling author Kimberly McCreight “Engrossing . . . Seddon’s storytelling skills are strong. . . . The world she’s constructed is fascinating and slightly dark.”—Kirkus Reviews

Try Not to Breathe: A Novel

Genre Fiction

Ballantine Books

A juicy, powerful read featuring twin sisters who have drifted apart, and the shocking family secrets that bind them—for readers of The Woman in Cabin 10 and I Let You Go When the past knocks, someone must answer. In a bustling suburban neighborhood in Manchester, England, sits an unassuming house. There is no sign of life behind the unwashed windows, but Robin Marshall is inside. Driven by fears and obsessions, racked by anxiety, Robin is frantically pushing her body through punishing workouts, eating little, haunted by what happened to her family when she was a girl. Robin’s only connection to the outside world is through her rear windows and the lives she spies upon in the apartment house across the way. Then a stranger starts pounding on her door. Sarah Marshall is Robin’s twin, estranged from her sister after their parents’ betrayal and a violation at the hands of a man she should have been able to trust. Sarah has recently lost custody of the child she loves more than anything and has set off on her own, hoping that somewhere in England she can find Robin, the braver twin, the rock star, the survivor, the savior. These two young women, polar opposites, cannot go on unless they reckon with the past. While Sarah, slowly unraveling, searches for her sister’s hiding place, Robin sees another life hanging in the balance in the lighted windows across the street. It is a life only Robin can save—as long as she never looks away. In a novel that is stunning in its twists, shocks, and gripping psychological suspense, two sisters find themselves on the razor’s edge of sanity. Untold secrets, a ghastly lie, and suffocating guilt hold them back. Only one astounding act can set them free. And one last revelation will leave readers gasping in surprise. Praise for Don’t Close Your Eyes “[A] smartly plotted psychological thriller . . . [Holly] Seddon skillfully pieces together the now-estranged twins’ lives. . . . Plenty of last-minute bombshells await.”—Publishers Weekly Praise for Holly Seddon’s Try Not to Breathe “A razor-sharp, fast-paced plot and wonderfully complex characters . . . Not since The Girl on the Train have I been so captivated by a work of suspense.”—Tess Gerritsen, New York Times bestselling author of I Know a Secret “Delivers the high-quality thrills and intriguing characters that readers demand in the best of psychological thrillers.”—Associated Press “A fast-paced debut about long-buried secrets and tangled truths.”—Kimberly McCreight, New York Times bestselling author of Where They Found Her “Try not to breathe, try not to make plans, try not to commit to anything in fact till you have finished [Holly Seddon’s] debut novel, because we must warn you now—you’ll be fully hooked from page one.”—Glamour (U.K.) “Fascinating . . . Seddon’s storytelling skills are strong and the book is engrossing.”—Kirkus Reviews “A brilliant, beautifully written thriller.”—Augusten Burroughs, New York Times bestselling author of Running with Scissors “This gripping thriller about family and redemption will keep readers engaged to the very end.”—Publishers Weekly

Don't Close Your Eyes: A Novel

Mystery, Thriller & Suspense

Thrillers & Suspense

What would you do if you found your own name on a hit list? Seddon addresses this terrifying question in an explosive novel. One of the most exciting, brave and clever books I have ever read. The Hit List is my book of the year. Gillian McAllister, author of How to Disappear\nThis novel kept me guessing to the end. A twisty, intelligent thrill ride. Excellent! Will Dean, author of Black River\nThis meticulously plotted novel will suck you ever deeper into its dark underbelly. Sinister, clever and utterly compelling. Lesley Kara, author of WHO DID YOU TELL?\nOn the anniversary of her husband's accidental death, Marianne seeks comfort in everything Greg left behind. She wears his shirt and cologne, reads their love letters and emails. Soon she's following his footsteps across the web, but her desperation to cling to any trace of him leads her to the dark web. And a hit list with her name on it.\nTo try to save herself from Sam, the assassin hired to kill her, Marianne must first unpick the wicked web in which Greg became tangled. Was Greg trying to protect her or did he want her dead?\nA gripping and emotional ebook bestseller about a woman who discovers a shocking secret about her late husband that will hook you from the first page\n'Smart, twisty and totally compelling.' Jane Fallon\n'Dark, twisty, beautifully written and very clever. Loved it!' Claire Douglas\nA beautifully written book that tackles complex issues on a very personal level. A dark, fast-paced thriller with a hard-hitting emotional impact. Nikki Smith, author of All In Her Head.

The Hit List: You live an ordinary life, so why does someone want you dead?

Computers & Technology

Web Development & Design

Trapeze

Review Strangers On A Train meets The Pact in this high concept thriller: daring, dramatic and totally original, I loved it.―Gillian McAllisterClever and entirely gripping, I raced through this - Holly Seddon at her very best.―Catherine Cooper, author of THE CHATEAUThis is so good! Holly Seddon is brilliant at putting her protagonist in the worst possible situations and making her readers watch them writhe.―Emma Curtis, author of INVITE ME INWow - what a book! Both beautifully written and packed full of shocking twists, I was gripped from the first page to the final gut-wrenching chapter. No one breaks your heart while making it race quite like Holly Seddon.―Sophie Flynn, author of ALL MY LIESI was hooked from the start! Holly Seddon knows exactly how to take her readers on an emotional ride filled with suspense, unexpected twists, and a breathtaking conclusion.―Samantha Downing, internationally bestselling author of MY LOVELY WIFEI tore through The Woman on the Bridge, a super-nervy thriller about old friends and new beginnings that spun my suspicions on their head so I had no idea what was coming next.―Harriet Walker, author of THE WEDDING NIGHTAn amazing read! A clever, complex plot that starts so simply then gathers momentum and won't let you go―Lesley Kara, author of THE APARTMENT UPSTAIRSA tautly plotted rollercoaster of a ride with characters that really come to life. I was gripped from start to finish―Lisa BallantyneStrangers On A Train meets The Pact in this high concept thriller: daring, dramatic and totally original, I loved it.―Gillian McAllisterClever and entirely gripping, I raced through this - Holly Seddon at her very best.―Catherine Cooper, author of THE CHATEAUThis is so good! Holly Seddon is brilliant at putting her protagonist in the worst possible situations and making her readers watch them writhe.―Emma Curtis, author of INVITE ME INClever and entirely gripping, I raced through this - Holly Seddon at her very best.―Catherine Cooper, author of THE CHATEAU Product Description 'Strangers On A Train meets The Pact in this high concept thriller: daring, dramatic and totally original, I loved it.' Gillian McAllisterHow far would you go to save a perfect stranger? Maggie is trapped. Dumped on her wedding day, rejected by her family and hounded by a man determined to make her suffer. Charlotte is desperate. Double-crossed by her only friend and facing total ruin, she will go to any lengths to save what matters.Two women, one night. A decision that will change everything. About the Author Holly Seddon is the international bestselling author of TRY NOT TO BREATHE, DON'T CLOSE YOUR EYES, LOVE WILL TEAR US APART and THE HIT LIST. After growing up in the English countryside obsessed with music and books, Holly worked in London as a journalist and editor. She now lives in Amsterdam with her family and writes full time. Alongside fellow author Gillian McAllister, Holly co-hosts the popular Honest Authors Podcast. You can find her on Twitter @hollyseddon, Instagram and Facebook @hollyseddonauthor.

The Woman on the Bridge

For fans of Gillian Flynn, Laura Lippman, and Paula Hawkins comes Holly Seddon s arresting fiction debut an engrossing thriller full of page-turning twists and turns, richly imagined characters, and gripping psychological suspense. "Some secrets never die. They re just locked away." Alex Dale is lost. Destructive habits have cost her a marriage and a journalism career. All she has left is her routine: a morning run until her body aches, then a few hours of forgettable work before the past grabs hold and drags her down. Every day is treading water, every night is drowning. Until Alex discovers Amy Stevenson. Amy Stevenson, who was just another girl from a nearby town until the day she was found unconscious after a merciless assault. Amy Stevenson, who has been in a coma for fifteen years, forgotten by the world. Amy Stevenson, who, unbeknownst to her doctors, remains locked inside her body, conscious but paralyzed, reliving the past. Soon Alex s routine includes visiting hours at the hospital, then interviews with the original suspects in the attack. But what starts as a reporter s story becomes a personal obsession. How do you solve a crime when the only witness lived but cannot tell the tale? Unable to tear herself away from her attempt to uncover the unspeakable truth, Alex realizes she s not just chasing a story she s seeking salvation. Shifting from present to past and back again, "Try Not to Breathe" unfolds layer by layer until its heart-stopping conclusion. The result is an utterly immersive, unforgettable debut. Advance praise for "Try Not to Breathe" "" A razor-sharp plot and wonderfully complex characters . . . Not since "The Girl on the Train "have I been so captivated by a work of suspense. "New York Times" bestselling author Tess Gerritsen A fast-paced debut aboutlong-buried secrets and tangled truths. "New York Times "bestselling author Kimberly McCreight Engrossing . . . Seddon s storytelling skills are strong. . . . The world she s constructed is fascinating and slightly dark. "Kirkus Reviews""

Try Not To Breathe (Thorndike Basic)

Thorndike Press Large Print

Try Not to Breathe

Bolinda Audio

59 Minutes: A Novel

Atria/Emily Bestler Books

Erotica

Corvus

Try Not to Breathe: Gripping psychological thriller bestseller and perfect holiday read

Literary

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Books by Seddon, Holly