Tag Archives: Dystopian

New Release: Love and Other Punishments Anthology Out Now

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I’m thrilled to announce that Love and Other Punishments, my new dystopian sci-fi anthology, is now available in ebook and paperback. To whet your appetite, here’s the blurb from the back of the book.

From the author of Children of the Folded Valley and Peaceful Quiet Lives, a gripping selection of dystopian science fiction novellas and short stories.

A journalist investigates a company manufacturing nightmare suppressing nanotech for children.

A civil servant suspects terrorists hacking the Driverless Vehicle Network and crashing vehicles may be an inside job.

A man and woman conduct an illegal workplace affair, finding ingenious ways to fool corporate brain monitoring.

All these stories and more in this compelling collection of futuristic satire, technological speculation, alternative realities, and melancholy obsessions. Includes The Thought Improvement Programme, Driverless, Bleed with Me, The Traffic Warden, Sweet Dreams, Apocalypse 1983, and Love and Other Punishments.

Some of these stories had previously been available on Medium (all except one are now removed), but three are brand new and exclusive to this volume. Two never-before-seen novellas of about 20,000 and 18,000 words each, and one new short story at around 12,000 words, have been added to the other earlier novellas and stories earmarked for inclusion. The total word count for the volume is around 85,000 words.

For the most part, each story explores one aspect of futuristic technology (for example, nightmare-suppressing brain implants for children), but is otherwise set in a relatable contemporary-ish setting, just a little way into the future. The stories aren’t bogged down in scientific theory but are much more about the potential repercussions of these speculations on humans.

Here is the complete rundown of titles, plus a little about each story.

Sweet Dreams

A journalist investigates a tech company manufacturing nightmare suppressing nanotech for children. “Sweet Dreams” refers to the technology involved, which the journalist comes to believe may be linked to an increase in suicidal tendencies among young people. Her investigations uncover conspiracies, cover-ups, and eventually murder.

If you want a taster of this collection, all five parts of Sweet Dreams are currently available on Medium, beginning here (each instalment contains a link to subsequent parts).

The Thought Improvement Plan

In a world where thought monitoring brain implants are standard employment practice, a man and woman conduct a secret workplace romance against company policy. Together they find devious ways to fool their thought supervisor by providing false brain metrics. New and exclusive to this volume.

Driverless

When terrorists hack the Driverless Vehicle Network, threatening to crash cars unless their demands are met by the British government, a civil servant begins to suspect there may have been an inside job. New and exclusive to this volume.

Bleed with Me

In the not-too-distant future, ghost sightings are found to be “quantum contamination” or “memory bleeds” that can be easily disposed of via scientific means. A quantum contamination cleaner becomes secretly obsessed with the unsolved murder of a young woman whose memory bleeds occupy his home. New and exclusive to this volume.

The Traffic Warden

A curious IT technician discovers a surreal, sinister truth about traffic wardens. I almost left this darkly comic tale out of the volume, but ultimately felt it made a nice a palate cleanser following the emotionally intense finale of Bleed with Me. Exclusive to this volume, previously available on Medium.

Apocalypse 1983

In a parallel universe, a Soviet Air Force officer holds the fate of the world in his hands. Inspired by the real-life 1983 Soviet nuclear false alarm incident, in which Stanislav Petrov essentially saved the world from nuclear annihilation. Exclusive to this volume, previously available on Medium.

Love and Other Punishments

In a fascistic future London, a widowed salesman begins to suspect he has repressed memories when he encounters a mysterious woman. Exclusive to this volume, previously available on Medium.

To order a copy of the Love and Other Punishments anthology, click here (for Amazon in the US), or here (for Amazon in the UK). If you have scruples about Amazon, digital versions are also available from Smashwords here.

Cover Reveal: Love and Other Punishments

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Here is the cover for my new dystopian sci-fi anthology, Love and Other Punishments, which is out this Friday (2nd June).

I’ll say more about the novellas and short stories in this compelling collection this Friday. In the meantime, to pre-order a copy of the Love and Other Punishments anthology, click here (for Amazon in the US), or here (for Amazon in the UK). If you have scruples about Amazon, digital versions are also available from Smashwords here.

Coming Soon: New Dystopian Sci-Fi Anthology

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Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been polishing short stories and novellas to include in a planned new anthology release. Akin to my earlier collection, Infestation: A Horror Anthology, this one won’t be horror but dystopian science fiction. The anthology will be entitled Love and Other Punishments, after one of the stories, previously published on Medium.

The volume is about 80,000 words long. Over half (around 50,000 words) will be new, exclusive material, consisting of two novellas and a short story never seen before. The remaining short stories and novellas have previously been available to Medium subscribers.

Most of these novellas or short stories explore one aspect of futuristic technology, but otherwise takes place in relatable settings a short way into the future. The stories aren’t bogged down in scientific theory but are much more about the potential repercussions of these speculations on humans. Some of them are akin to potential technologies presently being discussed in places like the World Economic Forum.

Here are the titles, plus a little about each story.

The Thought Improvement Plan (exclusive to this volume) – In a world where brain monitoring implants are standard employment practice, a man and woman conduct a secret workplace romance against company policy, finding devious ways to fool their thought supervisor by providing false brain metrics.

Driverless (exclusive to this volume) – When terrorists hack the Driverless Vehicle Network, threatening to crash cars unless their demands are met by the British government, a civil servant begins to suspect there may have been an inside job.

The Traffic Warden (previously available on Medium) – A curious IT technician discovers the truth about traffic wardens in this surreal, sinister, darkly comic conspiracy thriller.

Bleed With Me (exclusive to this volume) – In a world where ghost sightings are found to be “quantum contamination” or “memory bleeds” that can be easily disposed of via scientific means, a quantum contamination cleaner becomes secretly obsessed with the unsolved murder of a young woman whose memory bleeds occupy his home.

Sweet Dreams (previously available on Medium) – A journalist investigates a tech company manufacturing nightmare suppressing nanotech for children. “Sweet Dreams” refers to the technology involved, which the journalist comes to believe may be linked to an increase in suicidal tendencies among young people. Her investigations uncover conspiracies, cover-ups, and eventually murder.

Apocalypse 1983 (previously available on Medium) – In a parallel universe, a Soviet Air Force officer holds the fate of the world in his hands.

Love and Other Punishments (previously available on Medium) – In a fascistic future London, a widowed salesman begins to suspect he has repressed memories when he encounters a mysterious woman.

I shall be announcing a publication date and revealing a cover image very soon. Watch this space.

Opening Chapters: Children of the Folded Valley

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Over the past few weeks on Medium, I’ve been showcasing some of the opening chapters from my novels. The series draws to a close with this initial segment of my dystopian sci-fi coming of age novel Children of the Folded Valley. Since it partly draws from my own experiences of growing up in a cult, it is perhaps the most “personal” of my novels currently in publication (though the term “personal” always strikes me as faintly absurd, as I consider all my stories personal in some way).

Here are the first few paragraphs:

We spend our adult lives trying to regain what we lost in childhood.

I do not claim to be unique in that respect. Whilst it might be argued that I lost more than some, we all, I think, chase after what we once had or never had. What we lost cannot be replaced, but we chase after it nonetheless.

Some think of what they lost with romantic rose-tinted spectacles, whilst others are more pragmatic. Some deny it, others get angry about it, others still accept it and seek help from friends, family, lovers, therapists, priests, gurus, or anyone else who will listen. But I cannot do that. I can never tell my friends, my colleagues, my wife, or my children what happened to me in the Folded Valley.

Since escaping all those years ago, I have been searching; but mine is not a sentimental journey. I do not long for the past, yet nor do I think of it as exclusively bad. I don’t ever want to go back, but I want things that are trapped there, lost forever.

What I lost, I lost on the railway line that runs along the southern edge of Dartmoor. I can still see the train disappearing; a silhouette against the bleak moors and darkening sunset skies. I can still smell the freshly cut grass, sense the cool breeze and feel the stinging tears. I remember the relief at escaping, the fear of what lay ahead, and the horrible churning sensation at the knowledge that everything I had ever known was gone.

That happened in August 1982.

From Children of the Folded Valley by Simon Dillon

You can read the whole of the chapter here, and read my companion piece article on this series here. Alternatively, to purchase a copy of Children of the Folded Valley (ebook or paperback) click here (for the UK), here (for the US), or here, if you wish to purchase via Smashwords.

More Five Star Reviews

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I’ve recently had a few more encouraging five-star rave reviews for some of my novels, on Amazon and Goodreads.

Peaceful Quiet Lives

“A futuristic book about a post-civil war America. The east is ultra-liberal and the west is ultra-conservative. What I loved about this book is the detailed thought Mr. Dillon put in about what an extreme society would look like. In my personal life, I live mainly on one side of the aisle. The description of the other side’s extreme made sense to me. The description of the extreme side of my ideals was shocking. It made me understand what the other side of the aisle is so afraid of. Quite an eye-opener. I’d like to believe the proverbial “slippery slope” will never end in the extremes described in this book. And hope this book is a warning to us all of what could happen if we continue to widen the gap and refuse to compromise.” – Heather K, Amazon.

Children of the Folded Valley

“Dystopian sci-fi with a high level of haunting creepiness that begets humans in some situations. Interesting character development and interactions.” – Aimee Gramblin, Goodreads.

The Irresistible Summons

“An extraordinarily imaginative tale, the supernatural infused with technology, love and hatred and an intense sense of dread and mystery. Thoroughly enjoyed it. I recommend you check out more of Simon’s extensive body of work both here and on Medium.” – Alison, Amazon.

Spectre of Springwell Forest

“Great read! I enjoyed it immensely. The tension was great and I was engaged from the start.” – Jennifer Brewer, Goodreads.

Phantom Audition

“Simon Dillon has done it again with this gripping story full of intrigue and mystery. Characters full of emotions that a reader can invest in.” – AM Cummins, Goodreads.

If you enjoy my novels, please do leave reviews on Amazon, Goodreads, or wherever you picked them up. They are an encouragement to me, but much more importantly, they mean the algorithms show my work to more potential readers, which is a great support to me as an independent writer. Reviews literally help me put food on the table, so a huge thank you to everyone who shows their appreciation in this way. Even a one-liner helps (as you can see from the above), so they don’t have to be long.

I know I’ve not written a great deal of book/writing related articles here over the last month, but I expect that to change soon. I’ve been busy on a number of other fronts, including writing a new short story which I hope to announce here soon. Watch this space.

All titles are available from Amazon here (in the UK) and here (in the US). Some of the above titles are also available from Smashwords.

Children of the Folded Valley: 7 Years On

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Seven years ago, this month, my most successful novel to date, Children of the Folded Valley, was self-published by yours truly. The novel is a first-person memoir, about a man recalling his childhood growing up amid a strange, seemingly utopian cult, cut off from the rest of the world. The cult leader has gathered his followers in a mysterious valley because he believes they will be safe there, from a coming nuclear Holocaust.

The precise nature of the hidden valley is revealed later, but this science fiction ingredient is the least important part of the narrative. What is important are the coming-of-age elements, involving the protagonist’s relationship with his parents, friends, and the traumatic events that ensue as terrible secrets at the heart of the cult are gradually revealed. I should add at this point that although entirely fictional (obviously, given the sci-fi aspect), the novel did draw from some of my own personal experiences growing up. However, I must also add that the death of my father did not inform the novel, as some mistakenly claimed. The first draft was written a year before that, in the summer of 2011. The death of the father in the novel was an essential element of the plot, foreseen from the outset.

Once I had the finished draft, I shopped Children of the Folded Valley around major publishers. I came frustratingly close to success, but in the end, the door closed. Somewhat disappointed, I decided to self-publish. To say I was surprised by the result is an understatement. I had self-published a few novels already – mainly children’s adventure stories like Uncle Flynn – but this was my first grown-up book. I did not expect it to be a big success, yet in the end over 11,000 copies (most of them free downloads) flew off the digital shelves, landing me at the number one spot on Amazon’s free novels on the science fiction chart.

The decision to make the novel free for a couple of months was a strategic one, and at the time I didn’t think getting to number one on the free science fiction chart was a big deal. But apparently, it was. Later when I tried to replicate the success with other novels, I didn’t come anywhere close. This is despite the fact that my marketing and promotion was much better organised with subsequent novels (including those traditionally published rather than self-published).

What am I to conclude from all this? Was the success of Children of the Folded Valley down to good timing? Subject matter? An act of God? I honestly couldn’t say. For some reason, it struck a chord. If I were writing it today, there are a couple of things I would do differently (at least one chapter is a bit of an info-dump), but it is a good reflection of my skills at that time, and as an author, it is important to always strive for improvement (my second foray into dystopian fiction, Peaceful Quiet Lives, I think is a significant improvement). On the other hand, with over a hundred mostly five-star reviews on Amazon, and about a hundred and seventy on Goodreads, I clearly did something right seven years ago.

Children of the Folded Valley is available on Amazon Kindle or paperback here (in the UK) and here (in the US). It can also be purchased from Smashwords here.

Peaceful Quiet Lives: Summary of Recent Articles

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Here’s a one-stop-shop with links to all you need to know about my latest novel, dystopian romantic satire Peaceful Quiet Lives.

What’s it about? Here’s the blurb from the back of the book:

Two Nations Under God. Can their love survive in either nation?

Life, love, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are a distant dream for Sam and Eve. Their forbidden love falls foul of laws in both nations born from the ashes of the Second American Civil War.

A satire of political and religious fears, Peaceful Quiet Lives is a thought-provoking and powerful dystopian future shock.

Intrigued? Want to know more? Check out these articles:

The First 400 Words

“The morality inspectors are late.”

Read the opening paragraphs to whet your appetite.

Themes

“The central idea – regarding opposite extreme authoritarian states being two sides of the same militant coin – I thought would make an intriguing backdrop for a doomed romance. But I also wanted the novel to be a satire of the worst fears of both sides in the US culture wars.”

I outline my intentions for the novel, whilst making clear it isn’t a political statement.

Influences and Inspirations

“Orwell’s masterpiece casts a long shadow over all modern dystopian fiction, and to not acknowledge it would be disingenuous.”

The literature that informed Peaceful Quiet Lives.

The Cover

“Given that the subject matter is outside my usual gothic horror or children’s adventure oeuvre, it really needed to stand out.”

Designing the cover, through various alternative images, before settling on the final version.

A Second Excerpt

“You will be expected here, at the Department of Tolerance, to begin your Enlightenment Conditioning classes tomorrow morning at nine o’clock sharp.”

An extract from the second half of the novel.

Setting, Research, and Revisions

“At first, I feared the ideas for my novel would be too ridiculous even for a satire, but real life was always three steps ahead of me.”

An insight into the development of the novel, including deleted chapters, and research into extreme political movements.

Love and Other Punishments

A short story companion piece to Peaceful Quiet Lives, published in Illumination (a publication on Medium).

How Will You React?

“I’ve had people tell me it’s gripping, romantic, satirical, darkly funny, deadly serious, disturbing, offensive, timely, too-soon, desperately sad, and an important warning.”

An overview of reviews and reactions so far.

Peaceful Quiet Lives is available as a download or paperback from Amazon. Order your copy here (in the UK), or here (in the US). You can also order from Smashwords here.

Peaceful Quiet Lives: How Will You React?

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My most recent novel, dystopian romantic satire Peaceful Quiet Lives, has attracted a wider and more varied response than any of my previous works. It has provoked a lot of wildly different reactions and jabbed a few raw nerves. I’ve had people tell me it’s gripping, romantic, satirical, darkly funny, deadly serious, disturbing, offensive, timely, too-soon, desperately sad, and an important warning.

One thing all the responses have in common: They are all hugely positive. So far, reviews have been exclusively five-star raves. I must confess, I sensed I was on to something whilst writing the novel, and speculated to that effect at the time. I’m always reluctant to trust such instincts, as there is always the danger of being deluded. However, it seems on this occasion, my instinct might have been correct.

Here are a sample of recent reviews, on Amazon and Goodreads:

“It’s been a long time since any novel has touched me on such an emotional level: shock initially, then horror, and ultimately sadness; the last few pages were read through tears. A futuristic, thought-provoking book in the first instance that hits you with the realisation at a certain point that most of what Dillon describes is here already. Absolutely gripping.” (Amazon reader.)

“A must-read. I am a slow reader, but I read this book in a few days because I could not put it down. If you only read one book in 2021, I’d recommend it be this one. An exciting yet frustrating love story set in America (but not as we know it) a few decades from now. Buy it – buy it now!” (EmmaGee, Amazon.)

“Interesting (and scary) look at the extreme ends of two societies we see vying for power and attention in our world today. I am not sure why the second half of this book surprised me but throughout the whole story I found my confirmation bias challenged – exactly, I am sure, what the author intended.” (JA Nice, Amazon.)

“Future Fact or Fiction? Gripping, thought-provoking stuff in the light of current events. It may punch you in the stomach.” (Amazon Reader.)

“Relentlessly bleak… This is not for the faint hearted but certainly kept me gripped.” (Amazon Reader.)

“Who doesn’t love a great love story? This is a great book… an easy read with a captivating plot. It also caused me to think a lot about the political landscape in the US right now and brought up a lot of emotions. When I reached the end of the book, I didn’t want it to end. I highly recommend it!” (Amazon reader.)

“Thought provoking, disturbing, and at times hilarious. Several laugh out loud moments… I dare you to read it!” (Steve Beegoo, Goodreads.)

“So engrossing that I literally missed my stop on the train, because I was busy reading. I highly recommend it.” (Claus Holm, author Tempus Investigations.)

Intrigued? Why not pick up a copy yourself, and see how you react? Here’s the blurb from the back of the book to further whet your appetite:

Two Nations Under God. Can their love survive in either nation?

Life, love, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are a distant dream for Sam and Eve. Their forbidden love falls foul of laws in both nations born from the ashes of the Second American Civil War.

A satire of political and religious fears, Peaceful Quiet Lives is a thought-provoking and powerful dystopian future shock.

Peaceful Quiet Lives is available as a download or paperback from Amazon. Order your copy here (in the UK), or here (in the US). You can also order from Smashwords here.

New Short Story: Love and Other Punishments

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Photo by Tomas Jasovsky on Unsplash

A new short story by yours truly, entitled Love and Other Punishments, has been published by Illumination on Medium.

Conceived as a kind-of companion piece to Peaceful Quiet Lives, this dystopian romantic mystery concerns a bereaved insurance salesman living in a not-too-distant future fascist London. He begins to believe he has repressed memories when he encounters a mysterious woman.

Click here for Part One.

Click here for Part Two.

Click here for Part Three.

Click here for Part Four.

I hope you enjoy it.