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Displaying: 1-10 of 10 documents


1. After Dinner Conversation: Volume > 3 > Issue: 6
Kolby Granville

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2. After Dinner Conversation: Volume > 3 > Issue: 6
Phillip Scott Mandel

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Is “unearned money” inherently evil? Is banking, or investment instruments that seem to produce nothing tangible, “unearned money?” In this work of economic philosophy short story fiction, the narrator is invited to his friend’s house, who has lured him, and other friends there, with stories of his “Money Box.” The Box turns out to be real. Simply put a $50 or $100 bill into its sleek slot and in seconds it will spit out a greater amount of money. The Box is all black, makes no noise, and seems to have no moving parts. Each month, his friend invites him and other over to use the Box, but he never uses it himself. In time, however, the narrator begins having terrible dreams where he is being tortured. Others using the Box are having similar dreams. Eventually the dreams become real and each person has evil and injuries befall them. Finally, the friend comes to the narrator’s house with the Money Box and gives it to him. A message on the box becomes clear, the rules are set, the narrator is the Money Boxes new owner until it releases him.

3. After Dinner Conversation: Volume > 3 > Issue: 6
Roger Johns

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Would you look into and/or change the memories of your significant other to save their life? In this work of philosophical short story fiction, Carson’s girlfriend Alice has been kidnapped. However, in this future, the technology exists to remotely extract the data from her mind, place it into the cloud, then download to a synthetic body. This renders the prior body totally valueless to the kidnappers, and will save Alice’s life. There is only one problem, there was a manufacturing defect in the new body’s memory storage capacity. Carson is given a choice, allow AI to delete a year’s worth of memories from Alice, or go in himself to choose which memories to view and delete. Carson decides to do the work himself, and finds out Alice has been having an affair with his brother and they have established a deep emotional connection. Carson is forced to make a hard choice about what (or who) he is going to purge from Alice’s memories.

4. After Dinner Conversation: Volume > 3 > Issue: 6
Mark Jonathan Harris

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Do what extent are we responsible for improving the world? To what extent are those that do evil in the world responsible for their actions? In this work of philosophical short story fiction, Roz is a retired lawyer who is assigned as a volunteer case work for Deshaun, a trouble teenager who has been in and out of foster homes his whole life and was recently released for juvenile detention for getting into a serious fight. Roz attempts to help Deshaun, but he seems unwilling to trust anyone, and views Roz only as a resource to be exploited. Deshaun runs away from his group home while on detention and is at risk of being in violation of his probation. Roz contacts him and he asks her to pick him up. She feeds him and takes him to her place to sleep for the night. The next morning he is gone, along with her family Menorah. Some time later he contacts her, now in prison for other crimes, they meet and he apologizes for not accepting her offers of help.

5. After Dinner Conversation: Volume > 3 > Issue: 6
Joseph Bodie

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Does life have the right to force its continued existence, even at the expense of other life? In this work of philosophical short story fiction, a pilot has been tasked with making the long journey, over the vastness of space, and over an unthinkable amount of time, to find a specific plant and spread panspermia capsules on the planet, ending the potential natural evolution of the planet, and seeding it for the eventual evolution of his own species. However, now that the moment of truth has arrived, the pilot has doubts. Does he have the right to potentially end the natural evolution of other species? Is it fair to be push life into being knowing that there is the risk of horrible pain and misery? In the final moments, he betrays his mission, and chooses not to drop the capsules on the unsuspecting planet.

6. After Dinner Conversation: Volume > 3 > Issue: 6
Seth Bohn

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Can incorrect actions (done in ignorance) still be honorable? To what extent do you have an obligation to meet and access evil, before vilifying it? In this work of philosophical short story fiction, Sir Timult has committed himself to killing all the dragons remaining in the world. In fact, he has already killed several and is ready to kill the greatest of them all, “Deathwing.” However, upon entering Deathwing’s chamber he is invited by the dragon to first sit and talk. Sir Timult agrees, and learns that dragons frequently transform into humans and live among them. In fact, Sir Timult learns, some of the greatest healers, poets, and thinkers of his time were slayed by his own hands while they were in dragon form. Deathwing, in human form, is Lawrence the Weaver, a kind old man renowed for his weaving ability. In fact, Sir Timult has one of his weavings in his very own house! While some dragons have killed some people, these “evil” dragons have never killed anyone. Sir Timult is struck with grief, and takes his own life.

7. After Dinner Conversation: Volume > 3 > Issue: 6
Viggy Parr Hampton

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What does it mean to be an “all natural” food? To what degree should we determine a food additive is safe before using it mass produced products? In this work of philosophical short fiction, Dr. Loriah Harp works for Natural Light Foods and is the creator of acetylsterolstearate, a food additive that makes Natural Light Mayonnaise possible. She loves the product she helps create and feeds it frequently to her family at meals. Her life was perfect until her son Alex, started having health issues. New results in mice are showing that her additive, and her product, are causing health issues. Loriah wants the product pulled, Jeff, the Natural Light Foods’ CEO does not. Loriah decides to go public with the new information, ending her professional career.

8. After Dinner Conversation: Volume > 3 > Issue: 6
DL Shirey

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How much does the truth matter when the accusation is enough to ruin lives? In this work of philosophical short fiction, Neil Daniels was a school counselor, two of the students at his school are Jesmyn and Melissa; they are inseparable. After they are discovered doing cocaine in the locker room Jesmyn is brought to Neil’s office. As part of a plan, Jesmyn quickly gets out of her seat, plunges her head into Neil’s lap, just as Melissa opened the door and snaps a photo. This photo is enough to end Neil’s marriage, cost him his reputation and job, and force him to spend his remaining days teaching ESL in Mexico.

9. After Dinner Conversation: Volume > 3 > Issue: 6

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10. After Dinner Conversation: Volume > 3 > Issue: 6

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