After Dinner Conversation - Themes

“A Wolf on the Bus”: A wolf rides the bus and is subject to discrimination by riders and police. “Teddy And Roosevelt”: Two misfit boys strike up an unlikely friendship in the shadow of President Roosevelt. “The Hanging Man”: Patrons ignore a dead homeless man hanging in the corner of a posh art gallery opening. “Never Enough (Until You Earn It)”: Two African refugees make their way to Europe and are provided "basic income." Drag Brunch: Hannah's gay friend is excluded from her bachelorette party. “What We Talk About When We Talk About Reincarnation”: A gay couple, and a trans couple, get together for drinks and try to figure out what it means to be a man/woman. “The Draft”: Society forces all babies to be born but creates a lottery system requiring all men to care for the offspring. “The Human Experience”: A married couple negotiates the genetic future of their unborn child. “The Crate”: Two women escape from a country that forces equal treatment to one that encourages differences and find both have their issues. “As You Wish”: An elderly woman finds a trunk of tattered stuffed animals and makes a promise to fix them all.

“The Man Who Killed the Dog”: A man slowly goes crazy because he is unable to come to terms with his past. “The Free Will of Professor Sturmhauser”: A depressed philosophy professor is a deep believer in the lack of free will. “Taps”: A draft dodging trumpet player seeks redemption by playing at veteran funerals. “They Got Their Show”: A taxi driver is assigned to pick up the newly exonerated murderer of his 16-year-old daughter. “Christmas In Ushuaia”: A sorrowful man heads to the ends of the earth to dispose of his most painful memories. “All My Tomorrows”: A down on his luck man in his twilight comes into a "memory storage facility" to trade his remaining days for the chance to re-experience his "last good day." “Momentary Paradise”: The narrator watches a late-night movie that makes her question what moment in her life would be her personal framework for heaven. “The Causes of the First World War”: A gay romance causes a downward spiral for one partner, and questions of ethics and responsibility for the other. “The Stone Piles”: A young boy seeks the approval of his father through hunting but finds he doesn't have the stomach for it. “The Only Punishment”: A street-hardened criminal is forced to live his crimes from the perspective of his victims.

“The Pool”: A good-willed apartment complex owner deals with ever-complaining tenants as she attempts community improvements. “First Gold”: A graphic designer is called out when he wins a design prize for an advertisement he plagiarized. “Pandora's Dreams”: A new technology allows the recording, playback, and sale of dreams. “Cicada”: Dr. Zhang invents teleportation but refuses to share it with the world. “Claim”: The local diocese requests insurance coverage against future child sexual abuse lawsuits. Thorn: A local builder comes across an upstart carpenter in a neighboring village that he believes threatens his business. “Guilt-Edge Security”: A traveling salesman at the bar is cleverly pitched a new product by an emerging planet on the rim, Life. “The Money Box”: A mysterious black box gives its users "unearned" money, but at what price? “Lev's Pawn Shop”: A dying pawn shop own looks to return all the items in his shop to settle his account with God. “Bugs In the Valley”: A pharmaceutical company turns a rare flower into an equally rare medicine that cures cancer and stops aging.

"After Dinner Conversation" Magazine - April 2022 The Decay: Benjamin's pharmacy suggests he consider enrolled in a government program to end his life. St. Patrick's Day: A woman is raped and makes a unique request of her rapist's friend. Alice And The Jabberwocky: Alice returns through the Looking-Glass for answers to her newest questions about life. And God Said: God simultaneously says a phrase into the minds of every living being on earth. The Wrong Shampoo: A young adult is invited by her new, older, love interest on a weekend trip with his friends, but struggles to fit in. The Seven Absent Sins: A Jesuit monk examines the Encyclopedia of Sentient Species to determine if there is anyone in the universe incapable of sin. Bound: The "Lord Keeper" sets out to murder his successor in order to keep a community secret safe. After Dinner Conversation believes humanity is improved by ethics and morals grounded in philosophical truth. Philosophical truth is discovered through intentional reflection and respectful debate. In order to facilitate that process, we have created a growing series of short stories, audio and video podcast discussions, across genres, as accessible examples of abstract ethical and philosophical ideas intended to draw out deeper discussions with friends and family. ★★★ If you enjoy this story, subscribe via our website to "After Dinner Conversation Magazine" and get this, and other, similar ethical and philosophical short stories delivered straight to your inbox every month. (Just search "After Dinner Conversation Magazine")★★★

Named Top 10 "Best Lit Mags of 2023" by Chill Subs Carefully curated stories from our monthly magazine to create a themed short story book about the philosophy and ethics of technology. Perfect for classrooms and book clubs, each story is 1,500-7,000 words and comes with five suggested discussion questions. Story Summary ListAbrama's End Game: Abrama learns the gods created her dimension as their play-space to visit, and is forced to fight across realities when she discovers their plan to shut it down.The Formula: A group of boys get into a car crash and an AI algorithm is forced to decide who lives and dies.Give The Robot The Impossible Job!: An AI tutor faces deactivation if she cannot prove her worth by saving a teenage pupil with an "unsolvable" problem - she's a budding serial killer.Sow: A pilot is tasked with "seeding" a distant planet with the codes to give rise to future humans, at the expense of the planet's natural evolutionary process.Cicada: Dr. Zhang invents teleportation but refuses to share it with the world.The Things We Give: Martha sells years off the end of her life to help her mother and make ends meet.Two-Percenters: A new treatment may allow 98% of the people to be genetically enhanced, but at the expense of the 2% who already are.The Empathery: Various family members try out new bodies to learn empathy and teambuilding.Cost Of Human Life: AI software designed to more efficiently run the railroad system runs into a programming issue. After Dinner Conversation believes humanity is improved by ethics and morals grounded in philosophical truth. Philosophical truth is discovered through intentional reflection and respectful debate. In order to facilitate that process, we have created a growing series of short stories across genres, a monthly magazine, themed books, and two podcasts. These accessible examples of abstract ethical and philosophical ideas are intended to draw out deeper discussions with friends, family, and students. Reviews 5/5 Stars!"With Science fiction we can explore other galaxies and alien conflicts, but with philosophical fiction we can explore other minds and ethical conflicts. Let this book take you on a Phi-Fi adventure."- William Irwin, Ph.D. - Philosophy Professor, King's College"After Dinner Conversation has taken up the initiative to write themed collections of short stories that fit focused ethics courses – say, a course on bioethics, AI ethics, Tech ethics etc. These collections can offer a spine for such courses or individual stories could be added to a course as illustrative material to stimulate discussion. The stories are lively and engaging and followed by a set of questions to start classroom discussion. Also, outside of educational contexts, the stories will work nicely to stimulate conversation in families, elder hostels, youth clubs, or book groups. Give it a try – I trust that you will enjoy working with the material in this book!"- Luc Bovens, Ph.D. - Philosophy Professor, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ★★★ If you enjoy this story, subscribe via our website to "After Dinner Conversation Magazine" and get this, and other, similar ethical and philosophical short stories delivered straight to your inbox every month. (Just search "After Dinner Conversation Magazine")★★★

These carefully curated stories are from “After Dinner Conversation” magazine to create a themed short story book about the philosophy and ethics of research. Perfect for classrooms and book clubs, each story is 1,500-7,000 words and comes with five suggested discussion questions. Story Summary List “The Mind Reader”: An outspoken bar patron runs an experiment to see if the world can be divided into the "weak" and the "strong" in attempt to prove he's not an authoritarian fascist. “Mahabbah”: A scientist invents a virus that causes people to be compassionate and empathetic. “Mayonnaise”: The inventor of million dollar "zero fat, zero calorie" food additive discovers her invention is killing her son. “Bugs in the Valley”: A pharmaceutical company turns a rare flower into an equally rare medicine that cures cancer and stops aging. “Sow”: A pilot is tasked with "seeding" a distant planet with the codes to give rise to future humans, at the expense of the planet's natural evolutionary process. “Two-Percenters”: A new treatment may allow 98% of the people to be genetically enhanced, but at the expense of the 2% who already are. “We Don't Do Faux”: A mother steals a cure from her medical employer to save her sick daughter. “Pandora's Dreams”: A new technology allows the recording, playback, and sale of dreams. “Words of the Ancients”: An archeology team finds a perfectly preserved crypt with a surprisingly intelligent farm animal. “Cicada”: Dr. Zhang invents teleportation but refuses to share it with the world.

These carefully curated stories are from “After Dinner Conversation” magazine to create a themed short story book about the philosophy and ethics of government law and regulation. Perfect for classrooms and book clubs, each story is 1,500-7,000 words and comes with five suggested discussion questions. Story Summary List “The Book of Approved Words”: A government approved "author" is tempted to show the world the words they are missing. “The Draft”: Society forces all babies to born but creates a lottery system requiring all men to care for the offspring. “For Your Safety”: Zoe is visited by the government for having sexual relations without first filing an "Intimate Partnership Agreement." “Understanding Ice Cream”: Professor Gault meets a mysterious stranger that causes him to question the underlying causes of political polarization. “Prohibition”: A wealthy addict heads to a seedy part of town for his fix and gets more than he bargained for. “The Decay”: Benjamin's pharmacy suggests he considers enrolling in a government program to end his life. “The Kill Registry”: In a world where everyone in society gets "one free kill," the narrator finds out his attractive coworker got a promotion. “The Crate”: Two women escape from a country that forces equal treatment to one that encourages differences, and find both have their issues. “Form Seven Alpha”: A city resident is caught breaking the law and is given the choice between one of five punishment options. “Euthanasia”: In a dystopian future, Hank works on a farm for the euthanizing of sick, unwanted, or abandoned animals.

Named Top 10 "Best Lit Mags of 2023, 20024" by Chill SubsCarefully curated stories from After Dinner Conversation magazine to create a themed short story book about the philosophy and ethics of sex and sexuality. Perfect for classrooms and book clubs, each story is 1,500-7,000 words and comes with five suggested discussion questions.Story Summary ListHuman Contact: A college student heads to a party, gets high and drunk, and ends up having a night that will forever change lives.For Your Safety: Zoe is visited by the government for having sexual relations without first filing an "Intimate Partnership Agreement."The Wrong Shampoo: A young adult is invited by her new, older, love interest on a weekend trip with his friends, but struggles to fit in.What We Talk About When We Talk About Reincarnation: A gay couple, and a trans couple, get together for drinks and try to figure out what it means to be a man/woman.My Husband and Me: A husband's wife agrees to allow him to get a lifelike sex doll leading to unexpected consequences.Everyone's Gay In Space: Douglas Junior goes to lunch with his successful, gay, astronaut clone.Your First Lesson: Margarite grapples with her 13-year-old daughter's decision to become sexually active.The Draft: Society forces all babies to born, but creates a lottery system requiring all men to care for the offspring.The Pill: Marlee realizes how much her life has foolishly revolved around men.Recapturing the Spark: A married couple go on separate dates while texting each other.After Dinner Conversation believes humanity is improved by ethics and morals grounded in philosophical truth. Philosophical truth is discovered through intentional reflection and respectful debate. In order to facilitate that process, we have created a growing series of short stories across genres, a monthly magazine, themed books,and two podcasts. These accessible examples of abstract ethical and philosophical ideas are intended to draw out deeper discussions with friends, family, and students.Reviews5/5 Stars!"With Science fiction we can explore other galaxies and alien conflicts, but with philosophical fiction we can explore other minds and ethical conflicts. Let this book take you on a Phi-Fi adventure." William Irwin, Ph.D. - Philosophy Professor, King's College"After Dinner Conversationcollections can offer a spine for such courses as illustrative material to stimulate discussion. Lively and engaging, perfect for classrooms and educational contexts, the stories stimulate conversation in families, elder hostels, youth clubs, or book groups." Luc Bovens, Ph.D. - Philosophy Professor, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill If you enjoy this story, subscribe via our website to "After Dinner Conversation Magazine" and get this, and other, similar ethical and philosophical short stories delivered straight to your inbox every month. (Just search "After Dinner Conversation Magazine")

“Sacrificing Mercy”: A devout Christian refuses a heart transplant based on her religious convictions. “The Human Experience”: A married couple negotiates the genetic future of their unborn child. “Euthanasia”: In a dystopian future, Hank works on a farm for the euthanizing of sick, unwanted, or abandoned animals. In “Defense of the Harvest”: The first recipient does his best to explain the situation that created the law for harvesting prisoner organs. “Two-Percenters”: A new treatment may allow 98% of the people to be genetically enhanced, but at the expense of the 2% who already are. “The Decay”: Benjamin's pharmacy suggests he consider enrolling in a government program to end his life. Visions of Midwives: A midwife in training learns the midwife’s secret, that at the moment of birth each midwife is able to see the future of the newly born child. “On Good Authority”: A doctor with a new vaccine for the "zombie virus" takes it to the next town and discovers two startling revelations. “Step Back”: A husband and wife decide to have a natural childbirth and find it's more than they bargained. “All Harriet's Pieces”: A young girl faces the death of her mother and the loss of her closest companion.

These Carefully curated stories from “After Dinner Conversation” magazine to create a themed short story book about philosophy and ethics exploring the nature of reality and perceptions. Perfect for classrooms and book clubs, each story is 1,500-7,000 words and comes with five suggested discussion questions. Story Summary List “Home For the Holidays”: A son comes home for the holidays to find his parents have shrunk to two feet tall. “Abrama's End Game”: Abrama learns the gods created her dimension as their play-space to visit and is forced to fight across realities when she discovers their plan to shut it down. “Rose-tinted Glasses”: Two children race to get glasses that allow adults to see the magical world around them to the Fairytale Fellowship before it's too late. “The Big, Immovable I”: Daphne is institutionalized while trying to answer the question, "Why am I, I?" Sort of Polarity: A new disease hits the earth that causes very selective blindness in humanity. “The Angel in the Juniper”: Holly meets an angel who tells her to kill her revolutionary professor. “Seconds Last”: A man enjoys an infinite number of perfect days in the park with his friend. “Acceptance”: A man sinking in mud refuses help. “Glad All Over”: An elderly man helps his fellow season-ticket holder with his existential crisis with philosophy lessons. “I Do So, Like Durian”: A sheltered teen on a quest through Chinatown finds a new world to explore.

Named Top 10 "Best Lit Mags of 2023" by Chill Subs Carefully curated stories from our monthly magazine to create a themed short story book about the philosophy and ethics of crimes and their punishments. Perfect for classrooms and book clubs, each story is 1,500-7,000 words and comes with five suggested discussion questions. Story Summary ListIdle Horns: A horned demon of hell born to eternally torture the damned walks off the job.Community Of Peers: A foreigner wanders into a remote village just before a convicted criminal is about to be punished and is asked to throw the first stone.Form Seven Alpha: A city resident is caught breaking the law and is given the choice between one of five punishment options.Conscience Cleaners: A genuinely repentant criminal appeals to the court to have his memory erased of the crime he committed.Blackorwhite: A lactose intolerant inmate tells his story to, and befriends, the doctor assigned to look after him.Conveyor: Arthur Montague is on trial for genocide and war crimes...again, and again, for eternity.Soon The Sentence Sign: A bar fight turns into a brush with the colonial AI driven judicial system.Bunny Racing: Two bunnies race, but one of them has been eating a special carrot from the forbidden forest to help him run faster.The Only Punishment: A street-hardened criminal is forced to live his crimes from the perspective of his victims.Human Contact: A college student heads to a party, gets high and drunk, and ends up having a night that will forever change lives. After Dinner Conversation believes humanity is improved by ethics and morals grounded in philosophical truth. Philosophical truth is discovered through intentional reflection and respectful debate. In order to facilitate that process, we have created a growing series of short stories across genres, a monthly magazine, themed books, and two podcasts. These accessible examples of abstract ethical and philosophical ideas are intended to draw out deeper discussions with friends, family, and students. Reviews 5/5 Stars!"With Science fiction we can explore other galaxies and alien conflicts, but with philosophical fiction we can explore other minds and ethical conflicts. Let this book take you on a Phi-Fi adventure."- William Irwin, Ph.D. - Philosophy Professor, King's College"After Dinner Conversation has taken up the initiative to write themed collections of short stories that fit focused ethics courses – say, a course on bioethics, AI ethics, Tech ethics etc. These collections can offer a spine for such courses or individual stories could be added to a course as illustrative material to stimulate discussion. The stories are lively and engaging and followed by a set of questions to start classroom discussion. Also, outside of educational contexts, the stories will work nicely to stimulate conversation in families, elder hostels, youth clubs, or book groups. Give it a try – I trust that you will enjoy working with the material in this book!"- Luc Bovens, Ph.D. - Philosophy Professor, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ★★★ If you enjoy this story, subscribe via our website to "After Dinner Conversation Magazine" and get this, and other, similar ethical and philosophical short stories delivered straight to your inbox every month. (Just search "After Dinner Conversation Magazine")★★★