{"product_id":"a-herd-of-dread-darian-johnson-9798184624389","title":"A Herd of Dread: Science Fiction Short Stories","description":"\"\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eA H\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eerd of Dread\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\" contains four literary dystopian sci-fi tales with its vague, and sometimes too honest, dialogue. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThe leader of the four, \u003ci\u003eNineteenth of September, \u003c\/i\u003elands in Dysa, a country where seven millions robots exist and seven humans govern them. There are seventeen hours a day, twelve of those hours go toward working and the other five is spent on the charger. Thinking is a sin for a robot, it's highly unrighteous. Dailey meets a new worker bot, Adonis Shuttle. He sings. Hums. Thinks. There's something off about him; but according to Adonis, there's something off about Dysa.\u003cbr\u003eWe reach the second quarter, \u003ci\u003eDeath Tastes Bittersweet, \u003c\/i\u003ein Utah where it's a crime for robots to consume the simple, yet efficient, black coffee. After being captured for disobeying the law, two strangers are tossed in cages with a choice to either face life without black coffee or stay awake for twenty-three hours and fifty-nine minutes for the next three days. As a consequence for remaining loyal toward their favorite caffeinated beverage, they can only sleep for one minute each day and if they wake up past midnight, they face execution.\u003cbr\u003eIn lucky number three, \u003ci\u003eT\u003c\/i\u003e\u003ci\u003ehe Wise Bakery, e\u003c\/i\u003everyone wore their masks. The mask replaced faith and currency, as it became everyone's God. There was no color nor shade, it didn't have a mixture of expressions except a smile which had been frozen and portrayed on each mask. Sarah Wise owns her own bakery in Austin, Texas; one morning she shows up beside her employee, Lisa, and realizes that she has shown up to life with a bare face.\u003cbr\u003eThe final story, \u003ci\u003eLittle Robert and those Bells, \u003c\/i\u003etakes place in a world where it's a crime to believe in yourself, the repetition of bells echo every five minutes as a command to make sure of it. Robert Cofske, a teenage boy, is faced with a choice to either obey the law or become deaf and acknowledge his gift.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Darian Johnson\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9798184624389\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Independently Published\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 06\/28\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 50\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.13lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.00h x 5.00w x 0.12d","brand":"Darian Johnson","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":49174047391999,"sku":"9798184624389","price":6.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/a-herd-of-dread-darian-johnson-9798184624389","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}