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Carefully curated stories 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.

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 collections 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")★★★