"How do make a more perfect union?"

After Dinner Conversation - "Best Of 2022" is a collection of the best philosophy ethics short story fiction published in After Dinner Conversation's monthly magazine in 2022. Short stories span all genres; science-fiction, near-future, dystopia, spiritual, fantasy, urban fantasy, AI, historical fiction, contemporary women, political, horror, thriller, and children's stories. The important thing is that the story is compelling, and that it asks a specific ethical or moral question. Imagine the "trolley problem" in short story form.

Short Stories By (in alphabetical order): Safiyyah Althaff, Veronica L. Asay, Tommy Blanchard, Brian Carey, David A. Cohen, Robert Collings, M. M. De Voe, Clare Diston, Garrett Elms, Jeffrey Feingold, Larry Kite, Michael Klein, Ville V. Kokko, Phillip Scott Mandel, Holly McGinnis, Megan Neary, Harrison V. Perry, Steven Ross, Margret A. Treiber, Jonathan Turner, Thomas J. Weiss, and Michael Zemel.

Reader Reviews

• "...a terrific collection of short stories (for teaching) courses on civics, ethics, or contemporary social problems, in high school or junior college." Philosophy Professor at Chapel Hill, Luc Bovens

• "Tears Your Heart. Heart breaking discussions fueled by this book." Amazon Reviewer MariaJ

• "...these stories as a whole so far, have been haunting, staying with me long past finishing." Amazon Reviewer Andrea L. Stoeckel

Complete List of Philosophy Ethics Short Stories

1. The Davidson Method: A couple heads to the clinic to discuss options for reprogramming their child to accept the divorce. (January)

2. Grief: After hundreds of years of direct interactions, God declares he has nothing more to teach and leaves. (January)

3. Poll Watching: In a future where everyone is required to vote, and public political discussion is forbidden, election results turn deadly. (February)

4. The Only Punishment: A street-hardened criminal is forced to live his crimes from the perspective of his victims. (February)

5. Hedonics, Inc: A corporation has cracked the code to making everyone completely happy, all of the time. (March)

6. Alice And the Jabberwocky: Alice returns through the Looking-Glass for answers to her newest questions about life. (April)

7. Hollywood Baby: A little girl is "born" by a film studio, and is raised as their ward. (May)

8. The Big, Immovable I: Daphne is institutionalized while trying to answer the question, "Why am I, I?" (May)

9. The Man Who Killed the Dog: A man slowly goes crazy because he is unable to come to terms with his past. (May)

10. The Money Box: A mysterious black box gives its users "unearned" money, but at what price? (June)

11. Reginald's Party: A female interloper crashes an "emotions" wine tasting. (July)

12. Sort of Polarity: A new disease hits the earth that causes very selective blindness in humanity. (July)

13. Leviathan: An intergalactic cruise ship is damaged and resources are running dangerously low. (August)

14. The Heaven – The Earth: Morton is growing a hole right through his belly and has to come to terms with his life choices. (September)

15. Where Have All the Young Girls Gone?: A librarian waiting tenure hears from a "very reliable source" there is sex-for-grades cover up.  (September)

16. Gardenia: The narrator decides to stop in for breakfast at a small-town diner and must come to terms with Elroy Goddard. (October)

17. After "The End": A free-floating planet is on a collision course with earth and a man must decide how to spend his last hours. (October)

18. The Loneliest Number: A bipolar piano player goes off her medication to enter an international competition. (October)

19. Water Under The Bridge: Rusty is beat up by the neighborhood bullies trying to steal his bike, and looks to get revenge. (November)

20. Mrs. Robinson: Set in Elizabethan England, a young woman marries a too-good-to-be-true heir to an estate, only to find out he has a secret. (December)

21. The Bargain: Alien real estate developers visit earth to let us know our planet is in a prime development location and set to add 40 billion inhabitants. (December)

22. Lev's Pawn Shop: A dying pawn shop owner looks to return all the items in his shop to settle his account with God. (December)

* After purchase you will be emailed a .zip file containing a .pdf, .epub, and .mobi version of Season One, suiting for printing, reading on your Kindle, iPad, or other digital device.