13 Acorns: Modern Short Stories for Thoughtful Adults

Stories from 13 Acorns:

1. The False Treeing Hound– Daniel, a lost young man, abandons everything and sets out on a road-trip headed west. After his car breaks down, he unexpectedly meets a friend and mentor who changes the course of his life.
2. The Grave Robber Sitting Across from Me– a young woman travels to Florida after losing her mother and discovers that her uncle and his girlfriend have stolen from the deceased. However, the young woman is forced to bite her tongue and pretend as if she does not notice.
3. The Return Flight– a crew of astronauts nearing the completion of a 20-year mission in space discover that their ship is being followed on their way back to earth in this science fiction novelette.
4. The Charleston Market– Mike, a small business owner and vendor at the Charleston market, wrestles with his own self-worth and the order of society as he tries to rebound from the discouragement of several failed plans.
5. My Old Street– On a trip to visit his parents and siblings, Joe discovers a stash of drugs hidden in his younger brother’s room. He is forced to make a hard decision and hope that he chose correctly.
6. The Nobody Who Fought a Dragon– Bill, the local potter and town’s drunk, is forced by his neighbors to battle a dragon that plagues their town in this comedy novelette.
7. Benjamin: The AI Government– After inventing a computer program that could come to replace politicians and governments, two friends secretly discuss the full implications of such technology in this science fiction short story.
8. The Values of a Dying Man– When Phillip finds himself falling ill and losing strength, he must decide how to spend his last week on earth and what he truly values.
9. The Unstoppable Train– John Ross visits a nursing home as he attempts to interview a former intelligence operative and persuade him to finally divulge the secrets of one of America’s largest unanswered conspiracies.
10. The Demise of the Great Village– In this philosophical allegory, the narrator explains the story of his home—why it was built, how it rose to greatness, and how it was dismantled from within by malignant forces.
11. The Man Who Held Court– “The path to enlightenment and the remedy for anxiety, depression, and hopelessness.” A philosophical fiction.
12. The Bridge of Working Truth– A son is finally invited to join his father in working to complete the ancient bridge that extends from earth to paradise in this philosophical allegory about the history and progress of humanity and philosophical thought.

This eclectic collection of inspirational short stories for adult readers covers a wide range of genres from fantasy and science fiction, to allegories, dark comedy, contemporary fiction, metaphysical fiction and self-actualization, moral questions, spirituality and faith, and so much.

13 Acorns: Modern Short Stories for Thoughtful Adults is the debut collection from six-time award-winning indie author G. Edward Martin. This book brings together twelve original short stories across multiple genres, united by a shared foundation of philosophical and metaphysical fiction.

Each story is a small narrative with a big idea—an acorn—exploring one central moral, question, or truth. Taken together, these stories form a thoughtful and eclectic meditation on meaning, identity, faith, and the human journey.