13 Acorns

13 Acorns is the debut work of up-and-coming American author G. Edward Martin.It is composed of twelve original short stories written in multiple genres beneath the umbrella of philosophical fiction. Each unique story addresses one central idea or moral question, with each story being akin to a single acorn—something small or simple with the potential to grow enormous.

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 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.

My genre is Philosophical Fiction, which I define as: using the art of storytelling to explore complex questions about morality, reality, and our pursuit of meaning.

Beneath this umbrella, I write in a wide range of genres, picking whichever “stage” will make the best setting and context to explore a particular question.

This book has 12 different explorations. These are small stories with big ideas and powerful themed. The genres in this short story collection range from science fiction to fantasy, comedy, coming of age, contemporary, allegory, introspective fiction, and much more.

These stories range from 20 to 60-minute reads, and each one is extremely unique and bears little resemble to the others; however, they are tied together by a common philosophical curiosity.

These stories are meant to teach, explore, demonstrate, and connect with you, the reader, while entertaining from start to finish.

Although the common thinking is that people like particular genres, I will not put you in a small box. I have no reason to believe you are any less curious than I am, and there is something of meaning in each one of these stories.

As a philosopher, I regard our time on earth as sacred. As a writer, I feel an unwavering responsibility to only tell stories that I believe are true and valuable. If you are going to spend time from your life reading my work, I am committed that my work will give you back a much greater value than what it cost you.

These character-driven short stories focus on relatable human experiences and the inner-world of each protagonist. These stories are perfect for reflective readers who love deep themes and thought-provoking narratives with an existential quality.

Thank you for being a reader!