Unlucky Evens, Cursed Odds

The hateful Path, that of the 9th Born.

The survival of the Ark—humanity’s last bastion after God's wrath destroyed the world—is balanced by birth order: the oddborn are assigned a Path, the evenborn are given over to the will of God. And it is upon those of the 9th Born Path to sanitize the evens.

John 59129’s first walk as a Niner is the same day the scientists of the Ark plan to defy God by seeking to turn back time. An electrical surge sends John past the safety of the Ark, into an unblemished world. A glimpse of perfection. Of all the evenborn saved.

But when John wakes, he's back in the Ark, twenty years after the failure to harness time. Was his encounter real or just a dream caused by his accident? Are those in charge of the Ark keeping the oddborn caged? Is God the monster, or is it mankind?

For John 59129 to find out before his own child is born, he must be willing to play the odds.

©2024 Bill Adams (P)2025 Bill Adams

Tight short story. Well crafted.

Strong voice. Immediately builds a world. Like the Fahrenheit 451 version of Hugh Howey’s Wool. Or Pierce Brown’s Red Rising. Draws a clear line between class warfare and parenthood.

An extremely cool, quiet, post-apoc

Unlucky Evens, Cursed Odds is a quiet but extremely cool novella. It's a post-apocalyptic story that dabbles in philosophy time travel and fighting the big bad establishment. I had a great time with this one!

Good Narration and a Decent Story

Not the most cutting-edge dystopian fiction, but was engaging most of the time. Enjoyed the listen.

Excellent sci-fi novella

This is an excellent sci-fi novella. Well-paced and persistent, it tells a tidy tale of finding truth in a society fraught with lies.

The audiobook is superbly narrated. An enjoyable read and listen!

Perfect for Fans of Edward Ashton

Noah's Ark meets Hugh Howey's Wool in Unlucky Evens, Cursed Odds - a philosophical sci-fi tale that can be read during an extended lunch hour when, you know..., work can just wait, man. Perfect for fans of Edward Ashton.