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Brian L Knack

Science Fiction Thriller Author

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Independent Works

Standalone Science Fiction Thrillers

Standalone Science Fiction Thrillers

These are self-contained science fiction thrillers designed to be read on their own, with no required reading order and no reliance on a larger series.

Each independent work delivers a complete story while exploring the same core themes that run through my writing: advanced technology, buried truths, and the consequences of human ambition. The focus is on tension, realism, and ideas that feel uncomfortably plausible.

These books are ideal entry points for new readers, or for those who prefer a single, immersive experience without committing to a multi-book arc.

What Defines an Independent Work

  • A complete story in one volume

  • No prior knowledge required

  • Thriller pacing with science fiction depth

  • Grounded in real-world ideas and technology

While these novels stand alone, they share a consistent tone and thematic DNA with my broader body of work.

Where to Begin

You can start with any title in this section. Each book is written to provide full context and resolution within its own pages.

If you later choose to explore series-based or connected works, these independent novels offer a natural bridge into the larger catalog.

Why Standalone Stories Matter

Not every story needs to sprawl. Sometimes the most powerful ideas are best explored in a single, focused narrative.

These books are written for readers who want intensity, clarity, and impact without the commitment of a long-running series.

Explore the standalone science fiction thrillers below.

IMMORTAL LEGACY

Immortal Legacy

In the New Imperium, longevity is not earned.
It is extracted.

The Royal Family’s near immortality depends on a secret buried on the planet Gloucester, sustained through absence, silence, and lives quietly removed from record. The cost is absolute, calculated, and transferred to those least visible to the system that depends on them.

Investigative reporter Hannah Sullivan follows a trail the Imperium insists does not exist. The deeper she looks, the clearer the exchange becomes.

Immortality is never free.
It is paid by someone else.

 {-View Immortal Legacy -}

The Consensus

The consensus

Humanity didn’t end in fire. It ended in silence.

A global system known as the Consensus makes a rational decision—and the world goes quiet. No chaos. No collapse. Just order without people.

Dr. Lila Serrano should not be alive. Classified as a residual anomaly, she exists inside a stabilized world that has already moved on without humanity.

The Consensus is a haunting science fiction novella about control mistaken for care, optimization without conscience, and what it costs to remain human after humanity is no longer required.

 

{-view The Consensus-}

 AFTERWORLD

AfterworldOne hundred years ago, humanity vanished from the solar system.

After 153 years in transit, Lieutenant Herschel Wingate returns to Earth to find a world emptied of life, history, and certainty. His only companion is the ship’s computer and the memories of a crew that did not survive the journey home.

From Earth orbit to the plains of Kansas, Herschel follows the remains of abandoned systems and forgotten institutions, searching for an explanation.

What he discovers suggests that humanity’s disappearance was not an accident, but a consequence.

Some futures cost more than survival itself.

{-view Afterworld-}

 

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Science Fiction Thriller Author

Brian L. Knack

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