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Carefully curated stories from After Dinner Conversation magazine to create a themed short story book about the philosophy and ethics of government law and regulation. Perfect for classrooms and book clubs, each story is 1,500-7,000 words and comes with five suggested discussion questions.

Story Summary List

• The Book Of Approved Words: A government approved "author" is tempted to show the world the words they are missing.
• The Draft: Society forces all babies to born, but creates a lottery system requiring all men to care for the offspring.
• For Your Safety: Zoe is visited by the government for having sexual relations without first filing an "Intimate Partnership Agreement."
• Understanding Ice Cream: Professor Gault meets a mysterious stranger that causes him to question the underlying causes of political polarization.
• Prohibition: A wealthy addict heads to a seedy part of town for his fix and gets more than he bargained for.
• The Decay: Benjamin's pharmacy suggests he consider enrolling in a government program to end his life.
• The Kill Registry: In a world where everyone in society gets "one free kill," the narrator finds out his attractive coworker got a promotion.
• The Crate: Two women escape from a country that forces equal treatment to one that encourages differences, and find both have their issues.
• Form Seven Alpha: A city resident is caught breaking the law and is given the choice between one of five punishment options.
• Euthanasia: In a dystopian future, Hank works on a farm for the euthanizing of sick, unwanted, or abandoned animals.

After Dinner Conversation believes humanity is improved by ethics and morals grounded in philosophical truth. Philosophical truth is discovered through intentional reflection and respectful debate. In order to facilitate that process, we have created a growing series of short stories across genres, a monthly magazine, themed books, and two podcasts. These accessible examples of abstract ethical and philosophical ideas are intended to draw out deeper discussions with friends, family, and students.

Reviews 5/5 Stars!
"With Science fiction we can explore other galaxies and alien conflicts, but with philosophical fiction we can explore other minds and ethical conflicts. Let this book take you on a Phi-Fi adventure."
- William Irwin, Ph.D. - Philosophy Professor, King's College

"After Dinner Conversation collections can offer a spine for such courses as illustrative material to stimulate discussion. Lively and engaging, perfect for classrooms and educational contexts, the stories stimulate conversation in families, elder hostels, youth clubs, or book groups."
- Luc Bovens, Ph.D. - Philosophy Professor, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

★★★ If you enjoy this story, subscribe via our website to "After Dinner Conversation Magazine" and get this, and other, similar ethical and philosophical short stories delivered straight to your inbox every month. (Just search "After Dinner Conversation Magazine")★★★