No one ever comes back from the World Outside - at least they aren't supposed to. No one, that is, until Stephen Blake. In the wake of a future alien invasion, the world has been devastated and divided. It has been changed forever. There are those that live within the safety of the cities, surrounded by their massive force fields, and there are those condemned to endure whatever existence they are able in the barren landscapes beyond the cities known as the World Outside. Following the alien attacks and the rise of the city shields, nations across the planet were forced to unite under the authority of the Federal Commonwealth of Nations. This global government now watches people's every move and if someone is found deviating from the law the punishment is exile. Never was there a more effective way to keep the masses in line. In the World Outside, every day is a struggle. A struggle against the elements and harsh conditions of a war-ravaged wasteland. A struggle against starvation and disease. A struggle against once peaceful inhabitants now turned into savage cannibals and mutants. A struggle to maintain one's very humanity. Born out of global catastrophe, it has become the perfect place to send criminals, or anyone else, that needs to be forgotten. An ordinary man living under the constant glow of the city shield, Stephen Blake never gave much thought to the world outside of the cities, at least not until that fateful day. Framed for a murder he didn't commit Stephen must watch helplessly as his entire reality shatters and crumbles down around him. Literally ejected into the World Outside his feet are set on a path he never intended and certainly never anticipated. Clinging to his humanity, Stephen faces near unsurmountable circumstances. Can he begin to carve out a life in the world in which he now finds himself? Could he perhaps be the catalyst of change, threatening those that strive for power? Could he be the key to uncover the truth and bring about the dawn of a new and brighter future?
About the Author: Besides telling tall tales whenever he is able, Matthew is an attorney. Never one to sit idly, he has also served in the Air Force and been a professional driver, a property inspector, and spent a few years in the IT field. He has been spinning yarns for as long as he can remember, writing and illustrating his first story in elementary school. He honed his story-telling skills by being the gamemaster in the many RPGs he has played throughout his life. He is married and lives with his wife and their many (many) children in the Midwest. He enjoys spending time with his family, traveling, being a pilot, a good movie, and a good storm.