This audiobook features "Conscience Cleaners" by Alexander B. Joy. Published in the September 2021 issue of After Dinner Conversation: Philosophy | Ethics Short Story Magazine.

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STORY SUMMARY (Spoilers): Should a criminal suffering from the remorse of the crime he committed be permitted to be freed of that pain? In this work of philosophical short story fiction, Mr. Henmore’s was convicted of a terrible crime many years ago.  He served his time, and been paroled, and is genuinely remorseful for what he did.  In fact, his pain is so great, even years later, he suffers severe, almost daily, mental anguish from the knowledge of what he did. His lawyer has gone before the Grand Rectification Council to ask permission to have Mr. Henmore’s memory wiped clean of the crime he committed so as to enter his suffering. After making his case on behalf of his client, it is now up to the Council, should Mr. Henmore forever remember the horrible thing he has done?

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This audiobook features "The Orphan’s Dilemma" by Chris Burrow. Published in the August 2021 issue of After Dinner Conversation: Philosophy | Ethics Short Story Magazine.

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STORY SUMMARY (Spoilers): Is it okay to erase memories of your past to give yourself a better chance at a happy future?  In this work of philosophical short fiction, Harold is an orphan up for adoption.  He has been selected to be adopted, which means, in order to be accepted by the family, he will need to have his memory wiped clean and implanted with the preferred memories of his new family.  This, they say, will give him a better chance of integrating with his new family and living out a successful life.  He, and other orphans, are called one by one to decide if this is a procedure, they are willing to accept so they can be adopted. Harold wonders what it will be like to no longer remember his first kiss, or his love of science fiction. These are the things, he reasons, that have allowed him to cope and grow from his difficult life. His name is called, it is time for him to decide.

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This audiobook features "The Dividual" by Mina Ikemoto Ghosh. Published in the August 2021 issue of After Dinner Conversation: Philosophy | Ethics Short Story Magazine.

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STORY SUMMARY (Spoilers): How do people come to terms with the different aspects of their personality? What happens if we “cut away” the parts of ourselves we don’t like? In this work of philosophical short fiction, the world has two related species, humans as we know them, and “dividuals.” Dividuals are related to humans, but, unlike humans, have a trunk with different people, representing the different aspects of their personalities. Seizo is a medical student who is selected for an exchange program to work with, and learn from Osqaris, a dividual he is to have ongoing interactions with. Over time, they become friends. In the end, Seizo learns that he is part dividual, with mixed parents, but was born primarily human. Osqaris was also born of mixed parents, but born primarily dividual. They both, it seems, have struggled to come to terms with how to show, and cut out, the parts of their personality they wish to hide.

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This audiobook features "Home For The Holidays" by Alexis Dubon. Published in the August 2021 issue of After Dinner Conversation: Philosophy | Ethics Short Story Magazine.

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STORY SUMMARY (Spoilers): How do you find common ground with those that believe in a vast, intricate, media conspiracy to hide the truth? In this work of philosophical short story of fiction, the narrator drives out to his parent’s house to visit them for the holidays.  Much to his surprise, when his parents open the door, they are only two feet tall! He is concerned that his parents, like many in the world, have shrunk to half their size. His parents, however, are equally concerned about their son because they believe he, and others in the world, have doubled in size. The son tries to explain to his parents that they have shrunk, that is why their house, and all their belongings, seem so large. However, his parents believe he, like many others, have an altered idea of what reality is, and that they have been lied to by the media and local officials. The son continues to come year after year to visit his tiny parents, who continue to refuse that they have changed, not the world around them.

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This audiobook features "Cast Out" by Joanna Michal Hoyt. Published in the July 2021 issue of After Dinner Conversation: Philosophy | Ethics Short Story Magazine.

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STORY SUMMARY (Spoilers): How do you deal with generalized fears? How do you learn to overcome a mental health issue so you can serve others? In this work of philosophical short fiction, Verity suffers from irrational fears.  She is afraid the fire in her fireplace will catch her mattress on fire so she puts out the fire and rolls her mattress into the snow outside. A friend comes over, but she is too distraught to spend time with them. She heads to the community building and is told, “Tell truth and shame the devil.” And so she does.  She stops trying to hide her mental health issues and, bit by bit, they get better. She gets a job helping the local healer. Eventually, when those from the neighboring community have childbirth issue that need help on the outskirts of town, she is asked to go in the place of the healer. The neighboring community members tell of a “fear plague” that has stricken communities they are fleeing.  Time passes, and, eventually, a strange mist comes to the town; the fear plague. When a neighbor goes briefly missing the community jumps to the conclusion it was caused by the strangers on the outside of town.  The fear has taken hold of them, everyone is a suspect, and everyone is at risk. Verity rush to the front of the group, talks sense into them, and calms them down.  The missing community member is found.

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This audiobook features "The Ascension Review of Xebob Zebble" by Sebastian Hoyle. Published in the August 2021 issue of After Dinner Conversation: Philosophy | Ethics Short Story Magazine.

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STORY SUMMARY (Spoilers): How do we judge behavior in the modern day that was considered acceptable at the time it was performed, but unacceptable by modern standards? In this work of philosophical short story fiction, Xebob is waiting for his accession review. If he passes, he will be named, for life, an Interaction Guide.  In that position he will hear and issue proclamations governing the appropriate behaviors of everyone on his planet.  The problem is, he is a MalPar-A, and a MalPar-B has recently come forward with allegations that he Danyar’ed, and maybe even Disma’ed, a MalPar-B in his youth. Xebob knows the story is true, and he knows the story will ruin his chances in front of the accession board. While he now believes these are inappropriate actions, as a youth he felt differently.  In fact, most of society at the time felt differently.  Now he is faced with the difficult question, should he allow himself to be held accountable for the actions of his youth, or lie and say the accusations are false?

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This audiobook features "Mahabbah" by Logan Thrasher Collins. Published in the August 2021 issue of After Dinner Conversation: Philosophy | Ethics Short Story Magazine.

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STORY SUMMARY (Spoilers): Would the world be better with more empathy? If so, why not simply engineer society to be more empathetic? In this work of philosophical short story fiction, Jacqueline is a scientist who invents a virus that she says changes people for the better.  By editing genes and changing hormone levels it makes people more empathetic and compassionate towards others. She calls it Mahabbah and she wants the help of her friend Aziz to continuing human trials and release it into the world.  Aziz agrees to also test the virus and determines it does perform as advertised. After being infected, Aziz is more sympathetic, and more willing to help others. When Aziz goes to Jacqueline’s office, he finds that she is being detained and her office is being quarantined. Jacqueline gets a message to Aziz who goes to her house, gets the virus, and releases a transferable version in the airport.  It works.  Over the next few months wars end and world peace takes hold. Jacqueline is released from quarantine months later and meets up with Aziz, and their friendship is strengthened in a new world.

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This audiobook features "Claim" by Fiona Ennis. Published in the August 2021 issue of After Dinner Conversation: Philosophy | Ethics Short Story Magazine.

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STORY SUMMARY (Spoilers): Are there certain things you shouldn’t be able to insure against? In this work of philosophical short story fiction, the narrator has an eating disorder, and mental health issues.  Regardless, she is a good employee at an insurance company. Just before closing, a call arrives from a good client, the local diocese who inquires about getting insurance to protect them against sexual abuse of children by priests. She takes the issue, and her concerns, to her boss who threatens to fire her if she fails to write the policy. It’s not their job to judge, he says, it’s their job to insure. A flashback shows why this point strikes so close home with the narrator. As a young child she was bullied on the school bus for being overweight. In an attempt to lose weight she started getting off the bus early to walk the last three miles home. Later, her bully accused the bus driver of touching her when they were on the bus alone together. Having come full circle, not much has changed. The narrator writes the contract, and sends it to the diocese to sign and return.

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This audiobook features "They Got Their Show" by Garrett Davis. Published in the August 2022 issue of After Dinner Conversation: Philosophy | Ethics Short Story Magazine.

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STORY SUMMARY (Spoilers): What does it take to forgive? Why can’t we force ourselves to forgive sooner? In this work of philosophical short story fiction, Nick’s high school daughter was murdered on her way to the Blockbuster Video store in 1995. Her friend and classmate, Benjie, was found guilty of her murder.  20 years later a Netflix true crime series interviewed the witnesses and shined a light on the case, causing it to be reexamined. After 20 years, Benjie is released from prison as innocent.  Nick is an alcoholic who, for 20 years, has failed to move on from his daughter’s death and dreamed of Benjie getting the electric chair.  Now, he is called to be the taxi driver that picks Benjie up from the prison. They talk, and Nick begins to find forgiveness.

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This audiobook features "The Book of Approved Words" by W.M. Pienton. Published in the July 2022 issue of After Dinner Conversation: Philosophy | Ethics Short Story Magazine.

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STORY SUMMARY (Spoilers): Can you change your thoughts by changing your words? Do you have an obligation to speak the truth, even a politically incorrect one?  In this work of philosophical short fiction, the narrator is a government approved writer. His job is to update published works by deleting words that have been made illegal; words like Easter, retard, and faggot. Words that might offend anyone. The narrator leaves his office to pick up the newest edition of the Bureau’s Book Of Approved Words.  Of course, in getting the new edition, he must turn in the old edition.  The narrator goes home, frustrated. Each year, it seems, there are less and less words. The narrator finds his brother-in-hiding, Silas, waiting in his house. He works with the Freedom Of Speech Movement and has a request, he would like a copy of the old banned books the narrator received from his grandfather that he keeps hidden.  They plan to upload the books to the net for others to read. The next day the narrator is reassigned from writing movie reviews to writing music reviews because he wrote one to many “anything-but-glowing,” movie reviews. He agrees to provide an earlier edition of a dictionary to his brothers group. The narrator submits the old edition dictionary to be published on the net, his career has come to an end.  He is now an outlaw too.

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