Should gene therapy give criminals a chance for early release? In this work of philosophical fiction, Callum beats his wife Joellen and puts her face to a burning stovetop. As each screams, a police officer opens the front door. Callum shoot and kills the officer. He is sentenced to the harshest punishment, life in prison without the possibility of parole. Nineteen years later Joellen, and the officer’s widow, get notified that Callum has undergone gene therapy to remove his aggressive nature and, under a new state policy, is consequentially, eligible for parole. Joellen supports the parole, but the officer’s wife does not. In the end, Callum is paroled, and Joellen exacts her revenge.

Which punishment would you pick? In this work of philosophical short story fiction, the narrator lives in a society with an extreme form of environmentalism. Society has decided that people should live in archology islands and that the area between the islands should be left as pristine, undisturbed nature. City residents may only pass between the islands of civilization, and through the forest separated them, in groups of seven, with a guide, one time per year. And this is the problem. The narrator’s sister suffers from depression and, even though he has already made the crossing once this year, he attempts an illegal crossing to check on, and support her. He is caught and made to choose between the approved forms of punishment that include, (1) induced sleep, (2) extra work duty, (3) solitary confinement, (4) torture, or (5) limited privileges for the remainder of his life. He chooses solitary confinement and it nearly drives him crazy, but the greater punishment is knowing his sister is alone, suffering through her own depression.

What is the right way to support the unhoused? In this work of philosophical short story fiction, the narrator sees, and has periodic conversations with Abby and Robert, the homeless couple living in a tent by the Walmart. She buys them food, treats them with decency and respect, and generally asks nothing in return. They panhandle for money, needing to earn $80 a day to support their oxycodone habit. They don’t want treatment, they want more money, to be left alone, and to do drugs. Eventually, someone calls the police on them and Robert it taken away by the police. The narrator arrives just in time to vouch for Abby, and keep her from being arrested too. Weeks later, the narrator goes to check on their camp and sees it has been abandoned, with all their belongings left behind. She assumes Abby is dead. The story ends with the narrator befriending Donna, a homeless woman with a mental illness living in her car in the Walmart parking lot.

How do you support your criminal child? How does a sex offender move on with their life? In this work of philosophical short story fiction, Jake is released from Lincoln Hills, a prison for boys. He was convicted and sentenced to two years because, when he was fifteen years old, he was found have sexual a relationship with a ten-year-old boy. He is now a convicted sex offender, with all the rules, regulations, and social stigmas that go with it. He comes out of prison and moves back in with his mother, who loves him dearly, but is confused. She doesn’t understand how her son could do something like that, or how to interact with him moving forward. She loves him, but she’s also confused, and afraid. And the conversations with her co-workers aren’t helping. In the end, “for his own good,” she decides to move him into a vocational school for recently released young men with dormitory house.

How much say should a parent have in their child’s education? Should you always correct a student’s misunderstanding of facts? In this philosophical short story fiction, the year is 1982, the location is Chavez School in Phoenix, Arizona. The teacher/narrator of the story is having her usual day when an unusual new student comes to class, a black student named Omar. He is smartly dressed in a white shirt and tie, with polished black shoes. Unusual attire for a 4th grader in the hot Arizona desert. His father explains that they are Muslim, and that Omar is not to have class material related to holidays, and will not say the pledge of allegiance. Omar is teased, but mostly ostracized, by the other children, and racial slurs are sometimes heard on the playground. One day the narrator/teacher overhears Omar showing his younger brother the country of Niger on a world map. Niger, Omar explains to his younger brother, must be their home country, must where they are from, must be their home. That must be why he hears that word being called to him so often.

Does artificial intelligence have a place in jurisprudence and justice? Are there jobs where you would prefer AI to be in charge? Should the expense of trial (vs accepting a plea offer) be a factor in determining the punishment for a crime? In this work of philosophical short story fiction, Jason lives on a remote planet colony and has been arrested for hitting a fellow bar patron over the head with a beer bottle. The arresting officer gives him a choice. He can sit in jail and wait for the rotating judge to come through in a few months, or he can use Judicial Suite 3.7.1 and save everyone the time and trouble of a real judge in a court hearing. Jason accepts the use of the AI judge and is offered the choice of various AI lawyers to represent him. He is unable to decide which AI lawyer he wants to have represent him so he decides to plead guilty and allow the AI judge matrix to determine his punishment. The AI judge reviews the case and issues Jason a fine and therapy. Jason emerges from the “court room” and sees his arresting officer waiting for him. She informs him she had a bet with her fellow officer on if he would use the software or not. She won the bet.

What rights should sentient AI beings be given? What rights to work, technology, or gatherings should AI being be granted? Should AI be allowed the choice to commit suicide? In this work of philosophical short story fiction, Martha dies. She wakes up three years later with her consciousness put into the body of an android. She did not ask for this, it simply happened. She is forced to accept that Martha is dead, and that she must live out her new life as Echo. As an android, she has limited rights. She cannot see her former family or friends. She can only work for minimum wage. She cannot interact with any technology. She cannot go to the same location more than twice in a week. She cannot meet other androids for prolonged periods of time. She is not even allowed to terminate her own existence. Her only friend is a journalist who is trying to get the “android story” out. He does this by using an override switch that paralyzes Echo and allows him to download her complete data set since her inception.