An alternate universe where all that was improbable begins to happen a lot. A black female narrator navigates the ever crumbling New York City in this new world order.

A young girl decides to run away with her best friend to a strange city only known in stories with the help of her talking dog after he loses everything in a world where success is scored to determine social status. But can they actually escape the controlling society they're running from?

An ordinary man gets an inch and a half of mention in the newspaper after stumbling into a low stakes rescue — and the small bit of fame sends him spiraling down a dark, egotistical path.

A typical nice-guy colleague with a toxically positive attitude delivers an exhortation to his colleagues about eliminating self-doubt so as to increase work performance.

A writer reflects on his mother’s incredible strength, which he depicts in a short story. However, his mother does not approve of the piece as he had hoped, and he soon makes an important discovery.

When a star player on his professional basketball team falls during the big game, a fellow player reflects on the history of Black people in the United States that brought them to that moment.

In a future where technology has advanced to the point where humans can undergo "optimization" to rid themselves of emotions and increase their mental functions, one man decides to cling to his humanity in an effort to atone for his sins and appreciate the beauty of being human.

When a deadly infection strikes the world, a girl and her family must make and live through difficult choices.

In the future, all humans must wait in an impossibly long line, where getting to the front means securing one’s future and never having to worry about money again. Waiting in the line for decades on end, the worst of humanity comes out.