Although the news we are constantly subjected to regarding the state of human affairs around the globe gives us cause to be pessimistic about prospects for the future viability of the species, there are also trends that may suggest a different future. I have come to this conclusion not out of unfounded optimism or purely wishful thinking but rather out of the realization that there exists an insatiable hunger within the vast majority of the world's people for a more peaceful world grounded in true human equality and social justice. The desire to satiate this longing is evidenced by the multitude of voices around the globe that are not only insisting upon changes in the status-quo but also actively pursuing paths towards the peaceful transition to a sane and viable future. These voices are everywhere, and cannot be silenced. This conclusion can be readily verified by simply searching the Internet for those organizations built upon the premise of creating the conditions for a more peaceful and equitable world. Such organizations focus their attention on human rights abuses and the often intolerable conditions that are the daily reality of hundreds of millions of individuals; these kinds of organizations literally stretch around the globe and are often deeply intertwined.

This book is an original collection of short stories and essays. The stories depicted cover a panorama of fiction motifs including literary, science fiction and fantasy genres. The essays presented represent an examination of a wide range of the many and often confusing aspects of contemporary life.