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Displaying: 1-10 of 10 documents


1. After Dinner Conversation: Volume > 3 > Issue: 12
Kolby Granville

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2. After Dinner Conversation: Volume > 3 > Issue: 12
Veronica L. Asay

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To what extent should we use modern values to judge those working within the unjust rules and prejudice of their time period? Do unjust customs excuse unjust actions in response? In this work of historical ethical fiction, Benedict and the narrator elope and honeymoon in Scotland. Benedict is wealthy with a large estate and so, when they come back, the narrator is to become the lady of the estate. However, she quickly learns Benedict has a secret, his older brother of diminished mental capacity, has been declared dead and is being secretly kept in the attic of the house. This was done when Benedict was born so that he, and not his older brother, would inherit and control the family estate. The narrator is offended by the situation, but facing acceptance (and lower social standing) or divorce, she opts to continue the family lie.

3. After Dinner Conversation: Volume > 3 > Issue: 12
Alan Winnikoff

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To what extent are allegations of past wrongdoings newsworthy and relevant to voters and political campaigns? In this work of philosophical short story fiction, Mayor Ted is retiring and has requested that Brendon run to replace him. After consulting with his wife, Brendon agrees to run and throws himself into the campaign. As momentums builds, he is contacted by the local newspaper about a former employee who says he attempted to kiss her on a business trip ten years earlier. A few weeks later, one of his son’s teachers comes forward saying he groped her in the parking lot of the school. Brendon denies the allegations, but knows the first allegation is true, while the second was caused by him tripping on an uneven portion of sidewalk. Regardless, his wife decides to temporarily leave him to gather her thoughts, his female campaign manager resigns, and Mayor Ted withdraws his support over the “optics” of the allegations. Brendon limps to election night alone, but, much to his surprise, wins.

4. After Dinner Conversation: Volume > 3 > Issue: 12
Thomas J. Weiss

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Can atrocities happen without anyone having alterative choices to stop it? Does superior technology presuppose superior morality? In this work of philosophical short story fiction, the Rigel and the Musca are in a territorial race to the edge of the galaxy. Earth, a habitable planet with an underdeveloped civilization is needed for real estate development so it can support forty billion additional aliens. Vega is the alien real estate developer who has come to earth to offer a choice; support your colonization, and have technology shared with you prior to alien arrival, or fight us, and face your complete extinction at the hands of superior technology prior to alien arrival. Left with no good choices, humanity decides to fight.

5. After Dinner Conversation: Volume > 3 > Issue: 12
Brian Howlett

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How would society, and human interactions, be different if we were each allowed one free killing of another? In this work of philosophical short story fiction, the narrator works as one of two designers at an athletic shoe factory. Ally, the other designer and a missed love interest, takes him to lunch to inform him their departments are being merged and she will be the head of the department. In effect, she will be his boss. After they leave the restaurant, the narrator decides to finally use his “one free kill” and shoots and kills Ally, not for love, he says, but for work.

6. After Dinner Conversation: Volume > 3 > Issue: 12
Megan Neary

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Who deserves more credit, those who correct past wrongs, or those who never commit the wrong in the first place? Is it ever too late to do good? In this philosophical short story fiction, Lev is nearing the end of his life as a pawn shop owner. Upon reflection, he feels he frequently took advantage of those who were most in need, and wants to “examine his account with God.” To set things right, he goes about the process of freely returning all the items he has in his store to their original owners. Some items have been in his store for years, however, some owners, now decades older, he is still able to find. He returns the items he finds, and listens to their stories about why they originally sold them.

7. After Dinner Conversation: Volume > 3 > Issue: 12
Henry McFarland

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Should you set aside religious convictions to allow a medically necessary procedure to save your life? Is it wrong to interfere with those who make the choice to die for their religious convictions? In this medical and faith-based philosophical short story fiction, Jenny is a devote Christian whose life is threatened by a terminal illness. However, she can be saved by the use of stem cell technology, which she considers cloning. As such, she declines the procedure and, against the urging of her husband, accepts her pending death. Her husband secretly dismisses her wishes and lies to the doctor so that, when she is near death, she is able to accept the life-saving stem cell procedure. Jenny lives, and divorces her husband for refusing to follow her religious wishes. Her husband regrets nothing.

8. After Dinner Conversation: Volume > 3 > Issue: 12
Julie Sondra Decker

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If you could meet your clone, would you want to? What if you found out your clone was gay? In this work of philosophical short fiction, through a mix-up of process, Douglas Junior is a blue collar finds out he has a clone that has been unknowing living for years. Because the process took place after Douglas Junior was an adult, the clone is 20+ years younger than him. Excited by the prospect of being a “father” and meeting a younger version of himself, he reaches out and they meet over a meal. Things don’t go as plan as Douglas Junior learns his younger clone has excelled in math and science, is a budding astronaut, and is gay. None of this makes sense to Douglas Junior and the interacts quickly break down to argument. Faced with confusion, Douglas Junior decides the scientists are wrong, Douglas Junior Junior isn’t his clone.

9. After Dinner Conversation: Volume > 3 > Issue: 12

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10. After Dinner Conversation: Volume > 3 > Issue: 12

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