Ordinary lives rarely remain ordinary. A schoolteacher drifts into the night sky. A scientist discovers a solution that could save billions-if only anyone will listen. A writer finds himself battling for the rights of a machine that may have developed a mind of its own. A coffee shop owner learns that the cockroaches beneath his floorboards have ambitions of their own. In Murdering Tranquility & Other Stories, Scott Hertzog presents eleven tales of speculative fiction where ordinary people encounter the impossible. Blending science fiction, satire, humor, and quiet wonder, these stories explore the moments when everyday life is interrupted by something unexpected-and nothing is ever quite the same afterward. The universe seldom announces its intentions. Sometimes it steals a decade. Sometimes it rewrites the rules. Sometimes it arrives disguised as a gift. By turns thoughtful, unsettling, humorous, and deeply human, Murdering Tranquility & Other Stories is a collection for readers who enjoy the imaginative wonder of Ray Bradbury, the speculative questions of The Twilight Zone, and stories that linger long after the final page. Included Stories: ¿ From Men Bearing Gifts ¿ A Sense of Adventure ¿ The Beginning of All His Troubles ¿ Murdering Tranquility ¿ Surfing Tails ¿ Integration ¿ The Seconds of a Decade ¿ The Gravity of the Situation ¿ Nothing Important ¿ Shrink! ¿ Survival of the Fittest