World Without Men: The Religion of Selene — The Faithful Acolyte

In a future governed by matriarchal law, where the last remnants of masculinity are tightly controlled and obedience is the only virtue, one acolyte's quiet rise begins not with violence—but with perfect discipline. Liora was born beyond the boundaries—an unnamed soul from the Neutral Zone, without lineage, without claim. Her admission into the Temple of Selene should have been impossible. Yet her memory held doctrine she was never taught. Her mind aligned with the Creed before her lips spoke it. She asked to serve, not to escape, but to belong. And the Temple watched. Now, on her first solo Benediction assignment, she must execute a sacred reduction alone—unassisted, unshielded, and unwavering. She carries no rank beyond "Acolyte." But the drones obey her voice. Her pulse remains steady. Her will is unshaken. She does not lust, falter, or doubt. And yet, those above her mark her as... different. The Faithful Acolyte is a powerful feminist dystopian novella exploring the intersection of gender, doctrine, and discipline in a world where the sacred replaces the scientific, and control is liturgy. A prequel entry in the acclaimed World Without Men saga, this origin story examines how one acolyte's flawless obedience reveals a deeper tension in the system: What happens when a woman is too perfect to question? This book is for readers of dystopian feminism, religious sci-fi, matriarchal futures, speculative gender fiction, and female-led ritual fiction. Themes include indoctrination, faith over emotion, the ethics of power, and the annihilation of patriarchal structures. Fans of Margaret Atwood, Octavia Butler, and Kameron Hurley will feel at home inside this lyrical, ritualized, and hauntingly obedient world.