Best of
Space-Opera
2021
Holy Ground
Evan Currie - 2021
there was a war that had to be won.In this explosive novel traditional claims, modern borders, and the dreams for a better tomorrow clash when the IndoChina backed Eastern Alliance takes a new and aggressive stance on the world stage, ushering in the last great World War.A long patient wait is rewarded after over a century when the Chinese portion of the Eastern Alliance Bloc makes their move in the Pacific. For decades, only the US Navy has held them back from reclaiming what they believe to be theirs, but now the American forces are tired after decades of small wars, underfunded, and unprepared for what is coming. Additionally, the Bloc has an ace that shifts the balance of power and they intend to play it for all it is worth.As the world plunges into the fires of war, a ragtag force of American, Japanese, and a smattering of other nationalities, sent fleeing across the ocean from Japan with aggressors nipping at their heels, are presented with a choice. Keep running, or choose a battleground and face their fate.No more running. They will make their stand... on Holy Ground.This explosive military thriller from Evan Currie, author of the best selling Odyssey One series, introduces readers to a world on the cusp of something more... a world ready to step beyond the problems of history... but first, there is one final war to be fought.
Backyard Starship
J.N. ChaneyJ.N. Chaney - 2021
Little did Van realize, the old man's tales were more than fiction. They were real.Hidden beneath the old barn, Van’s legacy is waiting: a starship, not of this world.With his combat AI, an android bird named Perry, Van takes his first steps into the wider galaxy. He soon finds that space is far busier and more dangerous than he could have ever conceived.Destiny is calling. His grandfather's legacy awaits.
Violent Graduation
John Hindmarsh - 2021
The risk to his friends at the academy is the hidden price. His challenge is how to balance the risks.The final stage of his training is a shakedown cruise on an old minesweeper, barely able to achieve FTL entry and exit.Midway through their cruise, the minesweeper collides with an ancient alien wreck, ripping the sides off the starship. Jack’s team of bots help seal the combined wreck to prevent air loss. Ghost, a nanolife form from the alien wreck, provides assistance.Jack and his girlfriend, Sofia, are the only survivors, and air, food, and supplies are critical.The countdown of days to survive is ticking.No wonder the Royal Family are angry.And there’s still a price on Jack’s head.
Artifact Space
Miles Cameron - 2021
But though she's made her way onboard with faked papers, leaving her old life - and scandals - behind isn't so easy.She may have just combined all the dangers of her former life, with all the perils of the new . . ., ,
Boundless
Jack Campbell - 2021
Even when he uncovered overwhelming evidence that the highest echelons of the government and fleet command were involved in secret programs and prison camps, he believed it was worth saving. And that his duty was to see that justice was served even though some factions feared that revealing the truth would cause the Alliance to crumble.But after narrowly surviving two assassination attempts when he brings evidence of the misdeeds to the capital star system, Geary realizes that some have decided the easiest way to make the Alliance's problems go away is to get rid of him. He finds himself ordered to undertake a perilous new mission outside of the reaches of human-occupied space while the Senate clashes over the evidence.Geary's warships must escort a diplomatic and scientific mission across the dangerous, disintegrating remnants of the Syndicate Worlds empire. But even if he can make it to Midway Star System, the gateway to alien-controlled space, Geary will face former Syndicate officials who have rebelled and regard the Alliance with deep suspicion. And that will be the easy part. . . .
Shards of Earth
Adrian Tchaikovsky - 2021
Clarke award-winning author of Children of Time brings us an extraordinary space opera about humanity on the brink of extinction, and how one man's discovery will save or destroy us all.The war is over. Its heroes forgotten. Until one chance discovery . . .Idris has neither aged nor slept since they remade him in the war. And one of humanity's heroes now scrapes by on a freelance salvage vessel, to avoid the attention of greater powers.After earth was destroyed, mankind created a fighting elite to save their species, enhanced humans such as Idris. In the silence of space they could communicate, mind-to-mind, with the enemy. Then their alien aggressors, the Architects, simply disappeared—and Idris and his kind became obsolete.Now, fifty years later, Idris and his crew have discovered something strange abandoned in space. It's clearly the work of the Architects—but are they returning? And if so, why? Hunted by gangsters, cults and governments, Idris and his crew race across the galaxy hunting for answers. For they now possess something of incalculable value, that many would kill to obtain.
Cast Adrift
Christopher G. Nuttall - 2021
Over the years, humans have grown used to their position within the empire, serving as soldiers and spacers for alien masters as well as building a place in the universe for themselves. But now, in the aftermath of a violent interstellar war that shattered the power of the Alphans, humanity has rediscovered its pride. Humanity wants to be free.Facing a war they will lose even if they win, the Alphans give humanity its independence once again. Humanity stands alone in a hostile universe, facing alien threats that regard humans as nothing more than servants - or weaklings, easy meat for armed conquest. And if the human race cannot learn to stand on its own two feet, without its masters, it will rapidly discover that it has traded one set of masters for another ...... And if they lose the coming war, all hope of independence will die with it.
Excalibur Lost: a Space Opera Novella
Glynn Stewart - 2021
Humanity’s fate leaves him no choice—until their ship stumbles onto a legendary lost warship and the remains of a failed plan to save all mankind…
Astray
Jenny Schwartz - 2021
She has buried more secrets than she’s dug up. Widowed in the recently ended twelve year war between Capitoline and Palantine, she now makes a living as an independent tagger in border space.Captain Liam Kimani could be credited with ending the latest royal war. Instead, he’s blamed for it. Dirty commoners aren’t meant to lay their hands on royalty.He has no regrets.When Liam and his crew of the battlecruiser RC Genghis Khan are exiled to Capitoline’s border they discover that life in unexplored space can be more dangerous than war, and that their best chance of survival lies with a mysterious, elusive tagger.The only problem is that Nora’s secrets might destroy the precarious stability of the entire Human Sector.Astray is a fast-paced, enthralling space opera of lost societies, ancient aliens, rugged warriors and semi-legal pirates.
Axis Crossing
S.H. Jucha - 2021
Naiad, the home world, is a frozen ball, but the colonists persevere and expand through wormholes to remote systems.Navigating the time-space anomalies requires Axis-ships. The expensive vessels are constructed by corporations, and remote worlds are claimed by the companies for their valuable ores and gases.The corporations and Naiads are at odds with each other, and their lives are made more complicated by the arrival of strangers in an alien ship.To understand the nature of the unusual vessel coasting toward Beta Two, the director of operations orders the kidnapping of specialists from other mining worlds. Entire families are scooped up, but two siblings, Escher and Allie, evade capture.Hiding deep below the domes’ surfaces, the siblings are befriended by the orphans of miners. The young mickies don’t possess identification chips or cids, which would identify them as citizens.The gang of mickies and the siblings strike a deal to help each other. Each group is determined to reach Naiad. The mickies seek citizen status and freedom, and Escher and Allie want help rescuing their parents.The beleaguered group’s hastily derived plans bury them in criminal complications. When all appears lost, a second alien vessel exits the dark. The hull is similar to the ship at Beta Two, and these strangers seek their enemies.
Fall of the Core
Ryk Brown - 2021
A freelance reporter struggling to get into the 'big time'...A rookie officer starting her career in public safety...A cargo ship captain trying to outlive a terminal illness that has no cure...A bounty hunter returning a long-hunted fugitive to Earth...A terrible plague that threatens to destroy the human race...The 25th century is not starting off very well."Fall of the Core" is a 150,000 word stand-alone novel in the Frontiers Saga Universe."
Rebel's Call: A Military Sci-Fi Series
Jamie McFarlane - 2021
Fewer survive. Join the elite at Space Academy and fulfill your destiny today!Separated at birth, orphaned twins Peyton and Jai Foster’s lives couldn’t be more different. Raised by a billionaire, Peyton Foster has been taught that anything other than first place is failure. With her adoptive family’s name dangled like a carrot, she’ll need to not only get accepted to Space Academy but finish at the top of her class.Raised in a group shelter one step from the streets, Jai Foster has earned every meal he’s ever eaten. Discovering early that his penchant for technology gave him an undeniable advantage, Jai manages to earn a spot to the Academy with hopes of securing a future better than as some low-level corporate cog.When fellow cadets are callously murdered for failing training exercises, the orphaned twins discover that the corporations controlling the solar system are far more sinister than they could’ve ever imagined. When terrorist attacks leave millions dead, Academy’s cadets are drafted to fight the latest corporate war.But what happens when the twins discover that the terrorist enemy they’re fighting isn’t the real enemy? Will a pair of orphans follow the orders of an immoral corporation or will they find that fighting against tyranny is worth everything?Experience the start of an exciting new Military Sci-Fi series by Amazon Bestsellers Jamie McFarlane and Rachel Aukes. Join the fight today!
Baldwin's Legacy: The Complete Collection (Books 1-6)
Nathan Hystad - 2021
Fractured Empire - Complete Cadicle Series Boxset
A.K. DuBoff - 2021
and they're losing.
When High Dynasty heir Wil Sietinen comes face-to-face with the Bakzen, a mysterious race skilled in advanced telekinesis, he's forced to confront his destiny. A secret war is being waged within a hidden dimensional rift, and his unique gifts can help win the fight.As the dire nature of the conflict and the truth about his own abilities unfolds, Wil realizes he's at the center of a galactic conspiracy. And enemies are not who they seem.With the future of the entire Taran Empire hanging in the balance, Wil holds the key to victory—but saving his people may come at the ultimate price.The Cadicle series is a sweeping epic that will grab you from the first page, offering a rich blend of adventure, intrigue, and the intersection of technology with mental powers. Join multiple generations of one noble family in their battles against unimagined foes to change the course of an empire. This series is an entry point into the award-winning Cadicle Universe.The Fractured Empire boxset contains the complete Cadicle series:-- Volume 1: Architects of Destiny-- Volume 2: Veil of Reality-- Volume 3: Bonds of Resolve-- Volume 4: Web of Truth-- Volume 5: Crossroads of Fate-- Volume 6: Path of Justice-- Volume 7: Scions of Change
Inhibitor Phase
Alastair Reynolds - 2021
The slightest hint of human activity could draw the wolves to their home, to destroy everything ... utterly. Which is how Miguel finds himself on a one-way mission with his own destructive mandate: to eliminate a passing ship, before it can bring unwanted attention down on them.Only something goes wrong.There's a lone survivor.And she knows far more about Miguel than she's letting on . . .Ranging from the depths of space to the deeps of Pattern Juggler waters, from nervous, isolated communities to the ruins of empire, this is a stealthy space opera from an author at the top of his game.Praise for Al Reynolds' Revenger'A swashbuckling thriller' The Guardian'A blindingly clever imagining of our solar system in the far flung future' The Sun'A rollicking adventure yarn with action, abduction, fights and properly scary hazards' The Daily Telegraph
The Prince Awakens: Book 1 in the Prince of Britannia Saga
Fred Hughes - 2021
That was always going to be complicated since he was a Prince of the Realm. Complicated turned into almost impossible when the Empress is attacked. What is a simple lieutenant supposed to do with his mother in a coma, a seemingly invincible enemy on the offensive, a darkness from the past stirring and his paranoid older brother trying to assassinate him. The lieutenant remembers his oath and with a former spy, a handful of Marines, his uncle and most importantly, his father, decides to defend the Empire from all enemies whether foreign or domestic.
Dark of the Void
Anthony James - 2021
The enemy warships are seemingly invulnerable and able to act with impunity, killing and destroying at will. Billions of lives are at risk, along with the new technology the Kilvar have come to steal.Against this opponent, the years of preparation seem useless. And yet…the alliance military has plenty of veterans who never learned how to give up.Lieutenant James Vance – a soldier of many past conflicts - thinks he’s seen the worst of the universe. The Kilvar will prove him wrong.Captain William Flint – his heavy cruiser Loadout is about to come face-to-face with an enemy he can’t possibly overcome.Fleet Admiral Carl Recker is the most decorated officer in the alliance. All his experience may not be enough to handle what lies ahead.Hardened by years on the frontline and endless past conflicts, humanity and the Daklan must figure out a way to defeat the Kilvar. The solution will, perhaps, be far more deadly than the enemy. With new technology comes new risks, and what the alliance has discovered may well be the most terrible weapon of all.Dark of the Void is a traditional-style science fiction action adventure and the first in the Forged Alliance series. Inside this book, a reader will find space combat, ground combat, ruthless aliens, incredible tech and lots more.Author’s Note: Forged Alliance is set twelve years after the Savage Stars series of books. Dark of the Void is welcoming to new readers, with no requirement to read the first series, but if you want to learn the history of this universe, by all means start with the Savage Stars Book 1: War from a Distant Sun.
Cherry Drop (Abner Fortis, ISMC Book 1)
P.A. Piatt - 2021
When he makes his first combat drop, or cherry drop, he’s a know-nothing second lieutenant added to the mission roster as an afterthought. The Space Marines are tasked to support the Galactic Resource Conglomerate (GRC) while they test a revolution in military technology: Precision Crafted Soldiers (PCS). All the Space Marines have to do is kill bugs. Even when a tragic accident leaves Fortis in command, the mission is still an easy breather. When the Space Marines discover proof of a long-buried betrayal, though, friends become enemies, and their mission goes awry. Does Fortis have what it takes to lead the Space Marines to survival in the face of overwhelming odds?
Relentless Box Set: The Complete Fleet Ops Trilogy
Scott Bartlett - 2021
The Rise of Daan: Chronicles of Daan: Book 1
D. Ward Cornell - 2021
You’d think that would be a good thing, but in truth, not so much. You see, a Protected World is a sentry world. One located along the edge of human space, there to sound the alarm if there’s an alien invasion. A world that is marginally habitable, so unlikely to be a target, yet well connected to the rest of humanity, so able to sound the alarm.And that’s the real problem. Marginally habitable worlds can’t support a significant population. And for the few of us that live here, it’s difficult to scrape out a living.You might ask why anyone would want to live in such a place. I ask that question all the time. The short answer is that these worlds were given away to anyone that had the means to claim and settle them. A lot of adventurers couldn’t resist the opportunity. My grandfather, six generations back, was one of those people.There are many stories about my ancestral grandfather. He was apparently quite a character, eccentric as well. Many of his sayings are built deeply into our culture, and most involve the number six. Spend a day in town and you’re likely to hear them. ‘Better to do one thing well than six things poorly.’ Or ‘better to have six good days than one good week.’Of his many sayings, there’s the one my mother quotes all the time. ‘The sixth son of the sixth generation will stand above them all.’Well, it turns out that I’m the sixth son of the sixth generation. My father, and all his forefathers, were first sons of first sons down the line from the great Jared Daan. I was my father’s sixth son. Sixth son of the sixth most direct connection to our founder. My parents gave me the name of my ancestor, Jared Daan. I’m the first to bear that name since the great man passed. My mother says I’m destined for greatness. I think that’s crazy talk. But my five brothers hate me for it.
Covert Incursion (CERBERUS Book 11)
Andy Peloquin - 2021
He must now fight to save his brother’s life from the same disease that is slowly killing him.His race for a cure sends him across the galaxy to Terra Omega, the world where he lost everything—and where his story and that of Project Icarus truly began. There, he and Warbeast Team come face to face with monstrous creatures of nightmare, inhuman soldiers, and technology far deadlier than anything previously encountered.Can the elite unit defeat overwhelming odds and achieve an impossible high-stakes covert incursion, or will their efforts to save one cost all these brave solders their lives?
Don't miss The penultimate book in the epic Cerberus Series by Andy Peloquin.
Rocket Repo (Reassembly, #1)
C.P. James - 2021
Together, they built the only ship capable of bringing Eli home. But on the eve of their departure, it disappears. Their quest to find it exposes a conspiracy to destroy all life in the universe — a plan they can't stop without their one-of-a-kind ship.For years, Geddy didn't need anything or anyone but a custom-made blaster and a couple fingers of Old Earth whisky. But since triggering the industrial accident that forced the evacuation of Earth 2, he's only had Eli for company. A daring escape off-planet lands him aboard a creaky salvage trawler with a plucky crew and the galaxy's worst business model.But stalwart friends are better than any weapon. With the help of Eli, his oddball crew, and their trusty trawler, Geddy must traverse the cosmos in order to track down his ship and save the universe. Each thrilling, hilarious new adventure brings them closer to the truth but ever farther from a decent steak.If you like solid sci-fi with a generous dose of wit, the scale of Guardians of the Galaxy, and the offbeat alien characters of Men In Black and The Orville, you'll devour Rocket Repo: Book 1 of Reassembly.
The Stone Wolves: Space Adventure with Aliens
Scott Sigler - 2021
Rampant Destruction (Cerberus #10)
Andy Peloquin - 2021
The Protection Bureau’s day of reckoning has come!Armed with the proof that Agent Styver betrayed him and locked him in the Vault, Nolan is determined to sever ties with the Protection Bureau once and for all.If only it was that simple or easy…Even with a small army of fellow Silverguards and a newly upgraded Taia, he’s taking on the most powerful secret government organization in the Nyzarian Empire, one that possesses unlimited resources and technology beyond anything he’s encountered or defeated.The battle is already fierce, but things will get really ugly when the Protection Bureau decides to threaten everything and everyone Nolan loves.
Don't miss Book 10 in the explosive Cerberus Series!
Stars Dark: The Complete Series (Complete Series Box Sets)
Joshua James - 2021
We Fight for Freedom (Starship Freedom Book 3)
Daniel Arenson - 2021
Weapons Free
Daniel Gibbs - 2021
One vicious attack destroys it all.Reservist Lieutenant Justin Spencer loves every minute of flying fighters through space during his annual two-week tour with the Coalition Defense Force. The job back home isn’t nearly as thrilling as blowing up asteroids with the squadron under his command, but it keeps him close to his wife and daughter. After all, joining the CDF was only for the free education. Justin never expected a battle, much less a war.With one shot across his cockpit, peacetime fades into memory.An unexpected enemy emerges with overwhelming force designed to obliterate the Terran Coalition. The League of Sol has a different name, but it’s the same communist regime that chased away much of Earth’s population hundreds of years ago.Illusions of returning home are shattered in a single instant. Simulated battles become all too real, and it’s full-on engagement or permanent elimination. Death and destruction erupt across the Terran Coalition and leave Justin in a protracted war with only one truth remaining.The battlefield will leave no one unscathed.
Prophet: The Chronicles of Daan: Book 2
D Ward Cornell - 2021
Exodus
John Walker - 2021
A mindless alien race has swept across the colonies, consuming structures and people along the way. As humanity stands on the brink of destruction, we have one hope to preserve what’s left of our culture and very lives. The Passage.One of the greatest scientific achievements of humanity, a gateway that will hyper-accelerate our faster than light drives so we can cover an unimaginable distance. A new home waits beyond, one far from our aggressors. But can we escape the desolation of our old empire before it’s too late?
Warhawk’s Amnesty: A Space Opera Harem Adventure (The Amnesty's Adventures Book 1)
Ajax Lygan - 2021
For Death or Freedom (Starship Freedom Book 4)
Daniel Arenson - 2021
Scions' Flight (Lisinthir's Heirs Book 2)
M.C.A. Hogarth - 2021
Hestia 2781
Janet Edwards - 2021
Lieutenant Drago Tell Dramis’s first mission as a newly qualified fighter pilot ended with him and his team leader saving one of humanity’s oldest colony worlds, Hera, from destruction. Now he’s discovering that saving a world can be simple compared to living with the consequences.Both Drago and his team leader and second cousin, Jaxon, are famous now, given rapid field promotions, and are due to be awarded medals. Worryingly, Drago learns Jaxon has a mysterious secret and a past history of erratic behaviour. It’s vital that Drago keeps both of them out of trouble and away from nosy reporters until the medal ceremony, because Jaxon could do or say something that deeply embarrasses both the Military and their Betan clan.The Military is helping by sending their fighter team on a mission somewhere inconspicuously boring until the medal ceremony. That destination definitely won’t be Hestia, the perpetual trouble spot of humanity.
Liberation: The Chronicles of Daan: Book 3
D. Ward Cornell - 2021
Nonetheless they remain the most powerful force in the quadrant. In the hope of preventing another attack, Jared and his team press forward with a bold new agenda that will catapult human capability beyond all its competitors.Meanwhile, the Confederation is still reeling from the loss of its capital city and the majority of its central government. The commission created to manage the reconstruction and form a new government has made painfully little progress. As frustrations grow, their focus has shifted to Jaredaan’s role in the destruction of the Lepodred fleet and what this implies for the future.Outside human space, the Rufarven Emperor learns of human involvement in instigating his recent war with the Lepodred. He also learns of the humans’ astonishing victory over their common enemy. Concerned about the possibility of war on two fronts, he presses his niece to assess the human threat.Facing dangers internal and external, Jared turns to the mystery, only to find a new nexus forming, stealing away his ability to probe the future.Join Jared and his team as they navigate their way through challenges on all fronts.
Galactic Search and Rescue
Carol Van Natta - 2021
A telekinetic tech-whiz recently transferred to the worst Galactic Search and Rescue unit in the galaxy, she’d hoped after her string of epically bad breakups she’d have a fresh start. But when she can’t fight her feelings for her new teammate, she’s terrified her secret affection will show and cost both their careers.Subcaptain Rylando Dalroinn’s telepathic connection to animals used to be everything. But he has no idea how to admit his growing attraction to Taz, especially as it’s completely against the rules. And when they’re sent as a team of two to help a devastated town, he knows he can’t afford to let his heart’s desire distract him from their dangerous mission.As Taz works with Rylando and his unusual squad of trained animal helpers to free a desperate group of citizens, she puts her life on the line to protect her partner’s beloved creatures. But when Rylando realizes the people he’s rescuing are more than just innocent victims, he’ll have to throw out the rulebook to save them both.Can love—and a clever crew of animals—guide the couple out of the rubble and into a future together?Galactic Search and Rescue is a pulse-pounding story in the Central Galactic Concordance space opera series. If you like lovers in denial, edge-of-your-seat twists and turns, and intriguing psychic powers, then you’ll adore Carol Van Natta’s thrilling tale.Buy Galactic Search and Rescue to shake up the world today!Note: Galactic Search and Rescue first appeared in the limited-edition Pets in Space 5 science fiction romance anthology. The standalone version has been expanded from the original.
Galaxy Cruise: Royally Screwed (Galaxy Cruise #2)
Marcus Alexander Hart - 2021
But when bungling Captain Leo MacGavin botches the bride and groom’s first meeting, the wedding is off, and so is the truce!To stop an interplanetary war, Leo needs to make a royal love connection, and fast! But when he seeks help from his confidante Kellybean, he inadvertently sabotages her budding relationship as well. To further complicate matters, his ship is on the verge of catastrophic failure, his first officer is weaponizing the safety gear, and his acting head of hospitality is a sociopath who keeps maiming the guests.When Leo’s old flame makes a mysterious reappearance, can she help him unite the nuptial-bound nemeses, or is the whole galaxy royally screwed?"Galaxy Cruise: Royally Screwed" is the second uproarious adventure of the cruise starship WTF Americano Grande, featuring aliens in inflatable fat suits, a gladiator-style singles mingle, and a few very tasteful and understated poop jokes. Grab your copy today!
The Next Crusade (The Lunar Free State Book 5)
John E. Siers - 2021
She’s looking to get some payback for her last trip there eight years ago, which didn’t end well.For Nova Sakura, it will be a time for action with the Marines down on the planet, a time to take care of unfinished business and make good on the promises she was forced to leave the locals with on her first trip to Tatanna.But the Bugs aren’t the only enemy the Lunar Free State has to face. While they’re fighting to liberate a planet fifty light years away, someone else is planning to hit them a lot closer to home.
Arrival (The Tyr Trilogy, #1)
Richard Fox - 2021
He left the violence behind for a life of science, raising a family far from the bloodshed of the Corporation. With his wife, Sarah, and son, Michael, he studied the alien Tyr for years, hidden among their complex societies. Their mission should have ended with the arrival of a replacement team. Instead, the Clays’ corporate overlords choose a death sentence: an invasion fleet to conquer the Tyr.This first contact will destroy the Tyr, and only Daniel Clay and his family can help fight back against the drug-fueled conscripts and military might of the invaders. The Clays must help the Tyr from the shadows or be killed by the Tyr who fear them...or by the Corporation they’ve betrayed.But the Clays aren’t the only hidden power.If you like Avatar or V, you’ll love The Tyr Trilogy, a series that combines the wonder, excitement, and drama of top-notch sci-fi.
Victory's Wake
Daniel Gibbs - 2021
The war is over. Or is it?In the wake of the bitter galactic conflict, a cauldron of desperate refugees is rife with rival cartels and flooded with drugs and weapons. In this pocket of lawlessness, old enemies are fighting a new war by proxy. Captain Jackson Adams of the Coalition Defense Force is tasked with gathering a ragtag crew for a black ops mission—infiltrate the cartels and discover the enemy’s ultimate scheme. But what they uncover is more horrifying than anyone ever anticipated.
Belladonna Nights and Other Stories
Alastair Reynolds - 2021
This fourth collection gathers material mostly written by the former space scientist in the last decade, even as a number of stories—such as the title piece, set in the universe of House of Suns—revisit earlier environments. The scope of settings is wide, ranging from the contemporaneous Earth to the near future and out to the furthest realms of the galaxy, and taking in such diverse topics as the perils of immortality, cybernetic encounters in the Wild West, uncanny skateboard parks and the flocking behaviour of birds. There is horror here, but also hope—and not a little black humour.The collection includes “Open and Shut,” “Night Passage,” and “Plague Music,” a long, previously unpublished story, all three set in the Revelation Space universe.Limited: 1500 signed numbered hardcover copiesTable of Contents:* Introduction: Winter Did Come* Belladonna Nights* Different Seas* For the Ages* Visiting Hours* Holdfast* The Lobby* A Map of Mercury* Magic Bone Woman* Providence* Wrecking Party* Sixteen Questions for Kamala Chatterjee* Death’s Door* A Murmuration* Open and Shut* Plague Music* Night Passage* Story Notes
The Starborn Heir
D.J. Bodden - 2021
A legacy betrayed. A path to the stars.Zack was bred and raised to be the heir to a planet, but he's decided he's not the chosen one. He wants to get offworld, see the galaxy, and track down a piece of lost technology from his family's past.He'll need to steal a shuttle, get past the orbital defenses, and rendezvous with a smuggler on the star system's outskirts. But he can't do it alone—he's going to need a crew. Gathering a band of misfits from the colony's underworld, Zack strikes out toward the desert. The government is close on his heels, but Zack is willing to fight the gangs, make deals with aliens, and use illegal technology in wildly unsanctioned ways to blast his way to the stars. And if he can do a little good along the way, so much the better.Zack and his crew have a whole planet after them. The only way out is up.From D.J. Bodden, bestselling author of Viridian Gate Online: The Illusionist and the Black Year Series, comes a brand new science fiction adventure series set in the massive and ever-expanding FiveFold Universe.
The Cost of Freedom (Starship Freedom Book 2)
Daniel Arenson - 2021
A relic of a bygone era. A rusty old warship converted into a tourist trap. Then the aliens attacked. Now, once more, the legendary Freedom flies to war. The war is brutal. The enemy is merciless. The rahs, vicious arachnids from deep space, crave only one thing. Human flesh. Before this terror, Earth’s fleet crumbles. Starships burn. Millions die. But the Freedom still flies. James King, her gruff old commander, still fights. The Freedom will never surrender. The Freedom will never flee. The long, cold night has come to Earth, but the Freedom shines bright. The survivors of the fleet rally behind her. All brave souls heed her call. The Freedom sounds the cry of Earth: We will win!
Tales of the Sun Eater, Volume 1
Christopher Ruocchio - 2021
A new horror comes to a centuries-old war... A machine witch on trial for crimes against her own humanity... Pirates in the black of space… Here are tales of the far future, of a time where mankind reigns across the galaxy: a time of war, of great evil, and of greater heroes. Here are tales of the Sollan Empire, and of the barbarians who dwell in the cracks between its stars. Here are tales of strange, far worlds. Tales of battle, of desperation, and holy law. And here, too, are tales of a man who will change the fate and future of the galaxy as a whole. Tales of the Sun Eater, of Hadrian Marlowe himself.
Starship Freedom
Daniel Arenson - 2021
Today she's a tourist attraction.The space wars ended long ago. The Freedom is now a flying museum. The tourists love it. The Changing of the Guard, the starfighter aerobatics, the starboard cannon salute . . . it's the best show in the galaxy.James King commands the starship Freedom. He hates his job. He was a real soldier once. Back when the Freedom was a real warship. He never imagined himself running a tourist trap. Right after Christmas, he plans to retire.Then, on Christmas day, the aliens attack.Horrifying aliens. Creatures of claws, fangs, and endless malice. Within hours, they devastate Earth's military. Millions die.So much for retirement.The aliens spare the starship Freedom. After all, she's only a tourist attraction. But not to Commander King. He will get his beloved starship battle-ready. He will enter the fight. The Freedom will fly to war again!
Empire Reborn
A.K. DuBoff - 2021
We forgot. Now we pay the price. Jason Sietinen lives in the shadow of greatness. He’s worked hard to become a TSS officer in his own right, but having war heroes for parents is hard to top. When Jason is assigned to investigate a mysterious attack, he finds evidence of powerful transdimensional beings never before seen. Or so he thought. Jason soon learns that critical information was lost through the millennia: Tarans had an ancient treaty with the aliens. Unfortunately, rogue actions by a shadow faction within the Empire just broke the peace. With the future of the Empire hanging in the balance, Jason must find a way to unite the Taran worlds, including the lost colony of Earth, against the mounting threat. There’s just one problem: how do you fight an enemy you can’t see or touch? Perfect for fans of epic sci-fi featuring sprawling galactic empires, drama, intrigue, and psionic abilities, Empire Reborn is the first book in the Taran Empire Saga, a new entry point to the bestselling Cadicle Universe.
Escape
Blaze Ward - 2021
When that fails, Lazarus finds himself in an alien realm that nobody knew existed.Alone and bereft, Lazarus must find a way to survive in this foreign empire, make alien allies, and then find a way home.The start of a new epic space opera series pitting all sides and dozens of alien species in a war for the future of the entire galaxy.
Galaxy Cruise: The Maiden Voyage (Galaxy Cruise #1)
Marcus Alexander Hart - 2021
It got a karaoke DJ.Leo MacGavin is not the brightest specimen of humanity. But when he inadvertently rescues a flirty alien heiress, he’s promoted from second-rate lounge entertainer to captain of the galaxy’s most sophisticated cruise ship.Before he can flee in terror, a human-hating executive gives Leo an ultimatum—complete the vessel’s maiden voyage or mankind’s last colony will be turned into a sewage dump. To make matters worse, a militant cyborg is undermining his authority, a giant spider is terrifying the passengers, and a sentient plant keeps stealing all the beer.If Leo ever wants to see his home again, he’ll have to keep the guests happy through seven days of onboard antics and madcap shore excursions. As strange malfunctions tear the ship apart, can he hold his rag-tag crew together, or will he flush the last bastion of humanity down the crapper?
Not Alone: The Evolution Trilogy: Complete Sci-Fi Box Set
Craig A. Falconer - 2021
The Godel Operation
James L. Cambias - 2021
A wild chase through the billion worlds of the Tenth Millennium in search of a mythical weapon that could save civilization—or doom it! A DROID AND HIS BOY, ON A SEARCH FOR A LEGENDARY WEAPON Daslakh is an AI with a problem. Its favorite human, a young man named Zee, is in love with a woman who never existed — and he will scour the Solar System to find her. But in the Tenth Millennium a billion worlds circle the Sun—everything from terraformed planets to artificial habitats, home to a quadrillion beings. Daslakh's nicely settled life gets more complicated when Zee helps a woman named Adya escape a gang of crooks. This gets the pair caught up in the hunt for the Godel Trigger, a legendary weapon left over from an ancient war between humans and machines—which could spell the end of civilization. In their search, they face a criminal cat and her henchmen, a paranoid supermind with a giant laser, the greatest thief in history, and a woman who might actually be Zee's lost love. It's up to Daslakh to save civilization, keep Zee's love life on the right track—and make sure that nobody discovers the real secret of the Godel Trigger. Praise for Arkad's World: “Far-flung adventure . . . Cambias offers up an entertaining coming-of-age novel filled with action and surprises. His aliens are suitably non-human in mannerisms, attitudes, and objectives, and his worldbuilding suggests a vast universe ready for further exploration. Readers . . . will find this hits the spot.”—Publishers Weekly “. . . a classic quest story, a well-paced series of encounters with different folk along the way, building momentum toward a final confrontation with Arkad's past . . . [with] a delicious twist to the end.”—ALA Booklist “Cambias has achieved a feat of world-building: an expansive, believable setting with fascinating aliens, compelling mysteries, and a rich sense of history.”—Bookpage “Drop a teenage boy into a distant planet chock full of colorful aliens—with troubles all their own. Stir, flavor, apply heat. A tour de force in the field, and great, quick fun.”—Gregory Benford Praise for the work of James L. Cambias: “Beautifully written, with a story that captures the imagination the way SF should.”—Booklist, starred review “An engaging nail-biter that is exciting, fun and a satisfying read.”—The Qwillery '“An impressive debut by a gifted writer.”—Publishers Weekly, starred review “An exceptionally thoughtful, searching and intriguing debut.”—Kirkus, starred review “James Cambias will be one of the century's major names in hard science fiction.”—Robert J. Sawyer, Hugo Award–winning author of Red Planet Blues “Fast-paced, pure quill hard science fiction. . . . Cambias delivers adroit plot pivots that keep the suspense coming.”—Gregory Benford, Nebula Award-winning author of Timescape
Know When to Run: Mission 1 (Black Ocean: Mirth & Mayhem)
J.S. Morin - 2021
Those Left Behind (The Waystations Trilogy, #1)
N.C. Scrimgeour - 2021
A desperate mission. A crew facing impossible odds.
Humanity’s last hope lies with them…
Time is running out for the people of New Pallas. Nobody knows that better than Alvera Renata, a tenacious captain determined to scout past the stars with nothing but a handpicked crew and a promise: to find a new home for humanity.But when a perilous journey across dark space leads to first contact with a galactic civilisation on the brink of war, Alvera soon realises keeping her word might not be as easy as she thought.Her only hope lies with the secrets of the ancient alien waystations scattered across the galaxy. The mysterious technology could be the key to humanity’s survival—or bring unwanted attention from the long-forgotten beings who built them.But remaining united in the face of annihilation is a lot to ask from a crew already splintering under the weight of their differences. A jaded pilot looks for a place he can start over. A young translator searches for meaning out in the galaxy's lawless frontier. And Alvera reckons with the aftermath of betrayal as she fights for a way to save them all.As they break apart to forge their own paths, Alvera and her crew all face the same question: what are they willing to sacrifice to save those left behind?
Those Left Behind is an epic, galaxy-spanning space opera full of exploration, adventure, and ancient alien mysteries. Fans of Mass Effect, The Expanse and Star Wars will love this character-driven science fiction novel—the first instalment in the Waystations Trilogy.
Chrysalis
G.S. Jennsen - 2021
But when the government responds by trying to shut down the AIs before they have a chance to flourish, one woman realizes she must do whatever it takes to protect this still fragile new life, no matter the consequences.
Traitor's Folly
Marie Andreas - 2021
Then a bunch of murdering Asarlaí stepped up and made things messy.After a long recovery, she and most of her crew are ready to return to a nice, normal mercenary life of fighting where they are paid to fight instead of trying to save the Commonwealth.Things start to go off course when a mysterious ship comes far too close to her secret home planet. A ship that’s been missing for over fifty years.Then invaders from outside the Commonwealth show way too much interest in Vas and her crew—the type of interest that leads to death.The crew finally gets a job and undercover one outside the Commonwealth. Simple. Just find who has been stealing cargo from a major Commonwealth firm, get paid a lot of money, and come back.Things are never simple. Now Vas has to deal with pirates, murderers, long dead nuns, and an invasion that looks to be heading for the Commonwealth.This time the Commonwealth alone isn’t at risk—the entire Universe is.
Jati's Wager (Wind Tide, #2)
Jonathan Nevair - 2021
She wants nothing more than to flee into the wider world of the Arm. When her chance arrives, she makes it no farther than the first ship out of the system. That’s where Jati, the Patent War veteran and general fighting the Monopolies gives her a second chance. It's an unlikely partnership, but Ailo's rogue status is just what Jati's People’s Army needs to drive the final spike of victory into a weakening Garissian Council.A team of experts assembles and hope rests on Ailo's skill, stealth, and tenacity to pull off the impossible. It’s a wild gambit, and a moral code may need to be bent, or broken, to achieve success. When an internal shadow rises, casting doubt on their plans, Ailo and Jati are forced to weigh the cost of revenge against honor and justice.
Jati's Wager: a space opera inspired by the Greek myths of the Trojan War.
Interstellar Gunrunner: A Space Opera Adventure
James Wolanyk - 2021
Today, he's the universe's only hope.Bodhi Drezek is heartbroken, universally despised, and drowning in debt from the sixty-five million tons of explosive compounds in his cargo hold. Despite his former glory as one of the galaxy's foremost arms merchants, times are tough. The tyrannical Halcius Hegemony has nearly finished crushing a rebellion, depriving him of his top two customers.Under the gun to absolve his debts, Bodhi takes a job to help a group of desperate rebels pull off a daring heist on a Hegemony flagship. But upon grabbing the loot, he realizes his employer only fed him half the story: Instead of precious gems, he's hauling an alien weapon with apocalyptic levels of power. Accompanied by a future-seeing sidekick, a child prodigy, and the interdimensional being that fuels his ship, Bodhi prepares to pull off the ultimate double-cross—and turn the tide of war.Standing in his way is the entire Hegemony fleet and his employer's brutal hunters. But there's no going back now. The universe's last hope lies in one man—Bodhi Drezek, arms merchant and circumstantial savior.INTERSTELLAR GUNRUNNER is a space opera thrill ride perfect for fans of Firefly, the Bobiverse, and Guardians of the Galaxy.
Barbarians of the Beyond
Matthew Hughes - 2021
Now Morwen Sabine, a daughter of captives, has escaped her cruel master and returns to Mount Pleasant to recover the hidden treasure she hopes will buy her parents’ freedom.But Mount Pleasant has changed. Morwen must cope with mystic cultists, murderous drug-smugglers, undercover “weasels” of the Interplanetary Police Coordinating Company, and the henchmen of the vicious pirate lord who owns her parents and wants Morwen returned. So he can kill her slowly…Barbarians of the Beyond is a return to “Jack Vance Space” and space-opera derring-do that follows in the science fiction Grandmaster’s footsteps.
First Light
Casey E. Berger - 2021
Now, she's fighting back.When Jaya Mill’s parents were killed and her brother was kidnapped in an attack on her childhood home, she saw only one future for herself: enlist in the Union Starfleet and learn to defend herself.Now, as a lieutenant commander aboard the UNS Avalon, Jaya and her elite counterterrorism unit enlist the help of Tynan Vasuda, an alien scientist from the Szacante Federation, to investigate the potentially sinister research of the new and mysteriously well-funded Sons of Priam.Across the stars, a bounty hunter named Marantos accepts a high-paying assassination job in hopes of putting more distance between herself and her estranged royal family. But that job draws her straight into the web that the Sons of Priam are weaving to capture the highest office of the United Human Nations.As Marantos claws free from the Sons of Priam, her path intersects with Jaya and Tynan, and she must decide whether to keep running from her past or turn and fight this new threat. And as Jaya pushes to uncover the identity of the shadowy figure at the helm of the Sons of Priam, she begins to reveal what truly happened the night she lost her family.What Jaya discovers will challenge everything she knows…Don’t miss the first book in a space opera thrill ride for the ages, filled with explosive action, characters that leap off the pages, and plenty of mystery. It's perfect for fans of The Expanse and Mass Effect.
Deep Space Boogie
Scott Baron - 2021
Unfortunately for planet Earth, the best were busy.Mankind had won the Great War, defeating a terrible enemy after surviving an alien apocalypse that had nearly wiped out all of humanity. When the dust had finally settled, a new coalition of humans and the alien rebels who had fought beside them was formed, and with it, the rebuilding began.But when a strange attack craft warped in from the depths of space and attacked one of the survey teams without provocation. It seemed Earth and its new allies had a brand new enemy on their hands. One they knew nothing about. On high-alert and in dire need of intel, a rag-tag team was quickly formed to race out into the void to track them down.Unfortunately, things did not go according to plan.An unstable warp sent them tumbling off course, spitting them out in the distant reaches of the galaxy. They were lost, and they were without backup. But out in the depths of space, it seemed they were not alone.A series opening novellaLook for the Deep Space Boogie Bundle containing Warp Riders Books 1 & 2
The Strange Case of Starship Iris: Season 2
Jessica Best - 2021
Two years later, in a distant patch of space, a mysterious explosion kills nearly the entire crew of the science vessel Starship Iris. The only survivor is Violet Liu, an intrepid, sarcastic, terrified biologist. But as Violet struggles to readjust to life after the Iris, questions abound. Was that explosion really an accident? If not, just what is going on? And why does every answer seem to get more bizarre and more dangerous? If Violet and her newfound allies want to untangle the truth, they'll need courage, brilliance, and luck - and honestly, a couple of drinks.
Echoes of Gravity (Tapache's Promise Trilogy, #1)
James Murdo - 2021
Resurrected species with no memories of the past. Creatures composed of gravity strings. What is hidden in the void between galaxies?Tapache, a machine intelligence with great power, has revived the Roranian people from their derelict remains. It has gifted them the Great Ship to voyage through space, and given them a purpose: to discover the truth about a weapon capable of unthinkable devastation.An unexpected attack, followed by hundreds of years in stasis, scuppers those plans. Hope seems lost for a small group of Roranian survivors, until something far greater draws them in: a megastructure beyond comprehension.The megastructure is far from safe. There are incumbent species that already lay their claim, all with secrets of their own, and a strangely smart information network that exists where it has no right.Was Tapache lying?BOOK 1 OF THE TAPACHE’S PROMISE TRILOGY, SET IN THE WANDERER UNIVERSE.