Call of Courage: 7 Novels of the Galactic Frontier


C. Gockel - 2019
    Some are called by adventure. All answer the call of courage.Jump into seven full-length novels exploring the limits of space, science, and courage. Aliens, artificial intelligence, rogue governments, and galactic frontiers--you'll find them all here.Heed the call. Download this collection of series starters today!***About the Books: Archangel Down by C. Gockel Commander Noa Sato doesn't believe in aliens. She's wrong. In the face of genocide she must hatch a daring plan with a ragtag crew to save the lives of millions--and her own. Every step of the way she is haunted by the final words of a secret transmission: The archangel is down. Anti Life by Allen KuzaraThe opposite of life isn't death; it's something far worse. Mission colonel John Alvarez must carry out one last mission, a rescue attempt. Unknown to Alvarez, however, is the hidden threat that awaits him, one that--if he cannot stop it--will doom humanity to a fate worse than death. Allies and Enemies: Fallen by Amy J. MurphyBorn into service of the Regime, Commander Sela Tyron is about as subtle as a hammer. To hammers, any problem can look like a nail. But things aren't always that easy--especially when Sela is forced to choose between the only life she's ever known and rescuing a trusted comrade. Traveler in the Dark by Deirdre GouldSixteen centuries ago, they fled Earth. They've never walked on soil, felt rain, or breathed unrecycled air. At last, they sent exploratory mission to a new planet. It's ideal... but they are not alone. Struggling for survival, they must make a choice. Sacrifice another species or accept their own extinction. Breakers of the Dawn by Zachariah WahrerHumanity has fallen from its once majestic place amongst the stars. Desperate for resources, they seize every available planet, exterminating their alien inhabitants. Sent to subdue an uprising, a government operative unearths an alien relic. The strange device promises extraordinary power, but can he trust it? The Backworlds by M. PaxAfter the war with the Foreworlds, competition among the Backworlds is fierce. Pickings are scant enough that Craze's father boots him off the planet. Cut off from everyone he knows with little knowledge of the worlds beyond, Craze must find a way to survive and get his revenge. Sky Hunter by Chris ReherTerrorists plot to destroy a space elevator on a remote planet. Nova Whiteside, Air Command pilot, is caught behind enemy lines in a bloody uprising. The treacherous and illicit schemes she uncovers there make her question who, really, is the enemy.

Refugee


Piers Anthony - 1983
    1 RefugeeCALIGULA OF THE STARSThough he was later accused of every crime and sexual perversion in the galaxy, Hope Hubris began as an innocent. Because he defended his older sister against the violent lusts of a wealthy scion, Hope and his peasant family were forced to flee Callisto, one of the moons of Jupiter. Pursued by the bloodthirsty scions across the airless desert, they barely escaped with their lives. The illegal space bubble was overcrowded with refugees, all hoping to reach Jupiter for asylum.But the space travelers had not reckoned on the terrible threat of high space-the pirates, barbaric men who rape, rob, and murder, with no thought but to satisfy their bestial appetites. It will take all Hope's ingenuity to survive, but the atrocities he witnesses will never die. There is only one way he can be rid of them . . . REVENGE

Maverick Gambit (Maverick Series, #1)


Marjorie King - 2019
    He’s lost a lot, and he has the scars to prove it.But then pirates target a town that Knox loves. They kidnap the town’s children and sell them into slavery. Knox knows they’ll be back for more and he won’t let it happen again. The town needs shields and he’ll get them, even if he has to steal them.Knox devises a carefully crafted plan and hires the perfect crew. He’ll “borrow” from Caravan Suppliers—the Goliath of space shipping—a company that can afford to lose a shield generator or two. No one will know he was there.But Caravan Suppliers has a dirty slave habit, and they’ll kill to it keep secret. When Knox stumbles onto it, he endangers his crew and his family. Will this operation cost Knox more than he’s willing to pay?From debut author Marjorie King, Maverick Gambit is the first book in the Maverick series. With a layered galaxy full of rich characters and thrilling heists, it’s perfect for fans of JN Chaney and Timothy Zahn. Get your copy today!

Gates of Cilicia


Michael G. Thomas - 2012
    They have little in common, other than their love of wealth and adventure, and a bitter hatred for each other. Known simply as the Black Legion, they will blaze a trail of death and destruction that will be remembered for generations. For Xenophon, the Black Legion is an escape from the state that tried to kill him and his family. Exiled from his homeworld he joins the mercenaries, along with Glaucon, the rich playboy, Roxana, the veteran naval commander, and Tamara, the blue-haired castaway with a hidden past and a violent personality. Nothing will prepare them for the carnage awaiting them as they enter the borders of the Median Empire, the largest and most powerful entity in the known Galaxy, ruled with an iron fist by the tyrant, Emperor Artaxerxes and his legions of slave soldiers. The Black Legion boasts the best weapons, armour, and equipment known to humanity. As well as the most advanced warships ever constructed, from frigates and battleships to the four mighty Titans. These great floating fortresses house thousands of warriors inside their cavernous armoured hulls. These mercenaries are no heroes; they are exiles, thieves, opportunists, and criminals. Each looking to make their name in the greatest enterprise in living memory, a military operation deep into the heart of the Empire. Battle for Cilicia is the first book in the Star Legions series from Michael G. Thomas, the bestselling author of the Star Crusades series. Previously published as the Black Legion series.

Earth Strike


Ian Douglas - 2010
    Now the creatures known as humans are near this momentous turning point.But an armed threat is approaching from deepest space, determined to prevent humankind from crossing over that boundary—by total annihilation if necessary.To the Sh'daar, the driving technologies of transcendent change are anathema and must be obliterated from the universe—along with those who would employ them. As their great warships destroy everything in their path en route to the Sol system, the human Confederation government falls into dangerous disarray.There is but one hope, and it rests with a rogue Navy Admiral, commander of the kilometer-long star carrier America, as he leads his courageous fighters deep into enemy space towards humankind's greatest conflict—and quite possibly its last.

Medusa Uploaded


Emily Devenport - 2018
    Until the day they kill her.An executive clan gives the order to shoot Oichi out of an airlock on suspicion of being an insurgent. A sentient AI, a Medusa unit, rescues Oichi and begins to teach her the truth—the Executives are not who they think they are. Oichi, officially dead and now bonded to the Medusa unit, sees a chance to make a better life for everyone on board.As she sets things right one assassination at a time, Oichi becomes the very insurgent the Executives feared, and in the process uncovers the shocking truth behind the generation starship that is their home.

The Challenge


Susan Kearney - 2004
    Kahn offers her proof she can't refute: Tessa has been brought forward through time to save Earth by winning an intergalactic challenge. Kahn only has a few weeks to train Tessa to use the psi-abilities he insists she has. He is confident in the success of a time-honored method that uses sexual frustration to bring out her powers, but Tessa is dubious. She's a martial arts expert and can fight her way through anything, but she's never had much luck with emotions.Luckily for Earth, Kahn can be very convincing...

Foothold: The Story of Mankind's First Expedition to the Stars


Dennis Ingram - 2014
    Adversity. Hope. A starship with eight people is launched into the unknown for the epic adventure of a lifetime. In the second half of the 21st century, Earth is struggling under the load of an ever-increasing population and a degrading environment. The tide of human politics ebbs and flows. Rising above the turmoil, the will is found to build one lone starship and launch it toward Tau Ceti. Hope for the future, hope for humanity. +++ An interview with the author Is this the original edition? No, it was professionally re-edited and given a new cover in May 2016. How would you describe Foothold? It’s a space colonization adventure. There’s adversity, but no violence. There’s science, but not so much that the characters and adventure are lost in technobabble. So it’s not for those that like hard science fiction? I love hard science fiction! Any book that features interstellar travel needs technological breakthroughs, and Foothold is no exception. The science is deliberately low-tech in some ways though, as our colonists need hardy technology that they can repair themselves. As the series progresses, we will see more and more high-technology appearing. Will the series remain non-violent? No, that will change in book 2. Why? Humans are humans. Wherever they go, conflict is bound to follow. It’s the first book of a series, right? Will there be a cliff-hanger? Yes, Foothold is the first in a series of eight or nine books. It definitely does leave the ending open for the next book, but not in a sudden cliff-hanger that has you reaching for your pitchfork and torch. Oh, and book 2, The Seasoning, is already out! In the book, a starship is launched in 2063. Surely that’s way, way too soon? Not if you believe in exponential progress. If we measure what we will achieve in the next 45 years by what we achieved in the last 45, it’s too soon. But I think it’s more likely the pace of change is accelerating and it’s not so far-fetched to think of subluminal star travel happening sooner rather than later. If it were a movie, how would you rate it? PG-13 for language and some mild sexual content.

Post-Human Omnibus


David Simpson - 2014
    What will happen when humans can live forever? Or die with just a few keystrokes? How will our governments react as they lose control of their citizens' data? And how do you feel about uploading your mind into a computer so that you may live on after death?The Post-Human Omnibus is the perfect book for these times. It's an epic series of stories that explore all sides of humanity's future through science fiction, from both near-future dystopias to far-future utopias (and everything in between). Written by award winning author & TEDx speaker David Simpson, this collection explores many different genres from thrillers to romances to mysteries and much more.

Excelsior


Jasper T. Scott - 2016
    The year is 2790 AD: with space elevators and giant orbital fleets hovering over Earth, open war looks inevitable, and people are anxious to get away. The lines are drawn, with the Confederacy in the East, and the First World Alliance in the West. In hopes of finding a refuge from the looming war, the Alliance is sending Captain Alexander de Leon to explore an Earth-type planet, code-named Wonderland, but at the last minute before launch, a Confederate fleet leaves orbit on a trajectory that threatens both the mission and Alliance sovereignty. The resulting power struggle will determine not only the fate of Alexander's mission, but the fate of the entire human race.

Off Planet


Aileen Erin - 2019
    When tensions turn violent, Maité finds herself trapped on Earth and forced into hiding.For over ten years, Maité has stayed hidden, but every minute Maité stays on Earth is one closer to getting caught.She’s lived on the streets. Gone hungry. And found a way to fight through it all. But one night, while waitressing in a greasy diner, a customer gets handsy with her. She reacts without thinking.Covered in blood, Maité runs, but it’s not long before SpaceTech finds her…Arrested and forced into dangerous work detail on a volcano planet, Maité waits for SpaceTech to make their move against the Aunare. She knows that if she can’t somehow find a way to stop them, there will be an interstellar war big enough to end all life in the universe.There’s only one question: Can Maité prevent the total annihilation of humanity without getting herself killed in the process?

The Boat of a Million Years


Poul Anderson - 1989
    Early in human history, certain individuals were born who live on, unaging, undying, through the centuries and millenia. We follow them through over 2000 years, up to our time and beyond-to the promise of utopia, and to the challenge of the stars.A milestone in modern science fiction, a New York Times Notable Book on its first publication in 1989, this is one of a great writer's finest works.

Acorna: The Unicorn Girl


Anne McCaffrey - 1997
    A trio of grizzled prospectors found her drifting in an escape pod amid the asteroids, adopted her, and took her to the bandit planet Kezdet, a place where no questions are asked and the girl might grow up free.But Kezdet has its own dark secret. The prosperity of the planet is based on a hideous trade in child slave labor, administered by "The Piper" -- a mystery man with special plans for Acorna and her powers. But free little girls have a way of growing into freedom-loving young women, and Acorna has special plans all her own. . .

Machinehood


S.B. DivyaS.B. Divya - 2021
    It’s 2095 and people don’t usually die from violence. Humanity is entirely dependent on pills that not only help them stay alive, but allow them to compete with artificial intelligence in an increasingly competitive gig economy. Daily doses protect against designer diseases, flow enhances focus, zips and buffs enhance physical strength and speed, and juvers speed the healing process. All that changes when Welga’s client is killed by The Machinehood, a new and mysterious terrorist group that has simultaneously attacked several major pill funders. The Machinehood operatives seem to be part human, part machine, something the world has never seen. They issue an ultimatum: stop all pill production in one week. Global panic ensues as pill production slows and many become ill. Thousands destroy their bots in fear of a strong AI takeover. But the US government believes the Machinehood is a cover for an old enemy. One that Welga is uniquely qualified to fight. Welga, determined to take down the Machinehood, is pulled back into intelligence work by the government that betrayed her. But who are the Machinehood and what do they really want? A thought-provoking novel that asks: if we won’t see machines as human, will we instead see humans as machines?

Starshine: Aurora Rising Book One


G.S. Jennsen - 2014
    Now two individuals from opposite ends of settled space are on a collision course with the darkest of those secrets, even as the world threatens to explode around them.The year is 2322. Humanity has expanded into the stars, inhabiting over 100 worlds across a third of the galaxy. Though thriving as never before, they have discovered neither alien life nor the key to utopia. Earth struggles to retain authority over far-flung planets and free-wheeling corporations while an uneasy armistice with a breakaway federation hangs by a thread as the former rebels rise in wealth and power.Alexis Solovy is Earth Alliance royalty, her father a fallen war hero and her mother an influential military leader. But she seeks only the freedom of space and has made a fortune by reading the patterns in the chaos to discover the hidden wonders of the stars.Nothing about her latest objective suggests the secret it conceals will turn her life— not to mention the entire galaxy—upside down. But a chance encounter with a mysterious spy leads to a discovery which will thrust Alex into the middle of a galactic power struggle and a sinister conspiracy, whether she likes it or not.When faced with its greatest challenge, will humanity rise to triumph, or fall to ruin?Aurora Rising is an epic tale of galaxy-spanning adventure, of the thrill of discovery and the unquenchable desire to reach ever farther into the unknown. It's a tale of humanity at its best and worst, of love and loss, of fear and heroism. It's the story of a woman who sought the stars and found more than anyone imagined possible.