Book picks similar to
Star Frontier by Hamish Spiers


sci-fi
science-fiction
amazon
rating-4-and-above

The Lost Gunboat Captain


J.D. Oppenheim - 2017
     Alone in the cold black with 36 hours of oxygen. Jolo Vargas, Federation Gunboat Captain, is trapped in a runaway escape pod zooming towards Federation space. But will he be dead before he gets there? He's in a tight spot. But he's a war hero, just the type of man who could work his way out of this jam. But there's just one little problem. He doesn't remember who he is. Will he find out his identity and his place in the universe, or will he run out of air on the edge of Fed space?

Tilted Axis


David Ryker - 2019
     To who, Michael 'Ward' Miller isn't exactly sure. Whoever killed his partner was a pro. She was shot at an impossible distance, by a weapon that isn't supposed to exist. But Sadler wasn't just his partner, she was the best person he knew. Now she's dead, and Ward won't rest until he finds out who was responsible. But on Mars, 2342 AD, anyone could be the killer. The Solar System is awash with spies, mercenaries and powerful, unaccountable corporations. After powerful aliens arrived a hundred years before, colonizing the red planet, our system was thrown into chaos. The Martians were stronger, more advanced, and remorseless. They could have wiped us out. Instead we struck a fragile, uneasy truce. And now someone wants to blow the whole thing up. And maybe, take humanity with it. Ward was supposed to be out of the espionage business. Now he has seven days to uncover the conspiracy that killed his partner. Or let the entire system go up in flames...

Fallen Empire Books 1-3


Lindsay Buroker - 2017
    A cyborg soldier on a quest to regain his humanity. Mortal enemies during the war, they must now work together to salvage a seventy-year-old freighter and navigate the gauntlet of pirates, scavengers, mercenaries, and other pitfalls that stand in their way after the fall of the largest empire mankind has ever known. This set includes: Book 0.5: Last Command Book 1: Star Nomad Book 1.5: Saranth Three Book 2: Honor’s Flight Book 2.5: Starfall Station Book 3: Starseers .

Arkship Obsidian


Niel Bushnell - 2017
    Now, almost two hundred years after the Fracture, all that remains of the sun is the enigmatic Infinite - a string of stellar material that shines at the heart of the Cluster. The last survivors of humanity live on vast arkships doing what they can to survive in this hostile ever-changing environment. When the arkship Obsidian is attacked, Wynn awakes in a lifeboat in the middle of a huge space battle, unable to remember who he is. Hunted by a killer robot, the forces of a rival arkship and the Church of the Infinite, Wynn must find new allies if he is to survive long enough to discover who is behind the attack and take his revenge.

The Green Knight


Chris Dietzel - 2016
    While the extent of the impending retaliation is unknown, its inevitability is not. Galactic war is approaching.In a seedy bar in a distant corner of the solar system, a knight clad entirely in green armor puts forth a grisly challenge. The only person to accept the knight’s game is a woman who spends her time drinking and thieving.These two acts, occurring in different parts of the galaxy, both lead to the same spot: the planet that will soon fall under attack.Welcome to Space Lore, where Arthurian legend meets Star Wars. Epic space fantasy will never be the same.

Project Atlantis


Brandon Ellis - 2017
    government has found pyramids on Callisto, a Jupiter moon. They are etched with ancient hieroglyphs that no one can understand -- no one but archaeologist Kaden Jaxx. What's more, the pyramids are giving off energy. Lots of energy. Enough to power half of the United States. But Jaxx discovers his Black Ops bosses are hiding an Earth-shattering truth -- an ancient civilization may still be on that moon. And a secret launch to that moon is imminent. Jaxx hires a brilliant but impulsive reporter who digs into the agency's mandate. When they learn too much, the hunt is on: they're on a government hit list and are now trapped in a race against time to blow the lid off the secret plans, save themselves, and maybe even mankind.

Conviction


Tammy Salyer - 2014
     If Corps Tech Sergeant Aly Erikson wants to survive another day, she will have to give up everything: her identity, her rank, her attachment to her brothers-in-arms, and most of all, her guilt. After doing her duty as a member of a ground infantry squad tasked with “neutralizing” an insurrection by non-citizens on a mining planet, Erikson realizes that everything she thought the Corps stood for, thought she stood for, is crumbling away. Where is the honor, the justice, the spirit of law? When the enemies are nothing more than outclassed and outgunned dregs of the Algol System’s forgotten people, being part of their execution squad has put her as far from the ideals of justice as Erikson can imagine. Haunted by their ghosts, she struggles to maintain her military bearing until even that is suddenly ripped away in an act of terrorism that sends her, her brother, Tech Sergeant David Erikson, and another Corpsmember, Rebecca Soltznin, on the run on a hostile planet. Forced for the first time in ten years to blend in with a civilian population, the three are faced with a single choice: regroup with their brothers-in-arms or become deserters. For Aly, it’s easy; why go back to being a cog in the death machine the Corps is becoming? But for the other two, the price for making the wrong decision may be higher than they’re willing to pay. On the run, under attack from the scavengers who plague the system, and out of options, the three face conflict from every direction. If they can’t find a way to fight together, their chances for survival are less than zero. And for one of them, the best solution may come down to one simple act: betrayal. In this prequel to the popular Spectras Arise Trilogy, readers get an intimate look into the events that led Aly and David Erikson on their path from decorated and dedicated soldiers to black-market arms smugglers, and ultimately, to rebels against the Political and Capital Administration of the Advanced Worlds.

Star Realms: Rescue Run


Jon Del Arroz - 2016
    When a new client’s mission goes sideways, Joan finds herself caught in the middle of dueling gambits between the Star Empire and the Trade Federation. Recruited to perform the heist of a lifetime, the fate of the Star Empire rests in her hands. On the opposite side of the galaxy, Regency BioTech manager Dario Anazao sees an unsustainable situation brewing that promises a full-scale revolution. The megacorporations of the Trade Federation have kept the population in horrible working conditions, violating their human rights. With no one else to help, Dario must take it upon himself to rescue the workers of Mars. Can two heroes from warring factions come together to make a difference in the galaxy? Star Realms: Rescue Run is the first novelization of the critically acclaimed Star Realms spaceship combat deckbuilding game. You can check out the game here: http://www.starrealms.com. “I’ve long been a big fan of epic science fiction and space opera. I think Jon’s entry into this realm is an excellent and compelling read. Fans of the Star Realms deckbuilding game will appreciate this look into the Star Realms universe, with its fast-paced story and intriguing characters. From his strong female lead to her amusing AI, I think Star Realms fans and sci-fi fans in general will be eager for Jon to write a sequel.” —Darwin Kastle, Star Realms creator “Jon Del Arroz is a promising new writer with a knack for story and an interesting voice.” —Jody Lynn Nye, author of the Wolfe Pack series “This game-related novel is a lively, action-filled tale that should appeal to those who want a space adventure romp with intrigue and a touch of romance. A disgraced ex-military thief, the thief’s snide former shipmate, a special operative who isn’t that good with guns, and the resentful son of an arrogant corporate executive attempt an impossible mission... and there’s a humorously glitched portable AI in the mix, too, breaking into song at odd moments.” —Elizabeth Moon, author of the Paksenarrion novels

Retribution


Joshua James - 2019
    Lucky Savage was once a powerful Empire Marine. But that was before the Empire collapsed, sinking the outer colonies into chaos and leaving the galaxy on the precipice of disaster. Now his ship, Last Gasp, is home to a ragtag crew of misfits and ex-soldiers just trying to navigate the endless conflicts while hoping to score a big payday. So far, they'd settle for scratching out enough to cover fuel. When a job with Lucky's old employer comes along, it looks like their luck might be turning. But it quickly goes sideways, and they find themselves in the middle of a massive manhunt for a deadly experiment gone wrong. Can the mercs save the day? Who knows. They're just trying to save their own skin. It wouldn't hurt to get paid, either. Retribution is the first book in Lucky's Mercs, an action-packed new series that reads like an unholy union of Starship Troopers and Firefly.

The Outer Rims


Clint Morey - 2013
    But expansion means contact with new worlds and species—and with them, new challenges.As a young boy, Matthew Wallace experienced this as the child of missionaries on the planet Altair, living a rugged existence on the undeveloped world. Undeveloped, but not uninhabited. For Altair was home to a proud race of warriors—the Ananke.The same warriors Matthew watched as they murdered his parents.Now he is the Marshal of the place he swore he’d never return to, his hatred for the Ananke only tempered by his desperation to treat his wife’s terrible illness. For located on Altair is a clinic performing medical miracles, curing men and women of terminal diseases that even the most advanced technologies can’t touch. And yet, nothing is without its price, and as Matthew learns more about the world where he’s now charged with keeping the peace, he slowly realizes he’s going to have to decide what is more important: The life of his wife…or the lives of an entire species.A sci-fi thriller that calls to mind the grand masters of the genre, The Outer Rims explores the morality of doing whatever is necessary and the question of whether humanity and sentience are one in the same.

The Ruins Of Mars


Dylan James Quarles - 2013
    Images captured by twin sentient satellites show massive domes, imposing walls, and a grid work of buildings situated directly on the rim of Mars’ Grand Canyon, the Valles Marineris. With the resources of Earth draining away under the weight of human expansion, a plan is hatched to reclaim Mars from the cold grasp of death. A small band of explorers, astronauts, and scientists are sent to the red world in mankind's first interplanetary starship to begin construction on a human colony. Among them is a young archaeologist, named Harrison Raheem Assad, who is tasked with uncovering the secrets of the Martian ruins and their relation to the human race. Aided by the nearly boundless mind of a god-like artificial intelligence; the explorers battle space travel, harsh Martian weather, and the deepening mystery of the forgotten alien civilization. Begin the epic journey in Book One of the Ruins of Mars Trilogy.

Ghosts of Ophidian


Scott McElhaney - 2013
    except instilling fear and speculation upon the citizens below. After a few weeks, NASA gets a boarding party together to attempt to gain entry into the giant craft. Once inside the ship, they will discover over a million creatures on ice. They will also discover the reason that the ship hasn't been doing anything beyond maintaining an orbit above the Earth - it appears that the ship has been sabotaged by whatever used to exist in three of the empty cryogenic chambers. Their investigation leads to a lot more than a potential alien invasion. Nothing is as it seems and pretty soon, the two remaining astronauts aren't sure who they should trust anymore.The next book in the Ghosts of Ophidian universe "Alastair" is available now with much more to come in 2013.

The Retro War


Dietmar Arthur Wehr - 2014
     The Synchronicity War is over and the Insectoid beachheads in our spiral arm have been destroyed but the aftermath of the war holds some nasty surprises for Humanity and its loyal AI allies. Somebody is messing with the human timeline. Is it the Friendlies, the Sogas, the Insectoids or a new race? This stand alone novel set in the same universe has new human and AI characters. Find out what happened to Valkyrie, Casanova, Iceman, Gunslinger and the other Rim AIs. The Retro War spans time and space in a galactic chess game with humans and their AIs as the pawns.

Starflight


Ron Collins - 2016
     Lieutenant Commander Torrance Black, career is already on shaky grounds, finds himself facing questions. Did they just contact sentient life in the Centauri system? Will humankind sacrifice an entire alien species in their quest for the stars? Starflight, the first book of Stealing the Sun, a space based Science Fiction series from frequent Analog contributor and bestselling Amazon Dark Fantasy author Ron Collins. “Ron Collins is one of our best hard science fiction writers—a novel from him is a major event. Enjoy!” Robert J. Sawyer Hugo Award-Winning Author of Quantum Night

The E. E. 'Doc' Smith Omnibus


E.E. "Doc" Smith - 2007
    Then the enemies are forced to become allies when everyone becomes lost in an unfamiliar region of the galaxy and must fight their way back through primative planets and against alien fleets. As always with Smith, romance and action are equally mixed. The Seaton is forced back into action to stop a menace that threatens every civilized planet in the galaxy, but to do it he must create the greatest starship ever conceived. Finally read Triplanetary, the story that helped launch the Lensmen series. A brainy man and heroic woman fight against ruthless space pirates for life and love.