Gray Panthers: Battle for Earth


David Guenther - 2014
    America has traded security for liberty following the attack with the suspension of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. The Constitution is not even taught in school any more. In this environment, Dan “D2” Daniels, a retired Army NCO of the old breed sworn to protect the constitution finds a crashed space ship and learns at the same time Earth will soon be invaded. Using the technology from the space ship, Dan forms an army of fellow senior veterans with two missions. First, to revive the Republic they had sworn their allegiance to and their second mission to save that Republic, and the world with it. Their first foray includes converting the CVN 80, USS Enterprise, a rusting air craft carrier, from a rusted heap waiting to be scrapped, into the first ship of the new space fleet of the Gray Panthers.

Crapkiller


Felix R. Savage - 2015
    Not a vermin hunt.The colony is plagued by rogue genetically engineered critters, and the newly-minted Space Corps agents are expected to pitch in. Elfrida and her best friend take up the challenge, but the hunt turns into a nightmarish ordeal when they get lost in the subterranean caverns.And, worst of all … they’re not alone.In this explosive prequel to the Sol System Renegades series, Elfrida Goto’s first assignment takes her to the underbelly of the solar system, where nice girls finish last.The Sol System Renegades series in chronological order:Keep Off The Grass (short origin story)Crapkiller (prequel novella)The Elfrida Goto Trilogy 1. The Galapagos Incident 2. The Vesta Conspiracy 3. The Mercury RebellionA Very Merry Zero-Gravity Christmas (short story)The Solarian War Trilogy 1. The Luna Deception 2. The Phobos Maneuver 3. The Mars ShockThe Callisto Gambit (the final novel in the series)

This Night So Dark


Amie Kaufman - 2014
    Now he and Lilac reconcile his memories of that night with the truth uncovered after the crash. Short connects first two novels. Includes preview chapter from This Shattered World.

Space Team


Barry J. Hutchison - 2016
    Imprisoned and forced to share a cell with a cannibalistic serial killer, Cal thinks things can't possibly get any worse. He is wrong. It’s not until two-thirds of the human race is wiped out and Cal is abducted by aliens that his day really starts to go downhill. Whisked across the galaxy, Cal is thrown into a team of some of the sector's most notorious villains and scumbags. Their mission should be simple enough, but as one screw-up leads to another, they find themselves in a frantic battle to save an entire alien civilization - and its god - from total annihilation. A hilarious, fast-paced space adventure from the author the Independent calls "the new Terry Pratchett."

Accord of Honor


Kevin O. McLaughlin - 2015
    But apparently, nobody told them that. When Thomas’s first command is ambushed in space, only quick thinking will keep his crew alive. *** A USA Today Bestselling Author! *** One random pirate ship would be bad enough, But the truth is far more deadly. Multiple ships of unknown origin are striking freighters and kidnapping their crews. Then the pirates turn their eyes toward the planets. One man has prepared for this; Thomas’s estranged father, Admiral Nicholas Stein. Hero and villain of the last great war, he has spent decades preparing for the conflict he always knew was coming. Now he and Thomas are all that stands between humanity and a ruthless enemy who will stop at nothing to control space - and from there, to enslave us all.

Stowaway


Z.D. Dean - 2019
    A chance encounter, on his last mission, sends him hurtling through space on the Unity exploration ship XES01. Surrounded by aliens, Zade must quickly learn to interact with the non-soldiers on the crew. As he tries to earn his place amongst the ship, Zade’s combat prowess quickly earns him a spot as the security officer of the ship. A seat left vacant because of a fatal exchange between the former security officer and the wildlife of a far planet. As Zade begins living the adrenaline filled life of a space explorer, he has to ask himself some very important questions. How does he get back to earth? Does he even want to? Disclaimer: The main character is a combat veteran, so there is some rough language throughout the book.

Revenger


Alastair Reynolds - 2016
    Planets have shattered and been remade. Amongst the ruins of alien civilizations, building our own from the rubble, humanity still thrives. And there are vast fortunes to be made, if you know where to find them.Captain Rackamore and his crew do. It's their business to find the tiny, enigmatic worlds which have been hidden away, booby-trapped, surrounded by layers of protection—and to crack them open for the ancient relics and barely-remembered technologies inside. But while they ply their risky trade with integrity, not everyone is so scrupulous. Adrana and Fura Ness are the newest members of Rackamore's crew, signed on to save their family from bankruptcy. Only Rackamore has enemies, and there might be more waiting for them in space than adventure and fortune: the fabled and feared Bosa Sennen in particular. Revenger is a science fiction adventure story set in the rubble of our solar system in the dark, distant future—a tale of space pirates, buried treasure, and phantom weapons, of unspeakable hazards and single-minded heroism and of vengeance...

A Princess of Mars


Edgar Rice Burroughs - 1912
    It's the beginning of an incredible odyssey in which John Carter, a gentleman from Virginia and a Civil War veteran, unexpectedly finds himself on to the red planet, scene of continuing combat among rival tribes. Captured by a band of six-limbed, green-skinned savage giants called Tharks, Carter soon is accorded all the honor of a chieftain after it's discovered that his muscles, accustomed to Earth's greater gravity, now give him a decided advantage in strength. And when his captors take as prisoner Dejah Thoris, the lovely human-looking princess of the city of Helium, Carter must call upon every ounce of strength, courage, and ingenuity to rescue her-before Dejah becomes the slave of the depraved Thark leader, Tal Hajus!Excerpt:Her oval face was beautiful in the extreme, her every feature finely chisled and exquisite, her eyes large and lustrous and her head surmounted by a mass of coal black, waving hair, caught loosely into a strange yet becoming coiffure. Similar in face and figure to women of Earth, she was nevertheless a true Martian--and prisoner of the fierce green giants who held me captive, as well!

Scythian Dawn


P.K. Lentz - 2018
    Empires are dust. Only nomadic cultures thrive. One barbarian war band will fight back. A new Dawn will rise.Born to Scythian royalty, Arixa rejected palace life at age nineteen to recruit her own war band, the Dawn, and ride the steppe in defense of the capital. When a fateful encounter leaves her with knowledge that an alien ship is en route to devastate all the cities of Earth, she sets out not only to save her homeland but also to do the unthinkable.She will strike a blow against the enemies of humanity. At any cost.Scythian Dawn is the launching point of a 'Barbarian Space Opera' which sees tattooed, ax-wielding riders of the steppe wage high-tech rebellion against a galactic empire. Expect adventure, betrayal, starship duels, alien locales, jumps to hyperspace and iron war-picks punching holes in space armor. Get aboard now! Book 2: Warp Nomads (Dec 2018) Book 3: The Moon of Sorrows (Feb 2019) Books 4-9: 2019-2020 Q & A with the authorWhat kind of story is Scythian Dawn?I knew I wanted to write a space-based Humans vs. Aliens series. But to be honest, I find the character types in that genre a bit boring: the hotshot space pilots, veteran troopers, elite special agents, maverick admirals, top-of-the-class cadets, brilliant scientists, etc. I wanted the story to be about someone other than those. And then I wondered, well, why should hostile aliens only bother Earth after we're technologically advanced?In my Dawniverse, aliens begin targeting Earth in the early days of civilization, making sure humans never learn to build steam engines, much less rockets. They're stuck in a perpetual Iron Age.So Scythian Dawn takes place in the past?Not exactly. It's an alternate timeline where the major ancient civilizations that we know, like Rome, Babylon, China, Persia and Egypt, were wiped out by aliens before they could rise to power. Nomadic cultures filled the vacuum.What's a Scythian?The Scythians were a nomadic tribal people who lived on the Eurasian steppe in ancient times. They didn't build cities or leave written records, so what we know about them mainly comes from outside sources like Greeks. The picture we get is of heavily tattooed, human-sacrificing, marijuana-using (yup!) savages on horseback who likely invented the idea of drinking from enemy skulls. Think of Mongols and you'll have an idea.The Scythians were probably the basis for the myths of Amazons. Around 40% of Scythian warrior burial mounds (kurgans) excavated have been found to belong to females, who would have fought alongside males in battle. That's why it made perfect sense to have the main character of Scythian Dawn be female.Who will enjoy Scythian Dawn?I think it's for anyone who likes space adventure about an epic struggle against impossible odds. Its focus is on a fast-moving plot but it also features characters who are relatable and human, not just drones who exist to push the plot forward. Book 1 takes place mostly on the ground and centers on Arixa undertaking this huge challenge of becoming Earth's defender, but it still has a large share of sci-fi ideas & tech.

Gods of Blood and Bone


Azalea Ellis - 2015
    I am the new god. They captured me in a dirty alley and injected me with a virtual reality chip, a GPS tracker, and my first Seed. They made me a Player. At first, I loved the miraculous ability to level up anything about myself. Then they yanked me off my world for the first time, and sent me to fight for my life on a vicious alien planet, where the other Players are just as dangerous as the monsters, and if you can’t level up, you die. But I’m the type to cling to life by the tips of my bloody fingernails. And I hate it when people try to control me.

Starship Relic


Darcy Troy Paulin - 2020
    Secret histories. And squids. In space.Max is completing a survey in the barren, frozen north of planet Grailliyn, when he makes a startling discovery. There's a high-tech pod buried beneath the ice, and inside the pod is a young woman. She speaks his language, but with a strange accent.The two are barely past awkward introductions when they are attacked. Max and his new friend are forced to flee. The worst part? They don't even know who is trying to kill them, or why.Now, with assassins on their tail, the duo must find a way off the planet without blowing their cover. And then, if they can do that without getting eaten by space monsters, they might just find out the truth about their world.Starship Relic is book one of the Lost Colony Uprising Trilogy, a sci-fi space opera adventure with spaceships, alien contact, deep conspiracies, wise-cracking characters, and lots of pew-pew (space battle action).Content rating: All ages, teen and up. Minimal language.

The Ember War


Richard Fox - 2015
    Humanity has a chance. In the near future, an alien probe arrives on Earth with a pivotal mission—help humanity survive an impending invasion by an alien armada so massive it can blot out the stars, or leave the human race to certain extinction. Despite overwhelming odds, the probe recruits a young inventor named Marc Ibarra to plan a daring gambit. To weather the coming storm, Ibarra must build a space fleet strong enough to face an implacable foe in a battle against annihilation.

Blackthorn


Nate Johnson - 2017
     Petty Officer Logan is tasked with escorting Kaylee Williams through the rough streets of Montlake. Little did he know a simple assignment would morph into a race across the galaxy. If he wants to get her to safety, Miller must avoid pirates, the Imperial Navy, and the hazards of deep space. All while keeping a decrepit starship from blowing up along the way. Kaylee Williams desperately needs to get to Taurus. The future of the Empire rests with the secret information she carries. But can she trust this strange man to help her? But, if she can’t trust a man who repeatedly risks his life for her. Then who can she trust.

The Cost of Business


Zen DiPietro
    In order to get free of it, he'll need to use every bit of his trader cunning. If he does it just right, he might stay out of prison. With a little luck, he'll even manage to turn a profit.He's given up his old ways--mostly--thanks to his cushy life on a PAC space station. But behind his mild-mannered shopkeeper's facade, he's hiding a whole lot more.Sometimes you have to break the rules to do the right thing.The Cost of Business is a quiet story of cleverness and empathy. For some heroes, wits are much stronger than firepower.Books in the Dragonfire Station universe in written order: (each series is self-contained and need not be read in order)Dragonfire Station Book 1: Translucid Dragonfire Station Book 2: Fragments Dragonfire Station Book 3: Coalescence (series complete) Intersections: Dragonfire Station Short Stories Mercenary Warfare Book 1: Selling Out Mercenary Warfare Book 2: Blood Money Mercenary Warfare Book 3: Hell to Pay Mercenary Warfare Book 4: Calculated Risk Mercenary Warfare Book 5: Going for Broke (series complete) Chains of Command Book 1: New Blood Chains of Command Book 2: Blood and Bone Chains of Command Book 3: Cut to the Bone Chains of Command Book 4: Out for Blood(series complete)

Mission Zero


S.J. MacDonald - 2011
    After a PR disaster has activists and media storming the Admiralty gates, First Lord Dix Harangay sends Minnow out on a makework patrol. Inspector Mako Ireson goes with them to investigate what’s really going on. Mako has never been on a starship before. He can’t tell port from starboard, doesn’t know what the 0-G sign means at freefall hatchways, and may need to change his underwear after the launch.Nobody is expecting that the “mission zero” they've been sent on will turn into a real operation. When it does, the Minnow’s crew has to rise to the challenge and justify their skipper’s faith in them.This is the first mission of the legendary Fourth Fleet Irregulars, the unit you send for when you need a miracle.For Mako Ireson, it will be the adventure of a lifetime.