Book picks similar to
A Nebulous Crime by Eric Warren
sci-fi
scifi-dystopia
mystery-thriller-suspense-future
tbr
The Belt: Complete Trilogy
Gerald M. Kilby - 2018
The ship contains an experimental quantum device, lost while en route to a research colony on Europa. On Earth, powerful corporate forces are moving to resume unrestricted, inter-AI communications, their objective being to gain complete dominion over the colonized solar system. But the outer worlds are mobilizing to prevent them from achieving their objective, a fight back which is being led by Solomon, a sentient quantum intelligence (QI), also on Europa. However, once word of the crew’s discovery gets out, they soon realize that ownership of this technology could fundamentally change the balance of power within the solar system, and they now find themselves at the very nexus of a system-wide conflict. Their fight for survival plays out across the solar system, from the mining outposts of the asteroid belt to the moons of Jupiter and Saturn, and from the great Martian city of Jezero to the irradiated wastelands on Earth. This is an epic tale of humanity’s struggle for survival and meaning in a time when artificial intelligence has finally out-paced our own ability to control it. About The Belt: The story is set a century or so into the future where humanity has colonized most of the inner solar system. The asteroid belt (The Belt) is now a hive of mining activity and ships ply the trade routes to Earth and Mars. The technology depicted, for the most part, is what I consider to be technically plausible, although I do stretch it a little with quantum entanglement. That said, you won’t need a calculator or a slide-rule to enjoy the story.
Convergence (Galaxy's Edge Book 13)
Jason Anspach - 2021
Trapped inside a Savage mini hulk, Prisma faces a future where little is as she expected it would be, and a past that is even more troubling than she knew. Aboard a Cybar ship, Andien Broxin fights for her life with the most unlikely of allies at her side. And on the Kimbrin home world, Masters joins a Legion Special Operations Group tasked with checking a resurgent MCR…only to find himself embroiled in the flashpoint that will again plunge the galaxy into war. Goth Sullus has fallen. Tyrus Rechs is a memory. But those who are enemies of both men are now set to step forth and reveal themselves on the galactic stage — unless the Republic, and the Legion, can answer the call to sacrifice. The lines of battle converge in this midpoint of Galaxy’s Edge Season 2!
The Interstellar Slayer
Scott Baron - 2020
It was an easy choice. That is, unless you found yourself fighting your former lover.Hozark was a master assassin, one of the finest the galaxy had ever seen. But when a routine contract goes horribly wrong, it becomes clear something sinister is at play. A powerful foe is hunting slayers, and only one weapon can end the bloodshed. A legendary vespus blade.But there's just one enormous problem. Those with the arcane skill to craft them all perished long ago. Or so it is believed. But romors tell of one who may yet live, and if Hozark hopes to prevail, he will have to pursue those whispers to the ends of the galaxy. For not only does his own survival depend on it, but that of his order as well.
Megalodon vs Colossal Snake
Michael R. Cole - 2020
With an insatiable appetite and unmatched aggression, it travels west for the Georgia coast, leaving a path of destruction in its wake. Bullets and harpoons can’t penetrate it, steel nets can’t hold it, and it’s only a matter of time before the whole world finds out about it.In a race to stop the beast, the organization responsible recruit a marine biologist and a herpetologist to develop a plan to catch it. To do it, they must unleash the company’s other genetically modified experiment—a 150-foot snake, resurrected from the DNA of the mighty Titanoboa.The pursuit leads to inevitable combat, and the scientists are forced to witness the deadly realities of genetic tampering. As the battle escalates, it is clear nobody is safe…and that nature never intended for these beasts to return. As the destruction mounts, and the death toll climbs, the true loser of Megalodon vs. Colossal Snake is humanity.
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.
War World: Falkenberg's Regiment
John F. Carr - 2018
Falkenberg was created by Jerry E. Pournelle and made his first appearance in “Peace With Honor” in Analog Science Fiction and Fact in 1972. That and other Falkenberg stories appeared in his fix-up novel, The Mercenary. Colonel Falkenberg and his 42nd Marine Regiment served as the last line of defense of the CoDominium and its many colonial words. This book continues the Falkenberg story, detailing his adventures and those of the 42nd CoDominium Marines on Haven (War World) and on Churchill, as Falkenberg and Admiral Lermontov struggle to keep the CoDominium from fracturing. On Haven the Colonel finds himself set between the Mahdi and his fanatical forces, on one hand, and Dover Minerals and the Bronson family, on the other hand. While on Churchill, Falkenberg is called upon to rectify the problems caused by the CoDominium Bureau of Relocations wholesale dumping of antagonistic populations on the hardscrabble world of Churchill, previously settled by British subjects in favor of the monarchy. Nor, does it help when the Brotherhood, a conspiracy of colonial CD military officers, gets involved providing weapons and money to the rebels.
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.
Escape
David Ryker - 2019
Her people have fled. And Mitch Ayers is having a real bad day. Fifty years ago, our home was dying. We identified worlds that might be able to support human life. We built Ark Ships: huge colonization vessels carrying thousands of crew. And we set out, not knowing if we could make it to the other side of the blackness, or whether there would be anything there if we did. Mitch wasn't supposed to have to care about any of this. He was supposed to be happily dreaming in stasis for another twenty years. That's until he wakes up on the Ark Ship Nansen, three light years off course, staring right up at the barrel of a gun. All around him, he hears the screams of the dying. Terrorists are wiping out the Nansen's crew while they sleep, and he's the only one who can do a damn thing about it. But ain't that always the way. Mitch knows the Nansen's crew might be the only humans left in the universe. The problem is, he quickly learns that humans aren't alone in the stars. Aliens aren't just out there, they're everywhere. And the first one he meets tries to sink its teeth into his neck... Mitch is a long way from home, and it's not just the aliens he's up against. It's the traitors within his own crew. Now humanity's fate rests on his shoulders. So he'll have to think fast...
Prophecy
Kyle West - 2015
What was once known as the Wasteland is now controlled by the Annaran Covenant, a theocracy that rules with an iron fist.To the east of the Covenant lies the Red Wild, the abode of the human Elekai. Each side believes that their Goddess, Annara, has called for the other's extermination -- a prophecy that will be fulfilled during the end of days, known as the Second Darkness.Living in the Covenant's capital of Colonia, seventeen-year-old Shanti Roshar discovers she has the ability to speak to dragons -- and when she catches the eye of the Covenant's Hunters, her life will never be the same.Note: The Xenoworld Saga is a follow-up series to The Wasteland Chronicles. Start that series for free here: amzn.com/B00AJF2130
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.
The Stars Came Back
Rolf Nelson - 2014
He is left with nothing but the clothes on his back, not even citizenship to his name. Is the ancient, broken down military surplus starship and the young lady living aboard it the key to a bright future, or will his repairs and new mercenary friends reawaken the demons lurking in the ship’s murky and lethal past to come back and deliver a world of destruction?
FEDERATION: Federation Trilogy Book One
Tony Harmsworth - 2019
A galactic empire of a quarter of a million worlds stumbles across the Earth. Their philosophy on life is totally unexpected. With the help of intelligent automatons, they've turned a reviled political system into a utopia for the masses, but are they a force for good or evil? A Daragnen university graduate, Yol Rummy Blin Breganin, discovers that Earth failed in its attempt to join the Federation, and, for some unknown reason, members are forever banned from visiting or contacting the planet. Rummy had never heard of a whole world being outlawed. Perhaps it would be sensible to leave well enough alone but no, he decides to investigate… FEDERATION is the first in a series of near-future, hard science-fiction novels by Tony Harmsworth, the First Contact specialist. Immerse yourself in humankind’s cultural and economic dilemma by buying FEDERATION today.
Relics of Andromeda
Jonathan Michael Erickson - 2019
Ancient pieces of technology that seem to have minds of their own, the relics interface with human psychology, granting the power to bend space and time—and often inducing psychosis. When the colonists of Andromeda first discovered the relics, long before Anka was born, humanity was plunged into chaos. Now Anka is carrying a relic in her pack, tasked with securing the object before it can do any harm. She and her companions set out across the desert by foot, marching towards the distant city— even as the relic begins to whisper in her mind...