Book picks similar to
Archaea by Dain White


sci-fi
scifi
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science-fiction

The Farthest City


Daniel P. Swenson - 2015
    An unexpected mission changes everything. Citizen Kellen Beaudin, is a shy, sensitive artist with a different, but equally troubling past. Kellen’s origin is deeply intertwined with the machines, although he doesn’t understand how or why. He learns who he really is when his machine obsession takes him on an incredible journey. Neither Kellen or Sheemi will ever be the same.

Rhubarb


M.H. Van Keuren - 2012
    After all, as a traveling salesman, he’s spent more than enough hours on the road listening to late-night talk radio to know about these things. The odd thing is that these aliens are coming to tiny Brixton, Montana…to eat at the truck stop.Martin, too, has been coming to Brixton for years. It’s a convenient crossroads town, but the real draw is Cheryl, the housekeeper who sets out the breakfast at the local motel. Martin has just about worked up the courage to ask her out when she disappears.When Martin begins to ask questions, what he uncovers about Cheryl’s family and Brixton’s history is far weirder than anything he’s ever heard on the radio. Especially if it’s true that Cheryl’s salvation lies in discovering a long-lost secret recipe for rhubarb pie—which might just be the best, and the most dangerous, pie in the galaxy.

Unstolen: You can steal, but you can't hide


Tony Batton - 2018
    Almost.
 He returns stolen items to their rightful owners.
 For a price.

 A man has to make a living, and Jake more than most. Because he's still paying for mistakes made a long time ago. And they weren't even his.

Muleshoe (Mike Bishop #1)


Jess Butcher - 2011
    When Mike Bishop arrives in Muleshoe seeking a legendary cache of rare gold coins, he enlists the aid of local Sheriff Laura Moss. The Sheriff cautiously joins Bishop’s search and together they discover a link between the gold and an unexplained series of grisly murders spanning more than a century. But others are racing to recover the treasure as well. The line between good and evil blurs as Bishop and Laura struggle to survive a murderous local legend … a legend that promises to turn the Kansas prairie black with blood.

The Critical Trilogy Box Set


Darren Wearmouth - 2016
     Critical Dawn Some mysteries should stay buried. A centuries old plan unfolds. Archaeologists Pippa Quinn and Charlie Jackson find advanced technology in undisturbed 16th Century graves. A portent, the discovery precedes thousands of giant sinkholes opening up across the globe as extreme weather threatens the population. Charlie suspects the two are related. Pippa, Charlie, and the rest of humanity will have to fight for survival, sacrificing the life they’ve known to protect Earth from an ancient and previously dormant enemy. Even that might not be enough as this new enemy exacts a plan that will change the course of humankind forever. Critical Dawn is an apocalyptic ride to the very edge of human existence. Factions will battle for control of the Earth—if they can avoid the threat of extinction. Critical Path Destroying the croatoan’s seat of power has grave consequences. Earth faces destruction, unless bitter enemies can work together. Earth is recovering after Denver and his group managed to stamp out the immediate alien threat. Now, Denver and his team, stationed in a liberated croatoan farm, plan to restore humanity as the dominant force. But when shocking information comes to light, they set off on an immediate mission north. The team encounter a hybrid city, where humans and croatoans live and work together. It’s here in this strange new civilisation that Denver discovers there’s a bigger threat to the planet than the aliens already on the surface: something far more terrible is coming. It’ll be a race against the clock to defeat this new threat and Denver will need all the help he can get. Critical Strike A fight for survival in an alien world. Revenge is planned against Unity. Denver, Charlie and Layla are trapped in the middle of a galactic conflict which has spanned across many millennia. With no immediate allies on either side, they must use all of their skill and strength to stay alive and find a way back to Earth—if there is one. An old enemy of Unity is intent of making them pay for his humiliating treatment. He's gathering forces to the south with vengeance in mind. Mike and Mae must work together with the citizens of Unity to find a way of repelling Augustus' force, or face extinction at the hands of the old emperor. Critical Strike is the exciting third and final instalment of the Critical series.

The Sea of Storms


Mark Whiteway - 2010
    But the so-called "lodestones" behave according to different physical laws, transforming Kelanni's society. With the aid of the fearsome Keltar in their flying cloaks, the Kelanni are being put to forced labor to mine the lodestones. Shann, an orphan with a fiery disposition, witnesses a battle between a Keltar and a stranger bearing a similar flying cloak. She tracks down the stranger, and learns of the technology behind the Keltars' power, joining him on a mission to free the slaves and cut off their supply of lodestones. Meanwhile Keris, a Keltar, is sent on a mission to track down the rebels. She is attacked by a flying creature and saved by the enigmatic Chandara. At their Great Tree, she learns that a mysterious "Prophet" is out to destroy the Kelanni people. Their only hope is a powerful instrument hidden in the distant past. Pursued by Keltar, the party will encounter bizarre creatures, ancient technologies and terrifying dangers. Finally, they must seek to cross a massive storm barrier in order to reach the other side of their world, where a world-shaking revelation awaits. First Place Award Winner - 2010 Premier Book Awards.First Place Award Winner (New Author) - 2011 Royal Dragonfly Book Awards.First Place Award Winner (Science Fiction) - 2011 Royal Dragonfly Book Awards.First Place Award Winner (Young Adult) - 2011 Royal Dragonfly Book Awards.First Place Award Winner (Science Fiction) - 2011 Purple Dragonfly Book Awards.First Place Award Winner (Young Adult) - 2011 Purple Dragonfly Book Awards.Global European Award Winner - 2010 Reader Views Awards.Second Place Award Winner (Young Adult) - 2010 Reader Views Awards.Bronze Award Winner - 2010 Readers Favorite Book Awards.Second Place Award Winner - 2010 Written Art Awards.Finalist - 2010 Foreword Book of the Year Award.(Excerpt) Madness? Obsession? Keris knew little of such things. It was impossible to believe that this was the same man; the man who had taken her in and nurtured her; who had impressed on her the conviction that the Kelanni needed to be protected and cared for. Yet somehow he had turned into a monster.His hands slipped to one end of his staff and he swung it towards her in a wide arc. She jumped back instinctively, the diamond blade passing inches from her midriff. "I'm gratified to see that your reflexes are as keen as ever, Keris." He spun around and then leapt into the air a short distance, aiming the staff at her head. She side stepped neatly, and the blade flashed past her harmlessly. "Good, very good," he approved. "Now are you going to obey my wishes or are you going to defend yourself?"He was advancing on her again. Keris felt as if she were in a waking dream. One hand moved involuntarily to her own staff, gripping the smooth darkwood. It felt solid, reassuring. Her other hand moved to her neck control and she adjusted the bronze layer of her cloak, seeking the pressure of natural lodestone. As she registered the strengths and directions of the familiar push of the ore, it was bizarrely the words of Mordal himself that came back to her, spoken in a different place and at a different time."Battling another Keltar is unlike any other battle you will ever fight. When encountering anyone else, the lodestone will furnish you with a decisive advantage in height and momentum. However, when you are facing another Keltar, those advantages are cancelled out. Instead, the field of battle and the configuration of lodestone deposits become all important. A clash between Keltar is primarily a battle of tactics. Even superior strength and agility can be overcome by superior positioning and spatial orientation. You must immediately determine the location and strength of any deposits and then 'own' them, denying your opponent any advantage." (Continued)

Pale Boundaries


Scott Cleveland - 2010
    But he wasn't prepared for the draconian environmental laws, harsh population control measures or the prejudice against outsiders-and they didn't expect what he was willing to do to defend himself. Terson finds love when he meets Virene, an independent young woman chafing under the strict social controls herself. The couple do their best to conform, but their rebellious streak leads them beyond the colony's boundaries where their attempt to rescue the crew of a crashed spacecraft unwittingly sets in motion a chain of events that threatens to expose not only Nivia's dark secret, but that of a powerful criminal organization as well.

Ben Bova's Grand Tour SciFi Series: Mars, Moonrise, Moonwar, Return to Mars


Ben Bova
    Mars and Return to Mars follow the struggle of settling on Mars, and Moonrise and Moonwar follow the events of colonizing the Moon – all struggling against the limitations Earth would set on these bold innovators. Mars: A team of astronauts face many challenges on a mission to Mars—including subzero temperatures, violent meteor showers, and a deadly virus. Native American geologist Jamie Waterman must navigate political intrigue at home, team conflict on the base, and a harsh and unforgiving environment to protect his own life and those of his crewmembers.Moonrise: A private company has established the first permanent human settlement on the Moon. But all is not as it seems there. Facing internal conflict and external protest, the company threatens closure—and former astronaut Doug Stavenger must protect the base and its inhabitants from the Moon’s harsh environment and the threat of murder.Moonwar: The second of Ben Bova’s Moonbase Saga, Moonwar picks up seven years after the events of Moonrise—when Doug Stavenger succeeded in protecting his beloved lunar colony. But the nanotechnology that keeps the colony functioning is now illegal on Earth—and the settlers must defend themselves against new threats from Earth.Return to Mars: Six years after the first manned expedition to Mars, a second is being planned, and Native American geologist Jamie Waterman is assigned as commander. He must face deadly internal rivalries, dangerous "accidents" that look like sabotage, and an intense new attraction to one of the crew members—and keep his crew safe while exploring the secrets of the Red Planet.

Seer of Mars


Cindy Borgne - 2011
    His job is to use his ability to uncover secrets or hidden bases of other organizations so the Marcs can conquer them. Even though he’s been brought up to believe this is normal, he soon discovers the ugly reality of war. He hates the suffering and death caused by a vision he reported to the admiral. Ian feels responsible after finding a hidden base of a small organization that was only trying to survive.In order to redeem himself, Ian vows to never let anyone use his ability for death and destruction again. His goal is to escape and live in peace, but the leaders monitor him closely and defectors are known to mysteriously disappear. Despite his age, inexperience and few allies, he refuses to give up. He must outwit a cunning admiral and a powerhouse organization, or he will remain a pawn and forever separated from those he loves.Word Count: 94,000

The Luck of Han'anga


Thomas Watson - 2012
    But the dream soon becomes something darker when the Leyra'an prove to be more than just humanoid. They are like us to a degree that cannot be explained by chance alone. The search for the answer to this mystery will reveal a universe stranger and more dangerous than the crew of the probeship William Bartram could have imagined, and expose both Humanity and the Leyra'an to the threat of extinction.For better or worse, that search has begun.

Now, Then, and Everywhen


Rysa Walker - 2020
    But which one broke the timeline?In 2136 Madison Grace uncovers a key to the origins of CHRONOS, a time-travel agency with ties to her family’s mysterious past. Just as she is starting to jump through history, she returns to her timeline to find millions of lives erased—and only the people inside her house realize anything has changed.In 2304 CHRONOS historian Tyson Reyes is assigned to observe the crucial events that played out in America’s civil rights movement. But a massive time shift occurs while he’s in 1965, and suddenly the history he sees isn’t the history he knows.As Madi’s and Tyson’s journeys collide, they must prevent the past from being erased forever. But strange forces are at work. Are Madi and Tyson in control or merely pawns in someone else’s game?

Approaching Shatter (Echo #1)


Kent Wayne - 2015
    They settled Echo, a planet that was nearly a carbon copy of Earth except for being devoid of all but the most basic life forms. Fast forward 1200 years later. Echo has endured over a thousand years of dark age. Corporations and government merged early on, becoming the oppressive authority known as the Regime. Military and police merged into the Department of Enforcement, their only mission to crush the huge network of rebels known as the Dissidents. Over half the planet is covered by decaying cityscapes and the elite live high above, removed and remote from the greater populace on the moon-city of Ascension. Hope lies in one man, a former Enforcer named Atriya. But before he can break the cycle of darkness and ignorance on Echo, he has to do it within himself.

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.

Contact


Andrew Vu - 2012
    By the thirtieth century, humans find themselves co-existing, negotiating, and residing on Earth with these animals as equals.Maya Lawton is a lonely prostitute living in this world. She gives birth to the first halfkinds, creatures who are half animal-kind, and half mankind. Since interspecies breeding is illegal, she is forced into seclusion and raises them alone. Then one day, without warning, she dies, and her death leads to their discovery. Abandoned and lost, this family of halfkinds plan to escape to a terraformed moon. But the law is after them. The order is to kill, sent by the highest authority, the United Species Alliance.For more info, check out the wikia: http://halfkinds.wikia.com

Redemption Protocol


Mike Freeman - 2011
    The only thing left in his hollowed out world is retribution.Havoc is drawn into a top secret Contact mission – humanity's first – after an extraordinary energy source is detected at the limit of reachable space. While the crew of the AV Intrepid struggle with saboteurs and hostile ships, they fail to realize that the alien world holds dangers that threaten far more than their ship. Imprisoned on Plash is a weapon of unimaginable horror – a species eliminator.REDEMPTION PROTOCOL is a hard hitting space opera/ scifi adventure. It is the FIRST book in the Contact series. Rated [R]. Violence, sex, profanity.US English. 166,500 words.