The Year's Top Hard Science Fiction Stories


Allan KasterCraig DeLancey - 2017
    In “Vortex,” by Gregory Benford, astronauts find a once thriving microbial lifeform that carpets the caves of Mars dying off. A code monkey tracks down the vain creator of a pernicious software virus that people jack cerebrally in “RedKing,” by Craig DeLancey. In “Number Nine Moon,” by Alex Irvine, illicit scavengers on Mars are on a rescue mission to save themselves after one of their team members dies. A young girl’s thirst for vengeance becomes a struggle for survival when she is swallowed by a gigantic sea creature on an alien planet in “Of the Beast in the Belly,” by C.W. Johnson. In “The Seventh Gamer,” by Gwyneth Jones, a writer immerses herself into a MMORPG community to search for characters being played by real aliens from other worlds. A woman armed with a rifle stalks a herd of cloned wooly mammoths in British Columbia in “Chasing Ivory,” by Ted Kosmatka. In “Fieldwork,” by Shariann Lewitt, a volcanologist struggles with her research on Europa where both her mother and grandmother suffered dire consequences. A daughter pays homage to her mother with mega-engineering projects to deal with climate change over eons in “Seven Birthdays,” by Ken Liu. In “The Visitor from Taured,” by Ian R. MacLeod, a cosmologist in the near future is obsessed with proving his theory of multiverses. The citizens of a small town on a “Jackaroo” planet object to a corporation placing a radio telescope near local alien artifacts in “Something Happened Here, But We’re Not Quite Sure What It Was,” by Paul McAuley. And finally, in “Sixteen Questions for Kamala Chatterjee,” by Alastair Reynolds, a graduate student defends her dissertation on a solar anomaly that threatens humanity.

Quiet Magic


Sharon Lee - 2011
    Unfortunately, the Bispham is on duty, and he's taken exception to the Rove Captain and his men."Master of the Winds," by Sharon Lee follows two hopeful young people during their test to become the Kitemaster's apprentice. Only one can succeed.Lee and Miller join forces in "Candlelight," the story of a family-by-intent, and the craft that holds them together.

Mercy


Danie Ware - 2018
    On the world is a cathedral, ancient and run down – but with an icon at its heart, a warrior-woman with a bloodied rose on her chest. Is this a symbol that Saint Mina, founder of the Order, once walked on this world? Augusta is determined to find out…

Gabriel's Journey


Steve Umstead - 2011
    Military science-fiction adventure at its best!---GABRIEL'S REDEMPTION, Book OneNorth American Federation Navy Commander Evan Gabriel was dishonorably discharged after losing his covert team on a far off world called Eden. Now, he’s being offered an opportunity to command a new team, on a new world, with a new mission, but the true motives behind the mission are unclear.From the decaying Caribbean to politically-charged South America, from the slums of Mars to a tiny colony on a planet six hundred light years from Earth, Gabriel's Redemption is a near-future military science fiction story of a personal journey seen from the perspective of a soldier who has lost everything; one who desperately needs to redeem himself not only in his government’s eyes, but also his own. Interstellar action and political intrigue mix with one-on-one battles on the surface of a frozen planet in this exciting tale of salvation.Approximately 66,000 words.GABRIEL’S RETURN, Book TwoOn the far-off icebound planet of Poliahu, North American Federation Navy Commander Evan Gabriel suffered the loss of several team members in order to free a native species and save his brother. Now he is being called away on a new mission by a friend in trouble, and by a name from his distant past. He and his surviving team must again travel across the galaxy to the planet where he lost his naval command, and his original team, so many years ago: Eden.Evan Gabriel must face three distinct threats on Eden: the well-armed terrorist group that has been raiding Eden City, the dangerous planet itself, and his own haunting memories of his past.Gabriel's Return continues the epic science fiction/adventure trilogy with characters new and old, devious political intrigue on the moon and Mars, and deadly jungle combat on Eden.Approximately 87,000 wordsGABRIEL’S REVENGE, Book ThreeA missile has no conscience. It is an inanimate steel object: cold, emotionless. But once ignited, it burns white hot inside, and cannot be shut off. Fired in combat, it has but one objective: the total destruction of its intended target. And it will only stop when its objective has been achieved, or it runs out of fuel.Not all missiles are made of steel.North American Federation Navy Commander Evan Gabriel thought it was over. Returning from a mission on the far-off world of Eden, he finds that Mars is in a state of political upheaval. Two major dome cities are now under the control of ambitious and ruthless men backed by the scheming South American Republic. Friends are in trouble, Renay Gesselli is missing, and the future of a world is in flux while rival governments bicker behind closed doors. From the ice-bound planet of Poliahu, to the dangerous jungle world of Eden, and back to his adopted home of Mars, Evan Gabriel has witnessed death follow him. Now, he's turning the tables, and no force would stand in his way.Approximately 80,000 wordsREVIEWS:“The action in this series rocks, complete with super-cool weapons and technology. Umstead takes a complex cast and gives them each a distinct personality that makes the team dynamic just great.” - L. Petersen“I am a huge fan of well-written science fiction, and the Evan Gabriel series hasn't disappointed... layered with dimension and feeling unlike quite a few other sci-fi titles out there.” - N. Holderby“Umstead has created what I can only describe as a Tom Clancy-esque world a few hundred years into the future.” - W.E. Linde

The Miracle (Storycuts)


Frederick Forsyth - 2000
    When they are waylaid they end up in a quiet courtyard being told a mesmerising story by a strange young man. It is an unforgettable tale that begins with the persecution of a young nun in the turbulent days of the sixteenth century and culminates in the bitter German retreat from Italy. Part of the Storycuts series, this short story was previously published in the collection The Veteran.

More Than Honor/On Basilisk Station


David Weber - 1998
    

The Contact Episode One


Albert Sartison - 2013
    The recently discovered technology of remote manipulation gave people the capability of altering the orbit of celestial bodies of planetary size, which laid the foundation of a new era for the human race: the terraforming age. The colonization of space beyond the limits of the Solar System became only a matter of time. Soon after the first successful test, changing the orbit of Mercury, a strange object moving from the depths of space towards the centre of the Solar System entered the field of vision of a telescope at an observatory in Chile…

Dragon Guardians: Complete Series


Scarlett Grove - 2019
     A shocking discovery leads to nanny Everly and the baby being kidnapped by vampires. Can Prince Kian find them in time? And even if he does, will Everly accept the truth of who he is? Dax To make her his, he must earn her trust When Dax discovers Aria's secret, his graceless ways could ruin everything. Can a gentle songstress trust the brash warrior with not only her magic but her heart? And when it all seems lost, can Aria find her inner strength and discover the true extent of her power? Aiden To claim his mate, he'll have to come out of the shadows... When vampires arrive, Aiden can no longer conceal his dragon nature. He whisks Winnie away, but her rescue comes at a terrible price. Winnifred wants nothing to do with him! Will Aiden ever come out of hiding again? And if he does, can the self-sufficient painter admit she needs love, not only to the secretive warrior, but to herself? Cato To claim his mate, he'll have to be the hero she needs When Cato finally shows Penelope his dragon, the pieces of the puzzle fall into place for her. Cato and crew track down the vampires responsible for her sister's disappearance, but can they get there in time? And even if they do, will Penelope's twin ever be the same? Storm Harem What will she do with three dragon mates? A Lonely Woman... Real estate broker Krista Wilder has dedicated her life to her career. After a bad break up, she realises it's no longer enough! Three dragons, one mate... When the dragons of the House of Storms awaken, clever Yuki, diplomatic Akash, and warrior Ragnar are tasked with buying the crew a new home. After their first meeting with curvy Krista, they are each convinced she is the one for all of them! Who will win her heart? Before she can admit her growing affection, she is rudely awakened to the truth of her dragon mates and the vampire threat that lurks in the shadows... Even if Krista can accept her new reality, will it be possible to choose just one mate? Hanish To come together, they'll have to let go... An English Nanny... Prim and proper JoJo Morris needs a new position. As one of the world greatest nannies, she has plenty of options. But the sexy, American captain makes her an offer she can't refuse... A Dad in Need... Captain Hanish needs a nanny, but only the best will do. When the austere little woman arrives, he gets much more than he bargained for! A Perfect Match... Can a bossy nanny and a cocky captain work together. Or will their differences tear them apart? Raiden To find his mate, he'll have to believe the impossible! A Driven Scientist... For Flora Baptiste, nothing is more important than finding a vaccine against the vampires who kidnapped and changed her. She will stop at nothing until the problem is solved... A Disgruntled Gamer... Raiden might love video games, but that doesn't mean his captain approves. The roguish warrior is preparing for the war he knows will come. If only he could reconcile his attraction for is best friend! Game, Set, Match! Will Flora find the missing ingredient before vampires drive the human race to madness? And can Raiden claim the love he desires without the help of his inner beast? Zephyr To claim his mate, he’ll have to follow his heart... An Imprisoned Dragoness... Maia is the Dragoness Prime and the Duchess of the House of Tides. She has given everything for her people, but they all believe she is dead! A Struggling Scientist... Zephyr knows that human civilization has been irrevocably altered since the vampire kidnappings and murders. While preparing to deliver the vaccine, he is confronted by a woman he never believed he’d meet... An Inconclusive Match... Pushed to the brink by the vampires, humans, and his own inner dragon, Zephyr must make a choice between his heart and his head. Can this logical scientist follow his feelings, claim his mate, and save the world? Or will he let his rigid beliefs rob him of everything he's ever wanted?

Chickens


Laurence Shames - 2014
    This is a little story about a fateful confrontation of a very feisty rooster vs. Bert the Shirt and his chihuahua. Which side will back down? Who will come away with the neighborhood crowing rights? Who's the chicken, after all?

The Madness Within


Steve Lyons - 2011
    Their only hope remains with a Librarian on the edge of sanity, a potentially tainted Astartes who they are forced to trust. His psychic abilities can lead them to the daemon, where Estabann and Cordoba can avenge their brothers’ deaths. But is the greatest threat a foul denizen of the warp, or the power contained within a psyker’s mind?

McSweeney's #59


Claire Boyle - 2020
    Featuring the conclusions to Issue 57's cliffhanger stories by Booker Prize nominee Oyinkan Braithwaite, Brian Evanson, and Mona Awad.

Expanse series #1-6


James S.A. Corey
    a. corey includes titles:- Leviathan Wakes, Caliban's War, Abaddon's Gate, Cibola Burn, Nemesis Games, Babylon's Ashes. Description:- Leviathan Wakes Humanity has colonised the solar system - Mars, the Moon, the Asteroid Belt and beyond - but the stars are still out of our reach.Jim Holden is an officer on an ice miner making runs from the rings of Saturn to the mining stations of the Belt. Caliban's War While Earth and Mars have stopped shooting each other, the core alliance is shattered. The outer planets and the Belt are uncertain in their new - possibly temporary - autonomy. Abaddon's Gate For generations, the solar system - Mars, the Moon, the Asteroid Belt - was humanity's great frontier. Until now. The alien artefact working through its program under the clouds of Venus has emerged to build a massive structure outside the orbit of Uranus: a gate that leads into a starless dark. Cibola Burn: Book 4 of the Expanse The gates have opened the way to a thousand new worlds and the rush to colonise has begun. Settlers looking for a new life stream out from humanity's home planets. Illus, the first human colony on this vast new frontier, is being born in blood and fire. Nemesis Games: Book 5 of the Expanse A thousand worlds have opened, and the greatest land-rush in human history has begun. As wave after wave of colonists leave, the power structures of the old solar system begin to buckle.Ships are disappearing without a trace. Babylon's Ashes: Book Six of the Expanse The Free Navy - a violent group of Belters in black-market military ships - has crippled the Earth and begun a campaign of piracy and violence among the outer planets. The colony ships heading for the thousand new worlds on the far side of the alien ring gates are easy prey, and no single navy remains strong enough to protect them.

All You Zombies


Robert A. Heinlein - 1959
    It further develops themes explored by the author in a previous work, "By His Bootstraps", published some 18 years earlier.

Wings of Pegasus


Jay Allan - 2019
     A grim, haunted expanse of space, vast lightyears filled with dead, empty worlds. A dark place, the graveyard of an empire…and a frontier where vast riches can be had by those with the courage—and the luck—to survive. But trade in old tech is not for the timid. Prospectors face rival crews, ancient imperial security systems, and the ever-present shadow of the Union’s dread spy agency, Sector Nine, as they plunge forth in search of artifacts worth vast fortunes. Andi Lafarge and the crew of Pegasus are among the elite of the strange brotherhood that ventures forth, seeking the remnants of humanity’s lost past. She and her people will face the deadliest challenges, fight constant battles, and plunge forth into the darkest corners of the lost region of space. Pegasus has a new mission, one far more important than even Andi had her crew realize, a search for ancient technology that could determine the outcome of the next Confederation-Union war. To get it, they must travel to a vast ocean world…and they must find what they seek before Sector Nine does. They will fight, suffer, endure. But they will never fail. Not while Andi Lafarge still draws breath. The Andromeda Chronicles Andromeda Rising Wings of Pegasus Into to Badlands (Coming) Blood on the Stars Book 1 - Duel in the Dark Book 2 - Call to Arms Book 3 - Ruins of Empire Book 4 - Echoes of Glory Book 5 - Cauldron of Fire Book 6 - Dauntless Book 7 - The White Fleet Book 8 - Black Dawn Book 9 - Invasion Book 10 - Nightfall Book 11 - The Grand Alliance Book 12 - The Colossus Book 13 – The Others Book 14 – The Last Stand (Coming)