Book picks similar to
Rescue Mode by Ben Bova


science-fiction
sci-fi
scifi
fiction

Hope Reformed


David Drake - 2014
    With planets cut off and reduced to subsistence and ignorance, humanity has nearly forgotten its past greatness. But one battle computer has survived the Collapse. He is Center. And Center is determined to find and aid leaders who can return a star-faring republic to the galaxy. The first of these leaders is Raj Whitehall, a man born to be a general, and molded to retake civilization itself from the jaws of barbarism.The Reformer by S.M. Stirling and David DrakeOn Hafardine, civilization had fallen further than most. That men came from the stars was not even a rumor of memory in Adrian Gellert's day. The Empire of Vanbret spread across the lands in a sterile splendor that could only end in another collapse, more ignominious and complete than the first. Adrian Gellert was a philosopher, a Student of the Grove. His greatest desire was a life of contemplation in the service of wisdom . . . until he touched the 'holy relic' that contained the disincarnate minds of Raj Whitehall and Center. On that day, Adrian's search for wisdom would lead him to a life of action, from the law-courts of Vanbret to the pirate cities of the Archipelago and battlefields bloodier than any in the history he'd learned. The prize was the future of humanity.The Tyrant by Eric Flint and David DrakeOn the planet Hafardine, civilization must rediscover progress or collapse. Adrian, guided by disembodied electronic mentors from space, has brought gunpowder and steam power to the Kingdom of the Isles to break the stranglehold of the Empire. But he will have to avoid being killed by the suspicious King he serves, by the barbarians he must recruit, and even by his insanely vengeful brother.About the Raj Whitehall/General series:“[T]old with knowledge of military tactics and hardware, and vividly described action . . . devotees of military SF should enjoy themselves.”—Publishers Weekly “[A] thoroughly engrossing military sf series . . . superb battle scenes, ingenious weaponry and tactics, homages to Kipling, and many other goodies. High fun.”—Booklist About David Drake:“[P]rose as cold and hard as the metal alloy of a tank … rivals Crane and Remarque …” –Chicago Sun-Times “Drake couldn’t write a bad action scene at gunpoint.” –Booklist The General SeriesThe ForgeS. M. Stirling David Drake The Hammer S. M. Stirling David Drake The Anvil S. M. Stirling David Drake The Steel S. M. Stirling David Drake The Sword S. M. Stirling David Drake The Chosen S. M. Stirling David Drake The Reformer S. M. Stirling David Drake The Tyrant Eric Flint David Drake The HereticTony DanielDavid DrakeThe SaviorTony DanielDavid DrakeOmnibus EditionsWarlord David Drake S. M. Stirling Contains The Forge and The Hammer Conqueror David Drake S. M. StirlingContains The Anvil and The Steel Hope RebornDavid Drake S. M. Stirling Contains The Forge and The Hammer Hope RearmedDavid Drake S. M. StirlingContains The Anvil and The Steel

Inhibitor Phase


Alastair Reynolds - 2021
    The slightest hint of human activity could draw the wolves to their home, to destroy everything ... utterly. Which is how Miguel finds himself on a one-way mission with his own destructive mandate: to eliminate a passing ship, before it can bring unwanted attention down on them.Only something goes wrong.There's a lone survivor.And she knows far more about Miguel than she's letting on . . .Ranging from the depths of space to the deeps of Pattern Juggler waters, from nervous, isolated communities to the ruins of empire, this is a stealthy space opera from an author at the top of his game.Praise for Al Reynolds' Revenger'A swashbuckling thriller' The Guardian'A blindingly clever imagining of our solar system in the far flung future' The Sun'A rollicking adventure yarn with action, abduction, fights and properly scary hazards' The Daily Telegraph

Dark Victory: A Novel of Alien Resistance


Brendan DuBois - 2016
    From two time Shamus Award winner Brendan DuBois comes a terrifying and original tale of a world populated mostly by teens, who are fighting to save their lives . . . and the future of planet Earth.A decade ago, the alien Creepers came to Earth, dropping asteroids to drown our coastal cities, detonating nuclear weapons overhead to destroy our communications, power and computer systems, and to set up their network of killer stealth satellites to kill anything on our planet that used modern technology. In a matter of days, Earth was driven back to a nineteenth century existence. Then the war really began, as the Creepers descended and set up domed bases that were impervious to everything save a nuclear bomb.For ten years then, the battered and surviving members of humanity have fought against the Creepers and their mechanized exoskeletons, until something unexpected has happened: a chance for victory. Sixteen-year-old Randy Knox has the usual problems of a teenage boy: getting along with his father, dating his sweetheart, and trying not to fail his junior year of high school. But Randy also has other demands on his time, as a sergeant in the N.H. National Guard, attached to the U.S. Army, and fighting the invading Creepers. Randy has dim memories of a time of electric lights, laptop computers, television screens and above all, plenty of food at every meal. On his twelfth birthday, he enlisted in the Army to carry on the fight, since most of the world’s adults have been killed off and it’s up to the younger generations to serve. But now, as a veteran of the Creeper war and with his K-9 partner Thor, Randy has learned to focus on the essentials: the best way to kill a Creeper, scrounge through abandoned buildings for old canned goods, and to avoid being turned into “barbecue bait.” He has earned the Bronze Star, two Purple Hearts, and the Combat Infantryman Badge. Endless war is all he knows. But now change has drastically come to his life. The current President of the United States has announced that scattered remnants of the Air Force have destroyed the Creeper’s Orbital Base, ensuring victory over the alien invaders. Those surviving Creepers on the Earth’s surface will be hunted down and exterminated, as a weary and wary population celebrates victory. Yet Randy is assigned a new mission: to escort a secret representative from the Governor of New Hampshire to the nation’s capital, to meet with the President. And at the last moment, a fellow teen soldier—the beautiful Serena Coulson and her mute younger brother Buddy—are assigned to join Randy. This secretive mission proves to be the most dangerous assignment of his life, as Randy tries to protect his charges from rampaging Creepers and criminal humans. And as he fights to reach the capitol with a vital mission, Randy learns that all of his skills in combating aliens may not be enough to survive the dark conspiracies of his fellow humans.

Worlds


Eric Flint - 2009
    Known for his New York Times best-selling alternate history novels, Flint is equally a master of shorter forms, and this large volume gathers the best of Flint's shorter works. This generous selection includes: several stories and short novels set in Flint's celebrated Ring of Fire alternate history series; two stories from Flint's Joe's World humorous fantasy series; a story with Dave Freer, set in their popular rats, bats and vats series; a short novel set in Flint and David Drake's Belisarius series; and several shared-universe stories set in David Drake's Foreign Legions universe, and a story set in David Weber's best-selling Honor Harrington universe.In addition to the fiction, Eric Flint has written an overall introduction, plus an introduction for each story, telling how it came to be written, which will make this an irresistible book for the thousands of Eric Flint fans.

Hull Zero Three


Greg Bear - 2010
    Its destination-unknown. Its purpose-a mystery. Now, one man wakes up. Ripped from a dream of a new home-a new planet and the woman he was meant to love in his arms-he finds himself wet, naked, and freezing to death. The dark halls are full of monsters but trusting other survivors he meets might be the greater danger.All he has are questions-- Who is he? Where are they going? What happened to the dream of a new life? What happened to Hull 03?All will be answered, if he can survive the ship.HULL ZERO THREE is an edge-of-your-seat thrill ride through the darkest reaches of space.

The Cobra Trilogy


Timothy Zahn - 2004
    Outnumbered and on the defensive, Earth made a desperate decision. It would attack the aliens not from space, but on the ground-with forces the Trofts did not even suspect. Thus were created the Cobras, a guerilla force whose weapons were surgically implanted, invisible to the unsuspecting eye, yet undeniably deadly. But power brings temptation . . . and not all the Cobras could be trusted to fight for Earth alone. Jonny Moreau would learn the uses-and abuses-of his special abilities, and what it truly meant to be a Cobra.

Red Moon


Kim Stanley Robinson - 2018
    But hours after his arrival he witnesses a murder and is forced into hiding.It is also the first visit for celebrity travel reporter Ta Shu. He has contacts and influence, but he too will find that the moon can be a perilous place for any traveler.Finally, there is Chan Qi. She is the daughter of the Minister of Finance, and without doubt a person of interest to those in power. She is on the moon for reasons of her own, but when she attempts to return to China, in secret, the events that unfold will change everything - on the moon, and on Earth.

Marsbound


Joe Haldeman - 2008
    Young Carmen Dula and her family are about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime, they're going to Mars. Once on the Red Planet, however, Carmen realizes things are not so different from Earth. There are chores to do, lessons to learn, and oppressive authority figures to rebel against. And when she ventures out into the bleak Mars landscape alone one night, a simple accident leads her to the edge of death until she is saved by an angel, an angel with too many arms and legs, a head that looks like a potato gone bad, and a message for the newly arrived human inhabitants of Mars: We were here first.

The Forlorn


Dave Freer - 1999
    Reprint.

Treasure Planet


Hal Colebatch - 2014
    “Ah, the wealth o’ the treasure planet be beyond the dreams of Man or the hopes o’ Kzin!” On Wunderland, a generation after Liberation, memories of the bloody kzin conquest and Occupation have faded, and men and kzin live largely in peace. But the fabulous treasure of the kzin pirates, hidden on a distant world, remains a magnet for freebooters. Young Peter Cartwright and his kzinrett friend Marthar receive information and map from a most unlikely source and soon themselves fighting the most ruthless pirates in Known Space for an unimaginable prize.About the Man-Kzin War Series:“[The Man-Kzin Wars series is] excellent . . .gripping . . .and expands well on Larry Niven’s universe. . . .” –Locus

The World of Ptavvs


Larry Niven - 1966
    The trouble was that if these psychic interchanges were strong enough, a man could end up not knowing who he really was. And when Larry's mind is taken over by a sinister alien force, he has to fight to retain his sanity - and divert a disaster that threatens all mankind..."Snappy, ingenious, and upbeat." - GalaxyMade the 1st ballot for the 1967 Nebula

Hour of the Horde


Gordon R. Dickson - 1970
    And Earth lay in their route.To defend their home planets, the worlds that lay in the path of the monsters created a super defense force, asking each planet to contribute one especially talented warrior to help turn the invaders away.Miles Vander was Earth's man, but when he arrived at the rendezvous point he found that he was included in the special task force of the less civilized defenders. But in the contest of advanced nuclear weaponry and computer strategy, it turned out to be Vander's group that had the special independent qualities and the raw courage to meet the challenge the most effectively.

Bowl of Heaven


Gregory Benford - 2012
    In this first collaboration by science fiction masters Larry Niven (Ringworld) and Gregory Benford (Timescape), the limits of wonder are redrawn once again as a human expedition to another star system is jeopardized by an encounter with an astonishingly immense artifact in interstellar space: a bowl-shaped structure half-englobing a star, with a habitable area equivalent to many millions of Earths…and it's on a direct path heading for the same system as the human ship.A landing party is sent to investigate the Bowl, but when the explorers are separated--one group captured by the gigantic structure's alien inhabitants, the other pursued across its strange and dangerous landscape--the mystery of the Bowl's origins and purpose propel the human voyagers toward discoveries that will transform their understanding of their place in the universe.

Shooting the Rift


Alex Stewart - 2016
    Space opera with a bang, as a young castout is caught up in an interstellar war.DISOWNED IN A HARSH GALAXYCast out by his family and exiled from the Rimward Commonwealth, Simon Forrester must make a new life for himself as an apprentice to the powerful Commerce Guild. But others aboard the merchant vessel Stacked Deck have a hidden agenda that might lead directly to interstellar war. Now with rising tensions between the Commonwealth and the neighboring League of Democracies threatening to erupt into open war, Simon finds himself forced to choose between old and new loyalties, with the fate of an empire at stake!

The Golden Gate


Robert Buettner - 2017
    A face-off with killers in order to guard a secret that could change humanity forever.  LIVE FOREVER—OR DIE TRYING When the world’s richest man is the victim of a car bomb and literally blown off the Golden Gate Bridge the attack is attributed to terrorists and the world moves on. But some still wonder. Was Manuel Colibri targeted because, as Silicon Valley rumor has it, he was about to make the dream that people alive today can live to be one thousand come true? Two people are pursuing the truth. Tech journalist Kate Boyle and recovering Iraq war veteran Ben Shepard race through the Bay Area chasing the only clues the reclusive Colibri left behind. They discover not only each other but a cosmic secret that can change human history—and may cost them their lives. Praise for The Golden Gate: "Futuristic and imaginative, The Golden Gate by Robert Buettner sweeps across continents and centuries in a thrilling chase for the truth about longevity.  The science is fascinating, and the suspense never lets up.  Readers will revel in this terrific roller-coaster ride."—Gayle Lynds, New York Times bestselling author of The Assassins ". . . reverberates with echoes of current concerns over biomedical ethics, religion, and political machinations . . . interesting ideas about life extension and the implications of technological advances . . . and . . . the underlying mystery and unpredictability keep the pages turning."—Publishers Weekly About Robert Buettner's Balance Point: "Buettner . . . conducts his thriller action with suspense and plausibility. All the separate threads balance neatly, as if in homage to the book's themes of balance between antagonistic polities . . . and [Balance Point] carries forward nobly the kind of core SF tale pioneered by writers such as Anderson, Gordon Dickson, Christopher Anvil, James Schmitz, and C. J. Cherryh, offering entertainment aplenty with thoughtful meditations on how humanity can get along with itself or not!"—Locus About Robert Buettner and the Orphan's Legacy Series: “Buettner goes well beyond . . . military science fiction . . . he understands . . . living as a soldier—the boredom punctuated by terror, the constant anxiety and self-doubt, the random chaos that battle always is, and the emotional glue that holds together people who may have nothing in common except absolute responsibility for one another's lives.” —Joe Haldeman, Hugo and Nebula Award-winning author “[O]nce in a while . . . a contemporary author penetrates to the heart of Heinlein's vision . . . to replicate the master's effects. . . . [O]ne such book [is] Robert Buettner's Orphanage.” —The Washington Post “Entertaining. Buettner shows the Heinlein touch.” —Denver Post