Universe

Books like Blackbeard: 9 series to read next

Blackbeard is science fiction and military science fiction, about aliens, set in space, tense in register. The 9 series below are ranked by how much of that they share — each card says which parts.

Blackbeard is 16 books across 5 series, 2014–2021.

“Into that war sails Captain James Drake, who takes his ship rogue rather than obey an order he cannot stomach, rechristens her Blackbeard, and turns privateer.”
from the catalogue description

The Blackbeard page →Narrow this list →

Known Space
Vatta
The Final Architecture
Conquerors
Janissaries
Alliance-Union
Old Man's War
Honorverse
CoDominium

Known SpaceUniverse

universe142 books1964

Science fiction, about aliens, set in far future and space.

“Give a clever species a few centuries and a working fusion drive, and it will fill the sky with problems.”
from the catalogue description

Reading order →

VattaUniverse

universe10 books2003

Science fiction and space opera, adventurous and tense in tone, set in far future and space.

“Get kicked out of the Academy and the family still hands you a ship.”
from the catalogue description

Reading order →

The Final ArchitectureSeries

seriesAdrian Tchaikovsky6 books2021

Science fiction and space opera, adventurous and tense in tone, about aliens and war, set in far future and space.

“Eighty years ago, Earth was destroyed by an alien 'Architect'.”
from the catalogue description of Shards of Earth
Wikipedia CC BY-SA 4.0

Start with Shards of Earth →

ConquerorsSeries

seriesTimothy Zahn3 books1994

First contact.

“Zahn alternates perspective between the human and alien chains of command, using the shifting viewpoints to slowly unpick why the conflict started in the first place.”
from the catalogue description

Start with Conquerors' Pride →

JanissariesSeries

seriesJerry Pournelle, Roland J. Green, David Weber & Phillip Pournelle4 books1979

About slavery.

“Janissaries are an American series of military and political-based science fiction novels are set in an interstellar confederation of races, in which humans are a slave race entrusted with military affairs and law enforcement.”
from the catalogue description
Wikipedia CC BY-SA 4.0

Start with Janissaries →

Alliance-UnionUniverse

universe173 books1976

Science fiction, set in far future.

“Around that spine cluster the merchanter novels of trader Families, the Faded Sun trilogy of human envoys among the martial alien Mri, and the Chanur books, narrated from the hierarchical, whiskered viewpoint of the hani.”
from the catalogue description

Reading order →

Old Man's WarSeries

seriesJohn Scalzi16 books2005

Science fiction and military science fiction, adventurous in tone, about war, set in far future and space.

“Sign a document at 65, saying you intend to join up 10 years later.”
from the catalogue description
Wikipedia CC BY-SA 4.0

Start with Old Man's War →

HonorverseUniverse

universe83 books1993

Science fiction and space opera, set in far future and other star systems.

“At the center stands one officer, Honor Harrington — captain, then something far larger — and the six-limbed empathic treecat who rides her shoulder.”
from the catalogue description

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CoDominiumUniverse

universe98 books1971

Science fiction and military science fiction, set in far future and other star systems.

“The body of work runs along a few hard threads rather than one line.”
from the catalogue description

Reading order →

Why these

No sales rank, no star ratings, no readers also bought.

Shared terms are not a promise that a book feels the same. Two series can be far-future political intrigue and read nothing alike — what the ranking can say is what they are about, and each card says which parts it shares.

Questions readers ask

What should I read after Blackbeard?: Known Space — the closest match to Blackbeard on what it is about, not on what sells.
How big is Blackbeard?: Blackbeard is 16 books across 5 series, 2014–2021.

Books like Blackbeard: 9 series to read next

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Why these

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