Series

Books like Darger and Surplus: 9 series to read next

Darger and Surplus is science fiction, about con artists, set in far future. The 9 series below are ranked by how much of that they share — each card says which parts.

Darger and Surplus is 8 books, 2001–2020.

The Darger and Surplus page →Narrow this list →

The Stainless Steel Rat
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Foundation
Ender's Game
The Android's Dream
Commonwealth
Uplift
Known Space
Old Man's War

The Stainless Steel RatSeries

seriesHarry Harrison21 books1957

Space opera.

“An adolescent boy on a dull planet resolves to live by his wits outside the law, and enacts a plan which leads to risk and reward.”
from the catalogue description of A Stainless Steel Rat Is Born
Wikipedia CC BY-SA 4.0

Start with A Stainless Steel Rat Is Born →

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the GalaxyUniverse

universe18 books1979

Science fiction and humor, funny in tone, set in far future and space.

“The Earth is scheduled for demolition to make way for a hyperspace bypass, and honestly, nobody filed the paperwork properly.”
from the catalogue description

Reading order →

FoundationUniverse

universe123 books1940

Science fiction, about robots, set in far future.

“There is a science that reads the future of quadrillions the way an astronomer reads the orbits of stars.”
from the catalogue description

Start with Foundation →

Ender's GameUniverse

universe39 books1977

Science fiction, set in far future.

“To beat your enemy you must first understand him so completely that you love him — and in the instant you love him, you destroy him.”
from the catalogue description

Reading order →

The Android's DreamSeries

seriesJohn Scalzi2 books2006

Space opera, about aliens.

“John Scalzi's The Android's Dream follows ex-soldier Harry Creek as the hunt for a replacement leads him to Robin Baker, an ordinary woman carrying hidden sheep DNA that makes her the key to avoiding a war.”
from the catalogue description

Start with The Android's Dream →

CommonwealthUniverse

universe12 books2002

Space opera.

“Step aboard the train at the Second Chance terminal and ride the wormhole to another star.”
from the catalogue description

Reading order →

UpliftUniverse

universe13 books1980

Space opera, about uplift and aliens.

“No species, the Galactics insist, ever climbs to sapience alone.”
from the catalogue description

Reading order →

Known SpaceUniverse

universe142 books1964

About aliens.

“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 →

Old Man's WarSeries

seriesJohn Scalzi16 books2005

Military science fiction and space opera, about war.

“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 →

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 Darger and Surplus?: The Stainless Steel Rat — the closest match to Darger and Surplus on what it is about, not on what sells.
Where do I start with Darger and Surplus?: The Dog Said Bow-Wow. It is the entry the catalogue recommends for Darger and Surplus.
How big is Darger and Surplus?: Darger and Surplus is 8 books, 2001–2020.

Books like Darger and Surplus: 9 series to read next

Read next in Darger and Surplus

Why these

Questions readers ask

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