Universe

Books like Known Space: 9 series to read next

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

Known Space is 142 books across 5 series, 1964–2022.

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

The Known Space page →Narrow this list →

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

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 →

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 →

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 →

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 →

The Final ArchitectureSeries

seriesAdrian Tchaikovsky6 books2021

Science fiction, tense and adventurous 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

Science fiction, tense and adventurous in tone, about aliens and war, set in far future and other star systems.

“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 →

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

Reading order →

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 →

HeecheeSeries

seriesFrederik Pohl19 books1972

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

“The Heechee are an advanced alien race that visited the Solar System hundreds of millennia ago and then mysteriously disappeared.”
from the catalogue description
Wikipedia CC BY-SA 4.0

Start with Gateway →

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 Known Space?: Old Man's War — the closest match to Known Space on what it is about, not on what sells.
How big is Known Space?: Known Space is 142 books across 5 series, 1964–2022.

Books like Known Space: 9 series to read next

Read next in Known Space

Why these

Questions readers ask

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