Universe

Books like Lensman: 9 series to read next

Lensman is science fiction and space opera, about psychic powers, set in far future, adventurous in register. The 9 series below are ranked by how much of that they share — each card says which parts.

Lensman is 19 books across 4 series, 1934–1983.

“Before the genre had a name, there was the Lens: a jewel of living force forged by the sages of Arisia, keyed to a single mind and worn only by the incorruptible few chosen to guard a galaxy.”
from the catalogue description

The Lensman page →Narrow this list →

Known Space
Humanx Commonwealth
Fifth Imperium
The Final Architecture
The Saga of Seven Suns Universe
Legion of Space
The Talents
CoDominium
Old Man's War

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 →

Humanx CommonwealthUniverse

universe39 books1972

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

“Two species that ought, by every buried instinct, to recoil from one another instead clasp hand to truhand and build a galaxy together.”
from the catalogue description

Reading order →

Fifth ImperiumSeries

seriesDavid Weber3 books1991

About artificial intelligence.

“The three novels were later collected as the omnibus Empire from the Ashes.”
from the catalogue description

Start with Mutineers' Moon →

The Final ArchitectureSeries

seriesAdrian Tchaikovsky6 books2021

Science fiction and space opera, adventurous in tone, about aliens and space exploration, 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 →

The Saga of Seven Suns UniverseSeries

seriesKevin J. Anderson16 books2002

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

Start with Veiled Alliances →

Legion of SpaceSeries

seriesJack Williamson7 books1947

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

“The Medusae bear a vague resemblance to jellyfish, but are actually elephant-sized, four-eyed, flying beings with hundreds of tentacles.”
from the catalogue description
Wikipedia CC BY-SA 4.0

Start with The Legion of Space →

The TalentsUniverse

universe18 books1959

Science fiction, about psychic powers.

“Somewhere a Prime holds a Tower, gathers the gestalt of a generator's power, and flings a starship — or a single frightened child — across the light-years between worlds.”
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 →

Old Man's WarSeries

seriesJohn Scalzi16 books2005

Science fiction and space opera, 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 →

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 Lensman?: Known Space — the closest match to Lensman on what it is about, not on what sells.
How big is Lensman?: Lensman is 19 books across 4 series, 1934–1983.
Is Lensman finished?: Yes — 19 books across 4 series, 1934–1983.

Books like Lensman: 9 series to read next

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Why these

Questions readers ask

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