Series

Books like Thunder and Lightning: 9 series to read next

Thunder and Lightning is science fiction, about space exploration, set in near future and space, adventurous in register. The 9 series below are ranked by how much of that they share — each card says which parts.

Thunder and Lightning is 4 books, 2003–2014.

“Red Thunder and Red Lightning follow the first generation's improvised trip to Mars; Rolling Thunder and Dark Lightning pick up decades later with their descendants.”
from the catalogue description

The Thunder and Lightning page →Narrow this list →

The Martian
Old Man's War
Cities in Flight
Jupiter
Space Beagle
Pax / Astra
Adventures of Viktor & Julia
The Final Six
Known Space

The MartianSeries

seriesAndy Weir2 books2012

Hard science fiction, set in our world.

“Using scientific improvisation and dark humor, Watney works to keep himself alive long enough for a rescue to reach him.”
from the catalogue description

Start with The Martian →

Old Man's WarSeries

seriesJohn Scalzi16 books2005

Military science fiction, about war, set in other star systems.

“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 →

Cities in FlightSeries

seriesJames Blish10 books1950

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

“The stories cover roughly two thousand years, from the very near future to the end of the universe.”
from the catalogue description
Wikipedia CC BY-SA 4.0

Start with They Shall Have Stars →

JupiterSeries

seriesCharles Sheffield, Jerry Pournelle & James P. Hogan6 books1996

About coming of age, set in other star systems.

“The Jupiter novels are a series of science fiction novels from Tor Books patterned after Robert A. Heinlein's young adult novels.”
from the catalogue description
Wikipedia CC BY-SA 4.0

Start with Higher Education →

Space BeagleSeries

seriesA. E. van Vogt5 books1939

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

Start with Black Destroyer →

Pax / AstraSeries

seriesAndre Norton2 books1954

Science fiction, adventurous and tense in tone, about survival, set in far future.

“Star Flight appears to be a later omnibus or reissue rather than a third original novel.”
from the catalogue description

Start with The Stars Are Ours! →

Adventures of Viktor & JuliaSeries

seriesGregory Benford2 books1999

Hard science fiction.

“When NASA becomes bogged down in politics and bureaucracy, businessman Axelrod and a conglomerate of backers seize their chance.”
from the catalogue description of The Martian Race

Start with The Martian Race →

The Final SixSeries

seriesAlexandra Monir2 books2018

Science fiction, tense in tone, about space exploration and survival, set in near future and space.

“When Leo, an Italian championship swimmer, and Naomi, an Iranian-American science genius from California, are two of the twenty-four teens drafted into the International Space Training Camp, their lives are forever altered.”
from the catalogue description

Start with The Final Six →

Known SpaceUniverse

universe142 books1964

Set in other star systems.

“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 →

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 Thunder and Lightning?: The Martian — the closest match to Thunder and Lightning on what it is about, not on what sells.
Where do I start with Thunder and Lightning?: Red Thunder. It is the entry the catalogue recommends for Thunder and Lightning.
How big is Thunder and Lightning?: Thunder and Lightning is 4 books, 2003–2014.
Is Thunder and Lightning finished?: Yes — 4 books, 2003–2014.

Books like Thunder and Lightning: 9 series to read next

Read next in Thunder and Lightning

Why these

Questions readers ask

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