More like Gypsy
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- Fallen Dragon
Peter F. Hamiltonstandalone novel2001
similar byspace colonizationscience fictionadventurousfar futurespaceother star systems
Fallen Dragon is a science fiction novel by British writer Peter F. Hamilton. It was first published in 2001 by Macmillan. It follows the adventures of the mercenary Lawrence Newton as he attempts to capture what he believes is a fabulous treasure, only to find something of much greater importance.
- The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress
Robert A. Heinleinstandalone novel1966
similar byspace colonizationscience fictionadventurousfar future
A technician discovers that the massive computer that operates everything on Luna (a prison colony) has become self-aware. He befriends it, but when he accompanied a beautiful girl to a dissident meeting, he encounters people who want to throw off the yoke of their Earth rulers.
- Red Planet
Robert A. Heinleinstandalone novel1949
similar byspace colonizationscience fictionadventurousfar future
A boy colonist on Mars takes his bouncing ball Martian pet with him to boarding school, but the new Headmaster is a controlling tyrant. Things get worse when he discovers a plot that will jeopardize all of the colonists.
- Pattern for Conquest
George O. Smithstandalone novel1949
similar byspace colonizationscience fictionadventurousfar futurespaceother star systems
Pattern for Conquest is a science fiction novel by American writer George O. Smith. It was published in 1949 by Gnome Press Reprinted circa 1952 in paper wrappers for distribution to US military personnel. Although a later printing, the first edition statement is retained on the copyright page. [Currey] isfdb Currey
- 2312
Kim Stanley Robinsonstandalone novel2012
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In the eponymous year, when Earth's ecology is degraded and humanity has settled throughout the solar system by terraforming and genetic engineering, mysterious disasters strike some human communities and an assortment of human types from throughout the system seek to find and eliminate the cause.
- Deathworld
series4 books1960
completed
similar byspace colonizationscience fictionadventurousfar futureother star systems
Deathworld is the name of a series of science fiction novels by American writer Harry Harrison, including the books Deathworld, Deathworld 2 and Deathworld 3, plus the short story "The Mothballed Spaceship". The central hero is a gambler who becomes involved with colonists of an extremely hostile planet.
- Catteni Sequence
series5 books1970
completed
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The Catteni series is a tetralogy of science fiction novels by American writer Anne McCaffrey. In this universe, humans are slaves of aliens, the humanoid Catteni. Woven through all four of the books are details of the relationship between Kristin Bjornsen, a former slave, and Zainal, a renegade Catteni.
- Destiny's Road
Larry Nivenstandalone novel1997
similar byspace colonizationscience fictionadventurousfar futureother star systems
Destiny's Road is a science fiction novel by American writer Larry Niven, first published in 1998. It follows Jemmy Bloocher's exploration of Destiny's Road, a long scar of once-melted rock seared onto the planet's surface by a spaceship's fusion drive. Jemmy is descended from the original Destiny colonists, who were stranded when their landing craft deserted them.
- Cities in Flight
series10 books1950
completed
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Cities in Flight is a four-volume series of science fiction novels and short stories by American writer James Blish, originally published between 1950 and 1962, which were first known collectively as the "Okie" novels. The series features entire cities that are able to fly through space using an anti-gravity device, the spindizzy. The stories cover roughly two thousand years, from the very near future to the end of the universe. One story, "Earthman, Come Home", won a Retro Hugo Award in 2004 for Best Novelette. Since 1970, the primary edition has been the omnibus volume first published in paperback by Avon Books. Over the years James Blish made many changes to these stories in response to points raised in letters from readers.
- West of the Sun
Edgar Pangbornstandalone novel1953
similar byspace colonizationscience fictionadventurousfar futureother star systems
From the back cover of the Dell first paperback printing: "After eleven years in space the Argo landed... West of the Sun ... on the dangerous planet Lucifer. The crew faced and untamed world of huge carnivorous birds with wolverine heads and flashing black teeth; furred, ten-foot tall men; red-skinned man-eating pygmies. They fought for mere survival but - their duty was to colonize and populate the planet - four men and only two women."
- Old Man's War
series16 books2005
similar byscience fictionadventurousfar futurespaceother star systems+1 more
The Old Man's War series is a series of science fiction novels by John Scalzi. The first book in the series, Old Man's War, was first published in 2005 by Tor Books, and was nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Novel in 2006. In 2026 it was a finalist for the Hugo Award for Best Series.
- Islands in the Sky
Arthur C. Clarkestandalone novel1952
similar byspace colonizationscience fictionadventurousspace
Islands in the Sky is a 1952 science fiction novel by British writer Arthur C. Clarke. It is one of his earliest works. Clarke wrote the story as a travelogue of human settlement of cislunar space in the last half of the twenty-first century.
- Revolt on Alpha C
Robert Silverbergstandalone novel1955
similar byspace colonizationscience fictionadventurousfar futureother star systems
Revolt on Alpha C is a juvenile science fiction novel by American writer Robert Silverberg, published by Crowell in 1955. It was Silverberg's first published book.
- Between Planets
Robert A. Heinleinstandalone novel1951
similar byspace colonizationscience fictionadventurousspace
A teenager is pulled from his earthside boarding school when tensions rise between Earth and the Venus and Mars colonies. He is charged to bring an artifact to his scientist parents on Mars, but when hostilities break out, flights are cancelled and he is put down on Venus.
- Starship Troupers
series3 books1991
completed
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Starship Troupers is a series of science fiction novels by American author Christopher Stasheff. It includes three books: A Company Of Stars, We Open On Venus, and A Slight Detour. It also occupies the same continuity as Stasheff's Warlock of Gramarye and Rogue Wizard series. Set in the 26th century, after the human race has established colonies on distant planets and interstellar commerce supports Terra and the Terran Sphere of worlds, the novels follow the establishment and subsequent journeys of the Star Theater Company, the first-ever interstellar theatre troupe. The series title, Starship Troupers, was intended as a play on Robert Heinlein's Starship Troopers novel.
- A Maze of Stars
John Brunnerstandalone novel1991
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A Maze of Stars (ISBN 0-345-36541-0) is a science fiction novel by John Brunner. It was first published in the United States by Ballantine Del Rey Books in 1991. It tells the story of a great sentient ship charged with protecting human settlements on other worlds.
- Voyage from Yesteryear
James P. Hoganstandalone novel1982
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Voyage from Yesteryear is a 1982 science fiction novel by British writer James P. Hogan.
- Masters of Everon
Gordon R. Dicksonstandalone novel1979
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Jef Robini was heading for Everon with a highly controversial cargo. For eight years on Earth Jef had tried to rear the maolot cub which was the final legacy from his brother. But the maolot had failed to grow into the giant cat that was Everon's largest and most dangerous life-form. And now Jef was returning the creature to its natural home, the colonized planet of Everon. He knew the planet was barren. And that he'd have to fight to survive. But nothing had prepared him for the incomprehensible strangeness, the mind-blasting wonder of the true Masters of Everon.
- The Tenth Planet
Edmund Cooperstandalone novel1973
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Minerva - The Tenth Planet. So distant, the Sun is just another star, cold and dim... Earth had finally succumbed to nuclear horror. Refugees of the holocaust fled beyond the bounds even of Pluto's orbit - to Sol's Tenth Planet. Grief-stricken at Earth's fate, they have also fled the adventurous spirit which at once was Earth's pride and her downfall. But their static existence under a benevolent dictatorship was about to end for the Minervans. Miraculously, from 50 centuries in the past, comes a man whose bold and daring spirit threatens to lay their very civilization on the rack of rebellion. (from the back cover of the Berkley Medallion first paperback printing)
- The Kassa Gambit
M. C. Planckstandalone novel2013
similar byspace colonizationscience fictionadventurousfar futurespaceother star systems
"Centuries after the ecological collapse of Earth, humanity has spread among the stars. Under the governance of the League, our endless need for resources has driven us to colonize hundreds of planets, all of them devoid of other sentient life. Humanity is apparently alone in the universe. Then comes the sudden, brutal decimation of Kassa, a small farming planet, by a mysterious attacker. The few survivors send out a desperate plea for aid, which is answered by two unlikely rescuers. Prudence Falling is the young captain of a tramp freighter. She and her ragtag crew have been on the run and living job to job for years, eking out a living by making cargo runs that aren't always entirely legal. Lt. Kyle Daspar is a police officer from the wealthy planet of Altair Prime, working undercover as a double agent against the League. He's been undercover so long he can't be trusted by anyone--even himself. While flying rescue missions to extract survivors from the surface of devastated Kassa, they discover what could be the most important artifact in the history of man: an alien spaceship, crashed and abandoned during the attack. But something tells them there is more to the story. Together, they discover the cruel truth about the destruction of Kassa, and that an imminent alien invasion is the least of humanity's concerns. "--
- Ringworld
series5 books1970
part of Known Space
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The Ringworld series is a series of science fiction novels written by American author Larry Niven. It is part of his Known Space series of stories. Its backdrop is the Ringworld, a giant artifact 3 million times the surface area of Earth circling a star. The series is composed of four standalone science fiction novels, the original award-winning book and its three sequels:1970: Ringworld 1979: The Ringworld Engineers 1996: The Ringworld Throne 2004: Ringworld's Children
- Gradisil
Adam Robertsstandalone novel2006
similar byspace colonizationscience fictionadventurousfar futurespaceother star systems
Gradisil is a science fiction novel by British author Adam Roberts.
- Search the Sky
C. M. Kornbluth & Frederik Pohlstandalone novel1954
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Search the Sky is a satirical science fiction novel by American writers Frederik Pohl and Cyril M. Kornbluth, first published in 1954 by Ballantine Books.
- Uplift Universe
universe13 books1980
Start hereUplift · Start here
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No species, the Galactics insist, ever climbs to sapience alone. For a billion years the elder races have "uplifted" their chosen clients — reshaping some promising animal, gene by patient gene, into a thinking being, then binding it through long ages of indenture. Patron lifts client; client one day becomes patron; and every lineage traces back through the vast Galactic Library to the vanished Progenitors who began it all. Then a ragged band of primates arrives at the stars with no patron to claim them — wolflings, self-made, an affront to a hundred thousand years of law — and worse, these humans have already started uplifting neighbors of their own: the neo-dolphins and neo-chimpanzees of Earthclan. David Brin builds this galaxy across two trilogies. The first — Sundiver, the Hugo- and Nebula-winning Startide Rising, and the Hugo-winning The Uplift War — sends an expedition into the Sun, then follows the dolphin-crewed survey ship Streaker as it flees a discovery that sets fanatical star-clans at war, and a chimp-led resistance on an invaded colony world. The second sequence, Uplift Storm — Brightness Reef, Infinity's Shore, Heaven's Reach — descends to Jijo, a forbidden world where six fallen races hide as illegal settlers, and draws every loose thread toward a reckoning. Short fiction fills the margins. This is space opera with an ecologist's conscience: teeming with invented biologies, wry cross-species banter, and real unease about what we owe the minds we make. Begin with Startide Rising — the saga's beating heart, and readable on its own — or take Sundiver first and read straight through in publication order.
