More like Small World

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The Dosadi ExperimentNovel
Frank Herbertstandalone novel1977
Space opera, about political intrigue.
“Dosadi is rumored to be an experimental planet, and the experimenters are the froglike Gowachin, whose culture is founded upon a strange legal system in which McKie is the only human ever trained.”
from the catalogue
West of the SunNovel
Edgar Pangbornstandalone novel1953
Adventurous in tone.
“West of the Sun ... on the dangerous planet Lucifer.”
from the catalogue
Hunter's RunNovel
Gardner Dozois, George R. R. Martin & Daniel Abrahamstandalone novel2007
Space opera.
DuneUniverse
universe78 books1963
Space opera, about political intrigue.
“The desert planet, where empire runs on a single substance: the spice melange, which folds space, prolongs life, and unlocks prescience, and which exists nowhere else in the known universe.”
from the catalogue
Start with Dune →
includes Dune, Dune Prequels, Heroes of Dune, Dune Sequels, Background of the Dune Universe
The Seed of EarthNovel
Robert Silverbergstandalone novel1962
Science fiction, tense in tone, about survival and aliens, set in other star systems and far future.
“Back of book: The leaders of Earth intend to spread Mankind throughout the universe, until every habitable planet boasts a human civilization. 60 colony ships leave Earth every day on a one-way trip to the stars.”
from the catalogue
Cycle of FireNovel
Hal Clementstandalone novel1957
Hard science fiction, reflective in tone, about friendship.
“After his ship crashed on the inhospitable planet Abyorman, Nils Kruger had spent weeks wandering across the face of the planet.suffering from blistering heat, the searing cold of an alien climate.”
from the catalogue