More like The Planetary Con

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The Stainless Steel RatSeries
series21 books1957
completed
Funny in tone.
“An adolescent boy on a dull planet resolves to live by his wits outside the law, and enacts a plan which leads to risk and reward.”
from the catalogue
Start with A Stainless Steel Rat Is Born →
Against a Dark BackgroundNovel
Iain M. Banksstandalone novel1993
Tense in tone, about magical artifacts and found family.
Known SpaceUniverse
universe142 books1964
About aliens.
“Give a clever species a few centuries and a working fusion drive, and it will fill the sky with problems.”
from the catalogue
Start with Ringworld →
includes Ringworld, Fleet of Worlds, Man-Kzin Wars
CoDominiumUniverse
universe98 books1971
Military science fiction.
“The body of work runs along a few hard threads rather than one line.”
from the catalogue
Start with The Mote in God's Eye →
includes Moties, Falkenberg's Legion, Laurie Jo Hansen, War World
Starman JonesNovel
Robert A. Heinleinstandalone novel1953
About space exploration and coming of age, set in spaceship.
“Starman Jones, a 1953 science fiction novel by Robert A. Heinlein, features a farm boy who wants to go to the stars.”
from the catalogue
Citizen of the GalaxyNovel
Robert A. Heinleinstandalone novel1957
About coming of age and identity.
“On a planet far distant from Earth, a lame beggar buys a young boy slave who has forgotten his origins.”
from the catalogue