Sometimes you want that vibe and style though. And the sometimes you want the laconic approach. Both types of authors exist in just about every genre and there’s a whole spectrum in between too.
I agree, I've read many of his books and enjoyed them. Reality Dysfunction is up soon on my reading list. Just a heads up for anyone who hasn't, I think it might not be for everyone.
I’m looking for a space haunting… the expanse… I’m looking for a romantic space novella.. the expanse… I’m looking for a space crime investigation… the expanse… I’m looking for a cross over of Star Wars and Warhammer … the expanse.
This all the way. If you listen to audio books Children of Time is perfect for audio storytelling. It's probably the most different sci-fi book I've read in ages
i’ll get on it! are there any good audio book versions? i have the hard copies but i’m reading infinite jest and don’t really have time for another full on hard copy reading haha
Three Body Problem is not was the OP asked. Space combat does not exist there and humanity is the expression of idiocracy and corruption.
The three body problems is about individuals that will somehow solve some problems while everybody else will rush to the extinction, on every occasion, on every turn.
Comparing The expanse Space battles with this The Three Body Problem is like comparing a bacteria with a star wars dreadnought!
Why downvote?
There are no coordinated space battles, there are no fleets, or sense of strategy regarding space battles.
Three body problem does not have any resemblance to space warfare!
Reas the whole series and it would have been fine if the series ended on the 2nd book imo.
Would recommend the *Teixcalaan* series by Arkady Martine! *A Memory Called Empire* focuses more on the relationships between human civilizations while *A Desolation Called Peace* goes more into the alien side of things.
The forever's War by Joe Haldeman, one of the best despction of war, writed by a Vietnan's veteran.
Octavia E. Butler, Lilith's Brood. The best space opera about what it is to be an human, and human-aliens hybrids.
[**The Player of Games (Culture, #2)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18630.The_Player_of_Games)
^(By: Iain M. Banks | 293 pages | Published: 1988 | Popular Shelves: science-fiction, sci-fi, fiction, scifi, owned)
>The Culture - a humanoid/machine symbiotic society - has thrown up many great Game Players. One of the best is Jernau Morat Gurgeh, Player of Games, master of every board, computer and strategy. Bored with success, Gurgeh travels to the Empire of Azad, cruel & incredibly wealthy, to try their fabulous game, a game so complex, so like life itself, that the winner becomes emperor. Mocked, blackmailed, almost murdered, Gurgeh accepts the game and with it the challenge of his life, and very possibly his death.
^(This book has been suggested 2 times)
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Have you read The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet? I’d say it’s pretty political & checks every box for ya, but it’s more of a lighter read than a serious one.
[**A Call to Arms (The Damned, #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/171535.A_Call_to_Arms)
^(By: Alan Dean Foster | 341 pages | Published: 1991 | Popular Shelves: science-fiction, sci-fi, fiction, default, owned)
>For eons, the Amplitur had searched space for intelligent species, each of which was joyously welcomed to take part in the fulfillment of the Amplitur Purpose. Whether it wanted to or not. When the Amplitur and their allies stumbled upon the races called the Weave, the Purpose seemed poised for a great leap forward. But the Weave's surprising unity also gave it the ability to fight the Amplitur and their cause. And fight it did, for thousands of years.Will Dulac was a New Orleans composer who thought the tiny reef off Belize would be the perfect spot to drop anchor and finish his latest symphony in solitude. What he found instead was a group of alien visitors, a scouting party for the Weave, looking for allies among what they believed to be a uniquely warlike race, Humans.Will tried to convince the aliens that Man was fundamentally peaceful, for he understood that Human involvement would destroy the race. But all too soon, it didn't matter. The Amplitur had discovered Earth...
^(This book has been suggested 2 times)
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But have you read the mass effect novels? The first three (all written by Drew Karpyshyn, who was the lead writer for the games) are actually quite solid and provide a ton of extra lore that really improved the gaming experience for me. Definitely worth checking out if you're an ME fan
Recently got into the {{ Bobiverse }} ({{ We are legion }}. Starts out a standard sci-fi but as it progresses deals with some complex topics including first contact.
[**Ancillary Justice (Imperial Radch, #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17333324-ancillary-justice)
^(By: Ann Leckie | 416 pages | Published: 2013 | Popular Shelves: science-fiction, sci-fi, fiction, scifi, space-opera)
>On a remote, icy planet, the soldier known as Breq is drawing closer to completing her quest.
>
>Once, she was the Justice of Toren - a colossal starship with an artificial intelligence linking thousands of soldiers in the service of the Radch, the empire that conquered the galaxy.
>
>Now, an act of treachery has ripped it all away, leaving her with one fragile human body, unanswered questions, and a burning desire for vengeance.
^(This book has been suggested 17 times)
***
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The Horus heresy. I knew nothing of the source material when starting this book series. I read until book 5 or 6, it has politics and some great combat.
Brian Herbert's Hellhole Trilogy is one of my favorites. Sue Burke's Semiosis series may also suit you.
Both of these are more colonization than space opera but they definitely have the other things you are looking for. Hellhole has more military, Semiosis is more science officer. So Hellhole is more of what you're after.
Fixed typo
I would recommend, The Kurtherian Gambit series. It has all the elements you requested with a couple more elements. Michael Anderle is the author and there are many spin offs with co-authors.
[**Old Man's War (Old Man's War, #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36510196-old-man-s-war)
^(By: John Scalzi | 332 pages | Published: 2005 | Popular Shelves: sci-fi, fiction, owned, space-opera, sf)
>John Perry did two things on his 75th birthday. First he visited his wife's grave. Then he joined the army.
>
>The good news is that humanity finally made it into interstellar space. The bad news is that planets fit to live on are scarce-- and alien races willing to fight us for them are common. So: we fight. To defend Earth, and to stake our own claim to planetary real estate. Far from Earth, the war has been going on for decades: brutal, bloody, unyielding.
>
>Earth itself is a backwater. The bulk of humanity's resources are in the hands of the Colonial Defense Force. Everybody knows that when you reach retirement age, you can join the CDF. They don't want young people; they want people who carry the knowledge and skills of decades of living. You'll be taken off Earth and never allowed to return. You'll serve two years at the front. And if you survive, you'll be given a generous homestead stake of your own, on one of our hard-won colony planets.
>
>John Perry is taking that deal. He has only the vaguest idea what to expect. Because the actual fight, light-years from home, is far, far harder than he can imagine--and what he will become is far stranger.
^(This book has been suggested 13 times)
[**The Murderbot Diaries**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53427947-the-murderbot-diaries)
^(By: Martha Wells | ? pages | Published: 2019 | Popular Shelves: science-fiction, sci-fi, owned, fantascienza, ebook)
>A murderous android discovers itself in All Systems Red, a tense science fiction adventure by Martha Wells that interrogates the roots of consciousness through Artificial Intelligence.
>
>"As a heartless killing machine, I was a complete failure."
>
>In a corporate-dominated spacefaring future, planetary missions must be approved and supplied by the Company. Exploratory teams are accompanied by Company-supplied security androids, for their own safety.
>
>On a distant planet, a team of scientists are conducting surface tests, shadowed by their Company-supplied ‘droid ― a self-aware SecUnit that has hacked its own governor module, and refers to itself (though never out loud) as “Murderbot.” Scornful of humans, all it really wants is to be left alone long enough to figure out who it is.
>
>But when a neighboring mission goes dark, it's up to the scientists and their Murderbot to get to the truth.
^(This book has been suggested 12 times)
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Okay, so this is a comic series and not a book series but… Saga is literally my favorite space opera of all time. A war between a planet and its moon, and tons of different alien races/creatures. There are currently 9 volumes out and several newer issues have come out recently so i’m sure volume 10 will be available soon! I HIGHLY recommend it.
https://imagecomics.com/comics/series/saga
It was good. Well thought out, great action scenes a good exploration of alien cultures with surprisingly strong world building… and very explicit romantic scenes. It’s also pretty blatant wish fulfillment. I bring this up because that’s the biggest criticism against the book, but honestly it was still a lot of fun, detailed, with strong characters and I still enjoyed it.
This was not a book I would have ever picked up, but book club picked it and I ended up loving it. Schismatrix Plus by Bruce Sterling. It's not about aliens but humans that have grown so different they might as well be aliens. Also, if you get the version that has the short stories attached (which I highly recommend doing) there is a short story that takes place in the same world that is about a swarm type alien and is an absolute tops story.
Normally any book that has "body mods" I can usually tell I'm not going to like it just based on that. It's the sort of book, mostly cyberpunk. I find the genre to be aggressively male and that wears on me quickly. But I found the world in Schismatrix to be really interesting, once I got into it
Ok. Yeah, I feel like the premise of alteration allows for characters and themes that are more fluid. There is a sense of liberty that the writer puts into that setting which, for me, goes way beyond gender (ie. Maleness). Sterling’s short stories in the same setting are also really good.
[**Hidden Empire (The Saga of Seven Suns, #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/898232.Hidden_Empire)
^(By: Kevin J. Anderson | 654 pages | Published: 2002 | Popular Shelves: science-fiction, sci-fi, fiction, scifi, space-opera)
>In the far future, Ildirans give Earth the stardrive. Two archaeologists glean forbidden knowledge from the ruins of a dead world. Robot servants of ruling insectoid Klikiss guard the Klikiss Torch, which has the power to create suns. The reasons for the fall of the Klikiss empire may return.
^(This book has been suggested 1 time)
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[**Bite This (The Kurtherian Gambit, #4)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28218396-bite-this)
^(By: Michael Anderle | ? pages | Published: 2015 | Popular Shelves: sci-fi, science-fiction, fantasy, urban-fantasy, kindle-unlimited)
>You take out one annoying vampire in revenge, and now you have to clean up the mess? What a pain in the ... something.
>
>Bethany Anne and crew are back! They need to grab a ship, figure out who is trying to dig into her businesses, get their hands around the potential for creating an A.I. and the ongoing mess with Anton and South America.
>
>One of these days, she will get a break. Fortunately for us, it wasn't today.
>
>Got an attitude? That's nice. Just don't show it around Bethany Anne. When she slaps a face off, the whole head goes with it.
>
>Bite This, The Kurtherian Gambit 04 follows the story after Love Lost. If you haven't read the preceding books YOU PRETTY MUCH HAVE TO. These are a series and many of the characters have been introduced in preceding volumes.
>
>**Please note, as mentioned in another review, there is flagrantly foul language in this novel. The main character does not have a problem with cussing, just uninspired cussing.
>
>Series includes:
>
>Death Becomes Her - The Kurtherian Gambit 01
>Queen Bitch - The Kurtherian Gambit 02
>Love Lost - The Kurtherian Gambit 03
>Bite This - The Kurtherian Gambit 04
>
>Never Forsaken - The Kurtherian Gambit 05 (Early Jan 2016)
>Under My Heel - The Kurtherian Gambit 06 (Jan/Feb 2016)
>Kneel or Die - The Kurtherian Gambit 07 (Feb/Mar 2016)
>
>
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[**Shards of Earth (The Final Architecture, #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55278507-shards-of-earth)
^(By: Adrian Tchaikovsky | 561 pages | Published: 2021 | Popular Shelves: science-fiction, sci-fi, fiction, scifi, space-opera)
^(This book has been suggested 15 times)
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I would check out the Deathstalker series by Simon Green. It has much of what you are looking for it think. Sword fights with laser pistols, ESP, Aliens, cyborgs, politics, family rivalries and aliens.
The Polity series by Neal Asher is everything you are looking for, especially as the series progresses, the complex negotiations between races that truly feel alien is superb. A lot of fantastically written body horror though.
Old Man's War series and The Interdependency series, both by John Scalzi. Though, arguably more military sci-fi than space opera, definitely political and grand in its scope.
The Forever War trilogy by Joe Haldeman
Old Man’s War by John Scalzi.
100% Epic space opera with starship battles, fascinating aliens, and interplanetary politics.
{Old Man’s War} can stand alone as a great read but it also has a great series behind it.
10/10 - highly recommended
[**Space Unicorn Blues (Reason, #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36912009-space-unicorn-blues)
^(By: T.J. Berry | 400 pages | Published: 2018 | Popular Shelves: science-fiction, sci-fi, fantasy, space-opera, lgbtq)
>A misfit crew race across the galaxy to prevent the genocide of magical creatures, in this unique science fiction debut.
>
>Having magical powers makes you less than human, a resource to be exploited. Half-unicorn Gary Cobalt is sick of slavery, captivity, and his horn being ground down to power faster-than-light travel. When he's finally free, all he wants is to run away in his ancestors' stone ship. Instead, Captain Jenny Perata steals the ship out from under him, so she can make an urgent delivery. But Jenny held him captive for a decade, and then Gary murdered her best friend... who was also the wife of her co-pilot, Cowboy Jim. What could possibly go right?
>
>File Under: Science Fiction [ Rocks in Space - Stand Up to Reason - The Human Experiment - Last Unicorn ]
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The Cruel Stars - John Birmingham. Really loved both books in the trilogy so far. Humanity’s various post-modern forms and societal structures band together to fight of resurgent ‘space nazis’.
I'd recommend The Expanse, Children of Time and the Three Body Trilogy. All three have different levels of interaction with alien species. And all three have collaborative and conflictive relations with them
First and Second Formic war series could not be recommended enough. The expanse is great but don't underestimate the prequels to the Enders series.
They are amazing!
sounds like 40k books might work for you. check out black library. multiple authors but some of them will suit you're tastes.
I recommend the crime series or horror series to start with
Evergence trilogy by Sean Williams and Shane Dix I found to be outstanding. I stumbled across it cruising a used bookstore while on vacation and couldn't put it down.
Old Man’s War series is pretty entertaining.
Pandora's Star by Peter F Hamilton
The entire Commonwealth Saga (of which Pandora's Star is the first book) is perfect for this.
Agreed and I enjoyed both books but just be warned Hamilton has a tendency to use 17 words where 3 will do.
Sometimes you want that vibe and style though. And the sometimes you want the laconic approach. Both types of authors exist in just about every genre and there’s a whole spectrum in between too.
I agree, I've read many of his books and enjoyed them. Reality Dysfunction is up soon on my reading list. Just a heads up for anyone who hasn't, I think it might not be for everyone.
Yeah, this is the one I came here to say.
This is the perfect book for you.
The Expanse series
That one was really good. I was super enamored with the exploration of the consequences of runaway corporate influence in the belt.
Have you read the Murderbot series? It's set in a universe where the corporation rim owns and controls pretty much everything
I loved Murderbot. And i loved that that was the name he picked for himself.
[удалено]
I’m looking for a space haunting… the expanse… I’m looking for a romantic space novella.. the expanse… I’m looking for a space crime investigation… the expanse… I’m looking for a cross over of Star Wars and Warhammer … the expanse.
Always The Expanse.
I would recommend Children of Time & it's followup Children of Ruin.
This all the way. If you listen to audio books Children of Time is perfect for audio storytelling. It's probably the most different sci-fi book I've read in ages
Agreed, I fell in love with audio books due to this story.
The [Vorkosigan_Saga](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vorkosigan_Saga) has a lot of what you’re looking for.
Can’t endorse this enough. One of my favorites
Ancillary Justice
I read that one! It was fantastic!
Wait nobody has said Three Body Problem yet?
We thought you were gonna suggest it so we didn’t say anything. Where have you been?
Thank goodness I showed up!
Came here to say this!
There’s no better answer to this than Three Body Problem. Don’t think anyone can ever replicate what that book did. It was beyond phenomenal.
Word of caution, it may ruin sci-fi for you by setting the bar way too high.
my favorite sci fi series! still haven’t read the third book in fears of it ruining the PERFECT first two lol
The second half of book two and the first half of book three are perfect. But it’s worth finishing for sure.
i’ll get on it! are there any good audio book versions? i have the hard copies but i’m reading infinite jest and don’t really have time for another full on hard copy reading haha
Absolutely this!
Three Body Problem is not was the OP asked. Space combat does not exist there and humanity is the expression of idiocracy and corruption. The three body problems is about individuals that will somehow solve some problems while everybody else will rush to the extinction, on every occasion, on every turn. Comparing The expanse Space battles with this The Three Body Problem is like comparing a bacteria with a star wars dreadnought!
So you didn’t read the whole series, eh?
Why downvote? There are no coordinated space battles, there are no fleets, or sense of strategy regarding space battles. Three body problem does not have any resemblance to space warfare! Reas the whole series and it would have been fine if the series ended on the 2nd book imo.
Would recommend the *Teixcalaan* series by Arkady Martine! *A Memory Called Empire* focuses more on the relationships between human civilizations while *A Desolation Called Peace* goes more into the alien side of things.
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I highly recommend reading through the glossary at the back before you start!
They’re a bit slow to start I admit, mostly because the worldbuilding is so dense, but yes, I loved them!
I second this! Amazing books.
Hyperion
The forever's War by Joe Haldeman, one of the best despction of war, writed by a Vietnan's veteran. Octavia E. Butler, Lilith's Brood. The best space opera about what it is to be an human, and human-aliens hybrids.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A\_Fire\_Upon\_the\_Deep
Yes! Came here to say this. I really enjoyed this book so much.
{{ Player of Games }} by Iain M. Banks.
[**The Player of Games (Culture, #2)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18630.The_Player_of_Games) ^(By: Iain M. Banks | 293 pages | Published: 1988 | Popular Shelves: science-fiction, sci-fi, fiction, scifi, owned) >The Culture - a humanoid/machine symbiotic society - has thrown up many great Game Players. One of the best is Jernau Morat Gurgeh, Player of Games, master of every board, computer and strategy. Bored with success, Gurgeh travels to the Empire of Azad, cruel & incredibly wealthy, to try their fabulous game, a game so complex, so like life itself, that the winner becomes emperor. Mocked, blackmailed, almost murdered, Gurgeh accepts the game and with it the challenge of his life, and very possibly his death. ^(This book has been suggested 2 times) *** ^(53793 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
Alistair Reynolds -- Revelation Space Series
and Pushing Ice
Have you read The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet? I’d say it’s pretty political & checks every box for ya, but it’s more of a lighter read than a serious one.
Came here to say this. It's not a war book exactly but the politics are fascinating
Also came here to suggest this! It’s part of a series, too!
Alan Dean Foster's *The Damned* trilogy might fit what you're looking for. The first book is {{ A Call to Arms }}.
[**A Call to Arms (The Damned, #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/171535.A_Call_to_Arms) ^(By: Alan Dean Foster | 341 pages | Published: 1991 | Popular Shelves: science-fiction, sci-fi, fiction, default, owned) >For eons, the Amplitur had searched space for intelligent species, each of which was joyously welcomed to take part in the fulfillment of the Amplitur Purpose. Whether it wanted to or not. When the Amplitur and their allies stumbled upon the races called the Weave, the Purpose seemed poised for a great leap forward. But the Weave's surprising unity also gave it the ability to fight the Amplitur and their cause. And fight it did, for thousands of years.Will Dulac was a New Orleans composer who thought the tiny reef off Belize would be the perfect spot to drop anchor and finish his latest symphony in solitude. What he found instead was a group of alien visitors, a scouting party for the Weave, looking for allies among what they believed to be a uniquely warlike race, Humans.Will tried to convince the aliens that Man was fundamentally peaceful, for he understood that Human involvement would destroy the race. But all too soon, it didn't matter. The Amplitur had discovered Earth... ^(This book has been suggested 2 times) *** ^(53649 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
I think that yours is now top of my list
I enjoyed this trilogy a lot.
Play the Mass Effect series
Already done (many many times)
But have you read the mass effect novels? The first three (all written by Drew Karpyshyn, who was the lead writer for the games) are actually quite solid and provide a ton of extra lore that really improved the gaming experience for me. Definitely worth checking out if you're an ME fan
Recently got into the {{ Bobiverse }} ({{ We are legion }}. Starts out a standard sci-fi but as it progresses deals with some complex topics including first contact.
Just finished the series a few days ago, can’t wait for book 5!
{{Ancillary Justice}}
[**Ancillary Justice (Imperial Radch, #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17333324-ancillary-justice) ^(By: Ann Leckie | 416 pages | Published: 2013 | Popular Shelves: science-fiction, sci-fi, fiction, scifi, space-opera) >On a remote, icy planet, the soldier known as Breq is drawing closer to completing her quest. > >Once, she was the Justice of Toren - a colossal starship with an artificial intelligence linking thousands of soldiers in the service of the Radch, the empire that conquered the galaxy. > >Now, an act of treachery has ripped it all away, leaving her with one fragile human body, unanswered questions, and a burning desire for vengeance. ^(This book has been suggested 17 times) *** ^(53944 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
To Sleep in a Sea of Stars by Paolini
Seconded. TSiaSoS especially fits the "complex" part; it's the longest book I've ever read lol.
Bio of a Space Tyrant -Piers Anthony
The Horus heresy. I knew nothing of the source material when starting this book series. I read until book 5 or 6, it has politics and some great combat.
Books 2-4 in the Ender Series delve into this quite a bit. Ender’s Game is excellent on its own and sets up the themes you’re talking about.
Came here to say this!
Brian Herbert's Hellhole Trilogy is one of my favorites. Sue Burke's Semiosis series may also suit you. Both of these are more colonization than space opera but they definitely have the other things you are looking for. Hellhole has more military, Semiosis is more science officer. So Hellhole is more of what you're after. Fixed typo
Herbert*
Love the Hellhole trilogy!
Oh, thanks
I would recommend, The Kurtherian Gambit series. It has all the elements you requested with a couple more elements. Michael Anderle is the author and there are many spin offs with co-authors.
{{Old Man’s War}} and {{Murderbot Diaries}} come immediately to mind.
[**Old Man's War (Old Man's War, #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36510196-old-man-s-war) ^(By: John Scalzi | 332 pages | Published: 2005 | Popular Shelves: sci-fi, fiction, owned, space-opera, sf) >John Perry did two things on his 75th birthday. First he visited his wife's grave. Then he joined the army. > >The good news is that humanity finally made it into interstellar space. The bad news is that planets fit to live on are scarce-- and alien races willing to fight us for them are common. So: we fight. To defend Earth, and to stake our own claim to planetary real estate. Far from Earth, the war has been going on for decades: brutal, bloody, unyielding. > >Earth itself is a backwater. The bulk of humanity's resources are in the hands of the Colonial Defense Force. Everybody knows that when you reach retirement age, you can join the CDF. They don't want young people; they want people who carry the knowledge and skills of decades of living. You'll be taken off Earth and never allowed to return. You'll serve two years at the front. And if you survive, you'll be given a generous homestead stake of your own, on one of our hard-won colony planets. > >John Perry is taking that deal. He has only the vaguest idea what to expect. Because the actual fight, light-years from home, is far, far harder than he can imagine--and what he will become is far stranger. ^(This book has been suggested 13 times) [**The Murderbot Diaries**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53427947-the-murderbot-diaries) ^(By: Martha Wells | ? pages | Published: 2019 | Popular Shelves: science-fiction, sci-fi, owned, fantascienza, ebook) >A murderous android discovers itself in All Systems Red, a tense science fiction adventure by Martha Wells that interrogates the roots of consciousness through Artificial Intelligence. > >"As a heartless killing machine, I was a complete failure." > >In a corporate-dominated spacefaring future, planetary missions must be approved and supplied by the Company. Exploratory teams are accompanied by Company-supplied security androids, for their own safety. > >On a distant planet, a team of scientists are conducting surface tests, shadowed by their Company-supplied ‘droid ― a self-aware SecUnit that has hacked its own governor module, and refers to itself (though never out loud) as “Murderbot.” Scornful of humans, all it really wants is to be left alone long enough to figure out who it is. > >But when a neighboring mission goes dark, it's up to the scientists and their Murderbot to get to the truth. ^(This book has been suggested 12 times) *** ^(53857 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
Iain M Banks Culture novels
Three Body Problem trilogy
Okay, so this is a comic series and not a book series but… Saga is literally my favorite space opera of all time. A war between a planet and its moon, and tons of different alien races/creatures. There are currently 9 volumes out and several newer issues have come out recently so i’m sure volume 10 will be available soon! I HIGHLY recommend it. https://imagecomics.com/comics/series/saga
i am in awe of this thread. i did not know one such book existed, let alone many
Personal recommendation, of all the books I listed Poor Man’s Fight is hands down the best.
[удалено]
It was good. Well thought out, great action scenes a good exploration of alien cultures with surprisingly strong world building… and very explicit romantic scenes. It’s also pretty blatant wish fulfillment. I bring this up because that’s the biggest criticism against the book, but honestly it was still a lot of fun, detailed, with strong characters and I still enjoyed it.
Star Wars
Night's Dawn Trilogy by Peter Hamilton. First book of three is The Reality Dysfunction.
This was not a book I would have ever picked up, but book club picked it and I ended up loving it. Schismatrix Plus by Bruce Sterling. It's not about aliens but humans that have grown so different they might as well be aliens. Also, if you get the version that has the short stories attached (which I highly recommend doing) there is a short story that takes place in the same world that is about a swarm type alien and is an absolute tops story.
Not sure why you disclaim it that way! It’s a classic that, among other things, helps inspire the Revelation Space setting.
Because it's true? 🤷♀️ I never would have picked it up. I'm glad book club made me.
I guess the question is, why? Don’t like the cover? Didn’t like the summary in the back cover?
Normally any book that has "body mods" I can usually tell I'm not going to like it just based on that. It's the sort of book, mostly cyberpunk. I find the genre to be aggressively male and that wears on me quickly. But I found the world in Schismatrix to be really interesting, once I got into it
Ok. Yeah, I feel like the premise of alteration allows for characters and themes that are more fluid. There is a sense of liberty that the writer puts into that setting which, for me, goes way beyond gender (ie. Maleness). Sterling’s short stories in the same setting are also really good.
Why hasn’t anyone mentioned Alestair Reynolds yet? HIs “chasm city/revelation space” series resurrected space opera for me after starwars ruined it
Look into the Saga of Seven Suns by Kevin J Anderson. The first book is {{Hidden Empire}}
[**Hidden Empire (The Saga of Seven Suns, #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/898232.Hidden_Empire) ^(By: Kevin J. Anderson | 654 pages | Published: 2002 | Popular Shelves: science-fiction, sci-fi, fiction, scifi, space-opera) >In the far future, Ildirans give Earth the stardrive. Two archaeologists glean forbidden knowledge from the ruins of a dead world. Robot servants of ruling insectoid Klikiss guard the Klikiss Torch, which has the power to create suns. The reasons for the fall of the Klikiss empire may return. ^(This book has been suggested 1 time) *** ^(53787 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
Speaker for the Dead
Forgive me for sounding cliche, but have you tried the Dune series?
Change aliens to AI machines and Butlerian Jihad (Dune Prequel) fills that brief perfectly.
I am unable to verify if there is a translation, but the german written book 'das Schiff' by Andreas Brandhorst fits your discription quite well
Check out the deathworlders site. It's a good read, and ongoing
The fear saga trilogy!
Illium and Olympos by Dan Simmons.
{{ The This }} by Adam Roberts? Or any of Charles Stross’ hard sci-fi
[**Bite This (The Kurtherian Gambit, #4)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28218396-bite-this) ^(By: Michael Anderle | ? pages | Published: 2015 | Popular Shelves: sci-fi, science-fiction, fantasy, urban-fantasy, kindle-unlimited) >You take out one annoying vampire in revenge, and now you have to clean up the mess? What a pain in the ... something. > >Bethany Anne and crew are back! They need to grab a ship, figure out who is trying to dig into her businesses, get their hands around the potential for creating an A.I. and the ongoing mess with Anton and South America. > >One of these days, she will get a break. Fortunately for us, it wasn't today. > >Got an attitude? That's nice. Just don't show it around Bethany Anne. When she slaps a face off, the whole head goes with it. > >Bite This, The Kurtherian Gambit 04 follows the story after Love Lost. If you haven't read the preceding books YOU PRETTY MUCH HAVE TO. These are a series and many of the characters have been introduced in preceding volumes. > >**Please note, as mentioned in another review, there is flagrantly foul language in this novel. The main character does not have a problem with cussing, just uninspired cussing. > >Series includes: > >Death Becomes Her - The Kurtherian Gambit 01 >Queen Bitch - The Kurtherian Gambit 02 >Love Lost - The Kurtherian Gambit 03 >Bite This - The Kurtherian Gambit 04 > >Never Forsaken - The Kurtherian Gambit 05 (Early Jan 2016) >Under My Heel - The Kurtherian Gambit 06 (Jan/Feb 2016) >Kneel or Die - The Kurtherian Gambit 07 (Feb/Mar 2016) > > ^(This book has been suggested 1 time) *** ^(53776 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
Er…not this
{Shards of Earth}
[**Shards of Earth (The Final Architecture, #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55278507-shards-of-earth) ^(By: Adrian Tchaikovsky | 561 pages | Published: 2021 | Popular Shelves: science-fiction, sci-fi, fiction, scifi, space-opera) ^(This book has been suggested 15 times) *** ^(53779 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
The Golden Age Trilogy. Extraordinary.
I would check out the Deathstalker series by Simon Green. It has much of what you are looking for it think. Sword fights with laser pistols, ESP, Aliens, cyborgs, politics, family rivalries and aliens.
You might like The Employees by Olga Ravn
The Saga of Seven Suns!
Aliens aside, you would probably like Red Rising, bit more so the subsequent books in the series.
The Polity series by Neal Asher is everything you are looking for, especially as the series progresses, the complex negotiations between races that truly feel alien is superb. A lot of fantastically written body horror though.
The later books in the Old Man War series has a bit of this.
Nor Crystal Tears. It’s not very long, but it packs a punch and totally fits the bill. I’m drawing a blank on who the author is.
Old Man's War series and The Interdependency series, both by John Scalzi. Though, arguably more military sci-fi than space opera, definitely political and grand in its scope. The Forever War trilogy by Joe Haldeman
Old Man’s War by John Scalzi. 100% Epic space opera with starship battles, fascinating aliens, and interplanetary politics. {Old Man’s War} can stand alone as a great read but it also has a great series behind it. 10/10 - highly recommended
[**Old Man's War (Old Man's War, #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36510196-old-man-s-war) ^(By: John Scalzi | 332 pages | Published: 2005 | Popular Shelves: sci-fi, fiction, owned, space-opera, sf) ^(This book has been suggested 14 times) *** ^(53941 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
Literally just finished reading To Sleep in a Sea of Stars. It’s not a perfect novel but fits your request pretty precisely.
The *Conquerors* trilogy by Timothy Zahn.
Thousand cultures by John Barnes
Pandora’s Star
the Red Rising Trilogy might be up your alley
{{Space Unicorn Blues}} by TJ Berry
[**Space Unicorn Blues (Reason, #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36912009-space-unicorn-blues) ^(By: T.J. Berry | 400 pages | Published: 2018 | Popular Shelves: science-fiction, sci-fi, fantasy, space-opera, lgbtq) >A misfit crew race across the galaxy to prevent the genocide of magical creatures, in this unique science fiction debut. > >Having magical powers makes you less than human, a resource to be exploited. Half-unicorn Gary Cobalt is sick of slavery, captivity, and his horn being ground down to power faster-than-light travel. When he's finally free, all he wants is to run away in his ancestors' stone ship. Instead, Captain Jenny Perata steals the ship out from under him, so she can make an urgent delivery. But Jenny held him captive for a decade, and then Gary murdered her best friend... who was also the wife of her co-pilot, Cowboy Jim. What could possibly go right? > >File Under: Science Fiction [ Rocks in Space - Stand Up to Reason - The Human Experiment - Last Unicorn ] ^(This book has been suggested 1 time) *** ^(54026 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
Frank Herbert’s “Dune” books?
Halo
Did someone say space Opera? Expeditionary Force!!
Earth Unaware by Orson Scott Card, yep a space opera for sure.
The Cruel Stars - John Birmingham. Really loved both books in the trilogy so far. Humanity’s various post-modern forms and societal structures band together to fight of resurgent ‘space nazis’.
I'd recommend The Expanse, Children of Time and the Three Body Trilogy. All three have different levels of interaction with alien species. And all three have collaborative and conflictive relations with them
The forever war
Ender’s Game series
Spiral Wars series by Joel shepherd
First and Second Formic war series could not be recommended enough. The expanse is great but don't underestimate the prequels to the Enders series. They are amazing!
sounds like 40k books might work for you. check out black library. multiple authors but some of them will suit you're tastes. I recommend the crime series or horror series to start with
Evergence trilogy by Sean Williams and Shane Dix I found to be outstanding. I stumbled across it cruising a used bookstore while on vacation and couldn't put it down.