Books like 'The Martians'
Readers who enjoyed The Martians by Kim Stanley Robinson also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
sc-fi hard sci-fi space action / adventure space-opera mars exploration space-travel
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Into the Serpent's Lair by Ryk Brown
12 ratingsEmpires at the brink of war…A galactic alliance on the horizon…Worlds on the verge of destruction…Comrades taking up arms against one another…Nathan Scott must use all his cunning to save not only his own world, but the worlds of his friends and his enemies. But to do so, he must make a deal with the devil, and risk everything on a fight no one believes he can win... -
![Return of the Corinari by Ryk Brown]()
Return of the Corinari by Ryk Brown
12 ratingsPart 2: Episode 13 A host of new allies… A plethora of advanced technologies… A daring gamble to advance their forces… A chance to retake lost worlds once and for all… The Dusahn have been backed into a corner, barely able to hold the worlds of the Pentaurus cluster, let alone the entire sector. Forced to dig in, they may have to resort to drastic measures to save their fledgling empire... -
![Who Takes No Risk by Ryk Brown]()
Who Takes No Risk by Ryk Brown
12 ratingsPart 2: Episode 7 Old allies go dark… New worlds join the fight… A rescue from an enemy held world… A lone operative with a dangerous plan… The Karuzari finally have the support of an industrialized system, but they need time to build their forces. Unfortunately, time is the one thing they may not have... -
![A Rock and a Hard Place by Ryk Brown, Jeffrey Kafer]()
A Rock and a Hard Place by Ryk Brown, Jeffrey Kafer
12 ratingsTwo worlds preparing their defenses . . . A ship struggling to get back in the fight . . . An enemy continuing its relentless attack . . . A former enemy that could hold the answer . . . With the fate of billions in his hands, Captain Scott is offered a way to save them all and end the bloodshed, but if it backfires, he could lose everything. Sometimes, there is no good choice... -
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![That Which Other Men Cannot Do by Ryk Brown]()
That Which Other Men Cannot Do by Ryk Brown
16 ratingsEpisode 15 New forces grow… Old friends are lost… New alliances are forged… Old weapons are made new… With political unrest growing, the Alliance must rush to rebuild their fleet and expand their 'sphere of influence' before their support runs out. But when the Jung up the ante, the Alliance must turn up the heat... -
![I Am Justice by Ryk Brown]()
I Am Justice by Ryk Brown
12 ratingsPart 2: Episode 9 A chance to gain resources… A need to prepare a defense… A trap about to be sprung… An opportunity for justice… As his sister faces a critical moment, Captain Scott must chase his friends to regions he has yet to travel. Sometimes, you just have to take risks for those you care about. Sometimes, quite often... -
![Sanctuary by Ryk Brown]()
Sanctuary by Ryk Brown
12 ratingsPart 2: Episode 8 A family nearly destroyed… A loved one in need of help… A fleet in need of a home port… An Alliance struggling to be reborn… Captain Scott has lost his entire family, save his sister, who needs better medical care than the Aurora can provide... -
![A Line in the Sand by Ryk Brown]()
A Line in the Sand by Ryk Brown
12 ratingsPart 2: Episode 14An enemy lashing out in desperation…An alliance poised to expand…A new fleet of ships to help them…A covert mission to get answers…The Dusahn Empire has been contained for the moment. But there is much work to be done in order to keep them from reasserting their dominance over the Pentaurus sector... -
![The Saints of Salvation by Peter F. Hamilton]()
The Saints of Salvation by Peter F. Hamilton
19 ratingsHumanity is struggling to hold out against a hostile takeover by an alien race that claims to be on a religious mission to bring all sentient life to its God at the End of Time. But while things may look grim in the immediate aftermath of the attack, mankind is busy playing an even longer game than the aliens may have expected... -
![Artifact Space by Miles Cameron]()
Artifact Space by Miles Cameron
13 ratingsOut in the darkness of space, something is targeting the Greatships.With their vast cargo holds and a crew that could fill a city, the Greatships are the lifeblood of human occupied space, transporting an unimaginable volume - and value - of goods from City, the greatest human orbital, all the way to Tradepoint at the other, to trade for xenoglas with an unknowable alien species... -
![Rescue by Ryk Brown]()
Rescue by Ryk Brown
14 ratingsA leader left behind... An Alliance falling apart... Friends stranded on an enemy-held world... A chance to rediscover long forgotten truths... The new threat will require an immediate response. But first, Jessica and the Ghatazhak must execute a daring rescue in order to secure their future. But to do so, they need the one man they have been trying to protect. The question is.. -
![Liberation by Ryk Brown]()
Liberation by Ryk Brown
16 ratingsEpisode 10 Heartfelt reunions with friends… Desperate plans to gain advantage… Opportunities that cannot be ignored… Discovery of family once thought lost… The time has come for Captain Scott to fight for that which was taken… the very freedom of the world he was sworn to protect. “Liberation” is a 108,000 word novel, and is the 10th episode in The Frontiers Saga... -
![Starman's Saga: The Long, Strange Journey of Leif The Lucky by Colin Alexander]()
Starman's Saga: The Long, Strange Journey of Leif The Lucky by Colin Alexander
10 ratingsIn the year 2069, humanity’s last chance for peace is the first ever interstellar mission. A multi-national crew of the most talented scientists and pilots has been chosen based on their expertise and skill. The final spot aboard the craft is assigned as a prize in a global “BerthRight” lottery, and Leif Grettison is the “everyman volunteer” who won. However, Leif isn’t really an “everyman... -
![Messinants by S.H. Jucha]()
Messinants by S.H. Jucha
10 ratingsPyre is a volatile planet. Its surface belches heat and noxious gases, forcing downsiders to inhabit domes. But Pyre’s instability isn’t limited to its geology. The colonists, who were marooned in the system hundreds of years ago, have endured a tumultuous history.Exploring Triton, Pyre’s third moon, spacers inadvertently activate an alien dome... -
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![Secrets in the Stars by Mackey Chandler]()
Secrets in the Stars by Mackey Chandler
10 ratingsWhen Lee Anderson and her parents discovered a new world teeming with life, it was the dream of every explorer: they were rich beyond their imaginations. But tragedy struck when a herd of creatures overran their camp and killed her parents. The only other adult in her life had been their partner Gordon, who adopted her as parent. Which didn’t turn out to be easy, because he wasn’t human...Categorized as:
exploration space-opera space-travel action-adventure adult aliens book coming-of-age -
![The Weak and the Innocent by Ryk Brown]()
The Weak and the Innocent by Ryk Brown
16 ratingsEpisode 14 A ship in the hands of their enemy… A liberation gone wrong… A chance to double their ranks… A bold and daring plan… Their support from the Pentaurus cluster dwindling fast, the Alliance faces new and unpleasant realities in the Sol sector. But untoward changes also bring unexpected opportunities… The 'trick' is in how you use them... -
![Born of the Ashes by Ryk Brown]()
Born of the Ashes by Ryk Brown
16 ratingsEpisode 11 A world in chaos… An eager new ally… A newly acquired ship… An even greater threat on its way… Captain Nathan Scott must decide whether to stand and fight to the end, or live to fight another day… even if it means the end of his world. “Born of the Ashes” is a 122,000 word novel, and is the 11th episode in The Frontiers Saga... -
![Resistance by Ryk Brown]()
Resistance by Ryk Brown
16 ratingsEpisode nine of The Frontiers Saga...A chance to gain much needed resources… A group of highly trained, merciless soldiers… A half-completed ship on a trajectory to nowhere… A lone operative on familiar yet dangerous ground… Captain Scott and the crew of the Aurora have a chance to get everything they need to liberate their home world, but they may have to fight someone else's war first... -
![Rise of the Alliance by Ryk Brown]()
Rise of the Alliance by Ryk Brown
16 ratingsEpisode 12A new ally providing aid…An old ally joining the fight…Their resources growing with each passing day…Their homeworld finally on the road to recovery…Things finally seem to be coming together for Captain Scott and the Alliance, as he takes his forces on the offensive. However, the Jung may in turn give him more trouble than he bargained for... -
![Head of the Dragon by Ryk Brown]()
Head of the Dragon by Ryk Brown
16 ratingsTime is running out…An ally has all but fallen…Resources are running low…The time for attack has come...The Alliance must strike deep into the heart of the empire.This time, the Aurora will be going home, or going to her grave.“Head of the Dragon” is a 133,000 word novel, and is the 6th episode in The Frontiers Saga... -
![A Show of Force by Ryk Brown]()
A Show of Force by Ryk Brown
16 ratingsEpisode 13 The liberation old worlds… The addition of new allies… The fall of a regime… The death of a trusted friend… The Aurora begins clearing a 20 light year sphere of safety around Earth, taking out Jung forces as they liberate the core systems. However, Captain Scott and the Alliance quickly discover that not every world wants to be liberated, and the Jung have a few surprises of their own... -
![The Revelation Space Collection by Alastair Reynolds]()
The Revelation Space Collection by Alastair Reynolds
8 ratingsContains seven fantastic novels: REVELATION SPACE, CHASM CITY, REDEMPTION ARK, ABSOLUTION GAP, THE PREFECT, DIAMOND DOGS & TURQUOISE DAYS and GALACTIC... -
![Salvation Lost by Peter F. Hamilton]()
Salvation Lost by Peter F. Hamilton
19 ratingsThe comparative utopia of twenty-third century Earth is about to go dreadfully awry when a seemingly benign alien race is abruptly revealed to be one of the worst threats humanity has ever faced. Driven by an intense religious extremism, the Olyix are determined to bring everyone to their version of god as they see it... -
![1st to Fight by Rick Partlow]()
1st to Fight by Rick Partlow
10 ratingsI retired from the USMC, and now I write about space marines. I never thought I’d actually become one. As a sci-fi author with a hit TV show, I have a few ideas about what alien invaders are supposed to look like. In my stories, they’re technologically advanced monsters, with tentacles, and no faces. Turns out I was right about the technology. And about how angry they’d be... -
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![Empaths by S.H. Jucha]()
Empaths by S.H. Jucha
10 ratingsCaptain Jessie Cinders faces a hazardous choice. The murderer of the governor’s nephew stands before him. But, the frightened teenager, Aurelia Garmenti, doesn’t resemble the commandant’s description of the vicious, hardened killer his security forces seek.To complicate matters, Jessie’s mind has felt Aurelia’s mental powers... -
![The Long Voyage of the Little Fleet by Mackey Chandler]()
The Long Voyage of the Little Fleet by Mackey Chandler
10 ratingsIn the first book of this series "Family Law", Lee's parents and their business partner Gordon found a class A habitable planet. They thought their quest as explorers was over and they'd live a life of ease. But before they could return and register their claim Lee's parents died doing a survey of the surface... -
![Colony Mars Boxset by Gerald M. Kilby]()
Colony Mars Boxset by Gerald M. Kilby
12 ratingsAll contact is lost with the first privately funded colony on Mars during a long and destructive sandstorm. Satellite imagery of the aftermath shows extensive damage to the facility and the fifty-four colonists who called it home are presumed dead. Three years later, a new mission sets down on the planet surface to investigate what remains of the derelict site... -
![Omnia by S.H. Jucha]()
Omnia by S.H. Jucha
12 ratingsAlex Racine, who led an elite group of humans and SADEs (self-ware digital entities), left the newly discovered planet of Celus-5 under difficult circumstances. Few of the Harakens with Alex thought there was little he could do to bring peace to the embroiled planet... -
![Celus-5 by S.H. Jucha]()
Celus-5 by S.H. Jucha
12 ratingsFor the Sojourn’s initial mission, the Haraken explorer ship undertakes the investigation of Celus-5, a world identified by Willem, a SADE (self-aware digital entity), and his team of scientists, as the best prospect for a new colony.What should be a routine survey mission becomes a disaster. To the Harakens’ surprise, they discover, not one, but two alien species engaged in conflict... -
![Betrayer by C.J. Cherryh]()
Betrayer by C.J. Cherryh
14 ratingsBetrayer (Foreigner, Book 12)The twelfth novel in Cherryh’s Foreigner space opera series, a groundbreaking tale of first contact and its consequences…In the wake of civil war, Bren Cameron, the brilliant human diplomat of the alien atevi civilization, has left the capital and sought refuge at his country estate, Najida... -
![Escalation by Ryk Brown]()
Escalation by Ryk Brown
14 ratingsA cease-fire that has lasted seven years… Worlds half-destroyed that have been rebuilt anew… Friends and crewmates scattered light-years apart… New leaders that would be kings… The Jung threat has been renewed, in ways not imagined. It will take a new savior to inspire the masses, and once again lead those willing to fight against oppression... -
![Explorer by C.J. Cherryh]()
Explorer by C.J. Cherryh
16 ratingsIt has been nearly ten years since the starship Phoenix returned to Alpha, the station orbiting the world of the atevi, which had been abandoned following a rift between a faction of the station's inhabitants and the spacers' Pilot's Guild... -
![The Expanse by Ryk Brown]()
The Expanse by Ryk Brown
16 ratingsEpisode 7A newly repaired ship…A willing and eager crew…A host of new technologies…A long anticipated return home…The crew of the UES Aurora finally has the chance to fulfill their mission, but first they must complete a long and dangerous journey across a thousand light years of unexplored space.“The Expanse” is a 104,000 word novel, and is the 7th episode in The Frontiers Saga... -
![Celestia CV-02 by Ryk Brown]()
Celestia CV-02 by Ryk Brown
16 ratingsEpisode 8A world divided…A ship under construction…A military scrambling to prepare a defense…A moment that everyone hoped would never come…The Earth Defense Force must find a way to defend their world against invasion by the Jung Empire. More importantly, they must protect their newest ship, the UES Celestia, as she may be their last hope... -
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![Rise of the Corinari by Ryk Brown]()
Rise of the Corinari by Ryk Brown
18 ratingsA time to recover…A chance to make a new ally…A brief respite to repair and rearm…An opportunity for a people to regain their honor…For every civilization there comes a moment when a stand must be made against tyranny.The time has come for the Alliance to draw a line in the sand... -
![Slow Time Between the Stars by John Scalzi]()
Slow Time Between the Stars by John Scalzi
20 ratingsAn artificial intelligence on a star-spanning mission explores the farthest horizons of human potential—and its own purpose—in a mind-bending short story by New York Times bestselling author John Scalzi.Equipped with the entirety of human knowledge, a sentient ship is launched on a last-ditch journey to find a new home for civilization. Trillions of miles. Tens of thousands of years...Categorized as:
space-opera space-travel exploration sci-fi fiction space action-adventure audiobook -
![Plains of Utopia: Colony Six Mars (Colony Mars Series Book 6) by Gerald M. Kilby]()
Plains of Utopia: Colony Six Mars (Colony Mars Series Book 6) by Gerald M. Kilby
6 ratingsXenon Hybrid, the Red Planet’s ceremonial head-of-state, has not been seen for many years after withdrawing to an isolated enclave in the far north where he steadily built up a following of citizens seeking out an alternative lifestyle. They bother no one, and no one bothers them...Categorized as:
exploration space-travel action-adventure adult book colonization fiction hard-sci-fi -
![The Complete Hammer's Slammers Volume 3 by David Drake]()
The Complete Hammer's Slammers Volume 3 by David Drake
8 ratingsWith a veteran ’s eye for the harsh and gritty details of war, David Drake depicts a futuristic analog of Vietnam-era tank combat in his Hammer’s Slammers fiction. Upon this tactical foundation, Drake uses historical metaphor to provide a rich and detailed future-history that is both unique and strangely familiar...Categorized as:
space-opera space-travel action-adventure adult anthologies fiction hard-sci-fi military -
![Divergence by C.J. Cherryh]()
Divergence by C.J. Cherryh
10 ratingsThe twenty-first book in the beloved Foreigner saga continues the adventures of diplomat Bren Cameron, advisor to the atevi head of state... -
![These Alien Skies by C.T. Rwizi]()
These Alien Skies by C.T. Rwizi
12 ratingsAccidents happen in the strange realms of the African Union system. One of them sends two humans to the far side of a star gate in a thrilling short story of hope, survival, and new dimensions.Copilots Msizi and Tariro are testing a newly constructed wormhole jump that presumably leads to unsettled habitable worlds...Categorized as:
exploration space-opera space-travel action-adventure adult afrofuturism aliens anthologies -
![Tau Ceti by Laurence E. Dahners]()
Tau Ceti by Laurence E. Dahners
14 ratings“Tau Ceti" is the sixth in a series of near future SciFi/Thrillers whose young heroine Ell Donsaii has a nerve mutation which has made her a genius and an athletic phenomenon.In “Tau Ceti!”, she is continuing to find uses for the quantum entangled wormholes that she has discovered. These wormholes aren’t big enough to send people through, yet they are making huge changes in our world... -
![Habitats by Laurence E. Dahners]()
Habitats by Laurence E. Dahners
14 ratings“Habitats" is the seventh in a series of near future SciFi/Thrillers whose youngheroine Ell Donsaii has a nerve mutation which has made her a genius as well as an athletic phenomenon.In “Habitats,” she is continuing to find uses for the quantum entangled wormholes that she discovered. These wormholes aren’t big enough to send people through, yet they are making huge changes in our world... -
![Prelude to Extinction by Andreas Karpf]()
Prelude to Extinction by Andreas Karpf
14 ratingsEarth's first interstellar mission -- An alien colony in ruins -- Their fight for survival has only just begun.When Jack Harrison climbed down the short ladder from the airlock and stepped onto the debris covered soil, the ground crackled with the sound of dried leaves and twigs... -
![Inhibitor Phase by Alastair Reynolds]()
Inhibitor Phase by Alastair Reynolds
16 ratingsMiguel de Ruyter is a man with a past.Fleeing the 'wolves' - the xenocidal alien machines known as Inhibitors - he has protected his family and community from attack for forty years, sheltering in the caves of an airless, battered world called Michaelmas. The slightest hint of human activity could draw the wolves to their home, to destroy everything ... utterly... -
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![Freedom's Dawn by Ryk Brown]()
Freedom's Dawn by Ryk Brown
18 ratingsEpisode 4 A ship under siege… A world on the brink of civil war… A distraught people seeking a new beginning… A battle weary crew that can barely hold it together… Even a legend can use a little help from time to time. The crew of the Aurora, the Karuzari, and the Corinairans must find a way to work together or else they may all perish... -
![The Lady Astronaut of Mars by Mary Robinette Kowal]()
The Lady Astronaut of Mars by Mary Robinette Kowal
18 ratingsThirty years ago, Elma York led the expedition that paved the way to life on Mars. For years she's been longing to go back up there, to once more explore the stars. But there are few opportunities for an aging astronaut, even the famous Lady Astronaut of Mars. When her chance finally comes, it may be too late...Categorized as:
exploration mars space-opera space-travel 21st-century action-adventure adult alternate-history -
![Tales of Known Space: The Universe of Larry Niven by Larry Niven, Rick Sternbach]()
Tales of Known Space: The Universe of Larry Niven by Larry Niven, Rick Sternbach
19 ratingsRanging from the 20th Century to the 31st, these interconnected stories trace Man's expansion and colonization throughout the galaxy...Becalmed in hellHowie's spaceship had a malfunction...but it might be only psychosomatic!Wait it outHe was trapped on Pluto...and all his assets were frozen!The borderland of SolForward possessed the ultimate weapon..Categorized as:
space-opera space-travel action-adventure adult aliens anthologies fiction hard-sci-fi -
![The Dreaming Void by Peter F. Hamilton]()
The Dreaming Void by Peter F. Hamilton
27 ratingsThe year is 3589, fifteen hundred years after Commonwealth forces barely staved off human extinction in a war against the alien Prime. Now an even greater danger has surfaced: a threat to the existence of the universe itself...Categorized as:
exploration space-opera space-travel 21st-century action-adventure adult aliens audiobook -
![Unreconciled by W. Michael Gear]()
Unreconciled by W. Michael Gear
6 ratingsNow in paperback, the fourth book in the thrilling Donovan sci-fi series returns to a treacherous alien planet where corporate threats and dangerous creatures imperil the lives of the colonists.Where does one put a messianic cult of practicing cannibals? That becomes the question when Ashanti appears in Donovan's skies. She was designed for no more than four years in space. It's taken ten...Categorized as:
exploration space-opera space-travel action-adventure adult audiobook book colonization -
![Tanis Richards: Operative by M.D. Cooper]()
Tanis Richards: Operative by M.D. Cooper
6 ratingsSomeone just killed Tanis Richards and replaced her with an Infiltrator Chameleon.While finally getting some much-needed shore leave on Mars, Tanis gets a message from Harm Ellis with instructions to go to Ceres and hunt for a missing operative . . . except she never makes it.At least, that’s what she’d like her would-be killers to think...
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