Books like 'Foundation'
Readers who enjoyed Foundation by Isaac Asimov also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
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Second Foundation by Isaac Asimov
43 ratingsSo far the Foundation was safe. But there was a hidden Second Foundation to protect the first. The Mule has yet to find it, but he was getting closer all the time. The men of the Foundation sought it, too, to escape from Mule's mind control. Only Arkady, a 14 year-old girl seemed to have the answer, or did she..Categorized as:
classics dystopia epic literary-fiction politics psychological space-opera space-travel -
The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin
43 ratingsFrom the brilliant and award-winning author Ursula K. Le Guin comes a classic tale of two planets torn apart by conflict and mistrust — and the man who risks everything to reunite them.A bleak moon settled by utopian anarchists, Anarres has long been isolated from other worlds, including its mother planet, Urras—a civilization of warring nations, great poverty, and immense wealth...Categorized as:
classics dystopia literary-fiction politics psychological space-opera university violent-conflict -
I, Robot by Isaac Asimov
48 ratingsThey mustn't harm a human being, they must obey human orders, and they must protect their own existence...but only so long as that doesn't violate rules one and two. With these Three Laws of Robotics, humanity embarked on a bold new era of evolution that would open up enormous possibilities - and unforeseen risks...Categorized as:
classics cyberpunk dystopia high-school literary-fiction psychological space-opera technology -
Foundation and Empire by Isaac Asimov
43 ratingsFoundation and Empire tells the incredible story of a new breed of man who create a new force for galactic government. Thus, the Foundation hurtles into conflict with the decadent, decrepit First Empire. In this struggle for power amid the chaos of the stars, man stands at the threshold of a new, enlightened life which could easily be put aside for the old forces of barbarism...Categorized as:
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Cordelia's Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold
25 ratingsIn her first trial by fire, Cordelia Naismith captained a throwaway ship of the Betan Expeditionary Force on a mission to destroy an enemy armada...Categorized as:
politics space-opera violent-conflict war 20th-century action-adventure anthologies audiobook -
Hyperion by Dan Simmons
45 ratingsOn the world called Hyperion, beyond the law of the Hegemony of Man, there waits the creature called the Shrike. There are those who worship it. There are those who fear it. And there are those who have vowed to destroy it. In the Valley of the Time Tombs, where huge, brooding structures move backward through time, the Shrike waits for them all... -
Use of Weapons by Iain M. Banks
33 ratingsThe man known as Cheradenine Zakalwe was one of Special Circumstances' foremost agents, changing the destiny of planets to suit the Culture through intrigue, dirty tricks and military action.The woman known as Diziet Sma had plucked him from obscurity and pushed him towards his present eminence, but despite all their dealings she did not know him as well as she thought... -
The End of Eternity by Isaac Asimov
33 ratingsOne of Isaac Asimov's SF masterpieces, this stand-alone novel is a monument of the flowering of SF in the 20th century. It is widely regarded as Asimov's single best SF novel and one every SF fan should read.Andrew Harlan is an Eternal, a member of the elite of the future...Categorized as:
classics dystopia 20th-century action-adventure adult alternate-history audiobook book -
The Caves of Steel by Isaac Asimov
42 ratingsA millennium into the future two advancements have altered the course of human history: the colonization of the galaxy and the creation of the positronic brain. Isaac Asimov's Robot novels chronicle the unlikely partnership between a New York City detective and a humanoid robot who must learn to work together... -
The Fated Sky by Mary Robinette Kowal
24 ratingsThe Fated Sky continued the grand sweep of alternate history begun in The Calculating Stars. It is 1961, and the International Aerospace Coalition has established a colony on the moon. Elma York, the noted Lady Astronaut, is working on rotation, flying shuttles on the moon and returning regularly to Earth.But humanity must get a foothold on Mars...Categorized as:
dystopia politics post-apocalyptic space-opera space-travel 20th-century action-adventure adult -
Foundation's Edge by Isaac Asimov
39 ratingsAt last, the costly and bitter war between the two Foundations had come to an end. The scientists of the First Foundation had proved victorious; and now they return to Hari Seldon's long-established plan to build a new Empire on the ruins of the old. But rumors persist that the Second Foundation is not destroyed after all—and that its still-defiant survivors are preparing their revenge... -
2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke
46 ratingsOn the Moon, an enigma is uncovered.So great are the implications of this discovery that for the first time men are sent out deep into our solar system.But long before their destination is reached, things begin to go horribly, inexplicably wrong...One of the greatest-selling science fiction novels of our time, this classic book will grip you to the very end...Categorized as:
classics dystopia epic literary-fiction space-opera space-travel technology university -
The Naked Sun by Isaac Asimov
32 ratingsA millennium into the future, two advancements have altered the course of human history: the colonization of the Galaxy and the creation of the positronic brain. On the beautiful Outer World planet of Solaria, a handful of human colonists lead a hermit-like existence, their every need attended to by their faithful robot servants...Categorized as:
classics dystopia space-opera space-travel technology 20th-century action-adventure adult -
The Neutronium Alchemist by Peter F. Hamilton
25 ratingsNot every fallen angel comes from heaven...The ancient menace has finally escaped from Lalonde, shattering the Confederation's peaceful existence. Those who succumbed to it have acquired godlike powers, but now follow a far from divine gospel as they advance inexorably from world to world...Categorized as:
classics epic space-opera space-travel violent-conflict war 20th-century action-adventure -
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Prelude to Foundation by Isaac Asimov
39 ratingsThis daring story of humanity’s future introduces one of the great masterworks of science fiction: the Foundation novels of Isaac Asimov. Unsurpassed for their unique blend of nonstop action, bold ideas, and extensive world-building, they chronicle the struggle of a courageous group of people to save civilization from a relentless tide of darkness and violence—beginning with one exceptional man... -
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlein
44 ratingsRobert A. Heinlein was the most influential science fiction writer of his era, an influence so large that, as Samuel R. Delany notes, "modern critics attempting to wrestle with that influence find themselves dealing with an object rather like the sky or an ocean." He won the Hugo Award for best novel four times, a record that still stands... -
Excession by Iain M. Banks
28 ratingsThe international sensation Iain M. Banks offers readers a deeply imaginative, wittily satirical tale, proving once again that he is "a talent to be reckoned with" ("Locus"). In Excession, the Culture's espionage and dirty tricks section orders Diplomat Byr Gen-Hofoen to steal the soul of a long-dead starship captain...Categorized as:
epic space-opera technology violent-conflict war 20th-century action-adventure adult -
The Rise of Endymion by Dan Simmons
32 ratingsThe time of reckoning has arrived. As a final genocidal Crusade threatens to enslave humanity forever, a new messiah has come of age. She is Aenea and she has undergone a strange apprenticeship to those known as the Others. Now her protector, Raul Endymion, one-time shepherd and convicted murderer, must help her deliver her startling message to her growing army of disciples...Categorized as:
classics cyberpunk dystopia epic literary-fiction politics post-apocalyptic religion -
The Robots of Dawn by Isaac Asimov
32 ratingsA millennium into the future two advances have altered the course of human history: the colonization of the Galaxy and the creation of the positronic brain. Isaac Asimov's Robot novels chronicle the unlikely partnership between a New York City detective and a humanoid robot who must learn to work together... -
The Forever War by Joe Haldeman
46 ratingsThe Earth's leaders have drawn a line in the interstellar sand—despite the fact that the fierce alien enemy that they would oppose is inscrutable, unconquerable, and very far away...Categorized as:
classics dystopia epic politics space-opera space-travel technology violent-conflict -
Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C. Clarke
41 ratingsAn all-time science fiction classic, Rendezvous with Rama is also one of Clarke's best novels--it won the Campbell, Hugo, Jupiter, and Nebula Awards. A huge, mysterious, cylindrical object appears in space, swooping in toward the sun. The citizens of the solar system send a ship to investigate before the enigmatic craft, called Rama, disappears...Categorized as:
classics space-opera space-travel technology violent-conflict 20th-century action-adventure adult -
Foundation and Earth by Isaac Asimov
36 ratingsFOUNDATIONS'S END?Centuries after the fall of the First Galactic Empire, Mankind's destiny lay in the hands of Golan Trevize, former Councilman of the First Foundation. Reluctantly he chose the mental unity of Galaxia as the only alternative to a future of unending chaos.But Mankind as massmind was not an idea Trevize was comfortable with... -
Diaspora by Greg Egan
19 ratingsBy the end of the 30th century humanity has the capability to travel the universe, to journey beyond earth and beyond the confines of the vulnerable human frame... -
The Borders of Infinity by Lois McMaster Bujold
19 ratingsOn a rescue mission gone wrong, Miles Vorkosigan is captured by the enemy Cetagandans and thrown into a dome-shaped prisoner of war camp that seems a literal Circle of Hell. Against impossible odds, Miles organizes thousands of angry and dispirited prisoners into military formation that may offer the only chance for escape...Categorized as:
classics space-opera space-travel violent-conflict war 20th-century action-adventure adult -
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The Short Victorious War by David Weber
27 ratingsThe proles are revolting.The families who rule the People's Republic of Haven are in trouble. The treasury's empty, the Proles are restless, and civil war is imminent.But the ruling class knows what they need to keep in power; another short, victorious war to unite the people and fill the treasury once more...Categorized as:
classics politics space-opera space-travel violent-conflict war 20th-century action-adventure -
Burning Chrome by William Gibson
29 ratingsTen tales, from the computer-enhanced hustlers of Johnny Mnemonic to the technofetishist blues of Burning Chrome...Categorized as:
classics cyberpunk dystopia literary-fiction space-travel technology 20th-century action-adventure -
Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein
46 ratingsIn one of Robert Heinlein's most controversial bestsellers, a recruit of the future goes through the toughest boot camp in the Universe--and into battle with the Terran Mobile Infantry against mankind's most frightening enemy...Categorized as:
classics dystopia literary-fiction politics space-opera space-travel university violent-conflict -
Little Fuzzy by H. Beam Piper
21 ratingsThe chartered Zarathustra Company had it all their way. Their charter was for a Class III uninhabited planet, which Zarathustra was, and it meant they owned the planet lock stock and barrel. They exploited it, developed it and reaped the huge profits from it without interference from the Colonial Government... -
The Reality Dysfunction by Peter F. Hamilton
29 ratingsIn AD 2600 the human race is finally beginning to realize its full potential. Hundreds of colonized planets scattered across the galaxy host a multitude of prosperous and wildly diverse cultures. Genetic engineering has pushed evolution far beyond nature's boundaries, defeating disease and producing extraordinary spaceborn creatures...Categorized as:
dystopia epic space-opera space-travel violent-conflict war 20th-century action-adventure -
Lucifer's Hammer by Larry Niven, Jerry Pournelle
31 ratingsTHE LUCKY ONES WENT FIRST…The gigantic comet has slammed into Earth, forging earthquakes a thousand times too powerful to measure on the Richter scale, tidal waves thousands of feet high. Cities were turned into oceans; oceans turned into steam...Categorized as:
classics dystopia high-school post-apocalyptic religion space-opera spirituality technology -
Solaris by Stanisław Lem
40 ratingsA classic work of science fiction by renowned Polish novelist and satirist Stanislaw Lem.When Kris Kelvin arrives at the planet Solaris to study the ocean that covers its surface, he finds a painful, hitherto unconscious memory embodied in the living physical likeness of a long-dead lover...Categorized as:
classics dystopia literary-fiction psychological religion space-opera spirituality university -
Ringworld by Larry Niven
43 ratingsThe artefact is a circular ribbon of matter six hundred million miles long and ninety million miles in radius. Pierson's puppeteers, the aliens who discovered it, are understandably wary of encountering the builders of such an immense structure and have assembled a team of two humans, a mad puppeteer and a kzin, a huge cat-like alien, to explore it... -
Time Enough for Love by Robert A. Heinlein
30 ratingsThe capstone and crowning achievement of the Future History series, from the New York Times bestselling Grand Master of Science Fiction...Time Enough for Love follows Lazarus Long through a vast and magnificent timescape of centuries and worlds... -
The City and The Stars by Arthur C. Clarke
30 ratingsMen had built cities before, but never such a city as Diaspar; for millennia its protective dome shutout the creeping decay and danger of the world outside. Once, it held powers that rules the stars. But then, as legend had it, The invaders came, driving humanity into this last refuge... -
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On Basilisk Station by David Weber
35 ratingsHonor Harrington in trouble: Having made him look the fool, she's been exiled to Basilisk Station in disgrace and set up for ruin by a superior who hates her. Her demoralized crew blames her for their ship's humiliating posting to an out-of-the-way picket station. The aborigines of the system's only habitable planet are smoking homicide-inducing hallucinogens... -
The Ship Who Sang by Anne McCaffrey
26 ratingsHelva had been born human, but only her brain had been saved—saved to be schooled, programmed, and implanted into the sleek titanium body of an intergalactic scout ship. But first she had to choose a human partner—male or female—to share her exhilarating escapades in space!Her life was to be rich and rewarding . .Categorized as:
classics space-opera space-travel 20th-century action-adventure aliens anthologies audiobook -
The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester, Neil Gaiman
34 ratingsIn this pulse-quickening novel, Alfred Bester imagines a future in which people "jaunte" a thousand miles with a single thought, where the rich barricade themselves in labyrinths and protect themselves with radioactive hitmen—and where an inarticulate outcast is the most valuable and dangerous man alive...Categorized as:
classics cyberpunk dystopia literary-fiction space-opera space-travel technology violent-conflict -
The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal
26 ratingsOn a cold spring night in 1952, a huge meteorite fell to earth and obliterated much of the east coast of the United States, including Washington D.C. The ensuing climate cataclysm will soon render the earth inhospitable for humanity, as the last such meteorite did for the dinosaurs... -
All Tomorrow's Parties by William Gibson
25 ratingsAlthough Colin Laney (from Gibson's earlier novel Idoru) lives in a cardboard box, he has the power to change the world. Thanks to an experimental drug that he received during his youth, Colin can see "nodal points" in the vast streams of data that make up the worldwide computer network... -
Protector by Larry Niven
22 ratingsPhssthpok the Pak had been traveling for most of his thirty-two thousand years. His mission: save, develop, and protect the group of Pak breeders sent out into space some two and a half million years before...Brennan was a Belter, the product of a fiercely independent, somewhat anarchic society living in, on, and around an outer asteroid belt...Categorized as:
classics space-opera space-travel 20th-century action-adventure adult aliens anthologies -
The Pride of Chanur by C.J. Cherryh
19 ratingsNo one at Meetpoint Station had ever seen a creature like the Outsider. Naked-hided, blunt toothed and blunt-fingered, Tully was the sole surviving member of his company -- a communicative, spacefaring species hitherto unknown -- and he was a prisoner of his discoverer/ captors the sadistic, treacherous kif, until his escape onto the hani ship The Pride of Chanur...Categorized as:
classics space-opera violent-conflict 20th-century action-adventure adult aliens animals -
Earth by David Brin
18 ratingsTIME IS RUNNING OUT Decades from now, an artificial black hole has fallen into the Earth's core. As scientists frantically work to prevent the ultimate disaster, they discover that the entire planet could be destroyed within a year... -
Blue Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson
26 ratingsThe red planet is red no longer, as Mars has become a perfectly inhabitable world. But while Mars flourishes, Earth is threatened by overpopulation and ecological disaster. Soon people look to Mars as a refuge, initiating a possible interplanetary conflict, as well as political strife between the Reds, who wish to preserve the planet in its desert state, and the Green "terraformers"...Categorized as:
classics dystopia epic politics space-opera space-travel technology violent-conflict -
Green Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson
28 ratingsIn the Nebula Award winning Red Mars, Kim Stanley Robinson began his critically acclaimed epic saga of the colonization of Mars, Now the Hugo Award winning Green Mars continues the thrilling and timeless tale of humanity's struggle to survive at its farthest frontier...Categorized as:
classics dystopia epic politics space-opera space-travel technology violent-conflict -
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Methuselah's Children by Robert A. Heinlein
26 ratingsAfter the fall of the American Ayatollahs as foretold in Stranger in a Strange Land and chronicled in Revolt in 2100, the United States of America at last fulfills the promise inherent in its first Revolution: for the first time in human history there is a nation with Liberty and Justice for All...Categorized as:
classics dystopia space-opera space-travel violent-conflict 20th-century action-adventure adult -
The Space Merchants by Frederik Pohl, C.M. Kornbluth
20 ratingsIn a vastly overpopulated near-future world, businesses have taken the place of governments and now hold all political power. States exist merely to ensure the survival of huge transnational corporations. Advertising has become hugely aggressive and boasts some of the world’s most powerful executives...Categorized as:
classics cyberpunk dystopia politics space-opera space-travel 20th-century action-adventure -
A World Out of Time by Larry Niven
18 ratingsJaybee Corbell awoke after more than 200 years as a corpsicle -- in someone else's body, and under sentence of instant annihilation if he made a wrong move while they were training him for a one-way mission to the stars.But Corbell picked his time and made his own move...Categorized as:
classics dystopia post-apocalyptic space-opera space-travel 20th-century action-adventure adult -
The Fountains of Paradise by Arthur C. Clarke
28 ratingsVannemar Morgan's dream of linking Earth with the stars requires a 24,000-mile-high space elevator. But first he must solve a million technical, political, and economic problems while allaying the wrath of God...Categorized as:
classics religion space-opera space-travel spirituality 20th-century action-adventure adult -
Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein
47 ratingsThe Hugo Award-winning and controversial science fiction masterpiece from Robert A. Heinlein, the New York Times bestselling author of Starship Troopers. Valentine Michael Smith is a man raised by Martians. Sent to Earth, he must learn what it is to be human...Categorized as:
classics dystopia high-school literary-fiction politics religion space-opera spirituality -
Pebble in the Sky by Isaac Asimov
27 ratingsOne moment Joseph Schwartz is a happily retired tailor in 1949 Chicago. The next he's a helpless stranger on Earth during the heyday of the first Galactic Empire. Earth, he soon learns, is a backwater, just a pebble in the sky, despised by all the other 200 million planets of the Empire because its people dare to claim it's the original home of man...
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