Books like 'Starbound'
Readers who enjoyed Starbound by Dave Bara also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
historical sc-fi space action / adventure military, war & conflict space-opera war military technology politics
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UnArcana Stars by Glynn Stewart
17 ratingsA humanitarian mission into unfriendly starsA training cruise under the watch of a fortified fleet baseThe closing jaws of a trap years in the makingIt has been over a year since the UnArcana Worlds of the Protectorate of the Mage-King of Mars seceded, shattering the unity of the human race... -
Young Miles by Lois McMaster Bujold
18 ratingsThe Warrior's Apprentice 1The Mountains of Mourning 373The Vor Game 465Author's Afterword 829IT ISN'T EASY, BEING VOR...Being a Vor lord on the war-torn planet Barrayar wasn't easy. Being an officer in Barrayar's military wasn't easy...Categorized as:
military politics space-opera war 20th-century action-adventure anthologies audiobook -
The Queen's Pardon by J.A. Sutherland
10 ratingsAllies and enemies are not always what they seem. Trapped on a hostile world, hunted by pirate bands and abandoned by her fellow captains, Alexis Carew must lead her small band to safety, even though it seems every hand is set against her... -
Space Specter by Jenny Schwartz
10 ratingsThe Saloon Sector is the Federation’s official frontier, but beyond it lurks the Badstars. Bandits hide there. The Saloon Sector is Sheriff Max Smith’s territory. Since the revelation of his secret identity, life has changed for Max and Thelma. Their relationship is under increased pressure... -
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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 Little Ships by J.A. Sutherland
14 ratingsNewly commissioned lieutenant, Alexis Carew is appointed into HMS Shrewsbury, a 74-gun ship of the line in New London’s space navy. She expects Shrewsbury will be sent into action in the war against Hanover, but instead she finds that she and her new ship are pivotal in a Foreign Office plot to bring the star systems of the French Republic into the war and end the threat of Hanover forever... -
Annihilation by Jonathan Yanez
8 ratingsThe Battle For Mars Comes to a Bloody End Daniel Hunt has been many things in his life but a commander in a full out military conflict has never been one of them. The Voy is a deadly opponent and if humanity is going to have a chance every faction must come together...Categorized as:
aliens first-contact industrial-era invasion military space-opera steampunk action-adventure -
Fury by Jonathan Yanez
8 ratingsThe more he uncovers, the less he really knows. So far answers to Daniel's past have taken him from the moon to Earth and Mars. Each memory recovered leads to yet more questions. Everything is about to change. When the survival of the humankind is threatened Daniel will have to put his own crusade for answers on hold... -
Renegade Evolution by J.N. Chaney
8 ratingsThe truth about the gods will set you free.Jace Hughes and the people of Earth have joined with the Union and the Sarkonians to create the largest alliance in human history. They have amassed a wealth of weapons, shields, and the strongest military ever conceived.But it may not be enough...Categorized as:
first-contact industrial-era military space-opera steampunk action-adventure adult audiobook -
The Ceph Sector by Jenny Schwartz
8 ratingsThe legendary Ceph have been in stasis for forty two millennia. In a century, they’ll wake. History remembers them as an unstoppable force, employing a mysterious power to decimate sentient life on the planets they attacked. Jaya’s first mission as a new Shaman Justice is to lead an expedition into the perilous Ceph Sector...Categorized as:
aliens first-contact industrial-era invasion military space-opera steampunk action-adventure -
A Deepness in the Sky by Vernor Vinge
30 ratingsAlternative Cover Edition can be found here. After thousands of years searching, humans stand on the verge of first contact with an alien race. Two human groups: the Qeng Ho, a culture of free traders, and the Emergents, a ruthless society based on the technological enslavement of minds.The group that opens trade with the aliens will reap unimaginable riches... -
Alien Artifacts by Jasper T. Scott
10 ratingsA DEADLY MISSION ON AN UNCHARTED WORLD RIDDLED WITH ANCIENT SECRETSOn his last job, Cade Korbin lost his ship, lost his credits, and barely escaped with his life, but it’s not over. His enemy is still out there, nursing a decades-old vendetta that has yet to be quenched. Making matters worse, his guild is coming after him for breaking their rules... -
Initiate by Joshua Anderle, Michael Anderle
12 ratingsIt was just one fight, but it changed Kaiden Jericho's life forever.He was in a gang but was trying to change his future when a board member of the elite advanced academy NEXUS made a snap decision and offered him a chance. Then fate, or an unbalanced genius, offered him another... -
HMS Nightingale by J.A. Sutherland
12 ratingsFor Lieutenant Alexis Carew, it should be the perfect assignment — a command of her own and a chance to return to her home star system...Categorized as:
industrial-era military space-opera steampunk war action-adventure alpha-mc audiobook -
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Mutineer by J.A. Sutherland
14 ratingsJust as Midshipman Alexis Carew thinks she’s found a place in the Royal Navy, she’s transferred aboard H.M.S. Hermione. Her captain is a tartar, liberal with the cat, who thinks girls have no place aboard ship. The other midshipmen in the berth are no better. The only advice she’s offered is to keep her head down and mouth shut – things Alexis is rarely able to do... -
The Gardens of Nibiru by Richard Fox
14 ratingsEarth defeated the Toth invasion. Now humanity takes the fight to the aliens. The supreme Toth overlord, Mentiq, rules his species with an iron fist from his fortress on the planet Nibiru. Armed with stolen Toth technology, the Breitenfeld travels to the world with a single mission: Kill Mentiq and end the Toth threat to Earth... -
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... -
First and Only by Dan Abnett
18 ratingsIn the Chaos-infested Sabbat system, Imperial Commissar Gaunt must lead his men through as much in-fighting amongst rival regiments as against the forces of Chaos. For a thousand years, the Sabbat Worlds have been lost to the Imperium, claimed by the dread powers of Chaos. Now, a mighty crusade seeks to return the sector to Imperial rule... -
How Firm a Foundation by David Weber
18 ratingsThe Charisian Empire, born in war, has always known it must fight for its very survival. What most of its subjects don't know even now, however, is how much more it's fighting for. Emperor Cayleb, Empress Sharleyan, Merlin Athrawes, and their innermost circle of most trusted advisers do know... -
Parabellum by Jonathan Yanez
6 ratingsThe enemy has shown its true face. Now, the battle rages on two fronts.But the true enemy still lies in the shadows.Humanity reels in the face of a new alien threat. False information spews from the podium of a leader bent on power and conquest.Daniel Hunt finds himself on the run from the very people he had vowed to protect...Categorized as:
aliens first-contact industrial-era invasion space-opera steampunk action-adventure adult -
Crimson Sun by J.N. Chaney, Terry Maggert
6 ratingsThe Nyctus don’t like losing, and they’ll go to any lengths to turn the tides of war.When the idyllic planet Nebo is scorched into oblivion, it’s obvious that the Nyctus are moving massive fleets into human space again, and their intention is clear: even if they lose their ships, they will render planets into ash...Categorized as:
first-contact industrial-era military space-opera steampunk action-adventure adult audiobook -
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... -
Absolution by Jonathan Yanez
8 ratingsRedemption exists but the price must be paid in blood. Daniel Hunt is still searching for answers to his past. Along the way, he stumbled across The Order, an ancient society credited for toppling Earth. His search will take him into the Badlands where a former member of the Pack Protocol has made her home. Except all is not as it seems in the small town and war is in the air...Categorized as:
aliens first-contact industrial-era invasion space-opera steampunk action-adventure adult -
Wayward Galaxy 2 by Jason Anspach, J.N. Chaney
8 ratings'WAYWARD GALAXY 2' is the explosive sequel to the blockbuster first book that had sci-fi listeners calling for more. This next installment featured the gritty combat of Galaxy's Edge combined with the world-building intrigue of the Renegade Star series...Categorized as:
first-contact industrial-era military space-opera steampunk war action-adventure adult -
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Space Deputy by Jenny Schwartz
10 ratingsA millennium into the future, the Saloon Sector is where the Wild West meets the 1950s, in space, with robots. It’s where careers go to die. Thelma Bach graduated top of her class after four years at the Galactic Justice academy. But she’s a Rock Sector citizen. The core worlders were never going to let her transcend her background...Categorized as:
ai aliens first-contact industrial-era invasion military space-opera action-adventure -
River of Bones by Taylor Anderson
10 ratingsThe crew of a WWII destroyer face their greatest challenge yet as they try to survive in a strange new world in the next thrilling book in the New York Times bestselling series.Commander Matt Reddy and his crew are afraid it may finally be the end of the USS Walker... -
Saved by the Stryxian by Ella Blake
10 ratingsWhen Brandy Trentler’s wealthy family insists she marry the jerk who cheated on her, she signs up for the Stryxian mate lottery. Who knew her number would be drawn in the first round? Nothing goes right after that—the transport ship is attacked, she is captured by the enemy Morr-ta aliens and thrown in prison... -
Star Wars: Jedi vs. Sith: The Essential Guide to the Force by Ryder Windham
10 ratingsTHE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO THE ABSOLUTE POWER AT THE HEART OF THE STAR WARS GALAXY The Force, in the immortal words of Obi-Wan Kenobi, “surrounds us, it penetrates us, it binds the galaxy together...Categorized as:
industrial-era military space-opera steampunk war action-adventure adult anthologies -
Wayward Galaxy by Jason Anspach, J.N. Chaney
12 ratingsThe future isn’t what they expected.A company of Army Rangers is sent on an interstellar colony ship to secure a foothold on a dangerous, alien planet through violence of action... -
The Mote in God's Eye by Larry Niven, Jerry Pournelle
37 ratingsIn 3016, the 2nd Empire of Man spans hundreds of star systems, thanks to faster-than-light Alderson Drive. Intelligent beings are finally found from the Mote, an isolated star in a thick dust cloud. The bottled-up ancient civilization, at least one million years old, are welcoming, kind, yet evasive, with a dark problem they have not solved in over a million years...Categorized as:
aliens dystopia first-contact military space-opera war 20th-century action-adventure -
Fortune's Stroke by Eric Flint, David Drake
14 ratingsAide, a human soul embodied in a jewel, journeys back in time to join forces with Belisarius, the greatest general of the sixth century, to stop Link, an evil supercomputer that is using its vast powers to rewrite history to create the powerful, technologically advance Malwa Empire. Reprint... -
The Gods Themselves by Isaac Asimov
35 ratingsIn the twenty-second century Earth obtains limitless, free energy from a source science little understands: an exchange between Earth and a parallel universe, using a process devised by the aliens. But even free energy has a price. The transference process itself will eventually lead to the destruction of the Earth's Sun--and of Earth itself...Categorized as:
aliens dystopia first-contact invasion space-opera 20th-century action-adventure adult -
Leviathan by Jack Campbell
19 ratingsTwo Syndicate World star systems have fallen prey to a mysterious fleet of warships—a fleet controlled entirely by artificial intelligence—that is now targeting Alliance space. The warships are no mystery to Geary. They were developed by his government to ensure security, but malfunctioned. If the Syndics learn the truth, the war with the Alliance will resume with a vengeance... -
The Enemy Within by Jasper T. Scott
6 ratingsDISCOUNTED FROM $3.99 UNTIL AUGUST 27thTHEY LEFT SEARCHING FOR ANSWERS FROM THE COSMOS AND FOUND AN EVIL AS OLD AS TIME Lucien, Garek, Addy, and Brak are all that's left of the Inquisitor's crew...Categorized as:
aliens dystopia first-contact industrial-era invasion military space-opera steampunk -
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Orion Uncharted by J.N. Chaney, Jonathan Yanez
8 ratingsThe Orion has fallen.After barely escaping with their lives, the crew of the Orion has scattered across an unknown world. With a diminishing hope of returning home, they have no choice but to band together.But between the local wildlife, lack of supplies, a missing crew, and a strange, ominous door that can't be opened, Dean and his new friends will need everything at their disposal to survive...Categorized as:
aliens first-contact industrial-era invasion space-opera steampunk action-adventure adult -
Cosmic Catalyst by Jenny Schwartz
8 ratingsASIN B076PSPMHH moved to latest edition as per guidelinesEveryone has secrets. But some people will risk the galaxy to protect theirs. When starship shaman Jaya Romanov and her new mate partner, galactic bounty hunter and robot wolf shifter, Vulf Trent, saved the galaxy from the deadly actions of a determined geriatric terrorist, they forgot that old Earth truism: no good deed goes unpunished...Categorized as:
aliens dystopia first-contact industrial-era invasion military space-opera steampunk -
Occupied Earth (The Sequel to First Encounter) by Jasper T. Scott
10 ratingsFROM MILLION-COPY BESTSELLER JASPER T. SCOTT THE FORERUNNERS LEFT EARTH IN SEARCH OF INTELLIGENT LIFE, AND THEY FOUND IT. Captain Clayton Cross and his crew encountered the Kyra, an advanced race of avian carnivores. They fled this first encounter, but the Kyra beat them back to Earth by almost a century. Earth lost the war in just a few weeks. Our cities burned, and billions died...Categorized as:
aliens dystopia first-contact industrial-era invasion military space-opera steampunk -
Final Days: Escape by Nathan Hystad, Jasper T. Scott
10 ratingsAndrew and Kendra have learned what's on the other side of the ridge, but it leaves them with more questions than answers. Their colony has turned into a dictatorship under the thumb of its delusional self-appointed leader, the Reverend, making their lives a living nightmare...Categorized as:
aliens dystopia first-contact industrial-era invasion space-opera steampunk action-adventure -
Starcaster by J.N. Chaney, Terry Maggert
10 ratingsMagic. Steel. Blood. Victory.The Earth’s navy is left drifting among the stars as Nyctus ships swarm, their purpose unknown as they continue their advance, burning one system after another.Humanity's extinction seems inevitable.But on one of the forgotten worlds, a boy is left behind, and he holds a talent unlike anything the galaxy has ever known.Thorn Stellers is a mage, made to lead and fight... -
The Bounty Hunter by Jasper T. Scott
12 ratingsBY MILLION-COPY BESTSELLER JASPER T. SCOTTFROM OUTLAW TO BOUNTY HUNTER TO VIGILANTE: REVENGE IS JUST THE BEGINNINGCade Korbin became a bounty hunter because he knew what it was like to be hunted. What he didn’t know was who he’d end up hunting.When it suited the Coalition, Cade was a Paladin, a member of their elite special forces. He did their dirty work and cleaned up their messes...Categorized as:
aliens dystopia first-contact industrial-era invasion military space-opera steampunk -
Renegade Atlas by J.N. Chaney
14 ratingsThe search for Earth has begun.After barely escaping the Union's grasp, The Renegade Star is off to parts unknown. Every member of its crew is a wanted fugitive. None of them can ever return home.But all is not lost.Thanks to Lex, a strange girl with a remarkable gift, the path to Earth has been revealed...Categorized as:
dystopia first-contact industrial-era military space-opera steampunk action-adventure adult -
Into the Dark by J.A. Sutherland
14 ratingsAt fifteen, Alexis Carew has to face an age old problem - she's a girl, and only a boy can inherit the family's vast holdings. Her options are few. She must marry and watch a stranger run the lands, or become a penniless tenant and see the lands she so dearly loves sold off. Yet there may be another option, one that involves becoming a midshipman on a shorthanded spaceship with no other women... -
Damnation by Jean Johnson
14 ratingsIt began with a terrible vision of the future. Compelled by her precognitive abilities, Ia must somehow save her home galaxy long after she’s gone... -
An Officer's Duty by Jean Johnson
16 ratingsJean Johnson—the national bestselling author of the Sons of Destiny novels—returns to the world she introduced in A Soldier’s Duty with a terrible vision of the future... Promoted in the field for courage and leadership under fire, Ia is now poised to become an officer in the Space Force Navy—once she undertakes her Academy training...Categorized as:
aliens dystopia first-contact industrial-era invasion military space-opera steampunk -
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A Mighty Fortress by David Weber
18 ratingsYoung Cayleb Ahrmahk has accomplished things few people could even dream of. Not yet even thirty years old, he’s won the most crushing naval victories in human history. He’s smashed a hostile alliance of no less than five princedoms and won the hand of the beautiful young Queen Sharleyan of Chisholm... -
The Naked God by Peter F. Hamilton
25 ratingsThe Confederation is starting to collapse politically and economically, allowing the 'possessed' to infiltrate more worlds. Quinn Dexter is loose on Earth, destroying the giant arcologies one at a time. As Louise Kavanagh tries to track him down, she manages to acquire some strange and powerful allies whose goal doesn't quite match her own... -
The Uplift War by David Brin
26 ratingsThis is the third book in the Uplift series. Humanity has contacted their Patron Line and uplifted chimpanzees and dolphins to full partnership. But on a distant planet occupied by Earth humans and neo-chimps, it seems the chimps have information concerning the location of the Progenitors... -
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... -
A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge
35 ratingsAlternate Cover Edition can be found here. A Fire upon the Deep is the big, breakout book that fulfills the promise of Vinge's career to date: a gripping tale of galactic war told on a cosmic scale... -
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...
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