LitQueuelitqueue

After

Orphan's Destiny

Robert Buettner2005

6 of 6 directions open

More like it

1 more ↓

  • Einstein's Bridge

    John G. Cramer1997

    Physicists at the Superconducting Super Collider detect a signal from another universe. This contact triggers an encounter with a predatory species.

    Same earnest register, still alien invasion

    pace0·prose+1·bleak0

Denser prose

3 more ↓

  • Empty Space

    M. John Harrison2012

    Three interlocking timelines follow a widow in London, a detective in a neon city, and a pilot in deep space. The prose is dense and surreal.

    earnest → dreamlike, still space opera

    pace-1·prose+3·bleak+1

  • Hunter of Worlds

    C. J. Cherryh1977

    A human is abducted by the Iduve, a cold and powerful alien race, to serve as a translator and pawn in their internal political conflicts.

    earnest → cold, still space opera

    pace-1·prose+3·bleak+1

  • Dhalgren

    Samuel R. Delany1975

    An amnesiac wanderer enters Bellona, a city cut off from the world where time and geography shift. He joins a gang and writes poetry.

    earnest → dreamlike

    pace-2·prose+3·bleak+1

To recover

3 more ↓

  • Grunge

    Larry Correia2016

    A Marine killed in a bombing is resurrected to hunt supernatural creatures. He joins a private company that kills monsters for government bounties.

    earnest → sardonic

    pace+1·prose0·bleak-1

  • The Rowan

    Anne McCaffrey1990

    A powerful telepath living in isolation connects with a distant mind to defend against an alien invasion. It follows their psychic courtship.

    Same earnest register, still space opera

    pace-1·prose+1·bleak-1

  • All These Worlds

    Dennis E. Taylor2017

    A collective of sentient AI clones prepares for a space war against a predatory alien species while managing human colonies.

    earnest → playful, still space opera

    pace0·prose+1·bleak-1

Faster

3 more ↓

  • Honor's Knight

    Rachel Bach2014

    A mercenary with memory loss navigates a galactic conspiracy while her armor begins to malfunction. She must decide who to trust on her ship.

    earnest → propulsive, still military sci fi

    pace+1·prose+1·bleak0

  • The Star Wars Trilogy

    George Lucas2018

    A farm boy joins a rebellion against a galactic empire. He learns to use a mystical force under the guidance of an exiled knight.

    Same earnest register, still space opera

    pace+1·prose+1·bleak0

  • Red Rising

    Pierce Brown2014

    A laborer on Mars discovers his caste is being lied to and undergoes surgery to infiltrate the ruling elite. He joins a brutal war games academy.

    earnest → propulsive, still space opera

    pace+1·prose+1·bleak+1

Slower

3 more ↓

  • Beelzebub's tales to his grandson

    Georges Ivanovitch Gurdjieff1950

    An extraterrestrial being explains the history and strange behaviors of humanity to his grandson during a long space voyage.

    earnest → meditative

    pace-2·prose+3·bleak0

  • Gödel, Escher, Bach

    Douglas R. Hofstadter1979

    An exploration of how cognition emerges from hidden neurological patterns. It uses math, art, and music to explain self-referential systems.

    earnest → playful

    pace-2·prose+3·bleak-1

  • Ulysses

    James Joyce1914

    Three characters wander through Dublin on a single day in 1904. Each chapter uses a different literary style to mimic thoughts and sensations.

    earnest → playful

    pace-2·prose+3·bleak0

Heavier

3 more ↓

  • The Gap Into Conflict: The Real Story

    Stephen R. Donaldson

    A space pirate, a victim, and a police officer are trapped in a cycle of abuse and betrayal. The narrative shifts perspectives to reveal lies.

    earnest → bleak, still space opera

    pace0·prose+2·bleak+2

  • Dark Age

    Pierce Brown2019

    An outlawed revolutionary fights a losing war on Mercury while an exiled heir attempts to reclaim a space empire. It is a violent military epic.

    earnest → propulsive, still space opera

    pace0·prose+2·bleak+2

  • Star Wars - Legacy of the Force - Sacrifice

    Karen Traviss2007

    Jacen Solo hunts his own parents during a galactic civil war. He commits increasingly ruthless acts to secure his power as a Sith apprentice.

    earnest → bleak, still space opera

    pace0·prose+1·bleak+2