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After

Stars and Bones

Gareth L. Powell2022

6 of 6 directions open

More like it

Same propulsive register, still space opera

1 more ↓

  • The Forbidden Stars

    Tim Pratt2019

    A crew of outlaws travels to a distant star system to stop an ancient alien weapon from being activated by a fanatical cult.

    pace0·prose0·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.

    propulsive → dreamlike, still space opera

    pace-1·prose+2·bleak+1

  • Sometimes a Great Notion

    Ken Kesey1964

    A family of independent loggers in Oregon refuses to join a local strike. The perspective shifts rapidly between characters, often mid-paragraph.

    propulsive → elegiac

    pace-1·prose+2·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.

    propulsive → cold, still space opera

    pace-1·prose+2·bleak+1

To recover

3 more ↓

  • Smokin' Seventeen

    Janet Evanovich2011

    A bounty hunter investigates bodies found in her boss's lot while choosing between three suitors. The story follows her daily mishaps in New Jersey.

    propulsive → playful

    pace0·prose-1·bleak-1

  • 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.

    propulsive → sardonic

    pace+1·prose-1·bleak-1

  • Body Movers

    Stephanie Bond2006

    A department store employee joins a body-transport service for a trip to Florida that involves a missing socialite and a loan shark.

    propulsive → playful

    pace0·prose-1·bleak-1

Faster

3 more ↓

  • The Android's Dream

    John Scalzi2006

    A diplomat must find a specific, genetically engineered sheep to prevent an interstellar war. The story is a fast-paced, irreverent space comedy.

    propulsive → playful, still space opera

    pace+1·prose-1·bleak-1

  • Chilling Effect

    Valerie Valdes2019

    A spaceship captain completes dangerous missions to pay off a ransom for her kidnapped sister. The crew includes a pilot who is a sentient plant.

    propulsive → playful, still space opera

    pace+1·prose-1·bleak-1

  • The Star Kings

    Edmond Hamilton1949

    A 20th-century man swaps bodies with a prince 200,000 years in the future. He must lead a galactic empire against a tyrant's fleet.

    Same propulsive register, 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.

    propulsive → meditative

    pace-2·prose+2·bleak0

  • Ancillary Justice

    Ann Leckie2013

    A lone soldier, once the artificial intelligence of a massive starship, seeks revenge in a single human body.

    propulsive → meditative, still space opera

    pace-1·prose+1·bleak0

  • Children of Dune

    Frank Herbert1976

    The twin heirs of Paul Atreides navigate political conspiracies and their own evolving biology to secure the future of the desert planet.

    propulsive → meditative, still space opera

    pace-1·prose+1·bleak+1

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.

    propulsive → bleak, still space opera

    pace0·prose+1·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.

    propulsive → bleak, still space opera

    pace0·prose0·bleak+2

  • Star Wars - The New Jedi Order - Star by Star

    Troy Denning2001

    Jedi strike teams infiltrate enemy space to destroy a biological weapon that tracks Force-users. The plot focuses on a high-stakes mission.

    propulsive → tense, still space opera

    pace0·prose0·bleak+2