Books with category 🚀 Space
Displaying books 49-96 of 113 in total

This Shattered World

Jubilee Chase and Flynn Cormac should never have met. Lee is captain of the forces sent to Avon to crush the terraformed planet's rebellious colonists, but she has her own reasons for hating the insurgents. Rebellion is in Flynn's blood. His sister died in the original uprising against the powerful corporate conglomerate that rules Avon with an iron fist.

These corporations make their fortune by terraforming uninhabitable planets across the universe and recruiting colonists to make the planets livable, with the promise of a better life for their children. But they never fulfilled their promise on Avon, and decades later, Flynn is leading the rebellion. Desperate for any advantage against the military occupying his home, Flynn does the only thing that makes sense when he and Lee cross paths: he returns to base with her as a prisoner.

But as his fellow rebels prepare to execute this tough-talking girl with nerves of steel, Flynn makes another choice that will change him forever. He and Lee escape base together, caught between two sides in a senseless war. The stunning second novel in the Starbound trilogy is an unforgettable story of love and forgiveness in a world torn apart by war.

The Starchild Compact

The Starchild Compact is an epic tale of beginnings, roots, what might have been, and what might be. It is an adventure of heroic proportions, commencing 500 light years away, arriving here just a few years from now, and ending in the distant expanses of the Universe.

Jon Stock takes his international exploration team to Saturn's moon, Iapetus, that Earth scientists have determined may be an artifact. Following launch, they discover Saeed Ismail, a Jihadist stowaway, who hopes to sabotage the mission.

They arrive at Iapetus, determine it is a derelict starship, and eventually meet with the Founders, descendants of the starship builders. Their revelations impact the entire Solar System with momentous implications going backward and forward in time, paving the way for a joint push to the distant reaches of the Galaxy.

The Martian

2014

by Andy Weir

Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars. Now, he's sure he'll be the first person to die there.

After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded and completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he's alive—and even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive. Chances are, though, he won't have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment, or plain-old human error are much more likely to kill him first.

But Mark isn't ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills—and a relentless, dogged refusal to quit—he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. Will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?

Phases of Gravity

2014

by Dan Simmons

Richard Baedecker thinks his greatest challenge was walking on the moon, but then he meets a mysterious woman who shows him his past. Join Baedecker as he comes to grips with the son and wife he lost due to his passion for space exploration, his forgotten childhood, and the loss he experienced during the deadly flight of the Challenger.

The most difficult exploration of his life is not the cold, rocky crevices of the moon, but the warm interior of his heart. Brilliant and beautifully written, Phases of Gravity is a masterpiece about love and loss that transports readers far beyond the confines of space and time.

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet

2014

by Becky Chambers

Rosemary Harper doesn't expect much when she joins the crew of the aging Wayfarer. While the patched-up ship has seen better days, it offers her a bed, a chance to explore the far-off corners of the galaxy, and most importantly, some distance from her past. An introspective young woman who learned early to keep to herself, she's never met anyone remotely like the ship's diverse crew, including Sissix, the exotic reptilian pilot, chatty engineers Kizzy and Jenks who keep the ship running, and Ashby, their noble captain.

Life aboard the Wayfarer is chaotic and crazy—exactly what Rosemary wants. It's also about to get extremely dangerous when the crew is offered the job of a lifetime. Tunneling wormholes through space to a distant planet is definitely lucrative and will keep them comfortable for years. But risking her life wasn't part of the plan. In the far reaches of deep space, the tiny Wayfarer crew will confront a host of unexpected mishaps and thrilling adventures that force them to depend on each other.

To survive, Rosemary's got to learn how to rely on this assortment of oddballs—an experience that teaches her about love and trust, and that having a family isn't necessarily the worst thing in the universe.

Super Extra Grande

Super Extra Grande, penned by the celebrated Cuban science fiction master Yoss, is a grand space opera that earned the 20th annual UPC Science Fiction Award in 2011. Set in the far reaches of a distant future, the novel unfolds across the Milky Way, introducing a universe teeming with bizarre and diverse creatures. From world-enveloping amoebas and sensual females sustaining themselves on their mates' reproductive offerings, to articulate reptiles and other beings culled from the annals of Cuban and global science fiction, these entities fill roles as varied as comrades, explorers, intimate companions, educators, and military commanders within the Galactic Commonwealth.

The story's hero, Jan Amos Sangan Dongo, occupies a unique niche in this fantastical ecosystem as a veterinarian dedicated to the care of the galaxy's gargantuan fauna. When a colonial dispute endangers the delicate equilibrium among the Galaxy's seven sapient species, Dr. Sangan embarks on a perilous journey inside an enormous creature to retrieve two ingested ambassadors—who also vie for his affection.

These Broken Stars

It's a night like any other on board the Icarus. Then, catastrophe strikes: the massive luxury spaceliner is yanked out of hyperspace and plummets into the nearest planet. Lilac LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen survive. And they seem to be alone.

Lilac is the daughter of the richest man in the universe. Tarver comes from nothing, a young war hero who learned long ago that girls like Lilac are more trouble than they're worth. But with only each other to rely on, Lilac and Tarver must work together, making a tortuous journey across the eerie, deserted terrain to seek help.

Then, against all odds, Lilac and Tarver find a strange blessing in the tragedy that has thrown them into each other's arms. Without the hope of a future together in their own world, they begin to wonder—would they be better off staying here forever?

Everything changes when they uncover the truth behind the chilling whispers that haunt their every step. Lilac and Tarver may find a way off this planet. But they won't be the same people who landed on it.

The first in a sweeping science fiction trilogy, These Broken Stars is a timeless love story about hope and survival in the face of unthinkable odds.

Ancillary Justice

2013

by Ann Leckie

On a remote, icy planet, the soldier known as Breq is drawing closer to completing her quest.

Once, she was the Justice of Toren — a colossal starship with an artificial intelligence linking thousands of soldiers in the service of the Radch, the empire that conquered the galaxy.

Now, an act of treachery has ripped it all away, leaving her with one fragile human body, unanswered questions, and a burning desire for vengeance.

Claimed

Olivia Waterhouse has just graduated from nursing school and has her whole life ahead of her—until she gets drafted. Problem is, she isn’t being forced into the Army; she’s been chosen as a Kindred bride. The Kindred are huge alien warriors—a race of genetic traders whose population is ninety-five percent male. After saving Earth from the threat of invasion, they demand a reward—the right to find brides among the population. The chances of being chosen are about the same as those of winning the lottery—guess it’s just Liv’s lucky day.

Baird is a Beast Kindred who recently escaped imprisonment and torture at the hands of the malevolent Scourge. Through the torment and pain, only one thing kept him sane—the thought of finding and claiming his bride—Olivia. His need to possess her is a burning intensity that threatens to consume them both.

Angry at having her future and her family taken away from her, Liv vows to fight back the only way she can—by resisting. She has one month on the Kindred Mothership with Baird—their claiming period. If she can keep from having bonding sex with him during that time, she can go home and get on with her life on Earth. But Baird isn’t going to make it easy for her. Every week he is allowed to touch Liv more and more intimately, and according to the contract she signed, she has to let him. She’s determined to resist him, but his touch sets her on fire.

And just as she thinks she knows what she wants, a twist of fate and an attack by the faceless Scourge AllFather changes everything…

Saga, Volume 1

Saga, Volume 1 is an audacious blend of fantasy and science fiction, presenting a unique drama that centers on a young family striving to carve out their existence in a vast and perilous universe. Authored by the New York Times bestselling writer Brian K. Vaughan and illustrated by the critically acclaimed artist Fiona Staples, this graphic novel unfolds as a tale of love and conflict.

When two soldiers from opposing factions of an interminable galactic conflict fall deeply in love, they face the ultimate risk as they attempt to bring new life into a world filled with danger. This narrative is a sexy, subversive drama created for an adult audience, and it masterfully intertwines elements of fantasy and science fiction in a way that has rarely been seen before.

Saga, Volume 1 collects the first six issues of a series that has garnered widespread acclaim, described by The Onion A.V. Club as "the emotional epic Hollywood wishes it could make."

2312

The year is 2312. Scientific and technological advances have opened gateways to an extraordinary future. Earth is no longer humanity's only home; new habitats have been created throughout the solar system on moons, planets, and in between. But in this year, 2312, a sequence of events will force humanity to confront its past, its present, and its future.

The first event takes place on Mercury, on the city of Terminator, itself a miracle of engineering on an unprecedented scale. It is an unexpected death, but one that might have been foreseen. For Swan Er Hong, it is an event that will change her life. Swan was once a woman who designed worlds. Now she will be led into a plot to destroy them.

172 Hours on the Moon

2012

by Johan Harstad

Three teenagers are going on the trip of a lifetime. Only one is coming back.

It's been more than forty years since NASA sent the first men to the moon. To grab some much-needed funding and attention, they decide to launch a historic international lottery in which three lucky teenagers can win a week-long trip to moon base DARLAH 2—a place that no one but top government officials even knew existed until now.

The three winners, Antoine, Midori, and Mia, come from all over the world. But just before the scheduled launch, the teenagers each experience strange, inexplicable events. Little do they know that there was a reason NASA never sent anyone back there until now—a sinister reason. But the countdown has already begun...

Glow

If a violent battle destroyed the only world you’ve ever known, would you be brave enough to save who was left? Would love be strong enough to survive the fight? Either way, there’s no turning back.

The Empyrean is the only home 15-year-old Waverly has ever known. As part of the first generation to be successfully conceived in deep space, she and her boyfriend Kieran will be pioneers of New Earth. Waverly knows she must marry young in order to have children who can carry on the mission, and Kieran, the handsome captain-to-be, has everything Waverly could want in a husband. Yet, there's a part of Waverly that desires more from life than marriage, and she is secretly intrigued by the shy, darkly brilliant Seth.

Suddenly, Waverly’s dreams are interrupted by the inconceivable – a violent betrayal by the Empyrean's sister ship, the New Horizon. The New Horizon’s leaders are desperate to populate the new planet first, and will do anything to get what they need: young girls. In one pivotal moment, Waverly and Kieran are separated, and find themselves at the helm of dangerous missions, where every move has potentially devastating consequences, and decisions of the heart may lead to disaster.

Pulse-pounding and addictive, Glow begins Amy Kathleen Ryan's Sky Chasers series, a riveting journey into the unknown.

Pale Blue Dot: A Vision of the Human Future in Space

In Cosmos, the late astronomer Carl Sagan cast his gaze over the magnificent mystery of the Universe and made it accessible to millions of people around the world. Now in this stunning sequel, Carl Sagan completes his revolutionary journey through space and time.

Future generations will look back on our epoch as the time when the human race finally broke into a radically new frontier—space. In Pale Blue Dot, Sagan traces the spellbinding history of our launch into the cosmos and assesses the future that looms before us as we move out into our own solar system and on to distant galaxies beyond. The exploration and eventual settlement of other worlds is neither a fantasy nor luxury, insists Sagan, but rather a necessary condition for the survival of the human race.

Leviathan Wakes

Leviathan Wakes is the explosive first book in The Expanse series by James S.A. Corey, a pseudonym for authors Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck. Set in a future where humanity has colonized the solar system, the novel introduces us to James Holden, the executive officer of an ice mining ship, and Detective Miller, who is on the hunt for a missing girl.

When Holden and his crew discover a derelict ship, The Scopuli, they are thrust into a dangerous conspiracy that threatens to destabilize the fragile balance of power in the system. Miller's investigation into the girl's disappearance leads him to Holden and the secrets hidden aboard The Scopuli. Together, they must navigate the tensions between Earth's government, outer planet revolutionaries, and secretive corporations. Amidst political intrigue and looming war, Holden and Miller's actions could alter the course of human history.

Physics of the Future: How Science Will Shape Human Destiny and Our Daily Lives by the Year 2100

2011

by Michio Kaku

Imagine, if you can, the world in the year 2100. In Physics of the Future, Michio Kaku—the New York Times bestselling author of Physics of the Impossible—gives us a stunning, provocative, and exhilarating vision of the coming century. This vision is based on interviews with over three hundred of the world's top scientists who are already inventing the future in their labs.

The result is the most authoritative and scientifically accurate description of the revolutionary developments taking place in medicine, computers, artificial intelligence, nanotechnology, energy production, and astronautics. By 2100, we will likely control computers via tiny brain sensors and, like magicians, move objects around with the power of our minds. Artificial intelligence will be dispersed throughout the environment, and Internet-enabled contact lenses will allow us to access the world's information base or conjure up any image we desire in the blink of an eye.

Meanwhile, cars will drive themselves using GPS. If room-temperature superconductors are discovered, vehicles will effortlessly fly on a cushion of air, coasting on powerful magnetic fields and ushering in the age of magnetism.

Using molecular medicine, scientists will be able to grow almost every organ of the body and cure genetic diseases. Millions of tiny DNA sensors and nanoparticles patrolling our blood cells will silently scan our bodies for the first sign of illness. Rapid advances in genetic research will enable us to slow down or maybe even reverse the aging process, allowing human life spans to increase dramatically.

In space, radically new ships—needle-sized vessels using laser propulsion—could replace the expensive chemical rockets of today and perhaps visit nearby stars. Advances in nanotechnology may lead to the fabled space elevator, which would propel humans hundreds of miles above the earth's atmosphere at the push of a button.

These astonishing revelations are only the tip of the iceberg. Kaku also discusses emotional robots, antimatter rockets, X-ray vision, and the ability to create new life-forms. He considers the development of the world economy, addressing key questions: Who are the winners and losers of the future? Who will have jobs, and which nations will prosper? All the while, Kaku illuminates the rigorous scientific principles, examining the rate at which certain technologies are likely to mature, how far they can advance, and what their ultimate limitations and hazards are.

Synthesizing a vast amount of information to construct an exciting look at the years leading up to 2100, Physics of the Future is a thrilling, wondrous ride through the next 100 years of breathtaking scientific revolution.

Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void

2010

by Mary Roach

Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void by Mary Roach explores the irresistibly strange universe of space travel and life without gravity.

Space is a world devoid of the things we need to live and thrive: air, gravity, hot showers, fresh produce, privacy, and even beer. Space exploration is, in some ways, an exploration of what it means to be human. How much can a person give up? How much weirdness can they take?

What happens to you when you can’t walk for a year? Have sex? Smell flowers? What happens if you vomit in your helmet during a space walk? Is it possible for the human body to survive a bailout at 17,000 miles per hour?

To answer these questions, space agencies set up all manner of quizzical and startlingly bizarre space simulations. As Mary Roach discovers, it’s possible to preview space without ever leaving Earth. From the space shuttle training toilet to a crash test of NASA’s new space capsule (cadaver filling in for astronaut), Roach takes us on a surreally entertaining trip into the science of life in space and space on Earth.

Ender's Game, Volume 1: Battle School

There's a war coming. The same aliens who almost destroyed Earth once are coming back to get the whole job done this time. But we aren't going to just sit and die. The international military is taking our best and brightest to mold them into the finest military minds ever - and they're taking them young.

Join this thrilling journey as young heroes are trained to defend Earth in this gripping graphic novel adaptation of the classic sci-fi tale.

The Mercury Annual (Valiant Razalia, Vol. 1)

And, as always, the wake of the sun caused temporal havoc. A Razalian hour passed normally enough, then shrank to ten minutes, then sneezed out a good half-day, then stabilised at an hour and a bit. Bobbing on the top of planetary time like corks in a bucket, the three moons spread out and were still - this time like kids glued to a screen.

For, as the sunlight disappeared and the minutes passed more confidently, Razalia shook off its desolation. Across its face, a million torches shone under the amethyst skies: Razalian faces, each its own sun.

Small, unfinished, more like a blueprint for a world than the real thing, Razalia props up one end of the Arc of the Fifteen Planets. In some places, its landscape looks like the efforts of a water-colourist suddenly called away from his easel. The Razalians live with the gaps - those spaces of unfathomable white - in many of their ridges, valleys, forests. And then the white begins to move...

Starclimber

2008

by Kenneth Oppel

"Mr. Cruse, how high would you like to fly?"

A smile soared across my face. "As high as I possibly can."

Pilot-in-training Matt Cruse and Kate de Vries, expert on high-altitude life-forms, are invited aboard the Starclimber, a vessel that literally climbs its way into the cosmos. Before they even set foot aboard the ship, catastrophe strikes: Kate announces she is engaged—and not to Matt.

Despite this bombshell, Matt and Kate embark on their journey into space, but soon the ship is surrounded by strange and unsettling life-forms. The crew is forced to combat devastating mechanical failure. For Matt, Kate, and the entire crew of the Starclimber, what began as an exciting race to the stars has now turned into a battle to save their lives.

Kenneth Oppel brings us back to a rich world of flight and fantasy in this breathtaking new sequel to Airborn and Skybreaker.

Blindsight

2006

by Peter Watts

Two months since sixty-five thousand alien objects clenched around the Earth like a luminous fist, screaming to the heavens as the atmosphere burned them to ash. Two months of silence while a world holds its breath.

Now some half-derelict space probe, sparking fitfully past Neptune's orbit, hears a whisper from the edge of the solar system: a faint signal sweeping the cosmos like a lighthouse beam. Whatever's out there isn't talking to us. It's talking to some distant star, perhaps. Or perhaps to something closer, something en route.

So who do you send to force introductions on an intelligence with motives unknown, maybe unknowable? Who do you send to meet the alien when the alien doesn't want to meet?

You send a linguist with multiple personalities, her brain surgically partitioned into separate, sentient processing cores. You send a biologist so radically interfaced with machinery that he sees X-rays and tastes ultrasound, so compromised by grafts and splices that he no longer feels his own flesh. You send a pacifist warrior in the faint hope she won't be needed, and a fainter hope that she'll do any good if she is needed. You send a monster to command them all, an extinct hominid predator once called "vampire," recalled from the grave with the voodoo of recombinant genetics and the blood of sociopaths. And you send a synthesist—an informational topologist with half his mind gone—as an interface between here and there, a conduit through which the Dead Center might hope to understand the Bleeding Edge.

You send them all to the edge of interstellar space, praying you can trust such freaks and retrofits with the fate of a world. You fear they may be more alien than the thing they've been sent to find.

From the Earth to the Moon

2006

by Jules Verne

From the Earth to the Moon is Jules Verne's imaginative tale of a daring journey to the moon. Written in 1865, this classic adventure story is filled with satirical humor and scientific acumen. The story revolves around the Baltimore Gun Club, a post-Civil War society of weapons enthusiasts, who embark on an ambitious project to launch a rocket to the moon.

Their president, Impey Barbicane, proposes the construction of a massive cannon named the Columbiad, designed to propel a projectile to the moon. With a three-person crew aboard, including the daring French scientist Michel Ardan, the group faces numerous challenges and adventures along the way.

Verne's narrative is not only a thrilling adventure but also a visionary exploration of space travel. The similarities between Verne's fictional journey and the real-life Apollo 11 mission are uncanny, making this novel a timeless masterpiece that continues to inspire.

Join the adventure and discover how Verne's vision of space exploration was both ahead of its time and remarkably accurate in many ways. The story concludes in the sequel, Around the Moon, where the fate of the brave explorers is further explored.

Hard Contact

2006

by Karen Traviss

As the Clone Wars rage, victory or defeat lies in the hands of elite squads that take on the toughest assignments in the galaxy—stone-cold soldiers who go where no one else would, to do what no one else could.

On a mission to sabotage a chemical weapon research facility on a Separatist-held planet, four clone troopers operate under the very noses of their enemies. The commandos are outnumbered and outgunned, deep behind enemy lines with no backup—and working with strangers instead of trusted teammates.

Matters don’t improve when Darman, the squad’s demolitions expert, gets separated from the others during planetfall. Even Darman’s apparent good luck in meeting an inexperienced Padawan vanishes once Etain admits to her woeful inexperience.

For the separated clone commandos and stranded Jedi, a long, dangerous journey lies ahead, through hostile territory brimming with Trandoshan slavers, Separatists, and suspicious natives. A single misstep could mean discovery... and death. It’s a virtual suicide mission for anyone—anyone except Republic Commandos.

Big Bang: The Origin of the Universe

2005

by Simon Singh

A half century ago, a shocking Washington Post headline claimed that the world began in five cataclysmic minutes rather than having existed for all time. A skeptical scientist dubbed the maverick theory the Big Bang. In this amazingly comprehensible history of the universe, Simon Singh decodes the mystery behind the Big Bang theory, leading us through the development of one of the most extraordinary, important, and awe-inspiring theories in science.

This fascinating exploration delves into the brilliant minds that deciphered the mysteries of the Big Bang, providing insight into the ultimate question: how was our universe created?

A Briefer History of Time

From one of the most brilliant minds of our time comes a book that clarifies his most important ideas. Stephen Hawking’s worldwide bestseller, A Brief History of Time, remains a landmark volume in scientific writing. But for readers who have asked for a more accessible formulation of its key concepts—the nature of space and time, the role of God in creation, and the history and future of the universe—A Briefer History of Time is Professor Hawking’s response.

Although “briefer,” this book is much more than a mere explanation of Hawking’s earlier work. A Briefer History of Time both clarifies and expands on the great subjects of the original, and records the latest developments in the field—from string theory to the search for a unified theory of all the forces of physics.

Thirty-seven full-color illustrations enhance the text and make A Briefer History of Time an exhilarating and must-have addition in its own right to the great literature of science and ideas.

The Theory of Everything: The Origin and Fate of the Universe

2005

by Stephen Hawking

The Theory of Everything is based on a series of lectures given at Cambridge University by the renowned Professor Stephen Hawking. This work introduces the history of ideas about the universe along with today's most important scientific theories about time, space, and the cosmos in a clear, easy-to-understand way.

"The Theory of Everything" presents the most complex theories of physics, both past and present, in a manner that remains clear and accessible. It aims to enlighten readers and expose them to the rich history of scientific thought and the complexities of the universe in which we live.

Have Space Suit—Will Travel

Kip from Midwest Centerville, USA, works the summer before college as a pharmacy soda jerk and wins an authentic stripped-down spacesuit in a soap contest. He answers a distress radio call from Peewee, a scrawny, rag doll-clutching genius aged 11. With the comforting cop Mother Thing, three-eyed tripod Wormfaces kidnap them to the Moon and Pluto.

A Short History of Nearly Everything

2003

by Bill Bryson

In A Short History of Nearly Everything, Bill Bryson takes on the daunting task of understanding the universe and everything within it. From the Big Bang to the rise of civilization, Bryson embarks on a journey to uncover the secrets of our existence. He connects with a plethora of advanced scientists—from archaeologists and anthropologists to mathematicians—and delves into their studies, asking questions and attempting to comprehend the complex information that has puzzled humanity for centuries.

This book is both an adventure and a revelation, filled with profound insights and laced with Bryson's trademark wit. It is a clear, entertaining, and supremely engaging exploration of human knowledge that makes science both accessible and fascinating to a broad audience. A Short History of Nearly Everything is a testament to Bryson's ability to make the seemingly incomprehensible both understandable and enjoyable.

Explorers on the Moon

2002

by Hergé

Explorers on the Moon takes you on an adventurous journey with Tintin, Snowy, Captain Haddock, Professor Calculus, and the engineer Frank Wolff as they embark on the first manned rocket to the Moon, launched from the Sprodj Atomic Research Centre in Syldavia.

As the rocket ascends, the crew experiences intense acceleration, causing them to faint. Meanwhile, back at the Centre, efforts are feverishly underway to establish radio contact with the spacecraft. The wireless masts stand sentinel in the night sky, waiting anxiously for any sign of life from the crew.

Join Tintin and his friends as they navigate through unexpected challenges, including a near collision with a meteorite and a dwindling oxygen supply. Will they manage to return safely to Earth? Find out in this thrilling installment of the Tintin series.

All Families are Psychotic

The most disastrous family reunion in the history of fiction. The Drummond family, reunited for the first time in years, gathers near Cape Canaveral to watch the launch into space of their beloved daughter and sister, Sarah.

Against the Technicolor unreality of Florida's finest tourist attractions, the Drummonds stumble into every illicit activity under the tropical sun—kidnapping, blackmail, gunplay, and black market negotiations, to name a few. But even as their lives spin out of control, Coupland reminds us of their humanity at every turn.

He crafts a hilarious masterpiece with the keen eye of a cultural critic and the heart and soul of a gifted storyteller. Coupland tells not only the characters' stories but also the story of our times—thalidomide, AIDS, born-again Christianity, drugs, divorce, the Internet—all bound together with the familiar glue of family love and madness.

The Collected Stories of Arthur C. Clarke

Arthur C. Clarke, renowned author of 2001: A Space Odyssey, Childhood's End, and The City and the Stars, presents a definitive collection of his shorter works in this expansive volume. Known as one of the defining voices in science fiction, Clarke's stories span from early works like "Rescue Party" and "The Lion of Comarre," to classics such as "The Star," "Earthlight," "The Nine Billion Names of God," and "The Sentinel," which inspired the novel and film 2001: A Space Odyssey.

This collection encapsulates an illustrious career in science fiction, showcasing Clarke's visionary imagination and his passion for storytelling and science. From "A Meeting with Medusa" to "The Hammer of God," these stories reflect the breadth and depth of Clarke's contribution to the genre.

Orphans of the Sky

Orphans of the Sky is a compelling science fiction novel that combines two novelettes: "Universe" and "Common Sense", both originally published in 1941. The story unfolds within the confines of a massive spaceship, known simply as the Ship.

Hugh, the protagonist, has always been taught that the Ship is on a sacred voyage to the distant star, Centaurus. This journey is believed to be a metaphor for achieving spiritual enlightenment. To the inhabitants, the Ship represents the entirety of existence, a seemingly endless expanse of metal corridors.

The Ship's universe is maintained by the sacred Convertor, ensuring that lights shine and air flows. Yet, lurking in the upper reaches of the Ship are the muties, grotesque figures thought to be either evil beings or a divine population control mechanism.

When Hugh is captured by the muties, he encounters their leader, Joe-Jim, a unique individual with two heads on one body. Through this encounter, Hugh learns the startling truth about the Ship's true mission among the stars. The question remains: Can he convince his people of this truth before it's too late? Can he become the one to navigate the Ship?

The Fountains of Paradise

The Fountains of Paradise is a visionary science fiction novel by the renowned author Arthur C. Clarke. Set in the 22nd century, this captivating story follows the ambitious dreams of visionary scientist Vannevar Morgan.

Morgan's dream is nothing short of revolutionary—a Space Elevator that reaches 36,000 kilometers into the sky, anchored to an equatorial island in the Indian Ocean. This grandiose engineering project promises to link Earth with the stars, transforming the future of humankind in space.

However, the journey to achieving this dream is fraught with challenges. Morgan must navigate a labyrinth of technical, political, and economic hurdles while addressing the profound cultural and spiritual concerns that arise.

In this novel, Clarke masterfully explores themes of human ingenuity and the boundless possibilities of science and technology. The Fountains of Paradise is a testament to the power of visionary projects and the enduring quest to reach for the stars.

Time

2000

by Stephen Baxter

The year is 2010. More than a century of ecological damage, industrial and technological expansion, and unchecked population growth has left the Earth on the brink of devastation. As the world’s governments turn inward, one man dares to envision a bolder, brighter future. That man, Reid Malenfant, has a very different solution to the problems plaguing the planet: the exploration and colonization of space.

Now Malenfant gambles the very existence of time on a single desperate throw of the dice. Battling national sabotage and international outcry, as apocalyptic riots sweep the globe, he builds a spacecraft and launches it into deep space. The odds are a trillion to one against him. Or are they?

Star Maker

1999

by Olaf Stapledon

Star Maker is a science fiction novel by Olaf Stapledon, published in 1937. The book describes a history of life in the universe, dwarfing in scale Stapledon's previous book, Last and First Men (1930), a history of the human species over two billion years. Star Maker tackles philosophical themes such as the essence of life, of birth, decay, and death, and the relationship between creation and creator. A pervading theme is that of progressive unity within and between different civilizations.


Some of the elements and themes briefly discussed prefigure later fiction concerning genetic engineering and alien life forms. Arthur C. Clarke considered Star Maker to be one of the finest works of science fiction ever written. The narrative is a contemplative journey through space and time, exploring how galaxies of stars formed from nebulae, how planets came into existence, and how intelligent life evolved. The book provides a profound perspective on mankind's existence in universal time and space.


There are touching moments and exciting battles, both tragedy and comedy. Uplifting victories and crushing defeats fill the pages, making this book a very engaging read. The final chapters provoke deep ponderings about life and intelligence, leaving the reader with lifelong questions to mull over.

The Notebooks of Lazarus Long

Too young to fight in the First World War, but destined to lead the first successful expedition to another star system, the (literally) immortal Lazarus Long is the most popular and enduring character created by Robert A. Heinlein, author of numerous New York Times best sellers.

He starred in Heinlein's most popular novels, including Methuselah's Children, Time Enough For Love, The Number Of The Beast, To Sail Beyond The Sunset, and others. The oldest living member of the human race due to his unique genes, Long has been a pioneer on eight planets, survived wars and lynch mobs, and explored most of the galaxy.

His adventures have given him a breadth of experience distilled through the irony of an immortal viewpoint. But there is nothing pompous about Long's reflections on the human condition. Lazarus' comments are acute, lively, and intelligent.

Compiled in one beautifully designed trade paperback, filled with illuminations and illustrations by renowned Science Fiction artist Stephen Hickman, for the delight of the millions of Heinlein fans around the world.

Green Mars

Green Mars continues the epic saga of the colonization of Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson. Nearly a generation has passed since the first pioneers landed, and the transformation of Mars into an Earthlike planet is underway. However, the project faces opposition from those who wish to preserve the planet's hostile, barren beauty.

At the forefront of this conflict are rebels like Peter Clayborne, part of the first generation of children born on Mars. They are joined by original settlers Maya Toitovna, Simon Frasier, and Sax Russell. In the backdrop of this cosmic setting, the human elements of passions, rivalries, and friendships intensify, creating a story as breathtaking as the planet itself.

Ender's Game

Andrew "Ender" Wiggin thinks he is playing computer simulated war games; he is, in fact, engaged in something far more desperate. The result of genetic experimentation, Ender may be the military genius Earth desperately needs in a war against an alien enemy seeking to destroy all human life. The only way to find out is to throw Ender into ever harsher training, to chip away and find the diamond inside, or destroy him utterly. Ender Wiggin is six years old when it begins. He will grow up fast.

But Ender is not the only result of the experiment. The war with the Buggers has been raging for a hundred years, and the quest for the perfect general has been underway almost as long. Ender's two older siblings, Peter and Valentine, are every bit as unusual as he is, but in very different ways. While Peter was too uncontrollably violent, Valentine very nearly lacks the capability for violence altogether. Neither was found suitable for the military's purpose. But they are driven by their jealousy of Ender, and by their inbred drive for power. Peter seeks to control the political process, to become a ruler. Valentine's abilities turn more toward the subtle control of the beliefs of commoner and elite alike, through powerfully convincing essays. Hiding their youth and identities behind the anonymity of the computer networks, these two begin working together to shape the destiny of Earth—an Earth that has no future at all if their brother Ender fails.

Red Mars

In Red Mars, award-winning author Kim Stanley Robinson presents the first installment of his acclaimed Mars Trilogy. The novel chronicles the ambitious endeavor of terraforming Mars, beginning in 2026 with the arrival of a group of 100 colonists. Among them are leaders such as John Boone, Maya Toitavna, Frank Chalmers, and Arkady Bogdanov, who carry the burden of their mission's success and the dreams of humanity.

The colonists embark on a monumental task to transform the barren, hostile climate of the red planet into a habitable environment. Their plans include orbiting giant satellite mirrors to reflect sunlight, sprinkling black dust on the polar caps to capture warmth, and drilling massive tunnels into the mantle to release hot gases.

Set against a backdrop of massive planetary changes, the narrative delves into the personal lives of the colonists, exploring their rivalries, loves, and friendships. As some become consumed by their passion for Mars, others see the planet as a chance for profit or a laboratory for genetic breakthroughs. However, not everyone is in favor of altering Mars, leading to conflicts that could jeopardize the entire mission.

Red Mars is a brilliant and imaginative epic that combines cutting-edge science with human drama, exploring the complexities of colonization and the ethical dilemmas of altering an entire world.

Tales of Pirx the Pilot

In Pilot Pirx, Lem has created an irresistibly likable character: an astronaut who gives the impression of still navigating by the seat of his pants—a bumbler but an inspired one. By investing Pirx with a range of human foibles, Lem offers a wonderful vision of the audacity, childlike curiosity, and intuition that can give humans the courage to confront outer space.

Set in the not-too-distant future, when space flight has evolved to the point where humanity is ready to colonize the solar system, Tales of Pirx the Pilot follows one somewhat-hapless explorer as he struggles through his training as a cadet, his career as a pilot, and his tenure as captain of a merchant ship. In these collected stories, Pirx stumbles his way through various exploits: traveling to the moon; battling mechanical malfunctions; encountering robots; and confronting questions of ambition, evolution, exploration, experimentation, and the nature of humanity itself.

And in classic Pirx fashion, he faces down each dilemma with charm, curiosity, courage, and intuition. These early works by revered speculative fiction author Stanisław Lem are filled with both the sharp insight for which he is known and a childlike innocence, making them an entertaining and thought-provoking read for science fiction fans of all ages.

The Complete Stories, Vol 1

1990

by Isaac Asimov

The Complete Stories, Vol 1 is the first book of the definitive three-volume collection of short stories by the prolific Isaac Asimov, whose tales have delighted countless fans for over half a century.

This enthralling collection includes some of Asimov’s self-described personal favorite short stories, such as “Franchise” and “The Last Question.” It also features “Nightfall,” a story about a planet that only experiences night once every 2,049 years, which the Science Fiction Writers of America has voted as the best science fiction story ever written.

The many fans of Isaac Asimov’s work won’t want to miss this wonderful collection of short fiction from the sci-fi master. It's a must for every science fiction bookshelf!

The Urth of the New Sun

1988

by Gene Wolfe

The long awaited sequel to Gene Wolfe’s four-volume classic, The Book of the New Sun. We return to the world of Severian, now the Autarch of Urth, as he leaves the planet on one of the huge spaceships of the alien Hierodules to travel across time and space to face his greatest test: to become the legendary New Sun or die.

The strange, rich, original spaceship scenes give way to travels in time, wherein Severian revisits times and places which fill in parts of the background of the four-volume work. This will thrill and intrigue particularly all readers of the earlier books.

But The Urth of the New Sun is an independent structure all of a piece, an integral masterpiece to shelve beside the classics, one itself.

The Number of the Beast

The Number of the Beast is a thrilling tale where two male and two female supremely sensual, unspeakably cerebral humans find themselves under attack from aliens. These extraterrestrials crave their awesome quantum breakthrough. In response, our protagonists take to the skies and zoom into the cosmos on a rocket roller coaster ride filled with adventure and danger, ecstasy and peril.

This novel is a homage to science fiction, celebrating the genre with references to other works and characters. It’s a parody and a lesson to anyone willing to listen, presented in a way only Robert A. Heinlein could.

Robots and Empire

1985

by Isaac Asimov

Long after his humiliating defeat at the hands of Earthman Elijah Baley, Keldon Amadiro embarked on a plan to destroy planet Earth. But even after his death, Baley's vision continued to guide his robot partner, R. Daneel Olivaw, who had the wisdom of a great man behind him and an indestructible will to win.


In this gripping continuation of the famous Robot Series, the universe's future hangs in the balance. The once powerful Spacers may have weakened, but the desire for revenge and destruction remains strong. Dr. Kelden Amadiro is determined to bring total annihilation to Earth, but Lady Gladia vows to stop him at any cost, sealing the fate of Earth and all who live there.

The Star Diaries: Further Reminiscences of Ijon Tichy

Welcome to the incredible adventures of space traveler Ijon Tichy! In a universe filled with bizarre creatures and civilizations, Tichy encounters worlds that satirize science, rationality, theology, and other human pride icons.

Imagine a traveler constantly meeting himself through time jumps, a spy observing the world of robots, and an explorer facing strange beings and civilizations in space. Or a passenger desperately lost in a supernova forest, searching for a way out.

This entertaining novel by one of the world's greatest science fiction authors, Stanislaw Lem, playfully mocks the icons of human pride such as technology, theology, and rational thought. Whether it's curious potatoes eager for space journeys, devout robots, or robots unable to erase humanity's history of massacre from their memories, it's all here in one complete package!

Nine Tomorrows

1985

by Isaac Asimov

Nine Tomorrows is a captivating collection of nine short stories by the legendary Isaac Asimov. These tales explore the intricate and fascinating realms of science fiction, offering a glimpse into a future that is both intriguing and thought-provoking.

The stories included are:

  • Profession
  • The Feeling of Power
  • The Dying Night
  • I'm in Marsport without Hilda
  • The Gentle Vultures
  • All the Troubles of the World
  • Spell My Name with an S
  • The Last Question (one of Asimov's most often requested stories)
  • The Ugly Little Boy (Asimov's own personal favorite)

Each story delves into themes of technology, human nature, and the unexpected consequences of our actions. Asimov's masterful storytelling and imaginative foresight make Nine Tomorrows a must-read for any science fiction enthusiast.

The Martian Chronicles

The Martian Chronicles tells the story of humanity's repeated attempts to colonize the red planet. The first men were few. Most succumbed to a disease they called the Great Loneliness when they saw their home planet dwindle to the size of a fist. They felt they had never been born. Those few that survived found no welcome on Mars. The shape-changing Martians thought they were native lunatics and duly locked them up.

But more rockets arrived from Earth, and more, piercing the hallucinations projected by the Martians. People brought their old prejudices with them – and their desires and fantasies, tainted dreams. These were soon inhabited by the strange native beings, with their caged flowers and birds of flame.

Dragon's Egg

Dragon's Egg is a fascinating tale of sacrifice and triumph, where human scientists embark on a journey to establish communication with intelligent lifeforms known as the cheela. These beings inhabit Dragon's Egg, a neutron star where the passage of time is drastically different—one Earth hour equates to hundreds of years for the cheela.

The cheela evolve from savagery to the discovery of science, with humans serving as their diligent teachers for a brief period. This unique relationship poses profound questions about communication and understanding between vastly different lifeforms.

Immerse yourself in this science fiction adventure and explore the wonders of time dilation, alien cultures, and the potential of human-alien interaction.

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