Latest stories in - Indie Story Geek

An innocent girl with a mysterious father… … finds herself a fugitive on the galaxy’s most wanted list. Considered too fragile, Kal is forbidden to join the raising of the Et’Tal’s home and feels as if she has shamed her family. Her lithe stature links her to her absent father. He left the village to fight in the Teristaque Wars and never returned. She meets Sarge, a strange star species called Human, who seems to know the secret of the patch from her father’s uniform. Before she can get clarity, a fierce Teristaque death squad descends on her village, murders everyone in it, and takes Kal prisoner. Kal wants more than just answers. She wants revenge.

Of Mycelium and Men by William C. Tracy

The generational fleet planned to make landfall after eighty years, but eleven planets and four centuries later, they still had not found a home. Finally, they landed on Lida, but something already lives there, and it's big. Agetha and her husband have spent their whole lives in the fleet’s zero-G. Now all is turmoil as the fleet lands, discovering they are surrounded by a single fungal biomass spanning the entire planet. To build a new home, the fleet must confront a dangerous organism, and Agetha must decide if she can raise a family in this inhospitable landscape. Jane Brighton holds tenuous command over the colony and its administrators. She and the other gene-modded leaders emerged from their four-hundred-year suspended animation to find a crew much different to the one that departed Old Earth. Jane must direct the colony’s fragile growth, and defend it against being overrun by the fast-growing biomass. But there is something none of the colonists know. The massive organism that spans the planet is not simply a fungal mass, nor even a chimerical combination of species that once roamed the planet. The biomass has desires and goals, and one is to know these strange beings carving out a home in its midst.

Hammer and Crucible by Cameron Cooper

A Space Girl from Earth by Christina McMullen

The interstellar array which links worlds together wakes to find it has enemies… The Fourth Carinad Empire stretches across hundreds of settled worlds and stellar cities, and thousands of light years. The Empire’s people and data are linked by a space-folding gates array controlled by the Emperor and his cohorts. When the array evolves into a sentient entity, it recognizes the Emperor as its foe. Danny Andela, once known as The Imperial Hammer, withdrew from the Imperial Rangers decades ago, her reputation in tatters. She lives on her family’s star barge, waiting to die of a rare disease: old age. She would be the array’s perfect weapon against the Emperor, except she no longer gives a damn—about anything. Then Danny learns that the military disaster which essentially ended her life might possibly have been arranged by the Emperor himself… Hammer and Crucible is the first book in the Imperial Hammer space opera science fiction series by award-winning SF author Cameron Cooper. The Imperial Hammer series: 1.0: Hammer and Crucible 1.1: An Average Night on Androkles 2.0: Star Forge 3.0: Long Live the Emperor 4.0: Severed 5.0: Destroyer of Worlds Space Opera Science Fiction Novel

Yesterday, her biggest worry was failing an exam. Today, it's saving the galaxy. From her six foot four inch height to the uniform white dots that peppered her skin in perfect geometric patterns, Ellie Whitmore was certainly unusual, but an alien from the other side of the galaxy? Of course not. That's just what the tabloids said to sell papers. Or so she thought. Turns out not only is Ellie an alien, but an ancient and powerful relic housing the forbidden knowledge of a lost civilization is hidden deep within her genetic code. Suddenly she's on the run from a malevolent Emperor who sees her as the key to ruling the galaxy. Even her own mother can't resist the draw of ultimate power and the one person Ellie might be able to trust is an unrepentant assassin who may be responsible for her life’s upheaval. Now, she must travel to a distant planet and unlock the secrets to restoring peace and ending tyranny. But how can anyone expect her to save the galaxy when she can’t even pass organic chemistry?

Felan's Rescue by Mark Raines

What if the video game Civilization was real? Bestlethrone is attacked and doomed to fall. Now Prince Felan must flee, leaving his family behind in a desperate attempt to save his father’s kingdom against known forces and the influence of the gods who may be moving against them. All his family built over centuries hangs in the balance, as Felan fights against invaders, betrayal and the 'gods' who are really humans, now a galaxy spanning civilization, interfering with Felan's species as a game. Unbeknownst to Felan his fate is intertwined with Sandra Ferrara, a 13-year-old girl growing up in the space colony located above his planet and retired General Dash Cricken, a veteran of the Galaxy Wars. Though Felan is oblivious to their existence, what they do could change Felan’s fate and the fate of everyone on his planet. Felan’s Rescue blends medieval fantasy into a sprawling space opera set immediately after years of intergalactic war, taking the reader to a galaxy spanning civilization, populated by alien races, trying to recover from the devastation of the last thousand years of war.

The Ceph - Reborn by Matthew Poehler

The Ceph Civilization seeded the galaxy's planets with life throughout history. Most of the results were good, some were exceptional. After a billion years of careful tending, one world's ecosystem grew to rival even that of Home. A blue-green jewel in the deeps of the galactic ocean. The Call went out "This world is ready." Two of the great World-Ships arrived from the Civilization sixty-five million years ago to deliver the Ceph to their new Colony. Tens of thousands disembarked to start the serious business of taming monsters and starting families. They were gone a thousand years when the asteroid struck. The surface of the planet was seared and shattered. Survivors of the Colony adapted to any safety the broken planet’s oceans would offer. They lost the ability to walk the land and breathe the air. Nothing sleeps forever. The Ceph on Earth are Reborn, and they have called for help.

The Last Nehisi by Warwick Eden

War. Corruption. A dying empire… And the only means of escape wiped out in genocide… For millennia, Ageronians have prospered beyond imagination, aided by the Nehisi, an ancient tribe with the ability to bridge worlds. But now the tides have turned. The Realm is dying. In the face of imminent destruction, Supreme Commander Draeger must find a way to save his people. As the prophecy of doom plays out, a chance encounter with a thief sparks the beginnings of a cat and mouse game, between commander and crook, in a world of political and moral dilemmas, corruption, and murder… …and the revelation that the fate of billions could depend on the actions of a single amoral thief. Combining the storytelling of Rothfuss with the richness of George RR Martin’s world building, this epic saga, cast against the sweeping setting of alien worlds and warring races, tells of adventure, intrigue, murder and romance across the generations. Read this unmissable immersive debut novel of the Red Realms series!

Star Nations by James Michael Minard

“Duty is heavier than a mountain. Death is lighter than the morning air. My loyalty belongs forever to the one I love.” —Commander Leera en Tasrah. Five superior star nations struggled for dominance over their galaxy, unaware a more significant threat punctured the fabric of space and entered from a parallel universe. This new threat had a name: the Cepha. They conquered entire galaxies, consumed and exploited worlds, and enslaved sentient beings. Humans, Kazarians, Zorlons, and the other minor star nations' only chance of survival against the Cepha was to forget their differences and stand together. But was that possible? How do you put aside three hundred years of hate and endless wars, which cost billions of lives? Where does loyalty belong? Is their honor in fighting alongside your enemy? What does duty require? STAR NATIONS is book one of the Loyalty And Honor Series.

The Cost of Survival by J. L. Stowers

Survival isn’t about who’s right; it’s about who’s left. Earth spirals into chaos. World war ravages every border. The human race teeters on the edge of extinction. Survival hinges on the success of one colony located in a decimated valley. Walt Marshall, government contractor, is no stranger to loss after the death of his wife and son. Now he’ll honor them by doing whatever it takes to ensure the survival of humankind. Walt gets more than he bargained for when he uncovers a puzzling clue left behind by a mysterious woman. Destined to unveil the truth, he embarks down a dangerous path of espionage and treason. He quickly learns the dark truth about the past, and the future in this daring science fiction novel.

A Call to the Sky by Marc DeGeorge

In a world with no ground, only flight keeps you alive. Toume d’Nezuhmy only wanted to be a pilot, just like his mother. As the son of a chieftain, his clan had trained him to fly well, then sent him to bury his head in books. He would have stayed in them, if not for the high priestess of the Drahken clan. After making a stop on her Island to deliver parts, she offers him a curious mission. Take a mysterious package to the Manuke—the clan of scientists and engineers who will study it to find its secrets. There is no pay, but if he is successful, the high priestess will grant him her daughter’s hand in marriage. Ever since his mother went missing, Toume has struggled to gain his father’s approval. Could this be the chance he needs to show his father he is ready to be away from his books? This delivery is not as simple as it seems, however. Rival clans will kill him for the package, and even if he is successful, marriage is no guarantee of happiness. A serious choice lies before Toume. Should he choose wrong, he could wind up dead, or worse—a failed union between him and the Drahken heir would destroy the only alliance that protects his clan from destruction.

Starhelm Epsilon by David Viergutz

Origin of Pietas: Bringer of Chaos by Kayelle Allen

Royce used to be a talented mech Pilot, but now he’s a washed up and in hiding. Stuck combing slums and backwater planets, hopping from job to job, Royce makes it to a substation and is quickly caught up in a new conflict he wants no part of. His identity is revealed, along with the secret location of one of the few remaining Starhelms, the ultimate war machine. The mech of all mechs. To complicate things, he’s accompanied by a mysterious woman on her own quest with too many secrets. Secrets which attract the attention of all three factions vying for control of the galaxy. Now, Royce’s simple life of surviving has become a battleground, and he must recover his Starhelm before the factions do. For the things they will do with it will not lead to war, but the obliteration of the entire galaxy.

The Name of the Shadow by Mars G. Everson

Traitors stripped the immortal king Pietas of everything. Now, marooned on a deserted planet, his only hope of finding his people lies with the human who imprisoned him. That doesn't mean Pietas will humiliate himself by asking for help. Enough is enough. He's already died a thousand times. But if he fails, he will doom his people to eternal exile, and end his own immortality. Their ultimate salvation relies on the one thing he swears does not exist. The honor of a human...

SPSFC 2023

Fear is a double-edged weapon. When a Shadow spreads over the utopian Colony, the only human enclave in a lonely planet, the young will be the first to understand the danger that hovers above them. What they find about themselves in that struggle will lead them to greatness... or to the destruction of their idyllic way of living. Who will rise a hero, and who will become a monster? In the tradition of Ursula K. Le Guin and Isaac Asimov, this is the story of a people that do not know fear... and what happens when they discover it. Of what is left when paranoia becomes all-encompassing, and men find the evil within each of them.

Leaving Hope (Golden Terrace Colony Book 1) by R.L.S. Hoff

If Anya doesn't marry the guy her parents choose, this generation will be the last with pure Euros. She can live with that. They might not let her. The trouble is, that guy (the one Anya’s parents like) wants to be ship captain. That means staying on Hope. When there’s a new world within reach, waiting to be explored… Anya doesn’t know if she’s smart enough or strong enough to be part of the colony team that will get the planet ready for humans to live there. But she's sure she'll like forming a new world as much as she enjoys molding light sculptures. Two activities her parents despise almost as much as they despise her talking with anyone other than “that guy.” Yeah, Anya’s life stinks. But her parents are powerful. And her father’s sometimes violent. Which is probably why Anya hates conflict. Maybe she should just go along with her parents’ plans… And be stuck, friendless, living other people’s dreams. But what’s the alternative?

The Band of Moonlit Waters (Spero’s Legacy) by Brad Bussie

After going into cold sleep for an interstellar journey, Commander Tyler Ryan Tor awakens marooned on an alien world. Having gone to sleep expecting to awaken orbiting a distant habitable planet with the rest of Earth's refugees, he finds himself alone and hunted by an ancient evil. The darkness that pursues Commander Tor wants the knowledge in his head, but there is one problem – Tyler can’t remember anything before the crash. It is up to a ragtag band of unlikely heroes to keep the commander out of the dark lords’ clutches and to save the world from total annihilation.

Transit: Constellation Pegasus: Book One by V.M Andrews

An enticing introduction to a weird world in another part of the galaxy. Su'Real is one of many genetically engineered beings from Okada who use their planet's electromagnetic energy to travel to other worlds in the blink of an eye. Created for one purpose, the covert collection of data from the worlds she visits, Su'Real longs for the freedom to explore the galaxy on her own terms. But when that opportunity comes, she finds herself alone in a cold, hostile world where she is not welcome. The more she learns about the place, the more danger she is in, but escape does not seem to be an option.

Ohnus (Chronicles of Zu'tal Book 1) by August Blackburn

When humanity entered the greater galaxy it found itself to be the oldest sentient species, and first to be counted among the stars. Humanity realized that there was no one watching them from the sky—no advanced race to show them the way—rather it was they who would take up the mantle. Extraterrestrial life was abundant and mostly non-sentient; those few found with sentience needed a helping human hand to reach for the stars, and this made the human race the most powerful race in the known galaxy. With space came freedom; with freedom came lawlessness. The larger the galaxy became, the less the centralized government, the Commonwealth Assembly, was able to control first contact. With the government still struggling to regulate expansion, planetary abuses from corporate and private organizations were a common secret. Zu'tal is a world populated by humanoid lifeforms, the Fenir, formally resigned to a feudal-level society, but after the arrival and abuse of humanity they take up arms and retake their planet; however the fallout of first contact has only just begun. Wrapped up in these tides of history are Ishtar and Grey, a Fenir woman and a clone soldier. As they attempt to shape their lives, the liberation general Macahbei looks to shape the world.

Colonizer by Arkady Martin

Alex Vorotov, a musician from space, wins big on the inter galactic pop music charts and buys himself two top-notch robot girlfriends. At first, his robots keep him satisfied but, - despite the manufacturer's claim - somehow leave him wanting more. Confused, he decides to travel to the origin planet of Earth and in turn, find inspiration to finish his new album. But upon arrival, he discovers the planet has been more or less abandoned due to “poor design quality”. Now he will have to re-colonize it. Will Alex find home on Earth again or is life after the singularity just too good to give up?

The Game Players of Meridien: Chronicles of the Second Empire (The Chronicles of the Second Interstellar Empire of Mankind Book 1) by Robert L Katz

Douglas Oliver loves to play games. Playing games is in his blood. Douglas Oliver’s ancestors were genetically engineered to be perfect soldiers for the Imperial armies. The Empire has been gone for 3000 years but it’s legacy remains. Strong, fast, smart and aggressive, the people of Illyria relish competition of every sort. In Meridien, the richest nation on Illyria, the greatest game of all is the Game of Life, and in the Game of Life, keeping score is simple. Status, riches and power mean that you’re winning, but the rulers of Meridien know that too much competition can destroy everything. The Guilds and the Guild Council ensure that the rules of the Game are followed. >>>The Game Becomes an All-Out War Douglas Oliver is nowhere near the most powerful player in the Game, but he’s young and he’s successful. He has time. He understands the rules and he isn’t afraid of being challenged, until a challenge arrives from an unknown agent and suddenly, the Game is no longer just a game. It’s an all-out war with Douglas Oliver at its center, a war that threatens everything and everyone that he loves. >>>You will love this hard hitting science fiction adventure from Robert I. Katz, the award winning author of Edward Maret: A Novel of the Future and The Cannibal’s Feast.

Out of Due Season: The First Transit by Benjamin X. Wretlind

A cult leader. A government tightening its grip. Competing global interests. A mysterious power source. What could possibly go wrong? On a June afternoon, a body is discovered floating in a remote lake in northwestern Washington. When a recovery team attempts to retrieve it, they make a shocking discovery: 311 other bodies lie under the water, all members of a previously unknown religious cult. However, what appears to be a tragedy of immense proportions is only the beginning. Soon, a few relatives and friends of the victims discover inconsistencies in the stories, and a small group bands together to learn the truth. As government agencies apply pressure for reasons unknown and civil unrest in the country makes communication and movement difficult, this tiny yet determined team unravels what may be the greatest event in recent—if not all—human history. Something epic is about to happen in that remote lake, and as Father Elijah Jonas tries to convince his followers to abandon the purgatory that is Earth and travel on faith to a new world, competing sides with divergent interests inch ever closer to the truth. What if humanity had a second chance? Would we make the same mistakes? For one cult, the only way to find out is to try.

Searching for Sun by Elizabeth Kaida

Genetically altered to be the perfect botanist, Asami and her diva android desperately want to make planet Gliese their new home-and escape from the overburdened and industrialized Earth. But it's been over eighty years since the first settlers began terraforming; and before she's even landed, the paradise of the Gliese colony slowly reveals shades of horror. Gliese isn't new Earth, and it isn't a dead planet. Caught between a virulent plague, a rogue colonist faction, and a deadly alien army, Asami must uncover Gliese's secrets if she wants to save the lives of her crew. In a desperate gamble, Asami must adapt her view of what being human means as she becomes something other than human herself. Through unlikely friendships, and some dangerous sentient objects, Asami unravels the truth behind a war that began before her birth, and the means to change her new world.

To Renew the Bond: An Epic Fantasy Adventure (The Mind-Melded) by Carol Buhler

Two mind-linked species, one side dying out. Will the human colonists help or will fear of the unknown cause them to attack? Joedon’s rescue of his best friend from a colonist prison gets him charged with treason and threatened with execution by his own people. Appalled, he finally recognizes that his civilization is sliding toward extinction. Lacking the leadership he’d inherited but rejected, the Council has ignored drastic changes in their world. Determined to turn things around, he sets out to win back his people’s trust. Can he convince them to seek colonist help to keep them from devastation? To Renew the Bond is book one of the dramatic Mind-Melded Epic Fantasy set on a faraway, far-future Earth-like world. If you like intelligent, telepathic beings confronting overwhelming dilemmas with wit and guile to save their families, then you’ll love To Renew the Bond.

Karda: Adalta Vol. I by Sherrill Nilson

Karda rule the skies over Adalta.The powerful hawk-headed flying horses have been the protectors of their world for millennia. Now they are called to do battle again to save Adalta from an ancient enemy. On Adalta for her first solo undercover mission, Marta Rowan is awed by the sight of these beautiful, fierce creatures. When she is chosen to ride one, she must decide: Join the fight to save Adalta, or keep her dark secret hidden? Her choice becomes even more difficult when she is assigned to guard the Quadrant of handsome nobleman Altan. What about her iron-clad rules—no relationships, no friends, no lovers? Will she be able to resist her feelings for Altan, the love she feels for this magical world on the brink of war, and the majestic flying Karda, because she knows, when her mission is over, she must leave? From award-winning author Sherrill Nilson, Karda is the first in the Adalta series - a fantasy adventure for anyone who ever wanted to fly away to a new world filled with magic and romance.

The Cassidy Chronicles by Adam Gaffen

Welcome to the world of 2113. The country has shattered into ten squabbling nations and the solar system is on the edge of colonization. Technologic wonders abound. Yet, it's not unlike our own. People meet, fall in love, face assassination at their wedding - well, perhaps not.Meet Aiyana and Kendra, Cass and Ken to their friends, a genius physicist and a retired movie star with a mysterious past. They live quietly, get along with their neighbors, don't have problems at work. So why did they have to run for their lives from their wedding?Travel with them across the continent as they search for answers, make new friends, face daunting challenges, and discover unexpected enemies. It's a ride you don't want to miss!

The Slums of the Solar System by Kat Macleod

MITWA: When a deadly plague ravaged the Earth refugees fled into space, crowding into any space station or lunar colony that would take them. Decades passed and the descendants of the survivors struggle to live in anything remotely spaceworthy. Omesh, banished from his Earthly home, finds himself in Barnacle Town. A collection of salvage clinging to the hull of a space station in lunar orbit. Thousands of lives cling precariously to the hull, at the whim of the corporation that owns the station. The station manager welcomes everyone. But then the CEO arrives, intent on scraping the hull of his craft clean. Omesh and his family, friends and neighbors? Not the corporation’s problem. With nowhere else to go, Omesh vows to fight for his new home. But physics? More merciless than any CEO. THE MARS OF MALCONTENTS: Valentina knows how to live in the community spread throughout the old mining caves under the Martian ice cap. A violent place in a forbidding climate, but home for her and her brother. Until she wakes from a coma to find her brother gone. Her father thinks her incapable of following them back to the equatorial cities. He underestimates her – her stubbornness, her courage and her inventiveness. But she underestimates the cold, airless surface of Mars. A journey from the polar ice cap to the Martian equator? Not enough to stop Valentina. Not with her brother on the line. THE WHOLE WORLD FOR EACH: After humankind fled Earth for space they discovered one inescapable truth. People die in space. And lots of dead people means lots of ghosts. April Nguyen earns a nice living getting rid of those ghosts. People all over the Solar System clamor for her aid. April's only problem? Never actually seeing a ghost. She pretends, she feigns, she completely convinces her clients, but she fears her inevitable exposure as a fraud. And then comes Hakim, the ultimate suspicious sceptic watching her every move. And yet April feels herself drawn to him. He knows a whole other world. "The Whole World for Each", a story about belief and disbelief and how we jump between the two. Humankind escaped Earth, but not death and what comes after.

Dusted by Stars by G.A. Matiasz

Stacy Jones is a small-time contractor and proud citizen of socialist Mars. But she barely makes ends meet as an independent starship pilot and freight hauler. When Stacy takes a commission to transport the mythical sangrael possessed by the legendary Medea Aeëtes she unknowingly puts her life and livelihood at risk. Stacy teams up with Kryz, a diminutive Rarj, to battle thieves and hijackers across a galaxy swarming with aliens and riddled with danger. Together they maneuver through bar brawls and mercenaries, armed seizures and dogfights, suicide attacks and death squads to protect her precious cargo. Stacy’s action-packed mission culminates on Kapala in a transcendental experience that exposes secrets and lies before new paths forward are revealed. This far future science fiction adventure thriller is a rollicking space opera with a touch of fantasy. Set in the universe of the author’s previous books, Dusted by Stars is lavishly illustrated by Jon Hunt and comes with a bonus near-future cyberpunk mystery The Death of David Pickett.

Gatekeeper: Planetary Colonization meets Elemental Fantasy (The Berikatanyan Chronicles Book 1) by John Beresford;

He went to the stars to start over. His troubles have just begun. Earth, 2072. Jann Argent has no memory of committing the murder that landed him in prison. So when he’s offered a chance at freedom, he accepts the price of exile to humanity’s first colony planet. But when the ship crash lands on the new world’s surface, he’s shocked to discover an indigenous population and a strange sense of familiarity. Stunned when he and several other shipmates develop mystical powers, Jann discovers previous colonists have all joined one of two rival native houses. And with a tyrant’s power play set to devastate the realm, he’s about to become the lynchpin in a magical war that could destroy him. Can Jann uncover his destiny in time to stop a terrifying plot? Gatekeeper is the first book in the genre-bending Berikatanyan Chronicles science fiction fantasy mashup. If you like gritty heroes, elemental magic, and journeys to other worlds, then you’ll love John Beresford’s towering tale. Buy Gatekeeper to fulfill an interstellar fate today!

The Last Human by P. S. Hoffman

ALL HUMANKIND died thousands of years ago... …but the xenos still worship them as GODS. Today, hundreds of alien civilizations thrive in the gods’ lost cities and fallen megastructures. One Empire has learned to harness the remains of humanity's forgotten technology to reconnect the distant worlds... and dominate them. Eolh is an old, jaded, avian thief who lives in the dark underbelly of a conquered city. When the Empire first opened the gate between worlds, they stormed his home, killed his gang, and burned everything he held dear. But that was a long time ago. Now, the resistance is dead. No one dreams of fighting back—for the Empire wields the weapons of the gods: warships that fly, robotic constructs that hunt, and rare mysteries scavenged from the tombs of the gods. Eolh lives a half-life, thieving, running jobs, and selling his services as a freelance listener for the last gangs of Lowtown. He trusts no one, and only looks out for himself. When an unusual heist takes a deadly turn, Eolh must bargain with an overzealous android who carries an impossible secret—one that will shake the foundations of the universe. There is one last hope for salvation. For his people, or maybe just for himself… This is the story of The Last Human.

Those Once Forgotten by N. C. Scrimgeour

They were a memory once forgotten. For millennia, they waited. Now, they are coming. The galaxy has been plunged into chaos, left reeling from the trap Alvera Renata triggered around the ancient alien waystations. As the leaders of the allied systems desperately try to prepare for what might be coming, Ridley and Kojan go on the hunt in search of answers. But the one person who might hold the key—the rogue starship captain who started it all—is missing in action, and her old friends aren’t the only ones looking for her… Meanwhile, tensions between the Coalition and the Idran-Var are at breaking point in the aftermath of a brutal attack. The only hope for peace may lie in a fragile alliance between Rivus and Niole, old enemies thrown unwillingly onto the same side. But even if they can bury their past, what will it take to overcome the centuries of bloodshed dividing their people? As the mysterious signal coming from the waystations counts down, only one thing is for certain: something is coming, and if the fractured factions of the galaxy can’t find a way to stand against it together, it may be the end for them all.

Those Left Behind by N. C. Scrimgeour

A dying planet. A desperate mission. A crew facing impossible odds. Humanity’s last hope lies with them… Time is running out for the people of New Pallas. Nobody knows that better than Alvera Renata, a tenacious captain determined to scout past the stars with nothing but a handpicked crew and a promise: to find a new home for humanity. But when a perilous journey across dark space leads to first contact with a galactic civilisation on the brink of war, Alvera soon realises keeping her word might not be as easy as she thought. Her only hope lies with the secrets of the ancient alien waystations scattered across the galaxy. The mysterious technology could be the key to humanity’s survival—or bring unwanted attention from the long-forgotten beings who built them. But remaining united in the face of annihilation is a lot to ask from a crew already splintering under the weight of their differences. A jaded pilot looks for a place he can start over. A young translator searches for meaning out in the galaxy's lawless frontier. And Alvera reckons with the aftermath of betrayal as she fights for a way to save them all. As they break apart to forge their own paths, Alvera and her crew all face the same question: what are they willing to sacrifice to save those left behind?

No Lack of Sunshine by Eric Kay

Gates of Mars: Book 1 of the Halo Trilogy by Kathleen McFall

A Hard Sci-Fi Novel With a Hopeful Twist "If Red Mars was half the length and infused with The Martian with a touch of Bobverse." Warm, tropical weather, strong gusts of wind, poisonous air, and metallic-tasting seas that kill more organisms than it breeds — yet, life on the South Island goes about as well as it can. There was a reason why Earth colonized this place. Everything is familiar, consistent — consistency is a welcome reprieve, and Ava’s planet has plenty of it. The fifth to be born among the stars, Ava sets forth to make a name for herself despite this obscure claim to fame. Being raised by emotionless, loveless robots doesn’t exactly merit a natural flair for spontaneity or empathy, but Ava makes do. At the very least, she tries to. Her life is here on South Island, where the sea represents freedom and the air symbolizes a dangerous kind of thrill. But now, her existence is under threat. The autonomous supply ship fails to deliver. With only a few weeks’ worth of oxygen left, Ava and her beau must embark on a journey to retrieve more. However, what once was a straightforward quest slowly morphs into one rife with ambush. Something has affected the robots’ advanced processors, causing them to spiral into a fruitless quest for an artifact that may not even exist. And the more they wait, the more Ava’s in peril. Will Ava be able to save herself and her colony from asphyxiation? Will the robots prove too strong, too cunning to be overcome? Or will Ava succumb to her own resentful demons and allow her personal battles to take center stage?

What happens after the plutocrats colonize Mars? An interplanetary mystery and a searing critique of the billionaire quest for Mars. Funny, irreverent, a bit hopeful. Plus, giraffes. IN THE AGE OF SURVEILLANCE, HOW CAN A PERSON GO MISSING? The year is 2187. Crucial Larsen, a veteran of the brutal Consolidation Wars, is working as a labor cop on Earth. The planet is a toxic dump and billions of people are miserable, but so what? It's none of his business. He's finally living a good life, or good enough. But then Essential, his beloved kid sister, disappears on Mars. When Halo--the all-powerful artificial-intelligence overseeing Earth and Mars on behalf of the ruling Five Families--can't (or won't) locate his sister, Crucial races up-universe to find her. In the Choke, the frigid, airless expanse outside the luxury domes, Crucial uncovers a deadly secret from Essential's past that threatens to shatter his apathetic existence...and both planets. Blending science-fiction with the classic, hard-boiled detective story, Gates of Mars is a page-turning, futuristic thrill-ride featuring a gritty, irreverent anti-hero--Crucial Larsen. The first book of the Halo Trilogy, Gates of Mars is the eighth novel by award-winning authors Clark Hays and Kathleen McFall.

The Star Collector by Matthew William

Captain Wu, Starship Nameless #1 by Patrice Fitzgerald

Space-sheriff Joe Corbit has just stumbled upon the greatest artifact in the history of the universe. Too bad it's a threat to our very existence. When a distress call leads Joe to the ruins of a lost, alien civilization, he finds an illegal archaeological dig underway. The Chinese Galactic Empire is working with the Martian mob to smuggle an artifact across state lines. One deadly shoot-out later, and Joe finds himself in sole possession of the curious trinket. His plan is to auction it off to the highest bidder... that is, until he finds out why the Chinese were after it in the first place. They believe it to be an ancient alien super-weapon, a device that has already sent one intergalactic species into extinction. Joe must fend off the powerful Chinese Space Fleet all while trying to figure out how to deactivate the artifact. Otherwise... it will be our turn to go extinct.

Pale Boundaries by Scott Cleveland

SPSFC SPSFC 2023

Where do you go after you're torn from the only planet you've ever called home? What do you do when your new home despises foreigners? Who do you blame when they kill someone you care about....and how do you take revenge? Terson Reilly knew things would be different on Nivia. But he wasn't prepared for the draconian environmental laws, harsh population control measures or the prejudice against outsiders-and they didn't expect what he was willing to do to defend himself. Terson finds love when he meets Virene, an independent young woman chafing under the strict social controls herself. The couple do their best to conform, but their rebellious streak leads them beyond the colony's boundaries where their attempt to rescue the crew of a crashed spacecraft unwittingly sets in motion a chain of events that threatens to expose not only Nivia's dark secret, but that of a powerful criminal organization as well.

Captain Wu’s the name. Smuggling’s her game. To be fair, they only started shooting after she started insulting them. She was just about to hand off the package—Wu didn’t know what was inside, and she didn’t want to—when three tentacle-faced strangers attacked. Wu loves a good fight and lives for a good heist. The Captain and her crew make their living taking undercover assignments from questionable clients... and it pays. Or at least, it used to. But this time the merchandise is a little too hot to handle. So when the squid-shaped xenos show up and destroy the guys who are there to receive it, Wu is barely able to make it back to her ship alive. Soon the Nameless is racing around the galaxy with not only the powerful Commonwealth on its tail, but another dangerous creature bent on revenge. And then an unexpected visitor arrives, putting Wu and her crew in the position of taking care of some very precious cargo. Is it time for the Captain to give up criming and retire to a sedate life more suitable for a woman of her age? Not a chance. Captain Wu is the first volume in the Starship Nameless trilogy, to be followed by Smugglers Crew: Starship Nameless #2, April 2021 New Path: Starship Nameless #3, June 2021

Devon's Island by SI CLARKE

In Times of Peace: Dance of Darkness & Light Episode 1 by The Loneliest Lone Wolf

This is a work of neurodiverse, culturally diverse, gender-bendy, socio-politico-economic, drunken-arguments-in-the-pub science fiction – not bang-bang-pew-pew science fiction. Other stories will take you to Mars. This one will take you inside the boardroom, the pub, and the bedroom with the people planning the mission. Gurdeep is an engineer and a soldier. Georgie’s a food scientist. One is pragmatic with a tough outer shell; the other's an optimist, a person of ideas and compassion. In the span of a single afternoon, the couple find themselves in charge of planning a self-sustaining colony on Mars. Together, they’re humanity’s last hope for survival. They have 160 slots to fill with experts from all over the world as they set about designing an all-new society with its own government, economy, and culture – and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Among those chosen for the mission is Devon, an autistic scientist with a unique skill set who finds life on Earth strange and alienating. Maybe a whole new planet is exactly what's needed. With 1,114 days until the launch, excitement and tensions run high. Earth’s second chance hangs in the balance. Between strict genetic requirements and the dangers of the dystopian almost-present, will everyone make it to the final countdown?

Against the backdrop of an immortal War that has entered into its final chapter… A girl and a boy from a ravaged planet hope to start the first chapter of their new lives… But no one could see what was lurking in the darkness that lies beyond what their eyes can see… A SAGA SPREAD ACROSS THE UNIVERSE WITH A VERY GROUNDED CAST OF CHARACTERS... As The Empire prepares for the inevitable war against an unseen, unimagined enemy from beyond the realm of the known, an enemy that is determined to destroy everything at any cost... a group youngsters from far and wide are brought together to begin their initiation into The Imperium and face their faceless foe... and in this group of outstanding people there are two that stand out... a girl and a boy... They are the first of their people to be allowed back into The Imperium in generations... for it was generations ago that the rebellion against The Empire had failed and their people were pushed into exile, an exile that had to come to an end when the War came calling... but as they're now being cautiously welcomed back into the mainstream fold... some are more careful about it than others... Join them as they try and find a place for themselves in a changing new world as their old world begins to collapse… two lost souls alone in the vast star system trying to help each other find their true paths... just as a great War charges ahead on its path to them! DESTINIES WILL BE CHANGED... LIVES WILL BE LOST... WHEN THE PAST & PRESENT COLLIDE! The epic story that was in the making for a thousand millennia… is finally ready to be told… This is that story... the story of an epic war as old as time itself... the story of how that immortal war finally died... this is the story of the Dance of Darkness & Light... Witness the beginning of the end with… Episode 1...

KHAOS by Michael Reid Jr

Billions around the world celebrated Khaos when it was finally revealed, awestruck by the rogue planet entering our solar system. However, for a small group of individuals, it was apocalyptic. Dr. Peels had predicted the path of the celestial body, warning the governments of the world that a near miss was likely. Still, no government had listened, citing other predictive models as the most likely path. In secret, Dr. Peels built a cooperative effort between private industry, lobbied congress and passed laws, ensuring his veiled plans could unfold. Quickly, humanity began to crumble, coups ensued, and anarchy took hold. Dr. Peels was forced to launch his hand-picked crew early, but things quickly fell apart before the mission began. As the vulnerable crew raced towards Mars, the one thing which held them together wasn’t human, it was an android named Omega, tasked to learn all it can before it’s too late. It’s a race against time, gravity, and the laws of nature in this Khaotic story of salvation.

Beneath 5th City by Jesse Sprague

Earth’s invaders gave her a choice…Submission or death.Jaisa has never been the obedient type.The aliens call themselves gods and inform Earth’s survivors that they are creating a utopia. Jaisa knows that no utopia can be built on billions of human deaths. A little obedience is a small, and temporary, price to stay alive while she figures out how she can make a difference. Jaisa’s beauty and ability to please, both of which are to be used at the discretion of the scientific elite who are the one segment of humanity the new gods value, are Jaisa’s only value to the new gods. But her value to humanity may be much greater. Placed into a position of influence, she walks the line between nonconformity and death. On the surface, pretty little Jaisa is the perfect submissive doll—but she knows the power of hope, and she intends to keep it alive. You’ll love this dark science fiction novel for its unique mix of grit and hope. Get it now!

Destroyer by Brian G Turner

Hugh Howey's SPSFC semi-finals winner: "A solid piece of space opera. The confines of a spaceship made for a tense setting, and the strong characterisation and well-handled plot twists made this a winner for our judges." Jaigar expected to wake up after thirty years to start building a new world in another star system. Instead, he finds himself one of a handful of survivors on an abandoned colony ship. With no food or water, and only emergency power, his first challenge is to keep everyone alive. The next is to try and solve the mystery of their situation, by figuring out what happened to the original crew and other colonists. But Jaigar will find survival more difficult than he expects, especially when each of the other survivors has a secret that could help him - or kill him.

Petra by Matthew S. Rotundo

Welcome to Petra. It is the ultimate prison. Inmates from all of Ported Space are dumped there, forgotten, and left to survive however they can. Hope dies. Escape is impossible.Disillusioned war hero Kane Pythen comes to Petra on a fact-finding mission, but gets caught in an uprising that threatens to expose a shattering secret. And Rolf Ankledge, Petra’s ruthless warden, will stop at nothing to keep it from reaching Ported Space. If Kane involves himself, he risks losing everything he has. If he does nothing, he betrays the last shreds of his ideals. The prison break of the millennium is on. Now Kane must race against time and vicious forces from all over Petra if he ever wants to see his wife and daughter again. Petra is the first book in The Prison World Revolt series.

The Scent of Metal by Sabrina Chase

Emergence - The Emiliana Chronicles by Jacki Rawlinson

The expedition ship Kepler races to Pluto, intent on uncovering the secrets of the alien structure recently discovered under the ice. Computer scientist Lea Santorin can’t wait to figure out the alien technology. Instead, she wakes it up … and it continues its long-interrupted journey across the galaxy, taking Lea and Kepler with it.. And something strange also wakes in Lea. She hears voices no one else can, and sees things the mission command prefers hidden. Why bring so many soldiers along with the scientists? Who concealed the structure, and when? Who waits at the final destination...and will they survive the meeting? (May 2016) Updated cover art and added sample of book 2 in the series

To survive, she must emerge. To win, she must ascend. Just try and stop her. Born from an ancient race of gifted aliens, the whole universe is depending on Emily to rise up to the challenge and become the Chosen One that she is destined to be. There’s one hitch...she has no idea who she is or where she comes from.  Being hunted by her kind’s mortal enemy, her home planet is savagely attacked. Can she survive?  Join Emily on her path of discovery, war and destruction as her true strengths emerge and she joins forces with an unlikely team, supported by Cedrick, the most advanced Artificial Intelligence unit known in the galaxy.  This is the first in a multi-book series, showing how Emily’s life began, taking you up to present day. I hope you enjoy the adventure and stick around to find out what the universe has in store for Emily and her team in book 2 and onwards!  Please Note: This series contains copious amounts of creative cussing. If this offends you, then this book may not be for you.

Life on Planet Earth by Andy Gorman

Humankind is finally coming home, but they are no longer the dominant species... Nearly 700 years ago, the Terminal Plague turned Earth into a desolate wasteland—a world now riddled with the devolved progeny of Homo sapiens. The descendants of the only survivors live out a bleak existence in a lunar city called Omega, where the privileged live deep underground while the poor suffer radiation poisoning on the surface. Headstrong seventeen-year-old Liam Stone hates it there. When he’s not scrubbing shrimp and algae vats, he spends his limited free time in the Earth Simulator, training to leave the cramped halls and rigid schedules of Omega behind. Boasting higher scores and better biometrics than any other candidate, Liam is confident he will earn a spot on the return mission to Earth… Until the moment his sister is chosen instead. Devastated but unwilling to give up, Liam chooses to take matters into his own hands—to get to Earth at any cost. But Earth is not like the simulations, and the simulated monsters didn’t prepare him for the real threats he will face.

Aerovoyant by Patricia L. Tavormina

On planet Turaset, droughts ravage farmlands, cyclones rip through coastal cities, and with every barrel of oil the combustion industry pumps from the ground, the climate worsens. Alphonse has just refused a council seat because taking it means serving that rapacious industry. He leaves the city to seek solace in the wilderness, and there, a power to live the past awakens within him. Alphonse walks the steps of his distant ancestors on long-dead Earth, soon growing plagued with memories of its collapse, and he's left with a troubling certainty: he must infiltrate the combustion industry to secure proof of its treachery, or Turaset will be next to fall. Alphonse finds an ally in Myrta, a farmgirl who sees air, every molecule in every pulse of breath or blast of exhaust. With her talent, she can evade the patrols on the industry's grounds. Together, Alphonse and Myrta can prove the industry lies about emissions. They can convince the councils to shut down fossil fuel use permanently. But people in the industry have grown wise to Myrta's power--and now she's marked for death.

In the Orbit of Sirens by T.A. Bruno

THE LAST FRAGMENTS OF THE HUMAN RACE ARE FORCED TO ADAPT TO A DANGEROUS NEW WORLD OR FACE EXTINCTION. When starship mechanic, Denton Castus, is caught in the destructive path of a devastating war, he abandons his home and seeks refuge on a distant planet. However, this new safe haven has undiscovered threats of its own. Eliana Veston, a scout preparing the planet for the refugees, struggles with a deadly pandemic that is killing off colonists. The hunt for a cure unleashes a new threat to humanity—the Sirens—mysterious beings with incredible powers and a deep hatred for invaders.

Neurotopia by Tony Mohorovich

When government and corporations can read your thoughts, you have nowhere to hide... Sky Marion spends her days on the Neuronet investigating thought crimes and recommending offenders for reprogramming. It's one of the few jobs you can hold down without having to talk to people, which is just the way Sky likes it. Plus, it allows Sky to indulge in one of her favorite pastimes; listening in on the thoughts of complete strangers. Is it voyeuristic? Sure. Legal? Yup. Addictive? Just ask Sky's worried mother, Winona. But Sky's sheltered life is upended when off-world brain hackers infect over a million Earth citizens with a suicide virus, and Winona is one of the unfortunate victims. With only days until the virus destroys her mother's mind, phobia-ridden Sky must risk her life and sanity and infiltrate the lawless Moon—now the independent planet of Apollo—to track down the hackers and find the cure. There, Sky will unravel a tapestry of deceit and betrayal, and find herself in the middle of a hidden war of civilizations, with humanity the ultimate prize. Neurotopia: Geppetto’s Chains is a fast-paced science fiction thriller set in a fascinating future dominated by neurotechnology and those who would use it to control the most valuable resource known to humankind: information.

Empire Reborn by A.K. DuBoff