Books like 'Red Thunder'
Readers who enjoyed Red Thunder by John Varley also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
futuristic sc-fi space action / adventure space-opera coming-of-age mars space-travel exploration near-future
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Layers of Force by Lindsay Buroker
Rated: 4.72 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsThe exciting conclusion to the Star Kingdom series!Even though Professor Casmir Dabrowski has been fighting for months to help the kingdom and humanity as a whole, few people in positions of power have appreciated his unorthodox methods. Now he's a captive of the king and being taken back to his home world without his friends or the crushers he relies upon to protect him... -
![Home Front by Lindsay Buroker]()
Home Front by Lindsay Buroker
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsCasmir and his allies have struck a devastating blow to the powerful prince who sent invaders into their star system, but war still rages at home. Worse, the prince has escaped with a lethal bioweapon, and he intends to wipe out all human life on Odin. Casmir could lose his parents, his friends, and everyone he holds dear... -
![Planet Killer by Lindsay Buroker]()
Planet Killer by Lindsay Buroker
Rated: 4.65 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsCasmir has survived against impossible odds, and now he longs to return home. But an invasion force is blockading the Kingdom’s wormhole gate, and it would be suicidal to fly through it now. Worse, his family and friends are stuck on the other side, with hostile forces attacking their home world. The only way Casmir can help is to find out who’s behind the invasion… and convince him to stop... -
![Gate Quest by Lindsay Buroker]()
Gate Quest by Lindsay Buroker
Rated: 4.59 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsRoboticist extraordinaire Casmir Dabrowski has a new nemesis: astroshaman leader Kyla Moonrazor. She’s stolen the ancient wormhole gate the king ordered Casmir to retrieve, and she’s entrenched in an underwater base on a forsaken moon. Moonrazor is more educated and more experienced than Casmir, and she has legions of killer robots and cyborg defenders on her side. Casmir has his friends and.. -
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![Crossfire by Lindsay Buroker]()
Crossfire by Lindsay Buroker
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsFor the first time in his life, roboticist Casmir Dabrowski is headed to another star system as an advisor for the Kingdom space fleet. He’s being given a chance to prove himself to King Jager by helping find the ancient artifact he inadvertently lost. It’s best not to think about what might happen if he fails..Categorized as:
exploration humor space-opera space-travel action-adventure adult anti-hero assassins -
![Dark Knight Station: Origins by Nathan Lowell]()
Dark Knight Station: Origins by Nathan Lowell
Rated: 4.58 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThree MenTwo BrothersOne Failing StationWhen Edgar Vagrant down checks Verkol Kondur’s mining barge, Kondur gets swept up in station politics in spite of his best efforts to avoid them.When Edgar pushes his elder son, Malachai, into working on the station’s freighter, Malachai decides to take matters into his own hands... -
![Compete by Vera Nazarian]()
Compete by Vera Nazarian
Rated: 4.47 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsIt's one thing to Qualify…But do you have what it takes to Compete?With Earth about to be destroyed by an extinction level asteroid, teenage nerd, geek, and awkward smart girl Gwen Lark, and a few of her friends and loved ones, barely Qualified for rescue onboard one of the thousands of ark-ships headed to the ancient colony planet Atlantis...Categorized as:
exploration space-opera space-travel action-adventure aliens audiobook book colonization -
![Hero Code by Lindsay Buroker]()
Hero Code by Lindsay Buroker
Rated: 4.48 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsCasmir Dabrowski is finally heading back to his home world, determined to gain an audience with the queen and convince her to tell him the secret of his genes. But the terrorists who have been sending robot assassins after him are still there—and still want him dead. As soon as he lands, the trouble starts... -
![My Ride is a Bitch by Michael Anderle]()
My Ride is a Bitch by Michael Anderle
Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsIt's out there, it's ALWAYS been out there - just no one believed it.Governments, Black Ops, Rich Businessmen...All want alien tech and some are going to great lengths, illegal lengths, to procure it.Someone went so far as to endanger a young girls family. A young girl who wrote a letter to the Queen Bitch. Now, those that are searching for the technology will have to deal with TQB... -
![End Game by Lindsay Buroker]()
End Game by Lindsay Buroker
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsAlisa Marchenko has reunited with her daughter, and even though she hasn’t figured out how to get Jelena to accept Leonidas yet, she dreams of the three of them starting a new life together. They can return the Star Nomad to its original purpose of running freight and staying out of trouble (mostly)... -
![The Saints of Salvation by Peter F. Hamilton]()
The Saints of Salvation by Peter F. Hamilton
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 31 ratingsHumanity is struggling to hold out against a hostile takeover by an alien race that claims to be on a religious mission to bring all sentient life to its God at the End of Time. But while things may look grim in the immediate aftermath of the attack, mankind is busy playing an even longer game than the aliens may have expected... -
![Young Miles by Lois McMaster Bujold]()
Young Miles by Lois McMaster Bujold
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsThe Warrior's Apprentice 1The Mountains of Mourning 373The Vor Game 465Author's Afterword 829IT ISN'T EASY, BEING VOR...Being a Vor lord on the war-torn planet Barrayar wasn't easy. Being an officer in Barrayar's military wasn't easy...Categorized as:
coming-of-age humor space-opera 20th-century action-adventure anthologies audiobook female-author -
![Buccaneers by Jamie McFarlane]()
Buccaneers by Jamie McFarlane
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsThe crew of the Hotspur just happens to be looking for a new home. If Nick James is right, and he usually is, the Tipperary solar system is about to become the busiest trading hub in the galaxy. To sweeten the pot, the cloud-city of Lèger Nuage is offering free warehouse space to qualified traders. It's a deal that seems too good to pass up. Of course, nothing's as simple as it seems... -
![Give No Quarter by Jamie McFarlane]()
Give No Quarter by Jamie McFarlane
Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsAlternate cover for ASIN B01FQ57I7G can be found here: Give No Quarter Branded criminals and on the run from the most powerful corporation in the known universe, Liam Hoffen and the crew of Hotspur have a simple choice to make... -
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![Perilous Hunt by Lindsay Buroker]()
Perilous Hunt by Lindsay Buroker
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsAfter failing to catch up with her daughter Jelena so many times, Alisa's optimism is battered, but her determination has never waned. She, Leonidas, and their eclectic crew are hunting down a Starseer research station in the heart of the Kir Asteroid belt—Jelena's supposed location. Alisa vows that she will find her daughter if she has to search a million asteroids to do so...Categorized as:
exploration humor space-opera space-travel action-adventure adult alpha-mc audiobook -
![Bane of Worlds by Anthony James]()
Bane of Worlds by Anthony James
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFollowing his successful mission to recover the missing warship ESS Crimson, Captain John Duggan finds himself unredeemed in the eyes of his superiors. His duties resume and this time he’s given something easy - escort a cargo ship to a distant planet and bring it home safely. But war is never so predictable and a straightforward mission becomes something much more important... -
![Empaths by S.H. Jucha]()
Empaths by S.H. Jucha
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsCaptain Jessie Cinders faces a hazardous choice. The murderer of the governor’s nephew stands before him. But, the frightened teenager, Aurelia Garmenti, doesn’t resemble the commandant’s description of the vicious, hardened killer his security forces seek.To complicate matters, Jessie’s mind has felt Aurelia’s mental powers... -
![Space Rodeo by Jenny Schwartz]()
Space Rodeo by Jenny Schwartz
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsOn the galactic frontier, the Federation’s wildest (and most scientific) citizens have gathered to ride in the Space Rodeo. The Navy’s in charge—of the arena. But beyond the naval perimeter, there is only Interstellar Sheriff Max Smith to keep the peace. Fortunately, he has some extraordinary allies. And enemies. And then, there is his girlfriend... -
![Colony Mars Boxset by Gerald M. Kilby]()
Colony Mars Boxset by Gerald M. Kilby
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsAll contact is lost with the first privately funded colony on Mars during a long and destructive sandstorm. Satellite imagery of the aftermath shows extensive damage to the facility and the fifty-four colonists who called it home are presumed dead. Three years later, a new mission sets down on the planet surface to investigate what remains of the derelict site... -
![Duty Calls: The adventure continues by James Haddock]()
Duty Calls: The adventure continues by James Haddock
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsDuty Calls continues the story of Nic, Mal, Jazz and Jade as they fight to hold what belongs to them. The Corporations are becoming more aggressive in their effort to steal their inventions. Our four friends are matching the corporate's aggression blow for blow. The fight has already turned deadly, and the Corporation has shown they aren't afraid to spill blood... -
![Ship of Ruin by Lindsay Buroker]()
Ship of Ruin by Lindsay Buroker
Rated: 4.37 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsAll Casmir Dabrowski wants is to return to his normal life as a robotics professor on the solid ground and agreeable gravity of his home world. No sane person would want to cavort around in space, being chased by mercenaries, soldiers, and knights—not to mention the unidentified organization that’s been sending robot assassins after him... -
![Knight Protector by Lindsay Buroker]()
Knight Protector by Lindsay Buroker
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 22 ratingsA sci-fi romance set in the Star Kingdom universe.The characters from this book will be introduced in book 6 of the series. An arranged marriage she can’t escape. A sexy bodyguard who will protect her at all cost... -
![Parley by Jamie McFarlane]()
Parley by Jamie McFarlane
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsLiam Hoffen and Nick James are back in the next, exciting installment of Jamie McFarlane's Privateer Tales. After fighting space pirates and rescuing a damsel in distress, nothing sounds better than shore leave at Puskar Stellar on Mars where Liam can reconnect with his girlfriend...Categorized as:
coming-of-age exploration space-opera action-adventure audiobook book fiction futuristic -
![Full Share by Nathan Lowell]()
Full Share by Nathan Lowell
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 32 ratingsA Trader's Tale from the Golden Age of the Solar Clipper : Book 3The Lois McKendrick runs headlong into trouble when a routine in-system transit goes bad. Ishmael and the rest of the crew must scramble to figure out what went wrong and how to fix it in order to keep the ship alive... -
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![The Vor Game by Lois McMaster Bujold]()
The Vor Game by Lois McMaster Bujold
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 41 ratingsHugo Award Winner! Miles Vorkosigan graduates from the Academy, joins a mutiny, is placed under house arrest, goes on a secret mission, reconnects with his loyal Dendarii Mercenaries, rescues his Emperor, and thwarts an interstellar war. Situation normal, if you're Miles...Categorized as:
coming-of-age humor space-opera space-travel 20th-century action-adventure audiobook book -
![Double Share by Nathan Lowell]()
Double Share by Nathan Lowell
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsAN INEXPERIENCED OFFICER. A DYSFUNCTIONAL SHIP. LIFE IN THE DEEP DARK JUST GOT A LOT HARDER.In his first assignment as an officer, Ishmael Horatio Wang finds himself fresh out of school, wet behind the ears, and way out of his depth. Aboard the William Tinker the senior officers are derelict and abusive, the crew demoralized and undisciplined, and change unwelcomed and dangerous...Categorized as:
coming-of-age space-opera action-adventure audiobook book fiction futuristic military -
![Space Punks by Anna Mocikat]()
Space Punks by Anna Mocikat
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFrom the bestselling, internationally published author of Behind Blue Eyes!One hundred years ago humanity won the war against Artificial Intelligence, but at a horrible price...Categorized as:
space-opera exploration space-travel cyberpunk sci-fi space action-adventure cyborgs -
![Pursuit of the Bold by Jamie McFarlane]()
Pursuit of the Bold by Jamie McFarlane
Rated: 4.51 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA world-shattering invasion. A long-dead rumor. A death-defying risk to save humanity. If the Kroerak Empire had a soft spot, Liam Hoffen would have found it by now. After years of fighting the blasted bug invaders, he’s all but thrown in the towel. To make matters worse, intercepted enemy plans show the empire’s next attack could wipe them off the map... -
![Incursion at Elea Station by Jamie McFarlane]()
Incursion at Elea Station by Jamie McFarlane
Rated: 4.54 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsAn alien invasion. A home-world destroyed. Can an embattled captain survive a daring fight to save the remnant of his colony? Privateer Liam Hoffen can’t wait to reunite with his family. But after he emerges from a 20-year stasis, he’s shocked to discover a hostile enemy has razed his home and exiled his people... -
![Rogue World by B.V. Larson]()
Rogue World by B.V. Larson
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsThe Galactics arrived with their Battle Fleet in 2052. Rather than being exterminated under a barrage of hell-burners, Earth joined a vast Empire that spanned the Milky Way. Today, Battle Fleet 921 is returning to Earth. It hasn’t been seen by human eyes since our blissful day of Annexation... -
![Relic of Sorrows by Lindsay Buroker]()
Relic of Sorrows by Lindsay Buroker
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsCaptain Alisa Marchenko finally has a lead on finding her daughter, but her passengers want her to take them on their quest instead. Even though the Star Nomad is her ship, they have power she cannot fight, and she finds herself with no choice but to accept another detour. But the ancient relic they seek has the ability to destroy worlds and is coveted by many... -
![The Hot Gate by John Ringo]()
The Hot Gate by John Ringo
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsNew York Times Best-Selling Author.The Big Showdown with an Alien Empire, to Keep the Earth Free—and Maybe Free the Galaxy as Well. The fight to free the Earth from alien domination began in Live Free or Die, and continued in Citadel. Now Tyler Vernon, and his troops aboard the gigantic battle station Troy, face a desperate battle with the forces of galactic tyranny... -
![Judgment of the Bold by Jamie McFarlane]()
Judgment of the Bold by Jamie McFarlane
Rated: 4.49 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA retreating alien enemy. Civilization's new beginning. A terrifying threat could postpone his victory lap… forever. After discovering an indefensible weapon, Liam thought he had the Kroerak invaders on the ropes. But as he and his crew root out the last alien strongholds, he comes face to face with the staggering damage the invaders wreaked on the crew’s now-inhospitable homeworlds... -
![Olympus by Ivan Kal]()
Olympus by Ivan Kal
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratings-NOTE- This book has been professionally re-edited as of March 17, 2016 The year is 2081. Earth is recovering from a devastating nuclear war. An age of technological advancement. A find at the bottom of the Ocean. A man driven by a dream. The time for humanity to reach to the stars is now. A find provides Tomas Klein with the tools to speed up his timetable and execute his plans... -
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![Sanctuary by Ivan Kal]()
Sanctuary by Ivan Kal
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratings-NOTE- This book has been professionally re-edited as of March 23, 2016 A new start, six hundred light-years from Earth. Tomas Klein founder of Olympus had brought his people to a new world, freed them from constraints of Earth and its governments. But a new world brings new dangers. Tomas Klein will need to set aside past regrets and rise up to the challenge... -
![The Derelict Duty: A Space Adventure by James Haddock]()
The Derelict Duty: A Space Adventure by James Haddock
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsPrologue: The Blaring klaxon jolted me out of a sound sleep. I threw my covers off and was halfway to my Vac-suit locker before I was fully awake. It felt like I had just fallen to sleep having just finished a long EVA shift. It would be just like Dad to have an emergency drill after an EVA shift to see if I had recharged my suit...Categorized as:
coming-of-age space-opera space-travel action-adventure ai audiobook book colonization -
![A Pocket Full of Lies by Kirsten Beyer, Martin Frei]()
A Pocket Full of Lies by Kirsten Beyer, Martin Frei
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe Full Circle Fleet has resumed its unprecedented explorations of the Delta Quadrant and former Borg space. Commander Liam O'Donnell of the U.S.S. Demeter makes a promising first contact with the Nihydron—humanoid aliens that are collectors of history... -
![Rogue Starship by David Alastair Hayden]()
Rogue Starship by David Alastair Hayden
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWhen renowned archeologist Gav Gendin finds an Ancient starship, and a stasis chamber with a living member of the extinct alien race inside, he knows something strange is going on. Visions and dreams aren't the normal way archeologists uncover artifacts, but that's what guided him to the Ancient ship.The discovery should be the greatest triumph of his career... -
![Chains of Duty by Anthony James]()
Chains of Duty by Anthony James
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFor Captain John Duggan, it seems like war never ends. Each success brings another mission and more death. Following events at the Helius Blackstar, Duggan is given the Space Corps’ newest warship – a heavy cruiser armed to the teeth with the latest weapons and technology... -
![Doctor Galaxy by Jenny Schwartz]()
Doctor Galaxy by Jenny Schwartz
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsNew ER doctor Alexi Sur always intended to join an aid agency. She'd just expected to work among humans. But when the Pax Galactica Corps becomes her only option (don't ask - the debts aren't hers, but the family is. Much to her regret), Alexi finds herself traveling the galaxy and learning alien physiology and culture, all while becoming a reality TV star...Categorized as:
exploration space-opera space-travel action-adventure adult aliens book colonization -
![Arkadian Skies by Lindsay Buroker]()
Arkadian Skies by Lindsay Buroker
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsWith the man who kidnapped her daughter imprisoned aboard her ship, Captain Alisa Marchenko is closer than ever to reuniting her family. But her new guest has been in a coma for weeks, with the secret to her daughter's location locked away in his mind. She must find a way to sneak him into a state-of-the-art hospital on Arkadius, a planet in the heart of Alliance territory... -
![Ghosts of Empire by Terry Mixon]()
Ghosts of Empire by Terry Mixon
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsWhen on deadly ground, fight! Jared and Kelsey won the battle for Harrison’s World, but the enemy holds thousands of Fleet personnel prisoner. They must get their people back without revealing who they really are or the sentient AIs will eradicate the new Terran Empire... -
![Command Decisions by Terry Mixon]()
Command Decisions by Terry Mixon
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsBetween a rock and a hard place! After winning a hard-fought victory, Commander Jared Mertz and Princess Kelsey discover another insidious foe blocking their way home. A remnant of the Old Empire still exists and seems allied with the savage, AI-dominated Pale Ones... -
![Veil of Shadows by Terry Mixon]()
Veil of Shadows by Terry Mixon
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsVeil of Shadows Book 2 of the Empire of Bones Saga By Terry Mixon It's always darkest before the dawn! Commander Jared Mertz and Princess Kelsey have scored a stunning victory over the savage Pale Ones. Yet they paid a terrible price for it, one that left their ship crippled and changed the Princess forever... -
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![Invasion by Jay Allan]()
Invasion by Jay Allan
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsWar…like none that has come before. The Hegemony has launched the invasion Tyler Barron and his Confederation comrades have feared, and all the Rim is ablaze with the fires of war and destruction. The Hegemony has brought its vast fleets, its advanced technology, and its endless legions of grim cyborg warriors to impose its system of rigid genetic hierarchy over all humanity on the Rim... -
![Home World by B.V. Larson]()
Home World by B.V. Larson
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsThe Galactics arrived with their Battle Fleet in 2052. Rather than being exterminated under a barrage of hell-burners, Earth joined a vast Empire that spanned the Milky Way. When the Earth is invaded by a rival empire, James McGill’s legion must defend the Home World. The top brass has complex plans, but none of that matters much to McGill, who chooses his own unique path...Categorized as:
coming-of-age exploration space-opera space-travel action-adventure adult aliens audiobook -
![Cleon Moon by Lindsay Buroker]()
Cleon Moon by Lindsay Buroker
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsNow that she’s retrieved the Staff of Lore, Captain Alisa Marchenko can finally dedicate herself and her ship to finding her kidnapped daughter. Her scant clues lead her to Cleon Moon. Unfortunately, since the fall of the empire, mafia clans have taken over the domed cities on the harsh moon, and exploring there isn’t easy... -
![Half Share by Nathan Lowell]()
Half Share by Nathan Lowell
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsSIX MONTHS IN THE DEEP DARK. FOUR VERY DIFFERENT WOMEN. ONE MAN DISCOVERS WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A SPACER. It's a time of change on the Lois McKendrick. Sarah Krugg joins the mess deck and Ishmael Wang moves to the environmental section... -
![Quarter Share by Nathan Lowell]()
Quarter Share by Nathan Lowell
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsTHE GOLDEN AGE OF SAIL HAS RETURNED -- IN THE YEAR 2351 When his mother dies in a flitter crash, eighteen-year-old Ishmael Horatio Wang must find a job with the planet company or leave the system--and NerisCo isn't hiring. With credits running low, and prospects limited, he has just one hope...to enlist for two years with a deep space commercial freighter... -
![The Dreaming Void by Peter F. Hamilton]()
The Dreaming Void by Peter F. Hamilton
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsThe year is 3589, fifteen hundred years after Commonwealth forces barely staved off human extinction in a war against the alien Prime. Now an even greater danger has surfaced: a threat to the existence of the universe itself...Categorized as:
exploration space-opera space-travel 21st-century action-adventure adult aliens audiobook
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