Books like 'Showboat World'
Readers who enjoyed Showboat World by Jack Vance also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
sc-fi action / adventure space space-opera humor
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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... -
![Hard Knocks by Nathan Lowell]()
Hard Knocks by Nathan Lowell
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsIt pays to take a second look.In the Deep Dark, it's a long walk home.The Marva Collins runs into unexpected problems a long way from port. Faced with some hard decisions, and uncertain about the choices, Ishmael has to roll the dice with inadequate information... -
![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... -
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![Sentienced to Death by Barry J. Hutchison]()
Sentienced to Death by Barry J. Hutchison
Rated: 4.55 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsAccidental space adventurer Cal Carver has had a rough few months. He's fought spider-dragons, battled space clowns, and been repeatedly tortured by the galaxy's oldest assassin. And don't even get him started on the squirrel-tits. Now all that's behind him, Cal just wants to kick back and relax. The universe, however, has other ideas... -
![Brushfire by Craig Alanson]()
Brushfire by Craig Alanson
Rated: 4.47 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsPeacetime can be a rough adjustment for the battle-hardened Merry Band of Pirates.Especially when aliens don’t get the memo that the shooting is over... -
![Song of the Space Siren by Barry J. Hutchison]()
Song of the Space Siren by Barry J. Hutchison
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 15 ratings"On par with Douglas Adams" - ReadcommendationsCal Carver and his Space Team may have lost their ship, but they haven't lost their knack for attracting trouble. Just hours after setting foot on a new planet, Cal and the crew find themselves caught up in an interplanetary kidnapping plot... -
![Captain Caveman by Jerry Boyd]()
Captain Caveman by Jerry Boyd
Rated: 4.59 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsBob and the crew are off to deliver a shipload of lost property to its rightful owners. What dangers, seen and unseen, will they find at this lost colony? Will there be new crew members, waiting to be found? Find out in Bob and Nikki’s latest adventure... -
![Are You Scared, Darth Vader? by Adam Rex]()
Are You Scared, Darth Vader? by Adam Rex
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsIt's midnight and the moon is full, but Darth Vader isn't scared. OF COURSE I AM NOT SCARED. Nothing can scare Lord Vader! CORRECT. Not monsters or witches or ghosts, and especially not the dark. So what is Darth Vader scared of? Read on in Adam Rex's hilarious and spooky Star Wars tale to find out! YOU WILL LEARN NOTHING... -
![William Shakespeare's Star Wars Trilogy: The Royal Box Set by Ian Doescher]()
William Shakespeare's Star Wars Trilogy: The Royal Box Set by Ian Doescher
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsMay the verse be with you! Return once more to a galaxy far, far away with this retelling of George Lucas’s Star Wars® Trilogy in the style of the immortal William Shakespeare. This Royal Imperial Boxed Set includes all three volumes in the original trilogy: Verily, A New Hope; The Empire Striketh Back; and The Jedi Doth Return... -
![Breaking Point by David Alastair Hayden]()
Breaking Point by David Alastair Hayden
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsSilky, Siv, and Mitsuki are now willing to do whatever it takes to find and rescue Ambassador Galen Vim. But government agents, criminal organizations, and bounty hunters swarm the Titus II system. Getting to the planet alive may be the easiest part of this mission since no one has seen the ambassador since he was captured by Tekk Reapers... -
![Fallout by Craig Alanson, R.C. Bray]()
Fallout by Craig Alanson, R.C. Bray
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsListening time 22 hours 29 minutesThe Expeditionary Force saga continues with Fallout, the eagerly awaited sequel to number one Audible-ranked and New York Times best-selling Breakaway, from an epic sci-fi writer at the top of his game. Join the millions of listeners who have enjoyed R.C... -
![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... -
![Freefall by Craig Alanson]()
Freefall by Craig Alanson
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe Alien Legion has a new mission, and this time, they are working for the enemy. Also against the enemy. Like every operation that Emily Perkins plans, it’s complicated... -
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![Deathtrap by Craig Alanson]()
Deathtrap by Craig Alanson
Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsThe human soldiers stranded on the planet Paradise have been recruited into an Alien Legion, to do the dirty jobs that the high-tech species won't do. Their first mission is to kick the enemy off a backwater planet no one cares about. It's a simple assignment, except everyone has a hidden agenda, and the planet could become a deathtrap... -
![The Search for Splurt by Barry J. Hutchison]()
The Search for Splurt by Barry J. Hutchison
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsThe third part of the laugh-out-loud sci-fi adventure series from the author critics are calling 'the new Douglas Adams.' Cal Carver, petty-criminal turned space adventurer, is on a suicide mission - and he really hates suicide missions. But this time it's to save his best buddy, Splurt, who has been taken prisoner by the the elderly assassin, Lady Vajazzle, and the evil Zertex corporation... -
![The Wrath of Vajazzle by Barry J. Hutchison]()
The Wrath of Vajazzle by Barry J. Hutchison
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsSuicide Squad meets Galaxy Quest, in this fast-paced, laugh-out-loud novel from the author the Independent calls, "the new Terry Pratchett." After saving an alien race and its god from a sentient zombie virus, Cal Carver and the crew of the Dread Ship Shatner are feeling pretty pleased with themselves... -
![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... -
![Change Management by Sharon Lee, Steve Miller]()
Change Management by Sharon Lee, Steve Miller
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsTimes are perilous, violence rife, and the future uncertain. Success and the survival of all you hold dear may hinge on how you manage change. Some people advise that we “Embrace Change!” Other people realize that change has edges, and if you embrace it the wrong way, it may feel a lot more like a knife than a bromide when it touches your guts... -
![Third Moon Chemicals: Adventures of a Jump Space Accountant Book 3 by Andrew Moriarty]()
Third Moon Chemicals: Adventures of a Jump Space Accountant Book 3 by Andrew Moriarty
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsJake's back. He's not the best spy ever. He fails his pilot exam, he can't shoot, and he gets beat up a lot, usually by girls. Next task is to track containers of missing food. What could possibly go wrong? Next thing he knows he's on a strange ship with not one, but two pretty girls, helping them smuggle illegal workers to pirates... -
![Fallen Souls by David Alastair Hayden]()
Fallen Souls by David Alastair Hayden
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe Outworld Ranger crew has dodged government forces, criminal guilds, and bounty hunters numerous times since fleeing Ekaran IV. But with the warships of the Dark Messiah closing in on them, their mission has never been in greater jeopardy. Cornered, their options and allies are few. And the Outworld Ranger suffered extensive damage getting them this far...Categorized as:
humor space-opera sci-fi audiobook space-travel action-adventure exploration military -
![Unstable Prototypes by Joseph R. Lallo]()
Unstable Prototypes by Joseph R. Lallo
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFollowing his last adventure, Trevor "Lex" Alexander's life has managed to return to normal. He's back to splitting his time between delivering packages and transporting passengers, along with the occasional foray into testing highly experimental equipment... -
![Randoms by David Liss]()
Randoms by David Liss
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA science fiction superfan finds himself on his very own space adventure when he’s randomly selected to join an alien confederacy in this hilarious middle grade debut novel.Zeke Reynolds comes from a long line of proud science fiction geeks. He knows his games, comics, movies, and TV shows like Captain Kirk knows the starship Enterprise... -
![Compulsory by Martha Wells]()
Compulsory by Martha Wells
Rated: 4.37 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsMurderbot—the sardonic, almost-homicidal, media-loving android created by Martha Wells—has proven to be one of the most popular characters in 21 st century science fiction. Everything that makes this protagonist (it would be wrong to call Murderbot a hero) beloved of fans is on display in Compulsory... -
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![Will Destroy the Galaxy for Cash by Yahtzee Croshaw]()
Will Destroy the Galaxy for Cash by Yahtzee Croshaw
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsThe hero of Will Save the Galaxy for Cash returns to do what he does best. Which is - what again, exactly?With the age of heroic star pilots and galactic villains completely killed by quantum teleportation, the ex-star pilot currently named Dashford Pierce is struggling to find his identity in a changing universe... -
![Cain's Last Stand by Sandy Mitchell]()
Cain's Last Stand by Sandy Mitchell
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsAudiobook 6 of the Ciaphas Cain SeriesThe Imperium's most unlikely hero is back, reluctantly returning to the front line and hoping his luck will hold out!LISTEN TO IT BECAUSEThis entry from the Cain Archives takes the Hero of the Imperium into his greatest – and possibly last – battle... -
![Mavericks by Craig Alanson]()
Mavericks by Craig Alanson
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 34 ratingsThe remnants of the Expeditionary Force stranded on the alien-controlled planet 'Paradise' get a chance to prove themselves, in a simple off-world training mission with a ship full of teenage alien cadets. When the mission goes horribly wrong and the survival of everyone on Paradise is at risk, the Merry Band of Pirates may have to come to the rescue. Unless they get killed first.. -
![Rebels by David Liss]()
Rebels by David Liss
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA science fiction superfan is heading back to space on a new mission to save Earth in this hilarious follow-up to the “exhilarating” (Booklist, starred review) Randoms...Categorized as:
humor space-opera action-adventure aliens alternate-universe book children-books fiction -
![Special Forces 01 by Honor Raconteur]()
Special Forces 01 by Honor Raconteur
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThis is an alternate cover edition of ASIN B00AO8CO02Captain Arystair Savar has seen more of war in his seventeen years than most retired officers. He has been defending his home colony from the Nova Federation ever since he graduated from the Army Academy at 14 years old...Categorized as:
humor space-opera action-adventure book espionage fiction military political-intrigue -
![Skyblaze by Sharon Lee, Steve Miller]()
Skyblaze by Sharon Lee, Steve Miller
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsVertu dea'San, Delm of Clan Wylan, has her hands full with daughter, son, and taxi business, when she's offered an opportunity to solve several pressing problems in one fell swoop. All she needs to do is ferry a few people to a "picnic ground" to deal with an honorable matter of Balance... -
![Halfling Moon by Sharon Lee, Steve Miller]()
Halfling Moon by Sharon Lee, Steve Miller
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAdventures in the Liaden Universe® Number 16Two Stories of a Tumultuous TimeThe Department of the Interior's bloody plot against planet Liad has failed, at least for now, but Clan Korval's firing upon Solcintra, Liad's capital city, to save it from the release of ancient killer machines has resulted in the clan's banishment... -
![With Stars Underfoot by Sharon Lee, Steve Miller]()
With Stars Underfoot by Sharon Lee, Steve Miller
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsTwo short stories "Lord of the Dance" and "This House". "This House" first appeared in the anthology "Stars" edited by Janis Ian. This is the first appearance of "Lord of the Dance"... -
![Quiet Knives by Sharon Lee, Steve Miller]()
Quiet Knives by Sharon Lee, Steve Miller
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsTwo short stories "Veil of the Dancer" and "Quiet Knives". "Veil of the Dancer" first appeared in the magazine Absolute Magnitude. This is the first appearance of "Quiet Knives"... -
![Temporal Contingency by Joseph R. Lallo]()
Temporal Contingency by Joseph R. Lallo
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsTemporal Contingency is the fourth book in the Big Sigma Series. Trevor “Lex” Alexander’s life has been less than blessed. In the past year he’s had to battle corrupt corporations, deranged techno-terrorists, and a robotic scourge. Now he’s received the opportunity to finally return to the racing career that had been cut short by some poor decisions... -
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![Chasing Daisy by Scott Baron]()
Chasing Daisy by Scott Baron
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThrown for the biggest loop she would likely ever be forced to experience, Daisy found herself at a complete loss for once. While a course of action normally made itself clear to her, her new predicament made following her instincts impossibly dangerous. One misstep and she not only might harm those she cared for, but could even fracture the universe itself... -
![Space Rogues 2: Big Ship, Lots of Guns by John Wilker]()
Space Rogues 2: Big Ship, Lots of Guns by John Wilker
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsPreviously, on Space Rogues...Thanks to an intergalactic crime boss and all around horrible being, Xarrix, there's a price on the crews' heads, no good deed goes unpunished, as they say.What do you do to keep food on the table and fuel in the tank? Take jobs as privateers of course.This page-turning adventure kicks off with Zephyr answering a call from an old friend... -
![Tempest Rising by Eric Warren]()
Tempest Rising by Eric Warren
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsCaspian Robeaux thought his troubles were over when the people who had betrayed him found themselves behind bars. But life is rarely so simple. The Coalition has a new mission for him, one that takes him right back into the heart of the enemy who helped cost him his freedom... -
![Space Rogues 3: The Behemoth Job by John Wilker]()
Space Rogues 3: The Behemoth Job by John Wilker
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFor the crew of the Ghost, it's never just a job The last one nearly cost them a member of the crew.Well, they fight spider-bears, meet Bennie’s family and learn more than anyone wants to about Wil’s digestive tract, and Wil reveals what he’s been hiding under his bed all this time... -
![Snow by Michelle M. Pillow]()
Snow by Michelle M. Pillow
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAlpha male alien comes to Earth to pick up a bride and instead meets a beautiful scientist whose job it is to capture him.NYT Bestselling Author, Michelle M. Pillow, is back with a brand new sci-fi alien romance adventure.Tushar (aka Snow Chaos) knows there is little chance of finding a wife on his ice-ball of a home planet. Few can survive the subzero temperatures... -
![Artificial Evolution by Joseph R. Lallo]()
Artificial Evolution by Joseph R. Lallo
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsArtificial Evolution is the third book in the Big Sigma series, building upon the story and characters introduced by Bypass Gemini and Unstable Prototypes. Lex, Michella and Squee are once again joined by the mercenaries Silo and Garotte. Along the way they'll need plenty of help from mad engineer Karter Dee and his AI Ma... -
![Taken to Kor by Elizabeth Stephens]()
Taken to Kor by Elizabeth Stephens
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsDeenaRhork. He's a space pirate. The bad kind. But he's also been my only source of company for the past rotation that I've been held captive.Halfway across the galaxy, I'm happy to have finally escaped and found more humans...well, I was.But now, I'm not so sure that people are so much better than pirates. And I'm very sure that I'll need Rhork's help to get out of this... -
![Dragon King Charlie by Scott Baron, Gary Bennett]()
Dragon King Charlie by Scott Baron, Gary Bennett
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsCharlie thought building a spaceship had been tough, so being king should be a piece of cake. Unfortunately, it was like a cake made of cement. Hard to swallow, and just might kill him.It was good being king, or so Charlie had believed. After an abrupt crash arrival, people had finally stopped trying to kill him - for the most part, anyway - and his new subjects respected him. Or feared him... -
![Star Wars: Rogue One - The Ultimate Visual Guide by Pablo Hidalgo, John Knoll]()
Star Wars: Rogue One - The Ultimate Visual Guide by Pablo Hidalgo, John Knoll
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe essential, comprehensive guide to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story(TM).This exciting reference format accompanies the eagerly anticipated, first-ever standalone Star Wars(TM) movie: Rogue One. This beautifully detailed title features in-depth character profiles, plus 5 newly commissioned and fully annotated cross-sections of vehicles and mapped-out locations... -
![William Shakespeare's Jedi the Last: Star Wars Part the Eighth by Ian Doescher]()
William Shakespeare's Jedi the Last: Star Wars Part the Eighth by Ian Doescher
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsStar Wars: The Last Jedi, reimagined as a Shakespeare play, complete with Elizabethan verse, Shakespearian monologues, theatrical stage directions, and woodcut-style illustrations!The Star Wars saga continues, with adventure and surprises galore! In the aftermath of Han Solo's death and the return of Luke Skywalker, what secrets will be revealed, what mysteries will deepen, and who will join the... -
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![The Frequency of Aliens by Gene Doucette]()
The Frequency of Aliens by Gene Doucette
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAnnie Collins is back!Becoming an overnight celebrity at age sixteen should have been a lot more fun. Yes, there were times when it was extremely cool, but when the newness of it all wore off, Annie Collins was left with a permanent security detail and the kind of constant scrutiny that makes the college experience especially awkward... -
![Space Rogues by John Wilker]()
Space Rogues by John Wilker
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWhat happens when your experimental spacecraft breaks down near Neptune? Dying alone in space is the likely answer, right?That's not how Wil Calder's story ends though; it's how it begins. Alien space outlaws rescue him and sell his pod for scrap. He's given a choice: join the crew or step out the airlock without his spacesuit... -
![Trouble on Paradise by Craig Alanson]()
Trouble on Paradise by Craig Alanson
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsBook '3.5' in the ExForce series: While the crew of the UN Expeditionary Force's pirate starship Flying Dutchman are enjoying a luxury vacation cruise (not!), UNEF troops are still stranded on an alien-controlled planet. Major Emily Perkins and her team are busy picking up the pieces, and it's not easy, because there is trouble on Paradise.. -
![Lady Slings the Booze by Spider Robinson]()
Lady Slings the Booze by Spider Robinson
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsDespite his employer's doubts that he is an authentic detective, Quigley is called in to investigate Lady Sally's establishment, a reputable place that caters to adults of all species and tastes. Lady Sally was the wife of the proprietor of Callahan's Place, the bar where human and other beings from all space and time come to cajole, drink, and occasionally save the world... -
![The Dust of Kaku by Julia Huni]()
The Dust of Kaku by Julia Huni
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThey say you can never go home. But, you can clean it. Triana Moore, maintenance bot technician on Station Kelly-Kornienko, prefers life in orbit where the air is purified, the commute is short, and nature doesn’t get all over you. But when a minor infraction gets her sent to remedial training dirtside, she doesn’t complain... -
![Skyship Thrive by Ginger Booth]()
Skyship Thrive by Ginger Booth
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAn ex-cop who cannot die. A moon full of settlers who cannot thrive. Mahina's terraformers built a high-tech urban paradise. Then Earth flooded the colony with desperate refugees, cop Sass Collier among them. The settlers who arrived with Sass died decades ago. Outside the citadel, their descendants die weak and young.Sass fought a rebellion against the city once...
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