Books like 'Randoms'
Readers who enjoyed Randoms by David Liss also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
sc-fi action / adventure space aliens humor space-opera children second-chances friendship
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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... -
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![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... -
![The Champion by Scott Sigler]()
The Champion by Scott Sigler
Rated: 4.54 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsTHE CHAMPION is the fifth book in the Galactic Football League series.Seven centuries in the future, the sport of American football has never been bigger, never been faster, never been more lethal. Trillions of fans from all over the galaxy watch six unique races battle in contests so violent that deaths are part of the stat sheet... -
![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... -
![Breakaway by Craig Alanson, R.C. Bray]()
Breakaway by Craig Alanson, R.C. Bray
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThe Expeditionary Force saga continues with Breakaway, the eagerly awaited sequel to number-one Audible-ranked and New York Times best-selling Brushfire, from an epic sci-fi writer at the top of his game. Join the millions of listeners who have enjoyed R.C. Bray’s hilarious portrayal of Joe, Skippy, The Merry Band of Pirates and so many other unforgettable characters... -
![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... -
![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... -
![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... -
![The Rookie by Scott Sigler]()
The Rookie by Scott Sigler
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsSet in a lethal pro football league 700 years in the future, THE ROOKIE is a story that combines the intense gridiron action of "Any Given Sunday" with the space opera style of "Star Wars" and the criminal underworld of "The Godfather... -
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![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... -
![E. T. - The Extra-Terrestrial by William Kotzwinkle]()
E. T. - The Extra-Terrestrial by William Kotzwinkle
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsBased on the screenplay by Melissa Mathison.What do you do when you're lost, millions of miles from home, surrounded by frightening creatures?You do what the Old Botanist did when he was accidentally left behind on Earth. First you find a friend.. -
![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:
aliens friendship humor space-opera action-adventure alternate-universe book children-books -
![Three's a Crowd! by Ray O'Ryan]()
Three's a Crowd! by Ray O'Ryan
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsZack finds out that two best friends are better than one in this chapter book adventure.Zack is thrilled when he finds out that his best friend on Earth, Bert Jones, is going to visit him on Nebulon. Zack can’t wait to show Bert around the new planet, as well as his new school. But when Bert meets Drake, Zack’s best friend on Nebulon, some jealousy starts to brew... -
![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... -
![The Space Child's Mother Goose by Frederick Winsor]()
The Space Child's Mother Goose by Frederick Winsor
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsOnly a few years ago (1950s) we walked on solid earth. Today we whirl through space. Space is big. It is not cozy. But with these verses and drawings... cheerfulness breaks in. Suddenly, science seems merry. And space begins, with the rhyme on page 1, to feel a little more like home. A witty collection of 1950's space age poetry accompanied by clever black and white line drawings by Marian Parry... -
![Star Wars: The Galaxy Needs You by Caitlin Kennedy]()
Star Wars: The Galaxy Needs You by Caitlin Kennedy
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsHave you ever stopped to think about how there is nobody else in the galaxy who is exactly like you? This empowering picture book celebrates young heroes-in-the-making and features illustrations that follow Rey on her own hero's journey... -
![Star Wars: I Am a Princess by Courtney Carbone]()
Star Wars: I Am a Princess by Courtney Carbone
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsRead all about brave Princess Leia, hero of the Rebel Alliance, as she joins forces with Luke Skywalker and Han Solo to battle Darth Vader and the evil Galactic Empire! Featuring stunning retro illustrations, this book is perfect for Star Wars—and Little Golden Book—fans of all ages... -
![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... -
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![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... -
![Lights on Wonder Rock by David Litchfield]()
Lights on Wonder Rock by David Litchfield
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsHeather wants more than anything to go to outer space, where the stars sparkle with magic and wonder. When a UFO lands behind her house and she meets a friendly alien, it seems that all of her dreams have come true. But soon her new friend has to return home...Categorized as:
aliens children friendship action-adventure book children-books coming-of-age family -
![The Smeds and the Smoos by Julia Donaldson]()
The Smeds and the Smoos by Julia Donaldson
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsSoar into space with this glorious love story of alien folk, from the creators of The Gruffalo and Stick Man . The Smeds (who are red) never mix with the Smoos (who are blue). So when a young Smed and Smoo fall in love, their families strongly disapprove. But peace is restored and love conquers all in this happiest of love stories... -
![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... -
![The Rock from the Sky by Jon Klassen]()
The Rock from the Sky by Jon Klassen
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsLook up!Turtle really likes standing in his favorite spot. He likes it so much that he asks his friend Armadillo to come over and stand in it, too. But now that Armadillo is standing in that spot, he has a bad feeling about it . .Categorized as:
aliens children friendship humor 21st-century action-adventure animals anthropomorphism -
![The Way Back Home by Oliver Jeffers]()
The Way Back Home by Oliver Jeffers
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsWhen a boy discovers a single-propeller airplane in his closet, he does what any young adventurer would do: He flies it into outer space! Millions of miles from Earth, the plane begins to sputter and quake, its fuel tank on empty. The boy executes a daring landing on the moon . . -
![Aliens Love Underpants by Claire Freedman]()
Aliens Love Underpants by Claire Freedman
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThis humorous tale describes how aliens, rather than visiting Earth to take over the planet, really visit to steal your pants... -
![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... -
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![Rebellion by Loki Renard]()
Rebellion by Loki Renard
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAuthority Rule #1: Never Cross A Kitari Warrior“Ensign Tessil!”Jerri turned around at the sound of her name boomed in rasping, rough tones. That was not a voice that had ever used her name before. She liked the way it sounded.It was an alien.The alien.Commander Atlas had set all the tongues wagging, a Kitari officer serving on a largely human vessel... -
![House of Shards by Walter Jon Williams]()
House of Shards by Walter Jon Williams
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsDrake Maijstral, the most daring Allowed Burglar in the galaxy, is now setting his sights on the Eltdown Shard, a spectacular necklace embodying the flame of a dying star. Through the media vids, the audience watches him--in an intricate plot designed to both steal the necklace and foil his major rival... -
![Star Wars: 5-Minute Star Wars Stories by Rebecca L. Schmidt, Brooke Dworkin]()
Star Wars: 5-Minute Star Wars Stories by Rebecca L. Schmidt, Brooke Dworkin
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsBlast off into hyperspace with these eleven action-packed Star Wars tales! Jedi Master Yoda has a lightsaber showdown with the dreaded Count Dooku; Luke Skywalker and the Rebels race against time to destroy the Death Star; and the brave Rey makes a new friend when she meets the droid BB-8... -
![Metal Boxes by Alan Black]()
Metal Boxes by Alan Black
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsComing of age can be hard for anyone. But for Blackmon Perry Stone it is life threatening. At 15, he barely manages to graduate from the empire's cadet training by a talent for unusual problem solving. He has trouble settling into navy life, but life becomes harder when he uncovers a ring of thieves aboard the huge ship. Life becomes difficult when they killed him... -
![The Lost Planet by Rachel Searles]()
The Lost Planet by Rachel Searles
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThis is what the boy is told:• He woke up on planet Trucon, inside a fence he shouldn't have been able to pass.• He has an annirad blaster wound to the back of his head.• He has no memory.• He is now under the protection of a mysterious benefactor.• His name is Chase Garrety.This is what Chase Garrety knows:• He has a message: "Guide the star."• Time is running out... -
![A New Hope: The Princess, the Scoundrel, and the Farm Boy by Alexandra Bracken]()
A New Hope: The Princess, the Scoundrel, and the Farm Boy by Alexandra Bracken
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThe galaxy is at war.Although the Rebel Alliance has won a few battles against the Empire, hope is fading. The Empire is about to unveil the greatest weapon the galaxy has ever seen--the Death Star. The Rebels' only chance to defeat it now lies in the unlikely hands of a princess, a scoundrel, and a farm boy... -
![The Stolen Moon by Rachel Searles]()
The Stolen Moon by Rachel Searles
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe action-packed sequel to The Lost Planet.This is what the boy is told:- His younger sister has an otherworldly (and sometimes annoying) ability.- The starship he now lives on has been infiltrated.- His friend Parker is working on the network hack of a lifetime.This is what Chase and Parker fear:- They won't be able to save the world in time... -
![Shakedowners by Justin Woolley]()
Shakedowners by Justin Woolley
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsSome starship captains explore strange new worlds, seeking out new life and new civilisations. Some lead missions of discovery through wormholes to the other side of the galaxy. Then there's Captain Iridius B. Franklin, someone who spent too long seeking out strange new bars and new alien cocktails... -
![To Honor You Call Us by H. Paul Honsinger]()
To Honor You Call Us by H. Paul Honsinger
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 31 ratingsThe Terran Union is engaged in a vast interstellar war against the Krag, ruthless aliens intent on exterminating humankind. In 2315, the wily Max Robichaux is given command of the USS Cumberland, a destroyer with state-of-the-art capabilities but a combat record so bad, she’s known as the “Cumberland Gap.”Capt... -
![After the Coup by John Scalzi]()
After the Coup by John Scalzi
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsIn a universe of harsh interstellar conflict, the practice of interspecies diplomacy—when possible—is important. So being a Colonial Union officer attached to an interplanetary diplomatic mission sometimes means taking a fall. Literally... -
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![Sentenced to Prism by Alan Dean Foster]()
Sentenced to Prism by Alan Dean Foster
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe company had a big problem, it was illegally exploiting a fabulously rich planet maned Prism, a world where even the tiniest creatures were living jewels. But somehow, all contact had been lost with the scientist of the survey team. The Company didn't want to draw attention to itself by sending in a rescue mission so they assigned Evan Orgell, a self-confident problem-solver, to investigate... -
![Until Midnight by Melissa Landers]()
Until Midnight by Melissa Landers
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsDon't miss the *free* romantic holiday story that connects ALIENATED and INVADED! Cara and Aelyx only have one day to spend together before he returns to earth and she travels to Aelyx's home planet, L'eihr. Homesick and worried about the upcoming year apart, Cara is desperate to make these final hours count. Worst of all, Cara is missing Christmas, stuck on board an alien spaceship... -
![The Search for Snout by Bruce Coville]()
The Search for Snout by Bruce Coville
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsSomewhere Snout is waiting.Rod Allbright and his alien friends face the biggest mystery of their lives: where in the wide, wide galaxy is their missing friend Snout, the Master of the Mental Arts?Their death-defying search for their friend leads them across the stars to the Mentat, the mysterious home of the Mental Masters. But the clues they uncover there only deepen the mystery — and the danger... -
![Man On The Moon by Simon Bartram]()
Man On The Moon by Simon Bartram
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsBeginning with an introduction to the history of mosaics, colour and design are explored in mosaic-making, across the full range of equipment, materials and tesserae on offer... -
![Earth to Clunk by Pam Smallcomb]()
Earth to Clunk by Pam Smallcomb
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWhat do you send your alien pen pal Clunk to make it clear you do not want an alien pen pal? You send him your big sister. That'll teach Clunk to have a pen pal from Earth-or so our intrepid narrator thinks. But then Clunk sends him a Zoid, an exasperating Zoid that follows him everywhere... -
![Man-Kzin Wars X: The Wunder War by Hal G.P. Colebatch, Larry Niven]()
Man-Kzin Wars X: The Wunder War by Hal G.P. Colebatch, Larry Niven
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe first colonists from Earth named the planet Wunderland. Generations later, the felinoid alien invaders called Kzin came and turned it into a hell for humans...
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