Books like 'Walk the Plank'
Readers who enjoyed Walk the Plank by John Scalzi also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
sc-fi space action / adventure mystery military, war & conflict space-opera war military aliens space-travel
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Leviathan Falls by James S.A. Corey
Rated: 4.55 of 5 stars · 48 ratingsThe Laconian Empire has fallen, setting the thirteen hundred solar systems free from the rule of Winston Duarte. But the ancient enemy that killed the gate builders is awake, and the war against our universe has begun again... -
![Fields of Fire by J.N. Chaney, Terry Maggert]()
Fields of Fire by J.N. Chaney, Terry Maggert
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsVan's next mission has begun, and at the heart of it is the power to save lives.Meanwhile, a hungry galaxy looks to a brilliant young scientist for answers, making her the most wanted person in known space.After years of research, Adayluh Creel perfects a resource to feed sixteen races--or more, all with one golden plant capable of growing on the most hostile worlds...Categorized as:
space-opera military aliens galactic-empire space-travel soldiers exploration colonization -
![Adverse Possession by Craig Martelle, Michael Anderle]()
Adverse Possession by Craig Martelle, Michael Anderle
Rated: 4.75 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA planet in dispute. Farmers vs miners, and no one knows the full story.The Federation sends Rivka and her team to resolve a case of settlers squatting on a remote planet when the owners finally came calling.Not what it seems. Three generations of settlers and more. A planet that isn’t as welcoming as it appears. Crops coming ripe. Miners ready to dig. Tempers flare as the sides face off... -
![Rebellion by Joshua Dalzelle]()
Rebellion by Joshua Dalzelle
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsThe quadrant is on the brink of all-out civil war, but almost nobody knows it. Now that he knows a malevolent AI that calls itself the Machine has seized much of the ConFed's military apparatus and even controls the Grand Adjudicators themselves, Jason Burke must decide if he risks picking a fight with such an overmatched enemy, or if he runs to hide and fight another day...Categorized as:
aliens first-contact galactic-empire military soldiers space-opera war action-adventure -
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![The Pandora Paradox by Joshua Dalzelle]()
The Pandora Paradox by Joshua Dalzelle
Rated: 4.58 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsIt started with a revolution nobody had even realized occurred…Its cruelty sparked a rebellion that everyone refused to admit existed…Now, the Machine—a terrifying and relentless enemy—reigns supreme in the galaxy, and the real fight is just beginning...Categorized as:
aliens first-contact galactic-empire military soldiers space-opera action-adventure adult -
![Mountain of Mars by Glynn Stewart]()
Mountain of Mars by Glynn Stewart
Rated: 4.52 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsThe Mage-King of Mars is deadChaos rocks Olympus MonsA new monarch must rise – but she does not stand alone!As the celebration of the victory at Legatus cools, a shuttle accident claims the lives of the Mage-King of Mars and his heir. The Crown and the Mountain fall to the Mage-King’s daughter, seventeen-year-old Kiera Alexander... -
![Boneshaker by Joshua Dalzelle]()
Boneshaker by Joshua Dalzelle
Rated: 4.53 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsMarine First Lieutenant Jacob Brown is bored.For months he's been sitting around on an alien planet, waiting for command to recall his scout team so they could rest and be re-outfitted. The team went through hell during their previous mission, losing both their commanding officer and their ship...Categorized as:
aliens colonization first-contact military soldiers space-opera war action-adventure -
![Sword of Mars by Glynn Stewart]()
Sword of Mars by Glynn Stewart
Rated: 4.49 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsA defector with a dangerous leadA chance to speak for the silentA perilous quest into enemy starsWhen the star system of Legatus was preparing to secede from the Protectorate of the Mage-King of Mars, it was the secret agents of the Legatan Military Intelligence Directorate that laid the groundwork and fought the covert war to make it happen...Categorized as:
aliens exploration galactic-empire invasion military soldiers space-opera space-travel -
![Judas Unchained by Peter F. Hamilton]()
Judas Unchained by Peter F. Hamilton
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 43 ratingsRobust, peaceful, and confident, the Commonwealth dispatched a ship to investigate the mystery of a disappearing star, only to inadvertently unleash a predatory alien species that turned on its liberators, striking hard, fast, and utterly without mercy. The Prime are the Commonwealth's worst nightmare... -
![Deception by Craig Martelle, Michael Anderle]()
Deception by Craig Martelle, Michael Anderle
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsLies & deceit leading to a domino of crimes.The Trans-Pacific Task Force is getting ready to deploy but they don’t have what they need. Someone’s been skimming. A contract won through mistruths. Incomplete payments limiting the army’s readiness.Colonel Marcie Walton is angry and calling anyone who will answer.Magistrate Rivka Anoa is on the job and thrown into the middle of two shooting wars... -
![Eisenhorn: The Omnibus by Dan Abnett]()
Eisenhorn: The Omnibus by Dan Abnett
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsA Warhammer 40,000 OmnibusInquisitor Gregor Eisenhorn is one of Warhammer 40,000's most beloved anti-heroes. Operating on the very edge of Imperial doctrine, he investigates conspiracies that pit him against aliens, heretics, daemons, and even fellow Inquisitors.READ IT BECAUSEThis is every single one of Dan Abnett's Eisenhorn stories collected together for the first time in one mammoth tome...Categorized as:
military space-opera exploration soldiers colonization first-contact galactic-empire aliens -
![The Last Hunter by J.N. Chaney, Terry Mixon]()
The Last Hunter by J.N. Chaney, Terry Mixon
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsThose that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.Two centuries after the Confederation staved off an invasion by the robotic Locusts, Captain Jack Romanoff faces mandatory retirement from an ever-shrinking Navy. Actions speak louder than words. The Confederation doesn’t think the Locusts are coming back... -
![Thrawn by Timothy Zahn]()
Thrawn by Timothy Zahn
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 42 ratingsOne of the most cunning and ruthless warriors in the history of the Galactic Empire, Grand Admiral Thrawn is also one of the most captivating characters in the Star Wars universe, from his introduction in bestselling author Timothy Zahn’s classic Heir to the Empire through his continuing adventures in Dark Force Rising, The Last Command, and beyond... -
![Alien Arcana by Glynn Stewart]()
Alien Arcana by Glynn Stewart
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 31 ratingsAn alien ruinA murdered archeologistAn ancient secret—and a conspiracy that will kill to keep it! When a scientist is murdered after finding signs of alien magic in an archeological dig, Mage Damien Montgomery, Hand of the Mage-King of Mars, is sent to investigate both the murder and the alien runes... -
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![Judgment of Mars by Glynn Stewart]()
Judgment of Mars by Glynn Stewart
Rated: 4.37 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsA war fought in the shadowsA conspiracy shattered in fireA moment of weakness… When politics are played for blood. The destruction of the secret archive of the Royal Order of Keepers on Mars has left Damien Montgomery, Hand of the Mage-King, with his enemies defeated, his lover dead—and his questions unanswered... -
![Heaven's River by Dennis E. Taylor]()
Heaven's River by Dennis E. Taylor
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 37 ratingsCivil war looms in the Bobiverse in this brand-new, epic-length adventure by best seller Dennis E. Taylor.More than a hundred years ago, Bender set out for the stars and was never heard from again. There has been no trace of him despite numerous searches by his clone-mates. Now Bob is determined to organize an expedition to learn Bender’s fate—whatever the cost...Categorized as:
aliens exploration first-contact humor invasion space-opera space-travel action-adventure -
![Destiny's Cradle by Paul Crawford]()
Destiny's Cradle by Paul Crawford
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsTeenagers Ben Canterbury and Tessa Nyera are harvesting cotton on a warm afternoon when a hole opens up in a nearby meadow—like the doorway to another dimension. The hole disgorges a naked man, barely conscious and clutching a human leg bone, and then vanishes... -
![Thrawn: Treason by Timothy Zahn]()
Thrawn: Treason by Timothy Zahn
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 37 ratingsGrand Admiral Thrawn faces the ultimate test of his loyalty to the Empire in this epic Star Wars novel from bestselling author Timothy Zahn.“If I were to serve the Empire, you would command my allegiance.” Such was the promise Grand Admiral Thrawn made to Emperor Palpatine at their first meeting... -
![Voice of Mars by Glynn Stewart]()
Voice of Mars by Glynn Stewart
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsYOU CAN NEVER GO HOMEWhen accusations of piracy and mass murder are laid against his homeworld, Damien Montgomery is sent to resolve the crisis.As counter-accusations fly and an old flame re-enters his life, the newest Hand of the Mage-King of Mars finds himself in the midst of a bloody interstellar shadow war... -
![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...Categorized as:
aliens exploration military soldiers space-opera space-travel action-adventure adult -
![Iron Wolves by Jonathan Yanez, Jason Anspach]()
Iron Wolves by Jonathan Yanez, Jason Anspach
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThere can be no victory without sacrifice. The Iron Wolves are a company of legionnaires whose legendary exploits date back to the Savage Wars. When they are invited to be guests of honor at a ceremony on a small, backwater planet, they look forward to some precious time away from the constant conflicts of galaxy's edge... -
![Winged Hussars by Mark Wandrey]()
Winged Hussars by Mark Wandrey
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFor more than a century, Winged Hussars has been the richest of Earth's mercenary companies, as well as the only one to specialize in space warfare. Led by Alexis Cromwell, they have carved out a reputation in the galaxy for being dependable, unflappable, and lethally efficient. Until people began shooting at them everywhere they went...Categorized as:
aliens colonization exploration first-contact galactic-empire invasion military soldiers -
![Deep Black by Miles Cameron]()
Deep Black by Miles Cameron
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsMarca Nbaro had always dreamed of serving aboard the Greatships, with their vast cargo holds and a crew that could fill a city.They are the lifeblood of human-occupied space, transporting an unimaginable volume - and value - of goods from City, the greatest human orbital, all the way to Tradepoint at the other, to trade for xenoglas with an unknowable alien species... -
![Order of the Centurion by Jason Anspach, Nick Cole]()
Order of the Centurion by Jason Anspach, Nick Cole
Rated: 4.54 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsA PRICE PAID IN BLOOD “The Order of the Centurion is the highest award that can be bestowed upon an individual serving in, or with, the Legion... -
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![The War Ship: Rise of the Jain, Book Two by Neal Asher]()
The War Ship: Rise of the Jain, Book Two by Neal Asher
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsTheir nemesis lies in wait . . . Orlandine has destroyed the alien Jain super-soldier by deploying an actual black hole. And now that same weapon hoovers up clouds of lethal Jain technology, swarming within the deadly accretion disc’s event horizon. All seems just as she planned. Yet behind her back, forces incite rebellion on her home world, planning her assassination... -
![Defiance by Joel Shepherd]()
Defiance by Joel Shepherd
Rated: 4.37 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsThe UFS Phoenix is hunting for the long-lost drysine data-core. Within it lie the secrets to saving humanity from the resurgent deepynine machine-race. To recover it, Captain Erik Debogande must work together with the man who holds his sister hostage — the power-hungry parren leader Aristan. Aristan has sworn he will return Lisbeth Debogande once Phoenix grants him equal access to its prize... -
![Salvation Lost by Peter F. Hamilton]()
Salvation Lost by Peter F. Hamilton
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsThe comparative utopia of twenty-third century Earth is about to go dreadfully awry when a seemingly benign alien race is abruptly revealed to be one of the worst threats humanity has ever faced. Driven by an intense religious extremism, the Olyix are determined to bring everyone to their version of god as they see it... -
![Earth Below, Sky Above by John Scalzi]()
Earth Below, Sky Above by John Scalzi
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsAt last, the Earth and the Colonial Union have begun formal discussions about their relationship in the futurea chance for the divisions in humanity to be repaired. The diplomats and crew of the Clarke are on hand to help with the process, including Ambassador Ode Abumwe and CDF Lieutenant Harry Wilson, both of whom were born on Earth. But not everyone wants The Human Division to be repaired..Categorized as:
aliens colonization exploration first-contact galactic-empire humor invasion military -
![The Enemy Within by Joshua Dalzelle]()
The Enemy Within by Joshua Dalzelle
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsThe quadrant is burning. Violent, deadly uprisings are breaking out, seemingly at random, all across the Confederation’s sphere of influence. The response by the powerful Confederation Fleet has been swift and decisive, but for every planet they restore order to, another erupts into chaos... -
![Mage-Provocateur by Glynn Stewart]()
Mage-Provocateur by Glynn Stewart
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsVengeance hunts them. Rebellion seeks them. Loyalty commands them. The shadows will fear them. Captain David Rice and Mage Maria Soprano have made their choice, signing up with the Martian Interstellar Security Agency and converting Red Falcon into a covert operations ship for the Protectorate... -
![The Altreian Enigma by Richard Phillips]()
The Altreian Enigma by Richard Phillips
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsWhen Mark and Heather Smythe saved Earth from the conquest-hungry Kasari Collective, they thought their work was done. But the world’s vast new government continued its quest to make extraterrestrial contact...Categorized as:
aliens exploration first-contact galactic-empire invasion space-travel action-adventure adult -
![The Silent Fleet by J.N. Chaney, Terry Maggert]()
The Silent Fleet by J.N. Chaney, Terry Maggert
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsRecruit. Fight. Build. As Dash and his team begin expanding the Forge, they must focus on Dark Metal as the one thing that can give them an advantage in the coming war.Using drones and a map from an ancient library, Dash and Leira must seek out the source of a transmission coming from far away... -
![Salvage System by Kevin Steverson]()
Salvage System by Kevin Steverson
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThey couldn’t afford a ship or a fleet…and now they have a whole system to defend! Harmon Tomeral, along with friends Clip, Zerith, and the artificial intelligence Jayneen, were heroes. They’d brought back the battlecruiser Salvage Title from an unknown system and had defeated the alien Squilla and saved their home system of Tretrayon, not once, but twice...Categorized as:
aliens colonization exploration first-contact galactic-empire invasion military soldiers -
![Stryker's War by Josh Hayes, Jason Anspach]()
Stryker's War by Josh Hayes, Jason Anspach
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsFeel the thunder! Stryker Company always brings the fight, but when they relieve embittered and embattled Republic marines, they find an enemy unwilling to stand up and face them. Tasked with protecting the Republic's interests on a mining world, the legionnaires face roadside ambushes, double-dealing locals, and constant sabotage... -
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![Cyborg Legacy by Lindsay Buroker]()
Cyborg Legacy by Lindsay Buroker
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 22 ratingsFormer Cyborg Corps soldier Jasim Antar was relieved to come out of the war alive and looked forward to switching to a less violent line of work. But nobody wants to hire a brawny cyborg to do anything that doesn’t involve brutalizing people on a daily basis... -
![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...Categorized as:
aliens exploration first-contact invasion military space-opera space-travel action-adventure -
![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... -
![Reconnaissance in Force by Terry Mixon]()
Reconnaissance in Force by Terry Mixon
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWhen going to war, it pays to know your enemy. Particularly when they can crush you like a bug.Princess Kelsey Bandar has one slim chance to steal the tech her people needs to survive. Only a bold strike deep into enemy space keeps the New Terran Empire alive.Success gives them a chance. Failure dooms them to death and worse.Kelsey and her friends once again risk everything for their people... -
![Cascade by Joshua James]()
Cascade by Joshua James
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsOPERATION CASCADE IS UNDERWAY.The changes on Enceladus are causing ripples throughout the solar system — and beyond. But the Artifact isn't done yet.The end is only the beginning...Cascade, the second book in the Saturn's Legacy series, is a sci-fi thriller full of mystery, intrigue, and epic action from the depths of the ocean to the edge of outer space... -
![Agents of Mars by Glynn Stewart]()
Agents of Mars by Glynn Stewart
Rated: 4.41 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsAn enemy hidden in the shadowsA crack in the armor of secrecyOne chance to find an answerCaptain David Rice and the crew of Red Falcon have spent two years infiltrating the arms smuggling underworld of the Protectorate of the Mage-King of Mars. When the co-opted rebellion on Ardennes reveals a supply chain of weapons intended to fight Mars, this makes them the perfect team to investigate... -
![Méridien by S.H. Jucha]()
Méridien by S.H. Jucha
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe Méridiens are fleeing to their far colonies—and they have reason to run. Over the course of decades, they have lost hundreds of ships, billions of people, and seven Confederation colonies to an alien enemy: an advancing swarm of silver ships transported in the bowels of a gigantic, spherical vessel...Categorized as:
aliens first-contact invasion military space-opera space-travel war action-adventure -
![Discovery by Ken Lozito]()
Discovery by Ken Lozito
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsExploring New Earth should be a thrilling undertaking. Instead, the more the colonists learn about the planet, the more alarmed they become. Alien ruins hint at a species who fought great wars among themselves and disappeared centuries ago.When Connor Gates discovers a hidden bunker, he finds something he never expected...Categorized as:
aliens colonization exploration first-contact invasion military soldiers space-opera -
![Starship Revenant by Tripp Ellis]()
Starship Revenant by Tripp Ellis
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe extermination of mankind has begun!Lieutenant Commander Zoey Bryant is the best pilot in the fleet. But her loyalty to Captain Slade gets her kicked out of the Navy. She teams up with a ruthless band of mercenaries to rescue the wrongly dishonored captain...Categorized as:
aliens colonization exploration galactic-empire invasion military soldiers space-travel -
![Starship Guardian by Tripp Ellis]()
Starship Guardian by Tripp Ellis
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe invasion has begun. Humanity is doomed!Captain Slade, a legendary hero of the first Verge War, is in command of the last star destroyer in the galaxy. Along with her ragtag crew, she must battle a superior alien fleet as they invade New Earth. To save mankind, Slade will need help from a former enemy.Presley Johnson is a military brat who dreams of becoming a Navy pilot...Categorized as:
aliens colonization exploration galactic-empire invasion military soldiers space-travel -
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![Blood Ties by K. Gorman]()
Blood Ties by K. Gorman
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsTogether again, and ready to bring the system to its knees.Karin Makos has spent the last two months running from one thing or another—but all that's about to change. Her sister's back, and Nomiki's ready to grab their problems by the horns, throw them on their backs, and rip into them with her modified carbon steel blades...Categorized as:
space-opera aliens galactic-empire invasion first-contact space-travel soldiers military -
![Salvage Fleet by Kevin Steverson]()
Salvage Fleet by Kevin Steverson
Rated: 4.41 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsThey couldn’t afford a ship, much less the cost of registering one…and now they need an entire fleet! Harmon Tomeral, along with friends Clip, Zerith, and the artificial intelligence Jayneen, were heroes...Categorized as:
aliens colonization exploration first-contact galactic-empire invasion military soldiers -
![Orion Uncharted by J.N. Chaney, Jonathan Yanez]()
Orion Uncharted by J.N. Chaney, Jonathan Yanez
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe Orion has fallen.After barely escaping with their lives, the crew of the Orion has scattered across an unknown world. With a diminishing hope of returning home, they have no choice but to band together.But between the local wildlife, lack of supplies, a missing crew, and a strange, ominous door that can't be opened, Dean and his new friends will need everything at their disposal to survive...Categorized as:
aliens exploration first-contact invasion space-opera space-travel action-adventure adult -
![Mere Mortals by David Mack]()
Mere Mortals by David Mack
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsOn Earth, Federation President Nanietta Bacco gathers allies and adversaries to form a desperate last line of defense against an impending Borg invasion. In deep space, Captain Jean-Luc Picard and Captain Ezri Dax join together to cut off the Collective's route to the Alpha Quadrant...Categorized as:
aliens exploration first-contact invasion military space-opera space-travel 21st-century -
![Final Days: Escape by Nathan Hystad, Jasper T. Scott]()
Final Days: Escape by Nathan Hystad, Jasper T. Scott
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAndrew and Kendra have learned what's on the other side of the ridge, but it leaves them with more questions than answers. Their colony has turned into a dictatorship under the thumb of its delusional self-appointed leader, the Reverend, making their lives a living nightmare... -
![Building Victoria by M.D. Cooper]()
Building Victoria by M.D. Cooper
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe Intrepid is drifting slowly between the stars. After near calamity at LHS 1565, the ship is headed for Kapteyn's Star to make repairs. There, the crew will need to spend decades building a temporary industrial base. Across the void, the Noctus prepare to leave Sirius for the same destination. Their plan is to colonize the system and forge a new lives for themselves ..Categorized as:
colonization exploration galactic-empire military soldiers space-opera space-travel war
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