Books like 'Retief: Gambler's World'
Readers who enjoyed Retief: Gambler's World by Keith Laumer also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
sc-fi hard sci-fi action / adventure politics humor classics space-opera
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Second Foundation by Isaac Asimov
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 68 ratingsSo far the Foundation was safe. But there was a hidden Second Foundation to protect the first. The Mule has yet to find it, but he was getting closer all the time. The men of the Foundation sought it, too, to escape from Mule's mind control. Only Arkady, a 14 year-old girl seemed to have the answer, or did she.. -
![The Complete Stories, Vol. 1 by Isaac Asimov]()
The Complete Stories, Vol. 1 by Isaac Asimov
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsThe first volume consists of the stories previously collected in Earth Is Room Enough, Nine Tomorrows, and Nightfall and Other Stories (but not the commentary from Nightfall and Other Stories). Volume One contains the following 48 short stories:- The Dead Past- The Foundation of S. F...Categorized as:
classics humor space-opera 20th-century action-adventure anthologies dystopia fiction -
![Foundation and Empire by Isaac Asimov]()
Foundation and Empire by Isaac Asimov
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 68 ratingsFoundation and Empire tells the incredible story of a new breed of man who create a new force for galactic government. Thus, the Foundation hurtles into conflict with the decadent, decrepit First Empire. In this struggle for power amid the chaos of the stars, man stands at the threshold of a new, enlightened life which could easily be put aside for the old forces of barbarism... -
![Cordelia's Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold]()
Cordelia's Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsIn her first trial by fire, Cordelia Naismith captained a throwaway ship of the Betan Expeditionary Force on a mission to destroy an enemy armada...Categorized as:
humor politics space-opera 20th-century action-adventure anthologies audiobook disability -
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![Foundation's Edge by Isaac Asimov]()
Foundation's Edge by Isaac Asimov
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 39 ratingsAt last, the costly and bitter war between the two Foundations had come to an end. The scientists of the First Foundation had proved victorious; and now they return to Hari Seldon's long-established plan to build a new Empire on the ruins of the old. But rumors persist that the Second Foundation is not destroyed after all—and that its still-defiant survivors are preparing their revenge... -
![Spinward Fringe Broadcast 15: Pursuit by Randolph Lalonde]()
Spinward Fringe Broadcast 15: Pursuit by Randolph Lalonde
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAlice Valent, Noah "Carnie" Lucas and the crew of the Clever Dream are delving into the galactic underworld in search of resistance groups and Mary Reed, an elusive leader amongst the rebels... -
![The Player of Games by Iain M. Banks]()
The Player of Games by Iain M. Banks
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 55 ratingsThe Culture--a humanoid/machine symbiotic society--has thrown up many great Game Players. One of the best is Jernau Morat Gurgeh, Player of Games, master of every board, computer and strategy. Bored with success, Gurgeh travels to the Empire of Azad, cruel & incredibly wealthy, to try their fabulous game, a game so complex, so like life itself, that the winner becomes emperor... -
![Forward the Foundation by Isaac Asimov]()
Forward the Foundation by Isaac Asimov
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 32 ratingsLibrarian's Note: Alternate cover for this ISBN can be found hereHere, from a grand master of science fiction, is the long awaited final novel of the greatest series ever told. Completed just before his death, Forward The Foundation is the crowning achievement of a great writer's life, a stirring testament to the creative genius of Isaac Asimov...Categorized as:
classics space-opera 20th-century action-adventure adult audiobook book contemporary -
![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... -
![The Hydrogen Sonata by Iain M. Banks]()
The Hydrogen Sonata by Iain M. Banks
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsThe Scavenger species are circling. It is, truly, provably, the End Days for the Gzilt civilization.An ancient people, organized on military principles and yet almost perversely peaceful, the Gzilt helped set up the Culture ten thousand years earlier and were very nearly one of its founding societies, deciding not to join only at the last moment... -
![The Revelation Space Collection by Alastair Reynolds]()
The Revelation Space Collection by Alastair Reynolds
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsContains seven fantastic novels: REVELATION SPACE, CHASM CITY, REDEMPTION ARK, ABSOLUTION GAP, THE PREFECT, DIAMOND DOGS & TURQUOISE DAYS and GALACTIC... -
![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... -
![Old Man's War by John Scalzi]()
Old Man's War by John Scalzi
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 50 ratingsJohn Perry did two things on his 75th birthday. First he visited his wife's grave. Then he joined the army.The good news is that humanity finally made it into interstellar space. The bad news is that planets fit to live on are scarce-- and alien races willing to fight us for them are common. So: we fight. To defend Earth, and to stake our own claim to planetary real estate... -
![The Cyberiad by Stanisław Lem]()
The Cyberiad by Stanisław Lem
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsA brilliantly funny collection of stories for the next age, from the celebrated author of Solaris. Ranging from the prophetic to the surreal, these stories demonstrate Stanislaw Lem's vast talent and remarkable ability to blend meaning and magic into a wholly entertaining and captivating work... -
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![Prelude to Foundation by Isaac Asimov]()
Prelude to Foundation by Isaac Asimov
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 39 ratingsThis daring story of humanity’s future introduces one of the great masterworks of science fiction: the Foundation novels of Isaac Asimov. Unsurpassed for their unique blend of nonstop action, bold ideas, and extensive world-building, they chronicle the struggle of a courageous group of people to save civilization from a relentless tide of darkness and violence—beginning with one exceptional man... -
![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... -
![A Line in the Sand by Ryk Brown]()
A Line in the Sand by Ryk Brown
Rated: 4.48 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsPart 2: Episode 14An enemy lashing out in desperation…An alliance poised to expand…A new fleet of ships to help them…A covert mission to get answers…The Dusahn Empire has been contained for the moment. But there is much work to be done in order to keep them from reasserting their dominance over the Pentaurus sector... -
![We Few by David Weber, John Ringo]()
We Few by David Weber, John Ringo
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsPrince Roger MacClintock was an heir to the galaxy's Throne of Man-and a self-obsessed spoiled young brat . . . until he and the Royal Marines sent to protect him were stranded on Marduk with only their feet to get them half way around the entire planet. So far, they've traversed a continent, crossed a sea full of ship-eating monsters, taken over an enemy spaceport, and hijacked a starship... -
![March to the Sea by David Weber, John Ringo]()
March to the Sea by David Weber, John Ringo
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsA Bad Neighborhood "Always Faithful." That was the IMC motto, and the Marines of Bravo Company, Bronze Battalion, of the Empress' Own Regiment, lived by it...even if they did occasionally wonder why they bothered. After all, Prince Roger MacClintock, Tertiary Heir to the Throne of Man, was a real piece of work... -
![Technical Details by Sharon Lee, Steve Miller]()
Technical Details by Sharon Lee, Steve Miller
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsTwo stories about the folks who keep the social and technical machinery running. "Landed Alien" finds Kara ven'Arith on a space station maintenance crew when a series of inexplicable events overtake support functions. In "Eleutherios," the friars at a down-and-out abbey are taken in hand by an unlikely savior. Both stories previously appeared on Baen.com website...Categorized as:
space-opera action-adventure adult book coming-of-age fiction futuristic hard-sci-fi -
![Explorer by C.J. Cherryh]()
Explorer by C.J. Cherryh
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsIt has been nearly ten years since the starship Phoenix returned to Alpha, the station orbiting the world of the atevi, which had been abandoned following a rift between a faction of the station's inhabitants and the spacers' Pilot's Guild... -
![Foundation and Chaos by Greg Bear]()
Foundation and Chaos by Greg Bear
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsA major science fiction author continues one of the most famous SF stories of all time... -
![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... -
![Divergence by C.J. Cherryh]()
Divergence by C.J. Cherryh
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe twenty-first book in the beloved Foreigner saga continues the adventures of diplomat Bren Cameron, advisor to the atevi head of state... -
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![Spinward Fringe Broadcast 1: Resurrection by Randolph Lalonde]()
Spinward Fringe Broadcast 1: Resurrection by Randolph Lalonde
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsCaptain Jacob Valance has no memory of his past. Left on a strange ship in an unfamiliar sector of the galaxy, he's forced to begin a new life. Possessing a skill set that leads to bounty hunting and object repossession, he gathers a crew from the rough fringe of the galaxy... -
![Echoes of Honor by David Weber]()
Echoes of Honor by David Weber
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 37 ratingsFor eight bloody years, the Star Kingdom of Manticore and its allies have taken the war to the vastly more powerful People's Republic of Haven, and Commodore Honor Harrington has been in the forefront of that war.But now Honor has fallen, captured by the Peep Navy, turned over to the forces of State Security ... and executed on the interstellar network's nightly news... -
![Foundation and Earth by Isaac Asimov]()
Foundation and Earth by Isaac Asimov
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsFOUNDATIONS'S END?Centuries after the fall of the First Galactic Empire, Mankind's destiny lay in the hands of Golan Trevize, former Councilman of the First Foundation. Reluctantly he chose the mental unity of Galaxia as the only alternative to a future of unending chaos.But Mankind as massmind was not an idea Trevize was comfortable with... -
![Deceiver by C.J. Cherryh]()
Deceiver by C.J. Cherryh
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 23 ratings"One of the best long-running SF series in existence" (Publishers Weekly) continues with the second novel in a brand-new Foreigner sequence. The civil war among the alien Atevi has ended. Tabini-aiji, powerful ruler of the Western Association, along with Cajeiri, his son and heir, has returned to the Bujavid, his seat of power... -
![March to the Stars by David Weber, John Ringo]()
March to the Stars by David Weber, John Ringo
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsStranded on Marduk with his Royal Marine protectors, spoiled prince Roger MacClintock experiences a change in attitude during a long journey back to civilization across a sea filled with dangerous monsters and well-armed enemies... -
![Invader by C.J. Cherryh]()
Invader by C.J. Cherryh
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsThe first book in C.J.Cherryh's eponymous series, Foreigner, begins an epic tale of the survivors of a lost spacecraft who crash-land on a planet inhabited by a hostile, sentient alien race... -
![Flag in Exile by David Weber]()
Flag in Exile by David Weber
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 37 ratingsHounded into retirement and disgrace by political enemies, cut to the heart by the murder of the man she loved, and bereft of confidence in herself and her abilities, Captain Honor Harrington has retreated to the planet Grayson to take up her role as Steadholder while she tries to heal her bitter wounds... -
![Citadel by John Ringo]()
Citadel by John Ringo
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsOf all the hosts of Eurotas the Troias were the most fell. For they were born of Winter.Between the Solar Array Pumped Laser and Troy, the two trillion ton nickel-iron battlestation created by eccentric billionaire Tyler Vernon, Earth has managed to recapture the Sol system from their Horvath conquerors and begin entering the galactic millieu... -
![Inheritor by C.J. Cherryh]()
Inheritor by C.J. Cherryh
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 31 ratingsThe first book in C.J.Cherryh's eponymous series, Foreigner, begins an epic tale of the survivors of a lost spacecraft who crash-land on a planet inhabited by a hostile, sentient alien race... -
![H. G. Wells: 12 Novels - The Time Machine, The War of the Worlds, The Invisible Man, The Island of Doctor Moreau, When The Sleeper Wakes, A Modern Utopia and much more… by H.G. Wells]()
H. G. Wells: 12 Novels - The Time Machine, The War of the Worlds, The Invisible Man, The Island of Doctor Moreau, When The Sleeper Wakes, A Modern Utopia and much more… by H.G. Wells
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsHerbert George Wells (21 September 1866 – 13 August 1946) — known as H. G. Wells — was a prolific English writer in many genres, including the novel, history, politics, and social commentary, and textbooks and rules for war games. He is now best remembered for his science fiction novels, and Wells is called a father of science fiction...Categorized as:
classics space-opera action-adventure adult aliens anthologies fiction genetic-engineering -
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![Theft of Fire by Devon Eriksen]()
Theft of Fire by Devon Eriksen
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAt the frozen edge of the solar system lies a hidden treasure which could spell their fortune or their destruction—but only if they survive each other first.Marcus Warnoc has a little problem... -
![More Tales of Pirx the Pilot by Stanisław Lem]()
More Tales of Pirx the Pilot by Stanisław Lem
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsCommander Pirx, who drives space vehicles for a living in the galaxy of the future, here faces a new series of intriguing adventures in which robots demonstrate some alarmingly human characteristics. Translated by Louis Iribarne, assisted by Magdalena Majcherczyk and Michael Kandel... -
![Fuzzies and Other People by H. Beam Piper]()
Fuzzies and Other People by H. Beam Piper
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsThe friendship between human Jack Holloway and the small, golden-furred creatures of the planet Zarathustra has a profound impact on both Holloway and the Fuzzies... -
![Convergence by C.J. Cherryh]()
Convergence by C.J. Cherryh
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsConvergence is the eighteenth book in C.J. Cherryh's beloved Foreigner space opera series.Convergence marks a new phase in the Foreigner Universe: knowledge about the dangerous situation in adjacent space rests only with Bren Cameron, the human diplomat to the alien court of the atevi, four starship captains, and the two chiefs of state—both the human and the atevi, who share the planet... -
![The Shadow of Saganami by David Weber]()
The Shadow of Saganami by David Weber
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThe Star Kingdom has a new generation of officers! And this elite group hand-picked and trained by Honor Harrington herself is going to be needed immediately, as their first assignment turns out to be more dangerous than anyone expected... -
![The Borders of Infinity by Lois McMaster Bujold]()
The Borders of Infinity by Lois McMaster Bujold
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsOn a rescue mission gone wrong, Miles Vorkosigan is captured by the enemy Cetagandans and thrown into a dome-shaped prisoner of war camp that seems a literal Circle of Hell. Against impossible odds, Miles organizes thousands of angry and dispirited prisoners into military formation that may offer the only chance for escape...Categorized as:
classics humor space-opera 20th-century action-adventure adult anthologies audiobook -
![The Positronic Man by Isaac Asimov, Robert Silverberg]()
The Positronic Man by Isaac Asimov, Robert Silverberg
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsPowerful and haunting, The Positronic Man is an unforgettable novel that redefines Isaac Asimov's and Robert Silverberg's place among the greatest science fiction authors of all time.In the twenty-first century the creation of the positronic brain leads to the development of robot laborers and revolutionizes life on Earth... -
![Neutron Star by Larry Niven]()
Neutron Star by Larry Niven
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsCome to Larry Niven's Universe and meet all the natives: Thrints, Bandersnatchi, Puppeteers -- and a host of other wonderfully created characters.Visit Lookitthat, Down, and Jinx -- indeed, an entire galaxy of planets found only in these stories that trace man's expansion and colonization throughout Known Space.A spectacular cycle of the future . . -
![The Short Victorious War by David Weber]()
The Short Victorious War by David Weber
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsThe proles are revolting.The families who rule the People's Republic of Haven are in trouble. The treasury's empty, the Proles are restless, and civil war is imminent.But the ruling class knows what they need to keep in power; another short, victorious war to unite the people and fill the treasury once more... -
![The Honor of the Queen by David Weber]()
The Honor of the Queen by David Weber
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsIt's hard to give peace a chance when the other side regards war as a prelude to conquest. That's why Manticore needs allies against Haven, and planet Grayson is placed to make a good ally. But the Foreign Office overlooked a cultural difference when they sent Honor Harrington to carry the flag... -
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![The Collapsing Empire by John Scalzi]()
The Collapsing Empire by John Scalzi
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 47 ratingsThe first novel of a new space-opera sequence set in an all-new universe by the Hugo Award-winning, New York Times-bestselling author of Redshirts and Old Man's War... -
![Fuzzy Sapiens by H. Beam Piper]()
Fuzzy Sapiens by H. Beam Piper
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsAre Fuzzies People?Pendarvis' Decision had finally declared the Fuzzies to be intelligent beings, and that meant some drastic changes for the Earthmen who had colonized their planet, changes that a lot of people weren't going to accept easily. But why worry? said others.The Fuzzies seemed lovable, fun-loving creatures, only two feet high, and covered with soft, golden fur... -
![The Last Colony by John Scalzi]()
The Last Colony by John Scalzi
Rated: 4.04 of 5 stars · 37 ratingsRetired from his fighting days, John Perry is now village ombudsman for a human colony on distant Huckleberry. With his wife, former Special Forces warrior Jane Sagan, he farms several acres, adjudicates local disputes, and enjoys watching his adopted daughter grow up... -
![The Final Dawn: by T.W.M. Ashford]()
The Final Dawn: by T.W.M. Ashford
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe sun is dying, and it’s taking the Earth down with it.Jack Bishop needs a pair of tickets aboard one of the Arks – colossal lifeboats destined to shepherd humanity to the stars. Desperate to save his wife, he signs up for a dangerous wormhole experiment… but something goes catastrophically wrong, and Jack finds himself cast into the Stellar Abyss... -
![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... -
![Embers by Craig Robertson]()
Embers by Craig Robertson
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsJon Ryan was supposed to be dead. He wanted to be dead. But Jon wakes up in the far future with an alien burrowing in his chest for salvage. Someone was going to pay for this. Check that. Lots of people were going to pay for this. Jon was the first astronaut to download to an android host to find the population of doomed Earth a new home. But that was so long time ago...
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