Books like 'The Return'
Readers who enjoyed The Return by Buzz Aldrin & John Barnes also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
historical sc-fi space action / adventure space-travel disaster
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Memory by Lois McMaster Bujold
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 38 ratingsForced to abandon his undercover role as leader of the Dendarii Mercenaries, Miles Vorkosigan persuades Emperor Gregor to appoint him Imperial Auditor so he can penetrate Barrayar’s intelligence and security operations (ImpSec)... -
![A Civil Campaign by Lois McMaster Bujold]()
A Civil Campaign by Lois McMaster Bujold
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 37 ratingsMiles Vorkosigan has a problem: unrequited love for the beautiful widow Ekaterin Vorsoisson, violently allergic to marriage after her first exposure. If a frontal assault won't do, Miles thinks, try subterfuge. He has a cunning plan... Lord Mark Vorkosigan, Miles' brother, also has a problem: his love has just become unrequited again. But he has a cunning plan.. -
![UnArcana Stars by Glynn Stewart]()
UnArcana Stars by Glynn Stewart
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsA humanitarian mission into unfriendly starsA training cruise under the watch of a fortified fleet baseThe closing jaws of a trap years in the makingIt has been over a year since the UnArcana Worlds of the Protectorate of the Mage-King of Mars seceded, shattering the unity of the human race... -
![Absolution by Glynn Stewart]()
Absolution by Glynn Stewart
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA homeworld is not always home.Family is not always blood.Enemies are not always who you expect.Captain Evridiki “EB” Bardacki wants nothing more than to quietly ride off into the sunset with his fiancé, his crew, and his adopted daughter, Trace... -
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![The Naked Sun by Isaac Asimov]()
The Naked Sun by Isaac Asimov
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 32 ratingsA millennium into the future, two advancements have altered the course of human history: the colonization of the Galaxy and the creation of the positronic brain. On the beautiful Outer World planet of Solaria, a handful of human colonists lead a hermit-like existence, their every need attended to by their faithful robot servants... -
![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... -
![Axis Crossing by S.H. Jucha]()
Axis Crossing by S.H. Jucha
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe descendants of a fourth Earth colony ship, Destiny, successfully establish a foothold in unoccupied space. Naiad, the home world, is a frozen ball, but the colonists persevere and expand through wormholes to remote systems.Navigating the time-space anomalies requires Axis-ships... -
![A Deepness in the Sky by Vernor Vinge]()
A Deepness in the Sky by Vernor Vinge
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 43 ratingsAlternative Cover Edition can be found here. After thousands of years searching, humans stand on the verge of first contact with an alien race. Two human groups: the Qeng Ho, a culture of free traders, and the Emergents, a ruthless society based on the technological enslavement of minds.The group that opens trade with the aliens will reap unimaginable riches... -
![Renegade Children by J.N. Chaney]()
Renegade Children by J.N. Chaney
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsPeople are dying. Shortly after Captain Jace Hughes and his team recover hundreds of surviving Eternal refugees, disaster strikes. A recently unearthed fauna dome, one of many biological arks on Earth, is destroyed and several people are killed. All proof points to the Eternals... -
![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:
space-travel 20th-century action-adventure audiobook book classics coming-of-age disability -
![Only Forward by Michael Marshall Smith]()
Only Forward by Michael Marshall Smith
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsStark lives in Colour, a neighbourhood whose inhabitants like to be co-ordinated with their surroundings – a neighbourhood where spangly purple trousers are admired by the walls of buildings as you pass them. Close by is Sound, where you mustn’t make any, apart from one designated hour a day when you can scream your lungs raw... -
![Crimson Sun by J.N. Chaney, Terry Maggert]()
Crimson Sun by J.N. Chaney, Terry Maggert
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe Nyctus don’t like losing, and they’ll go to any lengths to turn the tides of war.When the idyllic planet Nebo is scorched into oblivion, it’s obvious that the Nyctus are moving massive fleets into human space again, and their intention is clear: even if they lose their ships, they will render planets into ash...Categorized as:
space-travel action-adventure adult audiobook book exploration fiction first-contact -
![Wayward Galaxy 2 by Jason Anspach, J.N. Chaney]()
Wayward Galaxy 2 by Jason Anspach, J.N. Chaney
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratings'WAYWARD GALAXY 2' is the explosive sequel to the blockbuster first book that had sci-fi listeners calling for more. This next installment featured the gritty combat of Galaxy's Edge combined with the world-building intrigue of the Renegade Star series... -
![Andromeda Rising by Jay Allan]()
Andromeda Rising by Jay Allan
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA Hero is Born The Gut. An industrial hell. The foulest and most decrepit slum on Parsephon. A nest of human misery, where hope is word long forgotten, and the dead are carted away every day. It is the worst pit in the Confederation’s great industrial machine known as the Iron Belt... -
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![Hero to the Rescue by Timothy Ellis]()
Hero to the Rescue by Timothy Ellis
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratings"I'm not in the rescue business," states Jonathon Hunter, to the amusement of his crew. But rescues are the least of his concerns. Darkness is coming, and there are still people out there who don’t like him. The Sirius system has always fascinated Jon, and he is drawn to solve its mysteries... -
![The Neutronium Alchemist by Peter F. Hamilton]()
The Neutronium Alchemist by Peter F. Hamilton
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsNot every fallen angel comes from heaven...The ancient menace has finally escaped from Lalonde, shattering the Confederation's peaceful existence. Those who succumbed to it have acquired godlike powers, but now follow a far from divine gospel as they advance inexorably from world to world... -
![First Orbit by Nathan A.Thompson]()
First Orbit by Nathan A.Thompson
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsTo save his best friend and help her overthrow a tyrannical government, Jasper Cloud must use his newfound power to repair both himself and the star ship that made her. Jasper Cloud is the final non-person on Earth, the orphan son of the last two executed citizens in the Global Republic. He struggles daily to survive in a world where old knowledge is now illegal...Categorized as:
space-travel action-adventure ancient-china ancient-civilization audiobook book dystopia fiction -
![The Mote in God's Eye by Larry Niven, Jerry Pournelle]()
The Mote in God's Eye by Larry Niven, Jerry Pournelle
Rated: 4.12 of 5 stars · 37 ratingsIn 3016, the 2nd Empire of Man spans hundreds of star systems, thanks to faster-than-light Alderson Drive. Intelligent beings are finally found from the Mote, an isolated star in a thick dust cloud. The bottled-up ancient civilization, at least one million years old, are welcoming, kind, yet evasive, with a dark problem they have not solved in over a million years... -
![The Dance of Time by Eric Flint, David Drake]()
The Dance of Time by Eric Flint, David Drake
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe Malwa and their evil have been driven back to their Indian heartland, but there they coil to strike again...Categorized as:
space-travel action-adventure adult alternate-history book fiction hard-sci-fi historical -
![Resurrection by Tony Corden]()
Resurrection by Tony Corden
Rated: 4.47 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsA simple error leaves Leah with a unique Neural Enhancement Chip and a rapidly evolving AI implanted in her brain. In ‘Nascent’, she evaded kidnapping by virtual slavers and helped shut down some operations of the virtual crime syndicate that uses mind-controlled players as slaves... -
![Alien Artifacts by Jasper T. Scott]()
Alien Artifacts by Jasper T. Scott
Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsA DEADLY MISSION ON AN UNCHARTED WORLD RIDDLED WITH ANCIENT SECRETSOn his last job, Cade Korbin lost his ship, lost his credits, and barely escaped with his life, but it’s not over. His enemy is still out there, nursing a decades-old vendetta that has yet to be quenched. Making matters worse, his guild is coming after him for breaking their rules... -
![Renegade Evolution by J.N. Chaney]()
Renegade Evolution by J.N. Chaney
Rated: 4.52 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsThe truth about the gods will set you free.Jace Hughes and the people of Earth have joined with the Union and the Sarkonians to create the largest alliance in human history. They have amassed a wealth of weapons, shields, and the strongest military ever conceived.But it may not be enough...Categorized as:
space-travel action-adventure adult audiobook book exploration fiction first-contact -
![Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel]()
Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsThe award-winning, best-selling author of Station Eleven and The Glass Hotel returns with a novel of art, time, love, and plague that takes the reader from Vancouver Island in 1912 to a dark colony on the moon three hundred years later, unfurling a story of humanity across centuries and space.Edwin St... -
![Orion Protected by J.N. Chaney, Jonathan Yanez]()
Orion Protected by J.N. Chaney, Jonathan Yanez
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsPrepare for war. What do you do when you find yourself in the middle of a fight you didn't start? Whatever you need to do to survive. As an unprecedented enemy grows beyond measure, Dean is faced with a choice to confront the demons of his past or let them kill him in present. The future of two species hang in the balance. No pressure. But war is never easy, and the stakes have never been higher... -
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![Nemesis by Jonathan Yanez]()
Nemesis by Jonathan Yanez
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsVillainy has a new face. With the Voy recently dispatched, Daniel Hunt and the rest of the Pack think they have a moment of reprieve from the madness. They would be wrong. A stranger from the future comes with a story so wild it's hard to deny. If this wasn't enough a new Relic is introduced onto the field. Every faction will do whatever it takes to claim it as their own... -
![The Enemy Within by Jasper T. Scott]()
The Enemy Within by Jasper T. Scott
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsDISCOUNTED FROM $3.99 UNTIL AUGUST 27thTHEY LEFT SEARCHING FOR ANSWERS FROM THE COSMOS AND FOUND AN EVIL AS OLD AS TIME Lucien, Garek, Addy, and Brak are all that's left of the Inquisitor's crew... -
![The Lady Astronaut of Mars by Mary Robinette Kowal]()
The Lady Astronaut of Mars by Mary Robinette Kowal
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsThirty years ago, Elma York led the expedition that paved the way to life on Mars. For years she's been longing to go back up there, to once more explore the stars. But there are few opportunities for an aging astronaut, even the famous Lady Astronaut of Mars. When her chance finally comes, it may be too late...Categorized as:
space-travel 21st-century action-adventure adult alternate-history book exploration family -
![Orion Awakened by J.N. Chaney, Jonathan Yanez]()
Orion Awakened by J.N. Chaney, Jonathan Yanez
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAn alien awakens from a long sleep.An impossible prophecy that cannot be ignored.Dean and his friends are trapped on a world they can barely comprehend with enemies on all sides and a growing need to survive.There's more to this place than any of them could have dreamed... -
![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... -
![Leviathan by Jack Campbell]()
Leviathan by Jack Campbell
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 31 ratingsTwo Syndicate World star systems have fallen prey to a mysterious fleet of warships—a fleet controlled entirely by artificial intelligence—that is now targeting Alliance space. The warships are no mystery to Geary. They were developed by his government to ensure security, but malfunctioned. If the Syndics learn the truth, the war with the Alliance will resume with a vengeance... -
![Occupied Earth (The Sequel to First Encounter) by Jasper T. Scott]()
Occupied Earth (The Sequel to First Encounter) by Jasper T. Scott
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFROM MILLION-COPY BESTSELLER JASPER T. SCOTT THE FORERUNNERS LEFT EARTH IN SEARCH OF INTELLIGENT LIFE, AND THEY FOUND IT. Captain Clayton Cross and his crew encountered the Kyra, an advanced race of avian carnivores. They fled this first encounter, but the Kyra beat them back to Earth by almost a century. Earth lost the war in just a few weeks. Our cities burned, and billions died... -
![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... -
![Starcaster by J.N. Chaney, Terry Maggert]()
Starcaster by J.N. Chaney, Terry Maggert
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsMagic. Steel. Blood. Victory.The Earth’s navy is left drifting among the stars as Nyctus ships swarm, their purpose unknown as they continue their advance, burning one system after another.Humanity's extinction seems inevitable.But on one of the forgotten worlds, a boy is left behind, and he holds a talent unlike anything the galaxy has ever known.Thorn Stellers is a mage, made to lead and fight... -
![Blood in the Water by Taylor Anderson]()
Blood in the Water by Taylor Anderson
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsTaylor Anderson’s enthralling New York Times bestselling series of alternate history continues as game-changing revelations upend the Grand Alliance in a potentially cataclysmic war. Ever since the USS Walker came from another world war to defy the terrifying Grik and diabolical Dominion, Matt Reddy and his crew have given their all to protect the oppressed Lemurians...Categorized as:
space-travel action-adventure adult aliens alternate-history alternate-universe audiobook book -
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![Annihilation by Jonathan Yanez]()
Annihilation by Jonathan Yanez
Rated: 4.49 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe Battle For Mars Comes to a Bloody End Daniel Hunt has been many things in his life but a commander in a full out military conflict has never been one of them. The Voy is a deadly opponent and if humanity is going to have a chance every faction must come together... -
![Wayward Galaxy by Jason Anspach, J.N. Chaney]()
Wayward Galaxy by Jason Anspach, J.N. Chaney
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsThe future isn’t what they expected.A company of Army Rangers is sent on an interstellar colony ship to secure a foothold on a dangerous, alien planet through violence of action... -
![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:
space-travel 20th-century action-adventure adult anthologies audiobook classics disability -
![The Naked God by Peter F. Hamilton]()
The Naked God by Peter F. Hamilton
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsThe Confederation is starting to collapse politically and economically, allowing the 'possessed' to infiltrate more worlds. Quinn Dexter is loose on Earth, destroying the giant arcologies one at a time. As Louise Kavanagh tries to track him down, she manages to acquire some strange and powerful allies whose goal doesn't quite match her own... -
![Brothers in Arms by Lois McMaster Bujold]()
Brothers in Arms by Lois McMaster Bujold
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsIn the wake of unexpected planetary peace and the disappearance of the Dendarii payroll, mercenary captain Miles Naismith attempts to discover the link between the insufferable Captain Galeni and the Komarran rebel expatriates. Reissue. AB... -
![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... -
![King of the Wastes by Nicholas Sansbury Smith]()
King of the Wastes by Nicholas Sansbury Smith
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFace the uncertain future without fear...A year has passed since the Hell Divers defeated the machines at Kilimanjaro. The freed captives have settled into their new home at the Vanguard Islands, joining survivors from around the world. But extreme weather and failed crops have raised the specter of famine... -
![Borgaz by Honey Phillips]()
Borgaz by Honey Phillips
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA grumpy alien, a stubborn human, and a chance at a new future…Nothing has gone right for Mary since her parents were forced to sell their farm. Alone and desperate, she seizes a chance to return.Although the home she once loved is now a rundown shack and the once prosperous farm is little more than weeds and dirt, she knows she can make it work... -
![Renegade Atlas by J.N. Chaney]()
Renegade Atlas by J.N. Chaney
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsThe search for Earth has begun.After barely escaping the Union's grasp, The Renegade Star is off to parts unknown. Every member of its crew is a wanted fugitive. None of them can ever return home.But all is not lost.Thanks to Lex, a strange girl with a remarkable gift, the path to Earth has been revealed... -
![The Fifth Column by J.N. Chaney, Molly Lerma]()
The Fifth Column by J.N. Chaney, Molly Lerma
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAfter a soldier is left for dead, Eva Delgado’s life begins to unravel. The truth of what happened remains a mystery, and the government will stop at nothing to keep it buried. Together with the unit’s medic, Eva finds herself branded a terrorist and enemy of the State, hunted by two opposing governments... -
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![Terra Stands Alone by Chris Kennedy]()
Terra Stands Alone by Chris Kennedy
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe Drakuls have found the Solar System. A merciless race, there is nothing left once the Drakuls have conquered a civilization except the bones of its dead. When the first Drakul exploratory ship emerged from the stargate, Earth's days became numbered... -
![Forbidden Planet by Cheree Alsop]()
Forbidden Planet by Cheree Alsop
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWhen Captain Nova Ardis acquires the services of a dangerous, tattooed gladiator, she knows she’s taking a risk—but she would do anything for family.Kove has survived most of his life in the gladiator arena and now, on the eve of winning his freedom, he is sold once again. At least being the captain’s bodyguard shouldn’t be too hard compared to the bloody life he’s lived...Categorized as:
space-travel action-adventure adult alternate-history book fiction futuristic galactic-empire -
![Tales of Pirx the Pilot by Stanisław Lem]()
Tales of Pirx the Pilot by Stanisław Lem
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsIn Pilot Pirx, Lem has created an irresistibly likable character: an astronaut who gives the impression of still navigating by the seat of his pants-a bumbler but an inspired one. By investing Pirx with a range of human foibles, Lem offers a wonderful vision of the audacity, childlike curiosity, and intuition that can give humans the courage to confront outer space. Translated by Louis Iribarne...Categorized as:
space-travel 20th-century action-adventure adult anthologies audiobook classics colonization -
![Star Wars: A New Hope by George Lucas, Alan Dean Foster]()
Star Wars: A New Hope by George Lucas, Alan Dean Foster
Rated: 4.04 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsLuke Skywalker challenged the stormtroopers of a distant galaxy on a daring mission - where a force of life became the power of death! Luke Skywalker was a twenty-year-old who lived and worked on his uncle's farm on the remote planet of Tatooine ... and he was bored beyond belief... -
![Dorsai! by Gordon R. Dickson]()
Dorsai! by Gordon R. Dickson
Rated: 4.04 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsaka The Genetic GeneralThroughout the Fourteen Worlds of humanity, no race is as feared and respected as the Dorsai. The ultimate warriors, they are known for their deadly rages, unbreakable honor, and fierce independence. No man rules the Dorsai, but their mastery of the art of war has made them the most valuable mercenaries in the known universe...Categorized as:
space-travel 20th-century action-adventure adult anthologies audiobook classics fiction -
![The Reality Dysfunction by Peter F. Hamilton]()
The Reality Dysfunction by Peter F. Hamilton
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 43 ratingsIn AD 2600 the human race is finally beginning to realize its full potential. Hundreds of colonized planets scattered across the galaxy host a multitude of prosperous and wildly diverse cultures. Genetic engineering has pushed evolution far beyond nature's boundaries, defeating disease and producing extraordinary spaceborn creatures...
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