Books like 'How It Unfolds'
Readers who enjoyed How It Unfolds by James S.A. Corey also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
sc-fi space action / adventure space-opera space-travel dystopia time-travel exploration
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Into the Serpent's Lair by Ryk Brown
Rated: 4.76 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsEmpires at the brink of war…A galactic alliance on the horizon…Worlds on the verge of destruction…Comrades taking up arms against one another…Nathan Scott must use all his cunning to save not only his own world, but the worlds of his friends and his enemies. But to do so, he must make a deal with the devil, and risk everything on a fight no one believes he can win... -
Retaliation by Ryk Brown
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsPart 2: Episode 10 A ship unable to defend itself… A captain determined to revive her… Worlds dependent on them both to survive… An enemy bent on their destruction… With the Aurora unable to fight, the Karuzari Alliance must find a way to not only repair their flagship, but to make the enemy pay dearly. Sometimes, you just have to make do with what you've got... -
A Price Too High by Ryk Brown
Rated: 4.59 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsPart 2: Episode 12 …An enemy in retreat …A new world to protect …A new potential ally on the horizon …A new chance to go on the offensive The Dusahn have taken a massive blow, and with the Aurora’s improved jump range, Captain Scott and the Karuzari Alliance can finally keep them at arms length... -
The Saints of Salvation by Peter F. Hamilton
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 31 ratingsHumanity is struggling to hold out against a hostile takeover by an alien race that claims to be on a religious mission to bring all sentient life to its God at the End of Time. But while things may look grim in the immediate aftermath of the attack, mankind is busy playing an even longer game than the aliens may have expected...Categorized as:
exploration space-opera space-travel time-travel action-adventure adult aliens audiobook -
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Starman's Saga: The Long, Strange Journey of Leif The Lucky by Colin Alexander
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIn the year 2069, humanity’s last chance for peace is the first ever interstellar mission. A multi-national crew of the most talented scientists and pilots has been chosen based on their expertise and skill. The final spot aboard the craft is assigned as a prize in a global “BerthRight” lottery, and Leif Grettison is the “everyman volunteer” who won. However, Leif isn’t really an “everyman... -
That Which Other Men Cannot Do by Ryk Brown
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsEpisode 15 New forces grow… Old friends are lost… New alliances are forged… Old weapons are made new… With political unrest growing, the Alliance must rush to rebuild their fleet and expand their 'sphere of influence' before their support runs out. But when the Jung up the ante, the Alliance must turn up the heat... -
Space Team: The King of Space Must Die by Barry J. Hutchison
Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsIt isn't just war. It's space war! Geronimus Krone, the most dangerous man in existence has altered the course of time, appointed himself King of Space, and now rules the galaxy with the help of his four monstrous generals and their armies. Cal Carver and his crew are the galaxy's only hope. But, reeling from their recent loss, they can't stop Krone on their own... -
The Hunt for Reduk Topa by Barry J. Hutchison
Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsFeaturing unexpected stabbings, maniacal puppets, and a dog with a head like a testicle, Space Team: The Hunt for Reduk Topa is the twelfth book in the Space Team series, and the perfect jumping on point for new readers... -
Return of the Corinari by Ryk Brown
Rated: 4.61 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsPart 2: Episode 13 A host of new allies… A plethora of advanced technologies… A daring gamble to advance their forces… A chance to retake lost worlds once and for all… The Dusahn have been backed into a corner, barely able to hold the worlds of the Pentaurus cluster, let alone the entire sector. Forced to dig in, they may have to resort to drastic measures to save their fledgling empire... -
The Legend of ZERO: Forgotten by Sara King
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIt's been 819 years since Congress abandoned humanity to a Stone Age fate on an Earth infested with man-eating monsters, and now the galactic government, in all its benevolence, has come back to force humanity back into citizen status in its great collective......Except this time, thanks to Prime Commander Dobbs, humanity has a surprise for our alien conquerors... -
Ep.#3.3 - Liberty and Truth, Peace and Prosperity (The Frontiers Saga - Part 3: Fringe Worlds) by Ryk Brown
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsEpisode 3.3A new foe arises…An ugly truth emerges…A long lost friend returns…An iconic ship flies into battle…Captain Scott and the crew of the Aurora face the reality of a galaxy that is, in many ways, worse off than the one they left behind. But in doing so, they discover a new mission for the Aurora’s namesake, her captain, and her crew... -
All in Good Time by Mackey Chandler
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsLiving by bad neighbors is hard. Especially when there is a whole mob of them. Needing to do business with them makes it harder. Imagine nine billion noisy disrespectful neighbors who can’t keep their word and would be just as happy to see you dead... -
The Weak and the Innocent by Ryk Brown
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsEpisode 14 A ship in the hands of their enemy… A liberation gone wrong… A chance to double their ranks… A bold and daring plan… Their support from the Pentaurus cluster dwindling fast, the Alliance faces new and unpleasant realities in the Sol sector. But untoward changes also bring unexpected opportunities… The 'trick' is in how you use them... -
Ep.#3.11 - "The First Ranger" by Ryk Brown
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsPart 3: Episode 11Sacrifices are made…Training is endured…Wrongs are righted…Heros are born…The Free Fleet’s plans are finally coming together. Now, there is a new force for good in the galaxy, and they’re known as ‘Rangers’."The First Ranger" is the 11th episode in Part 3 of the Frontiers Fringe Worlds...Categorized as:
space-opera exploration space-travel sci-fi audiobook fiction action-adventure space -
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Spinward Fringe Broadcast 8: Renegades by Randolph Lalonde
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsIt has been months since the Siege of Port Rush. The Warlord, under the command of Jacob Valent, has been travelling to ports across the sector to gather intelligence, capturing ships and cargo as they go. Manpower and funds are still in short supply, but the Captain is winning the support of the British Alliance, and his crew suspects he has a long term plan that will lead to bigger prizes... -
Born of the Ashes by Ryk Brown
Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsEpisode 11 A world in chaos… An eager new ally… A newly acquired ship… An even greater threat on its way… Captain Nathan Scott must decide whether to stand and fight to the end, or live to fight another day… even if it means the end of his world. “Born of the Ashes” is a 122,000 word novel, and is the 11th episode in The Frontiers Saga... -
Resistance by Ryk Brown
Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsEpisode nine of The Frontiers Saga...A chance to gain much needed resources… A group of highly trained, merciless soldiers… A half-completed ship on a trajectory to nowhere… A lone operative on familiar yet dangerous ground… Captain Scott and the crew of the Aurora have a chance to get everything they need to liberate their home world, but they may have to fight someone else's war first... -
Spinward Fringe Broadcast 6: Fragments by Randolph Lalonde
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe crew of the Triton continue their misadventure near Ossimi Ring Station. They are forced down different paths and a fight for freedom that will cost them dearly begins. New opportunities, dangers and experiences await them all, as the Order of Eden stirs, advancing their own agenda... -
Rise of the Alliance by Ryk Brown
Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsEpisode 12A new ally providing aid…An old ally joining the fight…Their resources growing with each passing day…Their homeworld finally on the road to recovery…Things finally seem to be coming together for Captain Scott and the Alliance, as he takes his forces on the offensive. However, the Jung may in turn give him more trouble than he bargained for... -
A Show of Force by Ryk Brown
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsEpisode 13 The liberation old worlds… The addition of new allies… The fall of a regime… The death of a trusted friend… The Aurora begins clearing a 20 light year sphere of safety around Earth, taking out Jung forces as they liberate the core systems. However, Captain Scott and the Alliance quickly discover that not every world wants to be liberated, and the Jung have a few surprises of their own... -
Ep.#1 - "Aurora: EV-01" (The Frontiers Saga - Part 3: Fringe Worlds) by Ryk Brown
Rated: 4.64 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsA new ship...A new crew...A new crisis...A friend at risk... The Confederated Systems Alliance has spread to dozens of systems, creating the first true interstellar alliance dedicated to bringing peace and prosperity to all inhabited worlds. Unfortunately, some see this new alliance as a threat to their own seats of power, and would do anything to stop it... -
Star Force: Temple Wars by Aer-ki Jyr
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingshe bell has been rung, and the Return of the Reignor has come... -
Fall of the Core by Ryk Brown
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA freelance reporter struggling to get into the 'big time'...A rookie officer starting her career in public safety...A cargo ship captain trying to outlive a terminal illness that has no cure...A bounty hunter returning a long-hunted fugitive to Earth...A terrible plague that threatens to destroy the human race...The 25th century is not starting off very well... -
The Long Run by Daniel Keys Moran
Rated: 4.53 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsFew of the telepaths survived the massacre by the United Nations Peaceforce. Seven years later, the last telepaths, Denice and Trent, are marked by the Peaceforce, and will die unless Trent can carry out his plan to avenge the deaths of his friends... -
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Spinward Fringe Broadcast 9: Warpath by Randolph Lalonde
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe war is on! Conflict grips the Iron Head Nebula and the star system that Jake, Ayan, Minh-Chu and their loved ones call home. The Order of Eden, British Alliance and other organisations creeping in the shadows enter into an all-or-nothing conflict that will change the political shape of the galaxy for centuries while Freeground is forced to leave its home space in search of help and safety... -
Spinward Fringe Broadcast 7: Framework by Randolph Lalonde
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe crew of the Triton find themselves marooned in the Rega Gain solar system. Refusing to abandon the refugees and liberated slaves who joined them along the way, Ayan Rice and her friends negotiate a deal with the Carthan Government to found a home on a terraformed moon...Categorized as:
dystopia exploration space-opera space-travel 21st-century action-adventure adult book -
Spinward Fringe Broadcast 5: Fracture by Randolph Lalonde
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe crew of the Triton, a rare, Earth built Space Combat Carrier, make their way to Ossimi Station, a safe haven for independent ships and traders. In a galaxy gripped by conflict and teetering on the verge of chaos, Captain Jacob Valance and his crew will be faced with the unexpected, the unknown, and an opportunity to save thousands of lives... -
Prelude to Extinction by Andreas Karpf
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsEarth's first interstellar mission -- An alien colony in ruins -- Their fight for survival has only just begun.When Jack Harrison climbed down the short ladder from the airlock and stepped onto the debris covered soil, the ground crackled with the sound of dried leaves and twigs... -
Celestia CV-02 by Ryk Brown
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsEpisode 8A world divided…A ship under construction…A military scrambling to prepare a defense…A moment that everyone hoped would never come…The Earth Defense Force must find a way to defend their world against invasion by the Jung Empire. More importantly, they must protect their newest ship, the UES Celestia, as she may be their last hope... -
Morning Star (2 of 2) [Dramatized Adaptation] by Pierce Brown, Stewart Crank
Rated: 4.75 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsRed Rising thrilled readers and announced the presence of a talented new author. Golden Son changed the game and took the story of Darrow to the next level. Now comes the exhilarating next chapter in the Red Rising Saga: Morning Star... -
Spinward Fringe Broadcast 4: Frontline by Randolph Lalonde
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsWhat at first seemed to be a chaotic uprising of machine against man is becoming a controlled event, destroying the lives of billions and hurling the known galaxy into a state of utter discord. The fourth fall of mankind is well underway. The Order of Eden seems to be the only force for order and peace, offering a place in their new society in trade for a large investment and their freedom... -
Striking Mars by Cidney Swanson
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFleeing for their lives, Jess and Pavel make it to the Moon, narrowly avoiding the attack on Space Station 92-AE. They should be safe and happy, but they discover they are not alone on Tranquility Base. The stranger they encounter seems uniquely qualified to leak their presence to Chancellor Lucca Brezhnaya, especially when the Marsians contemplate airing Lucca's political dirty laundry...Categorized as:
dystopia exploration space-opera space-travel action-adventure aliens book colonization -
Uncommon Purpose by P.J. Strebor
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFollowing the bloody war between the Athenian Republic and the Pruessen Empire, an uneasy peace has settled over the region of space known as The Tunguska Fault. The Telford family’s independent trading vessel, the Belinda is captured by Pruessen slavers and the crew forced into a life of brutal servitude. Their desperate bid for freedom succeeds but a tragic price is paid...Categorized as:
exploration space-opera space-travel time-travel action-adventure adult audiobook book -
EVA (Field Series Book 4) by Simon Winstanley
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAll good thingsmust come to a beginning... Beyond Time: The Boundary.Beyond reason: Human nature.Beyond coincidence: A convergence.Time itself was always the key.Across 64 years, the manipulation of events reaches its conclusion.The outcome shapes the future of Mankind.At the epicentre is a set of coordinatesand three letters...EVA...Categorized as:
exploration space-travel time-travel action-adventure adult book fiction hard-sci-fi -
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Aces High by Richard Tongue
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsOnce again the Battlecruiser Alamo is launched on an expedition deep into unknown space, but instead of a farewell party Fleet Captain Daniel Marshall faces an assassin's blade wielded by a mysterious assailant... -
Mu Arae (Adrian Tarn (standalone) Book 5) by E.R. Mason
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsLegend told of a rogue planetoid once inhabited by an extremely advanced society that vanished without explanation. It was said that anyone bold enough to find this runaway planet might be rewarded with technology beyond imagination. But, this ghost planet was traveling at nearly the speed of light and only known to pass through a single set of coordinates once every thousand years... -
Mars Rising by Cidney Swanson
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIn the breathtaking conclusion to The Saving Mars Series, Jessamyn prepares to sacrifice her future with Pavel when Lucca invites her to Budapest to prove she's from Mars. Jess knows she's walking into a trap, but if Jess can't convince Terrans the Mars colonists are real, Lucca will destroy Jessamyn's family, her friends, and her world...Categorized as:
dystopia exploration space-travel action-adventure book colonization disability fiction -
The First Duty by Richard Tongue
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe crew of the Battlecruiser Alamo has accomplished their mission, rescuing their lost crewmen from the clutches of the Cabal's slave markets, but at a terrible price... -
Between Mountain and Sea: Paradisi Chronicles by M. Louisa Locke
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsBetween Mountain and Sea, a science fiction coming of age novel, introduces Mei Lin Yu, a young New Eden girl, and Mabel, her ancestor who took the journey to New Eden from Earth over a century and a half earlier. This work is part of the Paradisi Chronicles. Mei Lin Yu should have been looking forward to the next stage in her life...Categorized as:
space-opera space-travel time-travel action-adventure book colonization coming-of-age crime -
Kestrel Class by Toby Neighbors
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFor self-taught engineer Ben Griminski, life is perilous and hard. Living on the junk world of Torrent Four, Ben scours the vast fields of trash, wreckage, and derelict ships in search of anything of value while avoiding the Salvage Scalpers, a gang that takes whatever it wants and enslaves anyone with a knack for finding valuables in the endless mounds of trash...Categorized as:
exploration space-opera space-travel action-adventure book fiction galactic-empire military -
Another World by Samuel Best
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsLeaving Earth is the easy part. Surviving the trip to a nearby spiral arm of our own galaxy is a journey like no other.Merritt Alder is done with Earth. The planet is polluted and overpopulated, and its people are hungry.Earth’s first colony, Galena, is a pioneer world 10,000 light years away. It has clean air, unpolluted water, and continents of arable land...Categorized as:
exploration space-opera space-travel action-adventure adult alternate-history book colonization -
Entropy by Gerald M. Kilby
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe science vessel, Hermes, has been urgently recalled from its mission to survey the moons of Saturn, just as First Officer Miranda Lee receives bad news from home—her mother is dying so she must leave the ship and return to Earth—for good... -
Rare Earth by Kurt Allan, Derek Shoales
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA lost mining crew, 400 million miles from Earth. A retired miner journeys to find out why. “There’s something out there…” Waldo Packwood has had a rough time of things lately. He’s lost his job, his friends, and finally his family. At 50 years old, he’s living alone in a small apartment wondering what’s happened to his life... -
Masterpieces: The Best Science Fiction of the Twentieth Century by Orson Scott Card, Isaac Asimov
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsAn overview of the best science fiction short stories of the 20th century as selected and evaluated by critically-acclaimed author Orson Scott Card...Categorized as:
exploration space-travel time-travel action-adventure adult anthologies classics cyberpunk -
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Take and Hold by Richard Tongue
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAfter completing its year-long voyage through hostile space, the Battlecruiser Alamo has finally returned home in triumph, only to find that the danger is far from past... -
Planetfall: A Story of the Dark by J.A. Sutherland
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsDenholm Carew enjoys a life most would envy. Scion of a wealthy family on New London, he can have almost anything he wants. But what he wants more than anything is the freedom to make his own way and build his own legacy to pass down to his children. Together with his wife, Lynelle, he sells everything to buy shares in colonial company and settle the newly discovered world of Dalthus IV...Categorized as:
exploration space-opera space-travel action-adventure adult book colonization fiction -
Inadvertent Adventures by Loren K. Jones
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIn the distant future, humans have remained depressingly human. Even in the advanced civilization of the Confederated Star Systems, sometimes the unluckiest events can lead to surprising new opportunities. For Sterling Albert Stevenson, being beaten and robbed, then shanghaied, was such an opportunity... -
Tycho City Survival by Raymond L. Weil
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsMase Colton has worked for years in the harsh unforgiving environment of the Moon building Tycho City. Now, with the completion of the Farside observatory complex, a deadly danger to the Moon and Earth has been discovered. A neutron star is about to enter the solar system...Categorized as:
dystopia exploration space-opera space-travel action-adventure adult book colonization -
Shadow of the Swan by M.K. Wren
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe Lord Alexand DeKoven Woolf was born destined to lead the Concord, the Two System's ultimate empire, but to prevent it from imploding into a Third Dark Age, he surrendered his birthright of power to become Alex Ransom, leader of the outlawed Society of the Phoenix, and in the process, he surrendered the one woman he has ever loved, the Lady Adrien Eliseer... -
Warpworld by Kristene Perron, Joshua Simpson
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsOn his first crossing through the warps, Seg discovers a world rich in vita – fuel to save his dying world. Cold, brilliant and desperate to prove himself as a Cultural Theorist, Seg breaks away from the recon squad sent to protect him, to scout out prime vita sources. But to find his prize he must face his biggest fear: water...
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