Books like 'The Mars Anomaly: Hard Science Fiction'
Readers who enjoyed The Mars Anomaly: Hard Science Fiction by Joshua T. Calvert also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
hard sci-fi sc-fi space first-contact exploration space-travel
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A Rock and a Hard Place by Ryk Brown, Jeffrey Kafer
Rated: 4.58 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsTwo worlds preparing their defenses . . . A ship struggling to get back in the fight . . . An enemy continuing its relentless attack . . . A former enemy that could hold the answer . . . With the fate of billions in his hands, Captain Scott is offered a way to save them all and end the bloodshed, but if it backfires, he could lose everything. Sometimes, there is no good choice... -
![Into the Serpent's Lair by Ryk Brown]()
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... -
![Clone World by B.V. Larson]()
Clone World by B.V. Larson
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsJames McGill is called upon for a sabotage mission, one that only a man of his unique talents can handle. Unfortunately, he performs too well, and our enemies from Rigel are enraged. They come for us, and war is declared. Both sides call for aid, and it comes from the Core Worlds in the form of two great fleets. The Civil War for the Empire’s Throne spills out into the provinces... -
![Ice World by B.V. Larson]()
Ice World by B.V. Larson
Rated: 4.55 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsLong before Earth began conquering her neighboring stars, Legion Varus was deployed on Tau Ceti. Valuable and highly illegal treasures were stolen during the campaign, but McGill never gave it a second thought.The Tau haven’t forgotten him, however. For decades they’ve hunted and plotted, and at last they’ve found the pirate who robbed them. Tau agents invade Earth seeking revenge and profit... -
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![The Saints of Salvation by Peter F. Hamilton]()
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... -
![Starman's Saga: The Long, Strange Journey of Leif The Lucky by Colin Alexander]()
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... -
![Messinants by S.H. Jucha]()
Messinants by S.H. Jucha
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsPyre is a volatile planet. Its surface belches heat and noxious gases, forcing downsiders to inhabit domes. But Pyre’s instability isn’t limited to its geology. The colonists, who were marooned in the system hundreds of years ago, have endured a tumultuous history.Exploring Triton, Pyre’s third moon, spacers inadvertently activate an alien dome... -
![Secrets in the Stars by Mackey Chandler]()
Secrets in the Stars by Mackey Chandler
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWhen Lee Anderson and her parents discovered a new world teeming with life, it was the dream of every explorer: they were rich beyond their imaginations. But tragedy struck when a herd of creatures overran their camp and killed her parents. The only other adult in her life had been their partner Gordon, who adopted her as parent. Which didn’t turn out to be easy, because he wasn’t human... -
![Return of the Corinari by Ryk Brown]()
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... -
![Liberation by Ryk Brown]()
Liberation by Ryk Brown
Rated: 4.37 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsEpisode 10 Heartfelt reunions with friends… Desperate plans to gain advantage… Opportunities that cannot be ignored… Discovery of family once thought lost… The time has come for Captain Scott to fight for that which was taken… the very freedom of the world he was sworn to protect. “Liberation” is a 108,000 word novel, and is the 10th episode in The Frontiers Saga... -
![The Long Voyage of the Little Fleet by Mackey Chandler]()
The Long Voyage of the Little Fleet by Mackey Chandler
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIn the first book of this series "Family Law", Lee's parents and their business partner Gordon found a class A habitable planet. They thought their quest as explorers was over and they'd live a life of ease. But before they could return and register their claim Lee's parents died doing a survey of the surface... -
![Shakedown by Scott Sigler]()
Shakedown by Scott Sigler
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratings"A gritty tale of cosmic dread.”— Pierce Brown, #1 New York Times Bestselling author of RED RISINGFew know the warship’s actual name. Fewer still know what it really is. And almost no one knows of its unique ability, an ability that could tilt the balance of power if not outright win the war.But everyone has heard the rumors. Rumors about the worst place the Planetary Union Fleet can send you... -
![Dark World by B.V. Larson]()
Dark World by B.V. Larson
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsTwo expanding interstellar powers are about to meet in battle. After the collapse of the Cephalopod Kingdom, Humanity claimed the three hundred rebellious worlds they left behind. But many light years away on the far side of disputed region, a rival power has begun to move. They're stealing our planets, one at a time... -
![Omnia by S.H. Jucha]()
Omnia by S.H. Jucha
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsAlex Racine, who led an elite group of humans and SADEs (self-ware digital entities), left the newly discovered planet of Celus-5 under difficult circumstances. Few of the Harakens with Alex thought there was little he could do to bring peace to the embroiled planet... -
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![Celus-5 by S.H. Jucha]()
Celus-5 by S.H. Jucha
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsFor the Sojourn’s initial mission, the Haraken explorer ship undertakes the investigation of Celus-5, a world identified by Willem, a SADE (self-aware digital entity), and his team of scientists, as the best prospect for a new colony.What should be a routine survey mission becomes a disaster. To the Harakens’ surprise, they discover, not one, but two alien species engaged in conflict... -
![Allotropes by Laurence E. Dahners]()
Allotropes by Laurence E. Dahners
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratings“Allotropes" is the eighth in a series of near future SciFi/Thrillers whose young heroine Ell Donsaii has a nerve mutation which has made her a genius as well as an athletic phenomenon.In “Allotropes,” she finds even more uses for the quantum entangled wormholes that she discovered... -
![Escalation by Ryk Brown]()
Escalation by Ryk Brown
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA cease-fire that has lasted seven years… Worlds half-destroyed that have been rebuilt anew… Friends and crewmates scattered light-years apart… New leaders that would be kings… The Jung threat has been renewed, in ways not imagined. It will take a new savior to inspire the masses, and once again lead those willing to fight against oppression... -
![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... -
![Blood World by B.V. Larson]()
Blood World by B.V. Larson
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsA dirty deal was struck. Humanity was allowed to keep three hundred rebellious worlds. In return, we declared war on a powerful enemy from beyond the frontier. A frantic build-up of forces has begun, but the task is hopeless. Seeking allies, Earth’s legions are sent to BLOOD WORLD. A planet on the fringe of known space, where the people only respect masters of combat... -
![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... -
![Rise of the Corinari by Ryk Brown]()
Rise of the Corinari by Ryk Brown
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsA time to recover…A chance to make a new ally…A brief respite to repair and rearm…An opportunity for a people to regain their honor…For every civilization there comes a moment when a stand must be made against tyranny.The time has come for the Alliance to draw a line in the sand... -
![Storm World by B.V. Larson]()
Storm World by B.V. Larson
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsJames McGill is sent to the Core Worlds! In an unprecedented first, Earth sends a message to Mogwa Prime. Unfortunately, the messenger is not met with enthusiasm. Misunderstandings soon threaten all of Humanity. Forced to prove Earth can serve the Empire better than any rival, McGill does his best... -
![Plains of Utopia: Colony Six Mars (Colony Mars Series Book 6) by Gerald M. Kilby]()
Plains of Utopia: Colony Six Mars (Colony Mars Series Book 6) by Gerald M. Kilby
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsXenon Hybrid, the Red Planet’s ceremonial head-of-state, has not been seen for many years after withdrawing to an isolated enclave in the far north where he steadily built up a following of citizens seeking out an alternative lifestyle. They bother no one, and no one bothers them...Categorized as:
exploration space-travel action-adventure adult book colonization fiction hard-sci-fi -
![Hell's Reach by David VanDyke, B.V. Larson]()
Hell's Reach by David VanDyke, B.V. Larson
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsUSA Today bestseller B.V. Larson and Dragon award finalist David VanDyke have released book six in their epic military space opera! The Breakers find a new home among the stars: Utopia. An engineered planet that is vast beyond comprehension with plenty of room to grow. They set up trade routes and work as mercenaries for their supplies… but trouble lurks. Pirates strike their merchant lanes... -
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![Head of the Dragon by Ryk Brown]()
Head of the Dragon by Ryk Brown
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsTime is running out…An ally has all but fallen…Resources are running low…The time for attack has come...The Alliance must strike deep into the heart of the empire.This time, the Aurora will be going home, or going to her grave.“Head of the Dragon” is a 133,000 word novel, and is the 6th episode in The Frontiers Saga... -
![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... -
![The Expanse by Ryk Brown]()
The Expanse by Ryk Brown
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsEpisode 7A newly repaired ship…A willing and eager crew…A host of new technologies…A long anticipated return home…The crew of the UES Aurora finally has the chance to fulfill their mission, but first they must complete a long and dangerous journey across a thousand light years of unexplored space.“The Expanse” is a 104,000 word novel, and is the 7th episode in The Frontiers Saga... -
![Hive War by David VanDyke, B.V. Larson]()
Hive War by David VanDyke, B.V. Larson
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsFrom Hugo and Dragon Award finalist David VanDyke, and millions-selling science-fiction legend and Dragon finalist B.V. Larson, comes book four in the epic military space opera adventure saga! The Republic, the Opters and a strange Crystalline race of unknown origin all meet in a series of titanic battles... -
![Flagship Victory by David VanDyke, B.V. Larson]()
Flagship Victory by David VanDyke, B.V. Larson
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFrom Hugo and Dragon Award finalist David VanDyke, and million-selling science-fiction legend and Dragon Award finalist B.V. Larson, comes book three in the epic military space opera adventure saga!Commodore Straker faces new enemies as neighboring interstellar empires decide his New Republic is a growing threat... -
![Betrayer by C.J. Cherryh]()
Betrayer by C.J. Cherryh
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsBetrayer (Foreigner, Book 12)The twelfth novel in Cherryh’s Foreigner space opera series, a groundbreaking tale of first contact and its consequences…In the wake of civil war, Bren Cameron, the brilliant human diplomat of the alien atevi civilization, has left the capital and sought refuge at his country estate, Najida... -
![Battleship Indomitable by David VanDyke, B.V. Larson]()
Battleship Indomitable by David VanDyke, B.V. Larson
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsFrom Hugo Award finalist David VanDyke and million-selling science-fiction legend B.V. Larson comes book two in the epic military space opera adventure saga!Commodore Straker's rebellion grows in strength--but his enemies are growing even faster... -
![Earth Fleet by B.V. Larson]()
Earth Fleet by B.V. Larson
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsAt long last Earth has a handful of starships. Surrounded by Rebel Kher, Imperials and the mysterious Nomads, Humanity dares to assert our right to independence. The interstellar community reacts harshly. In the eyes of our neighbors, we’re upstarts, dangerous beings that don’t know our place. For the Kher, freedom can only be won through battle... -
![Deep Black (Infinite Sky #1) by Samuel Best]()
Deep Black (Infinite Sky #1) by Samuel Best
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsTwo crews return to Titan. Who will survive?Titan. Sixth moon of Saturn. A deadly enigma harboring the greatest secret in the history of humankind.In the wake of the first mission, two companies with very different goals plot a return to that distant moon. Their ships are safer, their technology has improved…and they want answers... -
![The Quantum War by Derek Künsken]()
The Quantum War by Derek Künsken
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe eagerly awaited third volume in the number one bestselling Quantum Evolution series. An all-new, ground-breaking, action-packed new science fiction adventure set in the universe of The Quantum Magician and The Quantum Garden... -
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![Prelude to Extinction by Andreas Karpf]()
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... -
![Orion Fleet by B.V. Larson]()
Orion Fleet by B.V. Larson
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsWhat enemy could be more terrifying than a soulless, alien machine? A year ago the Kher Empire was forced to retreat, but they were not beaten. In ORION FLEET they return with a new weapon. A huge ship driven by AI begins methodically grinding inhabited worlds to dust. This unstoppable enemy is without fear or remorse, and the Rebels begin a desperate battle just to slow its advance... -
![1st to Fight by Rick Partlow]()
1st to Fight by Rick Partlow
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsI retired from the USMC, and now I write about space marines. I never thought I’d actually become one. As a sci-fi author with a hit TV show, I have a few ideas about what alien invaders are supposed to look like. In my stories, they’re technologically advanced monsters, with tentacles, and no faces. Turns out I was right about the technology. And about how angry they’d be... -
![Unreconciled by W. Michael Gear]()
Unreconciled by W. Michael Gear
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsNow in paperback, the fourth book in the thrilling Donovan sci-fi series returns to a treacherous alien planet where corporate threats and dangerous creatures imperil the lives of the colonists.Where does one put a messianic cult of practicing cannibals? That becomes the question when Ashanti appears in Donovan's skies. She was designed for no more than four years in space. It's taken ten...Categorized as:
exploration first-contact space-travel action-adventure adult audiobook book colonization -
![Tactics of Conquest by David VanDyke]()
Tactics of Conquest by David VanDyke
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsArmed with alien technology and a complete refit, Henrich Absen captains Conquest on a voyage to take back what humanity has lost. Along the way he must confront a new form of life as well as his own demons in this shocking episode of the Plague Wars/Stellar Conquest saga... -
![Tanis Richards: Operative by M.D. Cooper]()
Tanis Richards: Operative by M.D. Cooper
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsSomeone just killed Tanis Richards and replaced her with an Infiltrator Chameleon.While finally getting some much-needed shore leave on Mars, Tanis gets a message from Harm Ellis with instructions to go to Ceres and hunt for a missing operative . . . except she never makes it.At least, that’s what she’d like her would-be killers to think... -
![The Seasoning by Dennis Ingram]()
The Seasoning by Dennis Ingram
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsSurprise. Adversity. Hope. Sixteen years have passed since the eight crew of the Starship Hope arrived in the Tau Ceti system and established a colony on the fifth planet from the star, a planet they named Serendipity. Their colony has thrived. Together with their children they have turned their habitat into a paradise and begun to terraform the planet...Categorized as:
exploration space-travel action-adventure adult book colonization fiction hard-sci-fi -
![EVA (Field Series Book 4) by Simon Winstanley]()
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... -
![Conquest of Earth by David VanDyke]()
Conquest of Earth by David VanDyke
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsPoised to reconquer humanity's home, Captain Absen and Conquest are confronted with a new enemy that upsets the balance of power and changes everything EarthFleet expected. Their struggle to free Earth becomes instead a desperate battle for sheer survival as they contemplate the unthinkable... -
![Conquest and Empire by David VanDyke]()
Conquest and Empire by David VanDyke
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsBook 5, the final book in the Stellar Conquest series! Over 300 pages packed with your favorite hard-hitting military science fiction adventure.After barely fending off the insectoid Scourge, Admiral Absen frantically prepares for another attack while dealing with politics and treachery from within, even as Spectre pursues his own hidden agenda... -
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![Surface Tension by Gerald M. Kilby]()
Surface Tension by Gerald M. Kilby
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA devastating dust storm. A colony on the edge of extinction. Only one person can save them. But first they need to start a revolution. In the midst of the most devastating dust storm in the history of Mars, the survival of the half million people who call it home is hanging in the balance...Categorized as:
exploration space-travel action-adventure adult book colonization fiction hard-sci-fi -
![Desolator by David VanDyke]()
Desolator by David VanDyke
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWhen an enormous and potent alien ship appears in the colony system of Gliese 370, EarthFleet must investigate. What they find within will change the course of humanity's future yet again, as they face Desolator. The risks are high and so is the price - and the payoff: new technology far ahead of their own, which may provide the key to fight the Meme Empire... -
![Jupiter's Sword by Nick Webb]()
Jupiter's Sword by Nick Webb
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWe barely won the battle at Mercury's shipyards, but the war is just beginning. The Telestines, in control of Earth, now pursue us from planet to planet, moon to moon, leaving terrible destruction in their wake. And now, the unthinkable: a new alien weapon with the power to destroy a whole world... -
![Resurgence by C.J. Cherryh]()
Resurgence by C.J. Cherryh
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe twentieth book in the beloved Foreigner saga returns to the trials of diplomat Bren Cameron, as he navigates the tenuous peace he has struck between human refugees and the alien atevi.Bren Cameron, diplomat in residence, usually represents the ruler of the atevi state... -
![The Commander by C.J. Williams]()
The Commander by C.J. Williams
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsLucas Blackburn had a peaceful job as an Airport Director in an out of the way community in central Nevada. He wanted to live quietly and let old scars heal. But then a spaceship landed. The lone occupant, a guy named Sam, gave Luke the keys and said it was up to him to stop a massive alien invasion that was on the way. Luke wanted to believe it was a hoax. The problem was, Sam had the proof...Categorized as:
exploration first-contact space-travel action-adventure adult aliens book colonization -
![Another World by Samuel Best]()
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-travel action-adventure adult alternate-history book colonization fiction
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