Near Future Space & Realistic Space Science Fiction (72 books)

Listopia > Near Future Space & Realistic Space Science Fiction

A list for realistic near futurish hard science fiction books. Some examples: mars exploration, planetary colonization, asteroid colonization or mining, non-planetary space colonization (colonies not on land), starfaring civilizations. Think 10-100ish years ahead in the current human timeline, but that isn't such a hard rule. The Expanse and the Red/Green/Blue Mars series comes to mind.

Not a list for books featuring stories based on (wild and implausible) fantasy, crime/police/detective/military plots, time travel, romance, etc. that more or less disregard the hard science in favor of a whodunit or a a fantastical alien encounter or civilation.

EXCLUSIONS
Summary - Please avoid posting books about fantasy or drama set in the future with a space setting: Star Trek covers space and has some hard science, but it is mostly fantasy involving human and alien drama. The same is true of Star Wars, Enders Game, etc. Searching for or discovering signs of (or limited examples of (for example: microscopic) alien life is fair game.

Specifically -
Alien First Contact/Alien Tech/Angry Aliens/Humans vs. Aliens stories (e.g. David VanDyke, John Ringo, Mark Wayne, Orson Scott Card, Evan C. Currie)
Space fantasy involving aliens, time travel, or similarly creative but not realistic in the near future scenarios (see above for alien related stories) (e.g. Alastair Reynolds, Sunny Moraine)
Space detective books
X-files to speculative sci-fi or conspiracy theory style stories.
Cyborgs trying to wipe out humanity (e.g. Vaughn Heppner's Cyborgs vs. humans).
Space war themes
Theme that generally gloss over or de-emphasize science or reality aspects so they can skip to traditional plot lines in a space setting (e.g. Alastair Reynolds, Ally Blue, Jack Campbell, Ryk Brown, Michael G. Thomas, Thomas DePrima)

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1		The Martian by Andy Weir (Goodreads Author) 4.42 avg rating — 1,333,399 ratings score: 7,859, and 79 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
2		Red Mars (Mars Trilogy, #1) by Kim Stanley Robinson 3.86 avg rating — 89,756 ratings score: 3,174, and 32 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
3		Leviathan Wakes (The Expanse, #1) by James S.A. Corey (Goodreads Author) 4.31 avg rating — 329,200 ratings score: 3,155, and 32 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
4		Foundation (Foundation, #1) by Isaac Asimov 4.17 avg rating — 606,053 ratings score: 2,516, and 26 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
5		The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlein 4.15 avg rating — 140,360 ratings score: 1,575, and 16 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
6		Caliban’s War (The Expanse, #2) by James S.A. Corey (Goodreads Author) 4.39 avg rating — 188,447 ratings score: 1,173, and 12 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
7		Firestar (Firestar, #1) by Michael Flynn 3.66 avg rating — 794 ratings score: 780, and 8 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
8		Matter of Resistance by Raymond Vogel (Goodreads Author) 4.08 avg rating — 37 ratings score: 600, and 6 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
9		Pushing Ice by Alastair Reynolds 4.07 avg rating — 23,031 ratings score: 595, and 6 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
10	$Refractions (The Guardian C...$	Refractions (The Guardian Cycle #1) by M.V. Melcer (Goodreads Author) 4.02 avg rating — 203 ratings score: 500, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
11		Rendezvous with Rama (Rama, #1) by Arthur C. Clarke 4.12 avg rating — 187,491 ratings score: 486, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
12		Starship Samudram by Saurabh Dashora (Goodreads Author) 3.84 avg rating — 38 ratings score: 400, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
12		Mars Base 1: A new discovery! by Bruce Walker (Goodreads Author) 4.50 avg rating — 8 ratings score: 400, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
12		The Mars Strain by A.C. Anderson 3.45 avg rating — 33 ratings score: 400, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
15		Saturn Run by John Sandford 3.91 avg rating — 16,719 ratings score: 396, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
16		The High Frontier: Human Colonies in Space (Apogee Books Space) by Gerard K. O'Neill 4.20 avg rating — 569 ratings score: 390, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
17		Titan (NASA Trilogy, #2) by Stephen Baxter 3.74 avg rating — 1,843 ratings score: 384, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
18		Voyage (NASA Trilogy, #1) by Stephen Baxter 3.82 avg rating — 2,267 ratings score: 380, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
19		The Hammer of God by Arthur C. Clarke 3.72 avg rating — 9,544 ratings score: 296, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
19		The Martian Race (Adventures of Viktor & Julia, #1) by Gregory Benford 3.75 avg rating — 1,017 ratings score: 296, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
21		Mining the Sky: Untold Riches From The Asteroids, Comets, And Planets (Helix Book) by John S. Lewis 4.12 avg rating — 284 ratings score: 295, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
22		Moonfall by Jack McDevitt 3.82 avg rating — 2,420 ratings score: 292, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
23		Gradisil by Adam Roberts 3.43 avg rating — 300 ratings score: 200, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
23		Day One by John Forsberg (Goodreads Author) 3.52 avg rating — 91 ratings score: 200, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
23		Colonization (Colonization #1-5) by Scott McElhaney (Goodreads Author) 3.86 avg rating — 69 ratings score: 200, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
23		One Day on Mars (Tau Ceti Agenda, #1) by Travis S. Taylor 3.66 avg rating — 1,119 ratings score: 200, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
23		The Cage of Zeus by Sayuri Ueda 3.22 avg rating — 164 ratings score: 200, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
23		Moral Compass to Be, or Not to Be by Bryant Johnson 4.39 avg rating — 79 ratings score: 200, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
23		The Light Years by R.W.W. Greene (Goodreads Author) 3.72 avg rating — 601 ratings score: 200, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
23		April (April, #1) by Mackey Chandler (Goodreads Author) 4.42 avg rating — 1,274 ratings score: 200, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
31		Coyote (Coyote Trilogy, #1) by Allen M. Steele 3.85 avg rating — 3,752 ratings score: 199, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
31		Delta-v (Delta-v, #1) by Daniel Suarez (Goodreads Author) 4.16 avg rating — 10,798 ratings score: 199, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
33		America One (America One, #1) by T.I. Wade (Goodreads Author) 3.93 avg rating — 414 ratings score: 198, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
34		Lunar Descent (Near Space, #3) by Allen M. Steele 3.85 avg rating — 277 ratings score: 197, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
34		The Tranquillity Alternative by Allen M. Steele 3.59 avg rating — 250 ratings score: 197, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
34		Orbital Decay (Near Space, #1) by Allen M. Steele 3.65 avg rating — 774 ratings score: 197, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
34		2312 by Kim Stanley Robinson 3.53 avg rating — 22,053 ratings score: 197, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
38		Islands in the Sky: Bold New Ideas for Colonizing Space by Stanley Schmidt (Editor) 4.02 avg rating — 65 ratings score: 196, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
39		The Sky So Big and Black by John Barnes 3.91 avg rating — 276 ratings score: 195, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
39		Luna: New Moon (Luna, #1) by Ian McDonald 3.75 avg rating — 8,900 ratings score: 195, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
41		Red Thunder (Thunder and Lightning, #1) by John Varley 3.86 avg rating — 2,514 ratings score: 191, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
42		Seveneves by Neal Stephenson (Goodreads Author) really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 126,636 ratings score: 187, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
43		Cold as Ice (Cold as Ice #1) by Charles Sheffield 3.75 avg rating — 618 ratings score: 186, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
44		Mars (The Grand Tour, #4; Mars, #1) by Ben Bova 3.87 avg rating — 9,134 ratings score: 181, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
45		Dining Out Around the Solar System (Dining Out Around The Solar System, #1) by Clare O'Beara (Goodreads Author) 4.02 avg rating — 89 ratings score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
45		Children of Mars by Paul G. Day (Goodreads Author) 3.64 avg rating — 14 ratings score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
45		Farside by Patrick Chiles (Goodreads Author) 4.09 avg rating — 46 ratings score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
45		Die Dritte Macht (Perry Rhodan Silberband #1) by William Voltz (editor) 4.11 avg rating — 542 ratings score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
45		The Millennial Project: Colonizing the Galaxy in Eight Easy Steps by Marshall T. Savage 4.24 avg rating — 208 ratings score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
45		Dragon Moon by Scott E. Tarbet (Goodreads Author) 4.40 avg rating — 15 ratings score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
45		Black Star: Immortality or Humanity (The Heathen Series) by Michael J. Dawson 4.67 avg rating — 3 ratings score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
45		Undaunted (Valkyrie Medevac Corps Book 1) by Jack Colrain 4.30 avg rating — 47 ratings score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
45		Eventide by Peter J. Aldin (Goodreads Author) 4.18 avg rating — 39 ratings score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
45		Mickey7 (Mickey7 #1) by Edward Ashton (Goodreads Author) 3.78 avg rating — 59,692 ratings score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
45		Heaven's River (Bobiverse, #4) by Dennis E. Taylor (Goodreads Author) 4.28 avg rating — 39,204 ratings score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
45		To Be Taught, If Fortunate by Becky Chambers (Goodreads Author) 4.19 avg rating — 59,278 ratings score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
45		To Preserve, Protect and Destroy by Matthew D. Saeman (Goodreads Author) 4.40 avg rating — 10 ratings score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
45		HumAIn: Navigating the Impact of AI in a Jobless Future by Amanda Gibbs (Goodreads Author) 4.33 avg rating — 3 ratings score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
45		Discovery: Prelude to a New Era by K. J. Rainio (Goodreads Author) 4.15 avg rating — 27 ratings score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
45		The Invisible Dimension: Book 2 In The Greegs Universe by Zack Mitchell 4.60 avg rating — 5 ratings score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
45		Galaxies Collide by Aaron L. Bratcher 4.73 avg rating — 44 ratings score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
62		Cascade Failure (Ambit's Run, #1) by L.M. Sagas (Goodreads Author) 3.88 avg rating — 4,279 ratings score: 99, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
62		Neutron Cosmonauts Small Things Come in Big Packages by Bryant Johnson 4.50 avg rating — 2 ratings score: 99, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
62		Greegs & Ladders by Zack Mitchell 3.11 avg rating — 285 ratings score: 99, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
62		Galaxies Collide: Song of the Boshag by Aaron L. Bratcher 4.94 avg rating — 16 ratings score: 99, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
66		Crash by Guy Haley (Goodreads Author) 3.90 avg rating — 148 ratings score: 97, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
66		Ribbon To The Sky by Doug Turnbull (Goodreads Author) really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 6 ratings score: 97, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
66		The Sunborn (Adventures of Viktor & Julia, #2) by Gregory Benford 3.58 avg rating — 338 ratings score: 97, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
69		Farmer in the Sky by Robert A. Heinlein 3.78 avg rating — 10,376 ratings score: 96, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
70		Mankind Beyond Earth: The History, Science, and Future of Human Space Exploration by Claude A. Piantadosi 3.89 avg rating — 73 ratings score: 95, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
71		Lunar Dust, Martian Sands by Tom Chmielewski (Goodreads Author) 4.30 avg rating — 10 ratings score: 93, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
72		New Earth (The Grand Tour, #21) by Ben Bova 3.39 avg rating — 2,116 ratings score: 87, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

72 books · 190 voters · list created March 12th, 2012 by Robert (votes) .

Tags: asteroid-mining, colonization-of-space, living-in-space, mars, space-faring, space-opera, space-ships, space-travel

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Comments Showing 1-13 of 13 (13 new)

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message 1: by Robert (last edited Sep 10, 2019 06:00AM) (new)

Nov 29, 2013 09:31AM

Hi fellow readers,

The goal in creating this list is to identify the rare breed of book that falls into the category of near future space. The list was inspired by books like Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars book series, and Gradisil.

There are plenty of all encompassing space opera genre lists for books, please do not treat this list as one of them. On this list, we are focused on particular sub-genres that are realistic and within the realm of possibility (with some wiggle room of course). For example: space travel, technology, R&D, etc. then it is not right for this list.

Additional rules:
1. Please do not add books that are primarily drama, romance or detective/police/forensics/CS/military academy or thriller style books. If you like Blade Runner, awesome, but that isn't space. Just because a book uses a Blade Runner type plot and stages it on a different planet or in space does not make it interesting for the purpose of this list. We are geeks looking for a realistic near future space fix here so help us out.
2. This list isn't just for fiction. You can add non-fiction too.

Thanks for your help. Your suggestions are wanted so please jump in here if you are interested in doing so.

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message 2: by Jamie (new)

Dec 02, 2013 06:50PM

Bob, I was able to edit the title of this list (I put it back the way it was). Since you're a librarian, I think you should be able to edit it.

If you really can't, though, send me your new title and I'll change it for you.

Jamie

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message 3: by Jamie (new)

Dec 15, 2013 06:12PM

You don't see a tiny (edit) link on the left, below the list description?

Anyway, is this the title you want?
"Near Future Space & Realistic Fiction and Non-Fiction"

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message 4: by Martink (new)

Sep 06, 2014 06:52PM

There is a german book in this list. Since the name of the list as well as almost all other books are english, i believe foreign language books have no place in it. Surely, there are german book lists for that sort of thing.

Its Jeremy X, Honor Harrington series, David Weber.

I have looked where to find a button to report that entry to get it removed, but i have not yet found that function.

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message 5: by Robert (new)

Sep 06, 2014 07:50PM

The list is not intended to be ethnocentric or unilingual. If a book fits the criteria it is fair game. Some of the best books that are out there are not printed domestically.

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message 6: by Robert (new)

Aug 14, 2015 03:20PM

Martink wrote: "There is a german book in this list. Since the name of the list as well as almost all other books are english, i believe foreign language books have no place in it. Surely, there are german book li..."

Is there a translation available?

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message 7: by Terrence (last edited Mar 14, 2017 07:35AM) (new)

Mar 14, 2017 07:23AM

I added just one for now, but I have a few I think may count (as long as aliens don't show up).

Added:

The Cage of Zeus

It's about colonization of Jupiter, and bioengineering hermaphroditism to aid in our eventual progression and propogation as a species into space I guess.

Debating:

Mardock Scramble

Crime noire-ish. Involves some cyber tech, like flying cars / cities in the sky. One character does get heavy robotic implants or some such, but there's not like a mass of cyborgs or anything... At least as far as I've read.

Dawn

Dawn (Legend of the Galactic Heroes #1) by Yoshiki Tanaka

Political centered series, specifically about the rise of dictatorship. It does take place in the far flung future though (the calendar is even replaced in 2088 or something, and the story takes place in 208 of that calendar year). Tech is basically space drives and such, but the tech grows increasingly stagnant, so it's presentation of far flung future may not be too bizarre.

I'd add Altered Carbon too, but the whole "eternal life" through using a chipset or something to transfer your consciousness to a new body after human death is a bit cyborgish I guess. Also, pretty clearly distant future.

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message 8: by Brian (last edited Feb 28, 2018 09:11AM) (new)

Feb 28, 2018 09:11AM

Galactic Startup

https://www.amazon.com/Galactic-Start...

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message 9: by RodTheWay (new)

Oct 16, 2018 03:52PM

only the first book in each series should be on this list....or any lists for that matter.
example : best fantasy list ;
1. harry potter 01
2. harry potter 02
3. wheel of time
4. harry potter 03
5. harry potter 04
useless...and annoying

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message 10: by Robert (new)

Oct 16, 2018 05:15PM

Thanks for the suggestion. That makes sense.

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message 11: by Robert (new)

Jul 25, 2023 07:43PM

Just a quick note, please do not submit short stories that do not contain summaries or books that are first contact (vs. contact being a back seat to a primary setup). Also, please no space romance books. There are plenty of lists on goodreads for that stuff. This list isn't the right place for that.

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message 12: by Robert (new)

Jul 25, 2023 07:45PM

Brian wrote: "Galactic Startup"

Brian, this sounds interesting but is perhaps a bit fantasy vs. Near Future Space & Realistic. Thanks for the suggestion.

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message 13: by A.J. (new)

Aug 08, 2023 09:19AM

Worlds Apart My hard science fiction novel is a perfect fit for this list! Set in 2063. The first Martian colony has been established. Features a commercial launch to a spacestation and a flight to Mars. Thanks for creating and managing this list. Lots of goodies on here.

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