Space Challenge

[Steve]

The Space Challenge: Read any techno-thriller that includes characters going from Earth to space.

You can simply post your space techno-thrillers in this thread.

What qualifies? Good question. I'll offer some guidance, but suggest erring on the side of inclusion when in doubt.

No Earth in the book? If not, then it's not really a techno-thriller. That's too far-fetched. This weeds out the Murderbot Diaries ... which is an excellent space-based series.

Not a thriller If not, then it's not really a techno-thriller. Hard to draw that line, but there has to be pulsing intensity at least for a moment. This probably weeds out the Space Odyssey series. My model for techno-thriller pacing is Crichton, but space stories need to tap into the calm space escapism too. So, maybe a little more forgiving on this front.

How far in the future is too far? Hard to draw that line as well. The closer to now the better. Less than 50 years seems fair game. I suppose how radical the future is different is where you draw the line. Can't be too radically different.

So what about these? If I'm to have an inclusive spirit then some of these, yes. Not Hitchhiker's Guide which is all about humor, not actual science/technology or its ramifications. Not Dune where Earth is not the anchor in their reality, and there is a bit of the supernatural.
Ender's Game
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Leviathan Wakes
Dune
Artemis

[Steve]

My space techno-thrillers list:


✓ (1973) Rendezvous with Rama
✓ (1985) Ender's Game
✓ (1985) Contact
✓ (2011) The Martian
✓ (2011) Leviathan Wakes
✓ (2017) Artemis
✓ (2019) Delta-V
✓ (2021) The Hail Mary Project
✓ (2024) The Object

TBR:

(2023) Critical Mass