Science Fiction Space Wars

Jack Bennet returns from the war to find the life he left behind has moved on without him. The only option he has to make ends meet lies in a military surplus junkyard starship. What’s a former Combat Search and Rescue soldier to do? Fix up the ship, hire the cheapest pilot—a notorious drunk—and take the first contract that comes up: collect a bounty on one of the most ruthless killers in the Pirate Worlds, a place crawling with thieves, cutthroats and con artists whose primary language is violence. Jack must abandon his nice guy persona, or exploit it, if he is to survive.

In a single act of courage, the young American grunt saves an interstellar soldier from certain death at the hands of a vicious killer. Afterward, she promises to show him the stars. Mark will begin his new life far away from Earth—a life not so different from that of a humble soldier. Out among the asteroids, he learns of swords and honor, starships and empires. He learns what it means to be a Peacemaker. Along the way, he's joined by Perry, his combat AI companion who helps Mark learn how to survive—and earn a living—among the stars.

The Empire has existed for 156,000 years, risen beyond a galactic empire of dinosaurs intent on wiping out Humanity only to face an intergalactic scourge known as the Hadarak. They've rescued thousands of alien races and incorporated them into their Human-led empire, building a civilization that draws onlookers from numerous galaxies to try and figure out the secret of their success.

The Empire demands order. AEON ensures it. Vice Admiral Helena Ashcombe is a paragon of Imperial discipline. Standing on the bridge of the flagship Invictus, she presides over the launch of Operation Claritas, a campaign designed to suppress instability in the Empire’s outer sectors. Guided by the supreme logic of AEON, the Empire’s central intelligence, the fleet moves with ceremonial precision. The mission is clear. The hierarchy is absolute. But as the fleet pushes deeper into the Periphery, the perfect logic of AEON begins to fracture.

With the Stillness and their Wulgor allies growing in power, Van and the Fist of Orion reach a crossroads of epic proportions. Who will lead the charge for justice? Will it be Van and his friends, or will the former GKU demand a seat at the table in a universe where nothing is ever settled, and old grudges don't die—they just linger? Old problems require new solutions, and Van sees the need for soldiers as an opportunity. From the growing ranks of the Shrikes, elite young leaders emerge, ready to answer the call when the Fist of Orion decides that sometimes, the best defense is a good offense.

The invasion of the Milky Way has begun, and the Empire is winning easily, but when it becomes clear that the war with the Asferja will be nowhere near ending before the next invasion arrives and forces them to split their focus, Paul is tapped to lead a small team to the nearby galaxy of Andromeda where the Asferja intergalactic "threads" are tethered, with more being created as the war goes on.

Once, Master Commander Carter Rose was the Union’s secret weapon. An augmented, bio-engineered officer in command of the most powerful warship ever devised by human minds, Rose brought them victory against the post-human Aternien Empire. Then they cast him aside. A century later, humanity’s enemy has returned, hell-bent on revenge, and the Union's only hope is the man they had forsaken.

War rages in the Caradryad Sector. Worlds are falling to madness and rebellion, and the great war machine of the Imperium is moving to counter the threat. Amongst its agents is Inquisitor Covenant. Puritan, psyker, expert swordsman, he reserves an especial hatred for those of his order who would seek to harness the power of Ruin as a weapon. Summoned to an inquisitorial conclave, Covenant believes he has uncovered such a misguided agent and prepares to denounce the heretic Talicto before his fellows.

After almost a century of peaceful exploration and colonization of space, the United Earth Space Force stumbles across a shockingly xenophobic alien race that has more and better armed ships and refuses all attempts at contact. As the outgunned Space Force is driven back in battle after battle in what appears to be a war of extermination, one officer experiences precognitive visions that help him blunt the enemy onslaught, but he can't control or predict when they occur.

The Synchronicity War is over, and the insectoid beachheads in our spiral arm have been destroyed, but the aftermath of the war holds some nasty surprises for humanity and its loyal AI allies. Somebody is messing with the human time line. Is it the friendlies, the sogas, the insectoids, or a new race?

The Paladin's quest to save the Andromeda galaxy begins to escalate as they seize a disputed planet from two obstinate lower level races who are blocking travel and commerce through it that other systems are depending upon to fuel the war effort against the Asferja. The thing is, after the Paladin uncork the traffic jam, they're not giving the planet back for the malcontents to muck up a second time...and that doesn't go over very well with the locals.

They were humanity's last hope. As the majority of Earth's population uploaded their consciousnesses to embrace digital immortality—free from illness and death in the simulated Metaverse—the Beta Explorers were tasked with expanding their presence throughout the galaxy. They terraformed worlds and created colonies so that humans could live and thrive in physical environments.

The Clone Wars have exploded across the galaxy as Republic forces and Separatists struggle to gain the upper hand. But while the Jedi generals work tirelessly to defeat Count Dooku and his rebels, Supreme Chancellor Palpatine is hatching his own dark plans. The Separatists have launched a sneak...

Fans of the bestselling Starships in the Abyss series know what to expect: Three epic space opera books, with around 1000 pages of thrilling space battles, deadly alien threats, and unforgettable characters. Add to that dark humor and enough twists and turns to put Alfred Hitchcock to shame, and you get the series’ second box set in all its glory. You thought the first eight books in this epic series were crazy? You ain’t seen nothing yet! This box set has everything a sci-fi/space opera fan might look for: Spectacular space battles, check!

A Gauntlet War may seem inevitable. Multiple dominant races from different galaxies converge to annihilate you before retreating to their secret lairs waiting to be called out again. But the truth is, nothing is inevitable. And those conducting the invasions know this far better than their victims...

With Veteran pay comes veteran problems. And the Guild, more often than not, is the issue. He’s become an effective enforcer of the law, but unfortunately, crime is growing a lot more complicated. Someone is slaving artificial beings to ships, running contraband across the stars in a fatal practice that marries murder, theft, and kidnapping. Even as Mark’s crew grows, he discovers these crimes aren’t just horrific—they’re common. And he means to stop it.

The bell has been rung, and the return of the Reignor has come.

Three years have passed for Ginsi, aka 'Uuba Fett.' During those three years, she has trained non-stop under Morgan's relentless direction, regaining some semblance of her former self. But word finally comes that Star Force and the Neofan have finished their prototype essence shield drainer, and they need to test it with her integrated...in battle.

Watch out - the Earth just fell into a dark sun's orbit! Or maybe you'd rather visit a theme park called Hell? These are just two of the strange and unnerving tales you'll find in this collection of great science fiction and fantasy stories.

The best of the year's science fiction and fantasy stories as selected by the multiple award-winning editor Jonathan Strahan. Distant worlds, time travel, epic adventure, unseen wonders, and much more! The best, most original and brightest science fiction and fantasy stories from around the globe from the past 12 months are brought together in one collection by multiple award winning editor Jonathan Strahan.