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Star Wars - The New Jedi Order - Dark Tide I - Onslaught

Michael A. Stackpole2000

6 of 6 directions open

More like it

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  • Take Back the Sky

    Greg Bear2016

    Soldiers and former enemies unite to uncover the true motives of an alien race. The story moves from Saturn's moons to the edge of the system.

    Same tense register, still space opera

    pace0·prose0·bleak0

Denser prose

3 more ↓

  • Empty Space

    M. John Harrison2012

    Three interlocking timelines follow a widow in London, a detective in a neon city, and a pilot in deep space. The prose is dense and surreal.

    tense → dreamlike, still space opera

    pace-1·prose+2·bleak0

  • Dhalgren

    Samuel R. Delany1975

    An amnesiac wanderer enters Bellona, a city cut off from the world where time and geography shift. He joins a gang and writes poetry.

    tense → dreamlike

    pace-2·prose+2·bleak0

  • Valis

    Philip K. Dick1981

    A man experiences a beam of pink light that imparts vast information. The narrative explores his mental breakdown and search for God in California.

    tense → meditative

    pace-1·prose+2·bleak0

To recover

3 more ↓

  • A Galaxy Unknown

    Thomas DePrima2010

    An ensign uses her tactical skills to rise through the ranks of a space navy while fighting pirates and internal bureaucracy.

    tense → earnest, still space opera

    pace0·prose-1·bleak-2

  • Star Nomad

    Lindsay Buroker2016

    A fighter pilot and a small crew of strangers attempt to escape a system-wide war in a freighter. It is a character-driven space adventure.

    tense → playful, still space opera

    pace0·prose-1·bleak-2

  • Saltation

    Sharon Lee2010

    A young pilot trains at a military academy while navigating the complex social hierarchies of the Liaden Universe. It is a coming-of-age story.

    tense → warm, still space opera

    pace-1·prose0·bleak-2

Faster

3 more ↓

  • The Android's Dream

    John Scalzi2006

    A diplomat must find a specific, genetically engineered sheep to prevent an interstellar war. The story is a fast-paced, irreverent space comedy.

    tense → playful, still space opera

    pace+1·prose-1·bleak-2

  • Chilling Effect

    Valerie Valdes2019

    A spaceship captain completes dangerous missions to pay off a ransom for her kidnapped sister. The crew includes a pilot who is a sentient plant.

    tense → playful, still space opera

    pace+1·prose-1·bleak-2

  • The Star Kings

    Edmond Hamilton1949

    A 20th-century man swaps bodies with a prince 200,000 years in the future. He must lead a galactic empire against a tyrant's fleet.

    tense → propulsive, still space opera

    pace+1·prose-1·bleak-2

Slower

3 more ↓

  • Beelzebub's tales to his grandson

    Georges Ivanovitch Gurdjieff1950

    An extraterrestrial being explains the history and strange behaviors of humanity to his grandson during a long space voyage.

    tense → meditative

    pace-2·prose+2·bleak-1

  • Ancillary Justice

    Ann Leckie2013

    A lone soldier, once the artificial intelligence of a massive starship, seeks revenge in a single human body.

    tense → meditative, still space opera

    pace-1·prose+1·bleak-1

  • Children of Dune

    Frank Herbert1976

    The twin heirs of Paul Atreides navigate political conspiracies and their own evolving biology to secure the future of the desert planet.

    tense → meditative, still space opera

    pace-1·prose+1·bleak0

Heavier

3 more ↓

  • The Gap Into Conflict: The Real Story

    Stephen R. Donaldson

    A space pirate, a victim, and a police officer are trapped in a cycle of abuse and betrayal. The narrative shifts perspectives to reveal lies.

    tense → bleak, still space opera

    pace0·prose+1·bleak+1

  • Star Wars - Legacy of the Force - Sacrifice

    Karen Traviss2007

    Jacen Solo hunts his own parents during a galactic civil war. He commits increasingly ruthless acts to secure his power as a Sith apprentice.

    tense → bleak, still space opera

    pace0·prose0·bleak+1

  • Star Wars - The New Jedi Order - Star by Star

    Troy Denning2001

    Jedi strike teams infiltrate enemy space to destroy a biological weapon that tracks Force-users. The plot focuses on a high-stakes mission.

    Same tense register, still space opera

    pace0·prose0·bleak+1