Space Exploration Fiction

Robert A. Heinlein's Delilah and the Space Rigger is a sharp and thought-provoking science fiction short story that explores themes of gender roles, workplace dynamics, and progress in space exploration. First published in 1949, this story showcases Heinlein's trademark blend of humor, social commentary, and hard science fiction. The story takes place on a space station under construction, where an all-male crew is suddenly thrown into disarray when a female technician, Delilah, joins their ranks.

Jon Hunter is back. Whether he likes it or not! Be careful what you ask for. A higher being might be listening. It's been 2 days since Jon Hunter reset the timeline, by locking the Darkness away forever. 2 days of grateful rest. For him. For the rest of the team, it feels like a year has passed, and they're stuck in a limbo they cannot escape. Jane wants Jon to get back to work, and a higher power seems to want the same thing. But Jon isn't ready yet, and Jane thinks he only needs a wakeup call. But when has anything Jon Hunter related ever been as simple as a wakeup call? Weird is normal ...

The Oracle has Seen the end of Civilization, and the end of the Haosa, too. Reactions to this are—mixed. On the one hand, foresight is a notoriously erratic Gift. On the other, can Civilization—or the Haosa—afford to assume that the prophecy is an error? And if the Oracle has Seen truly—is it possible to alter the future?

Join us on a Star Trek -like frolic through space with a fascinating crew of aliens and humans alike, as they share adventures and romance along the way. "What's it gonna be, Captain?" is what the team of captains, the glamorous and stunning Captain Jenivah Stavah, and the enigmatic Captain John Braxus Cainon, say to each other when ever their next adventure is about to start.The first in a series, "The Belerophon and the Crystal Sphere" with some hard science with some magical and mythos elements passing thru in a universe with some revenants from a time before, a hate older than space has...

In the chaotic heart of the Helios Rift, where swirling radiation fronts and gravitational anomalies make every journey a gamble, Commander Elara Voss and the crew of the privateer vessel Corsair face their first mission after Elara's conditional pardon from a court-martial that ended her military career. What begins as a straightforward assignment to intercept a vessel smuggling weapons to insurgents quickly evolves into a complex ethical dilemma when Elara discovers the target is carrying political refugees fleeing cultural persecution. As the Corsair navigates deadly radiation zones and ...

Head peace officer Anya Savelova believed her people, living on a hostile planet in the ice-bound city of Novayarkha, were the last of humanity. Until the day she learned they weren't. When a starship from an Earth thought long dead appears in orbit over her world, Anya imagines an explosion of possible futures, offering her people the freedom to transcend the limiting environment of the planet they'd thought was their last refuge. In the starship's crew, Anya finds creativity, diversity, innovation–all things the colony has had to inhibit to survive.

After stumbling upon a portal.... ... a universe of magic and science exploration becomes possible, and life is never the same again. Bored in science class for the hundredth time, Noah stares out the window until a strange noise catches his attention—one that no one else seems to hear. Following the sound, he sneaks out, only to find a gateway to another dimension right before his eyes... and then it all gets a little crazy... But just when Noah fears he’s destined to be trapped in a parallel universe all alone, he discovers a world brimming with new friends, wondrous discoveries, and ...

Science Fiction Stories 12: A Collection of Gripping Tales from the UnknownScience Fiction Stories 12 by Various Authors is a thrilling compilation of futuristic adventures, extraterrestrial encounters, and cosmic mysteries. Immerse yourself in a universe where anything is possible, and the limits of human imagination are stretched beyond the stars. Discover what happens when: A survey team stumbles upon an alien species with faster-than-light travel. Heroes are forged in the crucible of interstellar conflict. The remnants of ancient civilizations hold secrets that could alter the course of...

Mars, 2316. The recently created Terraforming Committee arbitrates the dramatic development of Mars by powerful rival corporations. When a rogue asteroid crashes into a research center and kills its lone technician, the fragile balance between corporations is shattered. The World Government's investigation into the accident reveals a multitude of motives, while a corporation insider stumbles on a dark conspiracy.

Black Widows Complete Second Series includes the complete second season of six Black Widows episodes, previously only available separately: The Black Widows are an infamous, all-female mercenary unit. Aboard their heavily-armed ship Medusa, they embark on secretive missions throughout the crumbling Confederacy as it wages a terrible and bloody civil war. Each of the Widows is an elite operative, with skills and expertise that command a high price. Their very names spread fear and terror into the hearts of their foes. Episode 1 The Black Widows are offered a mission they cannot refuse, and ...

The Central Authority is on fire.Simone, leader of the Overlords, has ramped up her aggression, arresting her enemies in the Central Authority Congress while she hunts for the last three Samson Corporation vessels. Captain Trey Clarke stands in her way.At the helm of the starship New Jersey, Captain Clarke has turned the tables in early engagements, but can that success last? The Overlords have many battleships and all the fuel they need, while the Samson Corporation uses up the meager resources they have.Captain Clarke discovers hidden experimental AI technology in the New Jersey’s ...

While the crew of the UN Expeditionary Force's pirate starship Flying Dutchman are enjoying a luxury vacation cruise (not!), UNEF troops are still stranded on an alien-controlled planet. Major Emily Perkins and her team are busy picking up the pieces, and it's not easy, because there is trouble on Paradise...

Colton Beck has six months to live. He works for the Angor near Los Angeles, aware that any day could be his last. The Angor arrived twenty years ago, resolved to help mankind survive, but not everyone believes their motives are honorable. When the Angor offer humanity a colony world, Colton is determined to see another planet before his final breath. He's been diagnosed with Xeno, a rare disorder that surfaced with the Angor's arrival, but he won't let this stop him.

A slender novel of epic power and the winner of the Booker Prize 2024, Orbital deftly snapshots one day in the lives of six women and men traveling through space. Selected for one of the last space station missions of its kind before the program is dismantled, these astronauts and cosmonauts—from America, Russia, Italy, Britain, and Japan—have left their lives behind to travel at a speed of over seventeen thousand miles an hour as the earth reels below.

As if nearly burning up in a freak accident on her way to Earth wasn't bad enough, Daisy had a whole mess of other trouble on her plate. Big trouble. And she was going to get to the bottom of it if it was the last thing she'd do, which it was starting to look like it very well might be. The thing is, Daisy had a simple rule for space travel. Don't blow up, and so far she'd been managing to abide by that, but mere survival wasn't enough.

We didn't know what to expect when we jumped through the Leap Point. We certainly didn't anticipate finding that humans had been out here before. We thought we were the first to leave our star system, but we we're wrong. Maybe Hegemony was correct. Maybe we are just blundering our way from discovery to discovery, and it's only a matter of time before we encounter something in the vast darkness that takes a real bite out of us. It would certainly help if the government had our back.

Mickey7 is an Expendable: a disposable employee on a human expedition sent to colonise the ice world Niflheim. Whenever there's a mission that's too dangerous - even suicidal - the crew turns to Mickey. After one iteration dies, a new body is regenerated with most of his memories intact. Mickey signed on to escape from both bad debts and boredom on Midgard. After six deaths, Mickey7 understands the terms of his deal...and why it was the only colonial position unfilled when he took it.

The Imperium does not take it lightly when its slaves revolt. Earth's population has been decimated, and Captain Bill Henderson is fleeing imperial attack dogs with his crew and two million refugees—the last of humanity. Starship Omega could be the answer to turning the tide and finally ending the Imperium's tyranny. But not in its current form. The Omega is capable of so much more—but to unlock the enormous ship's true power, Bill must lead those under his command into the heart of empire space.

For the first time ever, Van has to deliver the remains of fallen comrades. At the Starsmith, he's presented with an opportunity to change the face of the war, even as Torina and Van begin planning for the ultimate shift in their galaxy: Parenthood. But first, the crew must prepare for an unexpected gift—a new, unknown fleet of ships, uncrewed and hidden deep out in the black. There's just one problem. They have the ships, but they need pilots and a secret base to create their fleet. For that job, they'll need an ally of unparalleled strength. The Schegith Protectorate.

The stories you’ve dreamed of; the people you crave to meet; or would love to be. The aliens who’d make you shiver, or laugh. The huge risks of guiding your spacecraft here, or there. The adventures you’d have if only you had the nerve… Or the utter romance of doing that… The humour of orbital disasters and alien conflicts; the perils of ill-advised time-interference; the sheer romance of null-gravity love; the terrors of a leaky hull; the fear of a bullying boss when you’re a thousand light years beyond.; the choices you face in the big, black Vac. Mostly a laugh or a satisfied...