A ReadOrbit guide

Series science fiction

Explore recommendation-ready books selected for readers interested in series.

Get a personal shortlist
Cover of Afterworld (Next Life, #1)

2021

Afterworld (Next Life, #1)

by James G. Robertson

Death comes, and misery follows. As a man in his early twenties, Leon never genuinely contemplated what would happen after his death. Like those before him, he never understood the truth of our universe. After his sudden demise, the terrorizing reality of a mysterious dystopian a…

Cover of J. G. Ballard (Modern Masters of Science Fiction)

2017

J. G. Ballard (Modern Masters of Science Fiction)

by D. Harlan Wilson

"Prophetic short stories and apocalyptic novels like The Crystal World made J.G. Ballard a foundational figure in the British New Wave. Rejecting the science fiction of rockets and aliens, he explored an inner space of humanity informed by psychiatry and biology and shaped by Sur…

Cover of Strange music

2017

Strange music

by Alan Dean Foster

4.0

"Unlikely duo Pip and Flinx return to right another wrong in this all-new sci-fi adventure from one of the genre's living legends. Fans of fun, fast-paced, imaginative science fiction adventure, rejoice! #1 New York Times bestselling author Alan Dean Foster returns to his much-lo…

Cover of Fallout: The Hot War

2016

Fallout: The Hot War

by Harry Turtledove

3.0

"The novels of Harry Turtledove show history balancing on single moments: One act of folly. One poor decision. One moment of rage. In his astounding new series, the unthinkable has come to pass. The Cold War turns hot--and the United States and the Soviet Union unleash their nucl…

Cover of The Edge of Worlds: Volume Four of the Books of the Raksura

2016

The Edge of Worlds: Volume Four of the Books of the Raksura

by Martha Wells

3.5

"An expedition of groundlings from the Empire of Kish have traveled through the Three Worlds to the Indigo Cloud court of the Raksura, shape-shifting creatures of flight that live in large family groups. The groundlings have found a sealed ancient city at the edge of the shallow…

Cover of The Mexican flyboy

2016

The Mexican flyboy

by Alfredo Véa

"What if we could travel back in time to save our heroes from painful deaths? What if we could rewrite history to protect and reward the innocent victims of injustice? In Alfredo Vea's daring new novel, one man does just that, taking readers on a series of remarkable journeys. Ab…

Cover of League of dragons

2016

League of dragons

by Naomi Novik

5.0

"With the acclaimed Temeraire novels, New York Times bestselling author Naomi Novik has created a fantasy series like no other, combining the high-flying appeal of Anne McCaffrey's Pern saga and the swashbuckling derring-do of Patrick O'Brian's historical seafaring adventures. No…

Cover of The span of empire

2016

The span of empire

by Eric Flint

"A new novel in New York Times best seller Eric Flint's science fiction Jao Empire series. It has become clear to both the Jao and their human and Lleix partners that if they are going to defeat the Ekhat who have been terrorizing the galaxy for eons, they need more allies. To th…

Cover of Space Raptor Butt Trilogy

2016

Space Raptor Butt Trilogy

by Chuck Tingle

With his genre-defining work, Space Raptor Butt Invasion, Chuck Tingle proved that even gay dinosaur erotica could be nominated for a Hugo Award, the most prestigious honor in science fiction. Nobody could have expected what would happen when the story continued. Collected here i…

Cover of Understanding William Gibson

2016

Understanding William Gibson

by Gerald Alva Miller

"Gerald Alva Miller Jr.'s Understanding William Gibson is a thoughtful examination of the life and work of William Gibson, author of eleven novels and twenty short stories. Gibson is the recipient of many notable awards for science fiction writing including the Nebula, Hugo, and…

Cover of The forever engine

2014

The forever engine

by Frank Chadwick

"Original Trade Paperback. The exciting debut of a steampunk masterpiece from legendary game author and creator of the staple steampunk role playing game, Space: 1889. The stunning unveiling of a perfectly formed steampunk past, from an author who helped define the genre. London…

Cover of Crown of renewal

2014

Crown of renewal

by Elizabeth Moon

"Acclaimed author Elizabeth Moon spins gripping, richly imagined epic fantasy novels that have earned comparisons to the work of such authors as Robin Hobb and Lois McMaster Bujold. In this volume, Moon's brilliant masterwork reaches its triumphant conclusion. The mysterious reap…

Cover of Ghosts of time

2014

Ghosts of time

by Steve White

4.0

"Book #4 of the Jason Thanou Time Travel series. Jason and his team travel to the latter days of the American Civil War to combat a transhumanist threat. Sequel to Pirates of the Timestream. Special operations officer Jason Thanou of the Temporal Regulatory Authority must once ag…

Cover of 1636

2014

1636

by Eric Flint

"New York Times and Wall Street Journal best-selling alternate history series. Book #14 in the Ring of Fire series created by Eric Flint. Eddie Cantrell, now married to the king of Denmark's daughter, is sent by Admiral Simpson to the Caribbean to secure access to the most valuab…

Cover of 1636

2014

1636

by Iver P. Cooper

"A new addition to the multiple New York Times best-selling Ring of Fire series. After carving a place for itself in war-torn 17th century Europe, citizens of the modern town of Grantville, West Virginia, the up-timers and their allies take on continental America and the Japan! A…

Cover of 1636

2014

1636

by Eric Flint, Walter H. Hunt

4.0

"Book #18 in the multiple New York Times best-selling Ring of Fire series, and the team behind national bestseller 1635: The Kremlin Games. After carving a free state for itself in war-torn 17th century Europe, citizens of the modern town of Grantville, West Virginia contend with…

Cover of Paradigms lost

2014

Paradigms lost

by Ryk E. Spoor

4.0

"In a world of data manipulation and cyberspying, an investigative journalist find that the supernatural lurks! A major revision of Spoor's first novel, Digital Knight, with all new material. Being an expert in information searches, image processing and enhancement, pattern match…

Cover of William Gibson

2013

William Gibson

by Gary Westfahl

The leading figure in the development of cyberpunk, William Gibson (born in 1948) crafted works in which isolated humans explored near-future worlds of ubiquitous and intrusive computer technology and cybernetics. This volume is the first comprehensive examination of the award-wi…

Cover of Captain Vorpatril's Alliance

2012

Captain Vorpatril's Alliance

by Lois McMaster Bujold

4.1

"Book Fourteen in the best-selling Vorkosigan series. Captain Ivan Vorpatril is happy with his relatively uneventful bachelor's life of a staff officer to a Barrayaran admiral. Ivan, cousin to Imperial troubleshooter Miles Vorkosigan, is not far down the hereditary list for the e…

Cover of This Book is Full of Spiders

2012

This Book is Full of Spiders

by David Wong

4.0

"Fan favorite David Wong takes readers to a whole new level with this blistering sequel to the cult sensation John Dies at the End, soon to be a movie starring Paul Giamatti Originally released as an online serial where it received more than 70,000 downloads, John Dies at the End…

Cover of Ilium

2006

Ilium

by Dan Simmons

4.1

From the author of the Hyperion Cantos -- one of the most acclaimed popular series in contemporary science fiction -- comes a powerful epic of high-tech gods, human heroes, total war, and the extraordinary transcendence of ordinary beings. The first book in a two-part epic. "I am…

Cover of Armageddon's Children (Genesis of Shannara)

2006

Armageddon's Children (Genesis of Shannara)

by Terry Brooks

4.1

Terry Brooks is one of a handful of writers whose work defines modern fantasy fiction. His twenty-three international bestsellers have ranged from the beloved Shannara series to stories that tread a much darker path. Armageddon's Children is a new creation--the perfect opportunit…

Cover of The Crowded World of Solitude

2005

The Crowded World of Solitude

by Albert Russo

General introduction to Albert Russo’s work by Martin Tucker: “Albert Russo’s art and life are all of a unique piece, and that piece is a plurality of cultures. Born in what was then the Belgian Congo and now is Congo/Zaire, he grew up in Central and Southern Africa and writes in…

Cover of A Feast for Crows

2005

A Feast for Crows

by George R. R. Martin

4.1

Few books have captivated the imagination and won the devotion and praise of readers and critics everywhere as has George R. R. Martin’s monumental epic cycle of high fantasy. Now, in *A Feast for Crows*, Martin delivers the long-awaited fourth book of his landmark series, as a k…