stories in and

The Slums of the Solar System

The Slums of the Solar System by Kat Macleod

MITWA: When a deadly plague ravaged the Earth refugees fled into space, crowding into any space station or lunar colony that would take them. Decades passed and the descendants of the survivors struggle to live in anything remotely spaceworthy. Omesh, banished from his Earthly home, finds himself in Barnacle Town. A collection of salvage clinging to the hull of a space station in lunar orbit. Thousands of lives cling precariously to the hull, at the whim of the corporation that owns the station. The station manager welcomes everyone. But then the CEO arrives, intent on scraping the hull of his craft clean. Omesh and his family, friends and neighbors? Not the corporation’s problem. With nowhere else to go, Omesh vows to fight for his new home. But physics? More merciless than any CEO. THE MARS OF MALCONTENTS: Valentina knows how to live in the community spread throughout the old mining caves under the Martian ice cap. A violent place in a forbidding climate, but home for her and her brother. Until she wakes from a coma to find her brother gone. Her father thinks her incapable of following them back to the equatorial cities. He underestimates her – her stubbornness, her courage and her inventiveness. But she underestimates the cold, airless surface of Mars. A journey from the polar ice cap to the Martian equator? Not enough to stop Valentina. Not with her brother on the line. THE WHOLE WORLD FOR EACH: After humankind fled Earth for space they discovered one inescapable truth. People die in space. And lots of dead people means lots of ghosts. April Nguyen earns a nice living getting rid of those ghosts. People all over the Solar System clamor for her aid. April's only problem? Never actually seeing a ghost. She pretends, she feigns, she completely convinces her clients, but she fears her inevitable exposure as a fraud. And then comes Hakim, the ultimate suspicious sceptic watching her every move. And yet April feels herself drawn to him. He knows a whole other world. "The Whole World for Each", a story about belief and disbelief and how we jump between the two. Humankind escaped Earth, but not death and what comes after.


Stowaway (Aeolus Investigations Book 1)

Stowaway (Aeolus Investigations Book 1) by Robert E Colfax

The year is 2026. When Lexi first met Ron, she was a 24-year-old doctoral student at a university on the west coast of the United States. She had a plan with clear goals for her life. Lexi hoped to be on the first space mission to Titan, although, in a pinch, Mars would do. Ron was a student there too, except it turned out he already had a job as an insurance investigator. One with an undercover mission. While it wouldn't be fair to say that Lexi was knocked off her feet, she certainly felt a strong attraction. Ron abruptly left after their first date without much of an explanation. Bummer! What does a bright young woman brimming with curiosity and an overabundance of determination do? She followed him. Of course. Who knew he was an alien? Right? Determined to save Earth from (an imagined) invasion, what could a girl do other than to stow away on his small starship. Her plans of space missions quickly go out the window. Joining forces with her alien boyfriend Ron, his mother Geena, and the sentient starship Urania, they manage to recover the 50,000 year-old, alien, artifact known as the Rose of Light. That’s when the fun starts, or more precisely, the havoc begins. Aeolus Investigations is a lighthearted space adventure with tongue-in-cheek humor and a dash of romance. Join Lexi, Ron, Geena, and Urania, the Aeolus Investigations team, in Stowaway, the first of their ongoing adventures.


The Empyrean

The Empyrean by Katherine Franklin

SPSFC 2022

Emotion is a weapon. Harnessing its power could destroy worlds. Palia’s emotions are in turmoil. After watching her son succumb to Empyrean fire, she barely escapes the same fate. Guilt ridden and alone, she will not stop until his killer is brought to justice. The Protectorate forbids Ferrash to have emotions. That suits him, since he cannot avoid the people who control the Empyrean. Making this sacrifice prevents them from hijacking his feelings and using them as a weapon against him. When Ferrash spots Palia’s ship venting atmosphere, he is forced to save her. Having an enemy from the Hegemony on board could see him accused of treason. But when the Empyrean reveals its potential as a destroyer of worlds and Palia’s link to it, Ferrash knows he can’t let her leave. With billions at risk of succumbing to the Empyrean weapon, can the enemies join forces and prevent the same fate that killed Palia’s son? The Empyrean is the first book in the Galaxy of Exiles series, a science-fiction space opera about a galaxy under the pall of weaponised emotions. Immerse yourself in a detailed universe of heroes, villains and more. If you like page-turning futuristic action, you'll love this.


Adrift in Starlight

Adrift in Starlight by Mindi Briar

When set adrift in the universe, some things are worth holding onto. Titan Valentino has been offered a job they can’t refuse. Tai, a gender-neutral courtesan, receives a scandalous proposition: seduce an actor's virgin fiancée. The money is enough to pay off Tai’s crushing medical debt, a tantalizing prospect. Too bad Aisha Malik isn’t the easy target they expect. A standoffish historian who hates to be touched, she’s laser-focused on her career, and completely unaware that her marriage has been arranged behind her back. This could be the one instance where Tai’s charm and charisma fail them. Then an accidental heist throws them together as partners in crime. Fleeing from the Authorities, they’re dragged into one adventure after another: alien planets, pirate duels, and narrow escapes from the law. As Tai and Aisha open up to each other, deeper feelings kindle between them. But that reward money still hangs over Tai’s head. Telling Aisha the truth could ruin everything... Their freedom, their career, and their blossoming love all hang in the balance. To save one might mean sacrificing the rest.


Embargo on Hope

Embargo on Hope by Justin Doyle

SPSFC 2023 SPFBO10 SPSFC 2024

Even gods have secrets… On planet Vastire, worth is set by the sins of one’s ancestors. Good families rise to the elite and the wicked fall into poverty. Unfortunately for sixteen-year-old Darynn Mark, his father incited a revolution. Now, Darynn scrounges his way through life in the slums. When Vastire is surrounded by an embargo, it gets even harder to survive. That all changes when an alien ship slips through the embargo, seeking Darynn with an offer: finish the revolution and the embargo ends. He might have a chance thanks to mysterious magic powers, and his two companions: clairvoyant crush Fyra and soldierly alien Kaylaa. Cutthroat killers, mystical beasts, Vampires, power-hungry priests and lords, and self-serving spies stand in their way. If the three of them can crack his father’s secret, maybe they can end the embargo and save the poor. If not, another poor orphan will be added to the growing piles of dead.


Spectacular Silver Earthling

Spectacular Silver Earthling by Mara Lynn Johnstone

SPSFC 2022

Hubcap used to be a rescue bot, getting humans out of every boneheaded scrape imaginable. His new career as a TV star suits him better: he can poke fun at the humans instead, while harvesting jetpods and tackling alien predators faster than any of them. It doesn’t hurt that he’s also immune to the mysterious “space frenzy” that keeps sending his coworkers into a froth. The robot worries for his human friends, though he would never admit it. Not when it’s much more fun to deploy weapons-grade sass. The pressure ratchets up when a rival show aims to steal their sponsor. Hubcap has to film his most spectacular footage yet, while avoiding dangerous wildlife, plantlife, and emotions. But if anyone is up to the task, it’s the robot with skills second to none, and an ego to match.


True Teryn

True Teryn by S.G. Blaise

Lilla must recruit the biggest and most dangerous army in the Seven Galaxies, but the Teryn emperor will not comply unless Lilla earns the blessing of the Teryn Guardian Goddess Laoise. Dealing with gods is never easy. Guardian Goddess Laoise’s condition for bestowing her blessing is for Lilla to bring her the mysterious Heart Amulet. Now Lilla is trapped in a strange place with no way out, no idea where to go or how to find the amulet. The only way for Lilla to complete her mission is to uncover the biggest secret of all Teryns. Will she survive discovering the secret of what it means to be a True Teryn?


Space Academy Dropouts

Space Academy Dropouts by C.T. Phipps

"Boldly going because they're completely lost." The newly renamed Vance Turbo has sabotaged his own career at Space Fleet Academy due to a desire to atone for training accident. Unfortunately, his actions result in him getting press-ganged into an expendable crew of misfits recruited by a legendary starship captain. Their mission? To recover a collection of lost sun-destroying missiles that could restart a galactic war. Unfortunately, Vance is smart enough to know something is wrong with this picture. After all, no sane person would recruit this crew to save the universe. SPACE ACADEMY DROPOUTS is an all-new series from C.T. Phipps (Supervillainy Saga, Agent G) and Michael Suttkus (I Was a Teenage Weredeer, Lucifer's Star) that lampoons the space opera as well as military science fiction genres.


Skylark in the Fog

Skylark in the Fog by Helyna L. Clove

So when the universe falls to pieces, it doesn’t mean your life has to, right? That comes later. Jeane Blake, captain of the spaceship Skylark, makes her living by looting dead worlds, planets fallen prey to naturally occurring wormhole-like rifts plaguing the cosmos. She survives the only way she knows how: avoiding commitment and arguing with her dead foster father's ghost. But when her crew stumbles upon an alien device that could collapse the wormhole network and wipe out all sentient life, they catch the hungry eyes of the Union, a tyrannical empire hunting the sinister tech. As she flees the Union’s brainwashed agents, Jeane is forced to take on a shady mission and gets stuck assisting the runaway monarch of a technocrat planet. Queen Maura Tholis is seeking the aid of an interstellar resistance to reclaim her war-torn world, with another trouble-magnet device as her bargaining chip: a glove that allows her to command AI systems. Jeane couldn’t care less about the whole deal, but things become personal when the Union annexes the place she calls home. And it might be her fault. Reluctant to become weapons in the hands of power-hungry militants and desperate rebels, smuggler and queen join forces. But to save their homes, they must redefine themselves, work with the enemy, and face personal traumas they’d buried long ago—and only stars know which challenge might break them in the end.


Mercury's Shadow

Mercury's Shadow by PJ Garcin

SPSFC 2022

One man's lust for power threatens the future of humanity—can a young girl from the outer system stop it all? Imogen “Chim” Esper is thrust into the center of an interplanetary conflict when her family is torn apart by the cruel and indifferent Kardashev Corporation. Forced to run, along with her robotic best friend, Chim struggles to find her place in a society that is poised for revolutionary transformation. The Kardashev Corporation dominates all commerce and politics in the solar system. Its megalomaniac CEO, Alton Neal, is hell-bent on transforming society by capturing the full energy output of the sun through the creation of a Dyson Swarm. Citizens of Earth and the stations throughout the system must band together to protect access to the lifeblood of the system or risk becoming permanently enslaved to the Kardashev Corporation. Mercury’s Shadow is a thrilling adventure that blends real science, big ideas, grand adventure and high stakes to introduce a new heroine and a deep universe that will leave readers asking for more.


Those Once Forgotten

Those Once Forgotten by N. C. Scrimgeour

They were a memory once forgotten. For millennia, they waited. Now, they are coming. The galaxy has been plunged into chaos, left reeling from the trap Alvera Renata triggered around the ancient alien waystations. As the leaders of the allied systems desperately try to prepare for what might be coming, Ridley and Kojan go on the hunt in search of answers. But the one person who might hold the key—the rogue starship captain who started it all—is missing in action, and her old friends aren’t the only ones looking for her… Meanwhile, tensions between the Coalition and the Idran-Var are at breaking point in the aftermath of a brutal attack. The only hope for peace may lie in a fragile alliance between Rivus and Niole, old enemies thrown unwillingly onto the same side. But even if they can bury their past, what will it take to overcome the centuries of bloodshed dividing their people? As the mysterious signal coming from the waystations counts down, only one thing is for certain: something is coming, and if the fractured factions of the galaxy can’t find a way to stand against it together, it may be the end for them all.


Those Left Behind

Those Left Behind by N. C. Scrimgeour

SPSFC 2022

A dying planet. A desperate mission. A crew facing impossible odds. Humanity’s last hope lies with them… Time is running out for the people of New Pallas. Nobody knows that better than Alvera Renata, a tenacious captain determined to scout past the stars with nothing but a handpicked crew and a promise: to find a new home for humanity. But when a perilous journey across dark space leads to first contact with a galactic civilisation on the brink of war, Alvera soon realises keeping her word might not be as easy as she thought. Her only hope lies with the secrets of the ancient alien waystations scattered across the galaxy. The mysterious technology could be the key to humanity’s survival—or bring unwanted attention from the long-forgotten beings who built them. But remaining united in the face of annihilation is a lot to ask from a crew already splintering under the weight of their differences. A jaded pilot looks for a place he can start over. A young translator searches for meaning out in the galaxy's lawless frontier. And Alvera reckons with the aftermath of betrayal as she fights for a way to save them all. As they break apart to forge their own paths, Alvera and her crew all face the same question: what are they willing to sacrifice to save those left behind?


Fear of the Dark

Fear of the Dark by Ross Harrison

A dark planet on the galaxy’s edge. A primordial predator. A desperate hunt for a dangerous secret. When the medical frigate Ruby Rose picks up an SOS from the planet’s lightning-ravaged surface, the medics do not hesitate to drop into the raging storm. But the innocuous little planet is home to something sinister. Something desperate. Something that will stop at nothing to find what it’s looking for. Across the galaxy, the crew of the Star Wraith receives a call for help. The captain of a medical frigate has lost his medics, and one of their names is all too familiar. But how could the Wraith’s crew know that a simple rescue mission will lead to a string of murders and a waking nightmare that will leave them forever changed?


Impact

Impact by Mark D. Owen

SPSFC

"We've found something here, something game-changing…" The explosion at the International Space Station (ISS) forever changed the direction of inventor Tamarind Chase's life. His life mission was to mine asteroids, but when the accident triggers an expanding debris field it strands the scientists at Moonbase Verity including the friend that once saved his life. He must find a way to rescue them and empower the secret they have discovered. "Impact" is the first book in The Pan Nationals series about a group of leaders trained to solve intractable world problems. But what happens when the problems come from beyond our world?


Pale Boundaries

Pale Boundaries by Scott Cleveland

SPSFC SPSFC 2023

Where do you go after you're torn from the only planet you've ever called home? What do you do when your new home despises foreigners? Who do you blame when they kill someone you care about....and how do you take revenge? Terson Reilly knew things would be different on Nivia. But he wasn't prepared for the draconian environmental laws, harsh population control measures or the prejudice against outsiders-and they didn't expect what he was willing to do to defend himself. Terson finds love when he meets Virene, an independent young woman chafing under the strict social controls herself. The couple do their best to conform, but their rebellious streak leads them beyond the colony's boundaries where their attempt to rescue the crew of a crashed spacecraft unwittingly sets in motion a chain of events that threatens to expose not only Nivia's dark secret, but that of a powerful criminal organization as well.


Muses of Roma

Muses of Roma by Rob Steiner

SPSFC

Marcus Antonius Primus began a golden age for humanity when he liberated Roma from Octavian Caesar and became sole Consul. With wisdom from the gods, future Antonii Consuls conquered the world and spawned an interstellar civilization. Three weeks before the millennial anniversary of the Antonii Ascension, star freighter captain Kaeso Aemelius, a blacklisted security agent from Roman rival world Libertus, is asked by his former commanders to help a high-ranking Roman official defect. Kaeso misses his lone wolf espionage days - and its freedom from responsibility for a crew - so he sees the mission as a way back into the spy business. Kaeso sells it to his crew of outcasts as a quick, lucrative contract...without explaining his plan to abandon them for his old job. But Kaeso soon learns the defector's terrifying secret, one that proves the last thousand years of history was built on a lie. Can Kaeso protect his crew from Roman and Liberti forces, who would lay waste to entire worlds to stop them from revealing the civilization-shattering truth?


The Dark That Dwells

The Dark That Dwells by Matt Digman and Ryan Roddy

SPSFC

The first installment in an immersive new space opera series combining the epic scale of the original Star Wars trilogy and the ensemble-cast adventure of Firefly in a world where alien technologies, hidden magic, and ancient evils push the limits of reality itself. Beyond the edge of known space, the Frontier awaits four souls... Fall Arden, freelance Ranger for hire, wields an unbreakable sword and a mechanized bow. Low on funds, he's taken a job on a dangerous expedition, one that promises a hefty reward. But danger lurks in the Frontier, a fact his employer refuses to acknowledge. Ban Morgan, leader of an Alidian marine squad, fights to regain his honor. But the man who ruined him stands in his way. As he prepares for the orbital assault on an enemy installation, he draws strength from the words of an ancient knight's order, one he dreamt of joining before he lost his way. Tieger of Westmarch, Malleus Maleficarum of the Elcosian faith, hunts down the arcanist witches wherever they may flee. Using the mighty gifts of his god, Elcos, and a technologically advanced ship predating the dawn of history, he scours the stars for his prey, burning a path to their hidden world. Sidna Orin, a mercurial young arcanist, searches for the power to save her people. In a lost temple on a forgotten world, she's closer than ever to finding what she seeks. Able to harness the dual forces of fire and lightning, she won't let anything, or anyone, stand in her way. Forced together by fate on paths that collide in chaos, they must fight to survive in a galaxy on the brink of war. As their stories interweave in love and hate, redemption and revenge, one threat will eclipse their greatest fears: a being of utter darkness and its imminent return. THE DARK THAT DWELLS: a thrilling debut that blends science fiction and fantasy, essential for readers craving a robust, character-driven saga set against the backdrop of an expansive universe with deep world-building at its core.


Safe Passage

Safe Passage by Rachel Ford

SPSFC

Go big or go home. For privateer Captain Magdalene Landon, it's all about going big. For Kay Ellis, it's about getting home. Together, they're about to architect the most daring heist in the galaxy. Kay knows too much. She knows it’s a matter of time before a Conglomerate hitman finds her. She’s desperate for safe passage back to Union space. Then Magdalene shows up, promising a way home in exchange for that information. It’s a risky bet, but Kay is out of options. So she strikes a deal: the heist of the century for her freedom. Kay is playing a dangerous game, and she knows it. She’s made herself Enemy Number One of the Conglomerate. She’s relying on privateers for her safety. It’s a fool’s game. But the worst part is, her fool’s heart is starting to warm to the enigmatic captain. And that’s a risk for which she hadn’t planned.(Cover by May Dawney Designs)


His Name was Wren

His Name was Wren by Rob Winters

SPSFC

"Reminiscent of John Wyndham." "Well written sci-fi for all ages." "A captivating story." "Couldn't put it down." "Beautifully crafted." "If you enjoyed Super 8, Stranger Things, ET, and Starman, you will love this." During the blackout of 1944, in the small English town of Hurstwick, something mysterious obliterates the church spire and slices through the nearby woods. Despite a government coverup, evacuee George Moss discovers the cause of the destruction, becoming the first of a select few who, over the next seventy years, are entrusted with keeping the truth hidden. Years later, Max Cannon moves to town and stumbles across the secret, triggering a chain of events, putting himself and his new friends in the middle of a deadly conflict… His Name was Wren is a first-contact science fiction adventure. A story of friendship, family, and struggle spanning seven decades and a thousand light-years. This story can be read as a standalone or as book one of The Wren Trilogy.


In Times of Peace: Dance of Darkness & Light Episode 1

In Times of Peace: Dance of Darkness & Light Episode 1 by The Loneliest Lone Wolf

SPSFC 2022

Against the backdrop of an immortal War that has entered into its final chapter…
A girl and a boy from a ravaged planet hope to start the first chapter of their new lives…
But no one could see what was lurking in the darkness that lies beyond what their eyes can see… A SAGA SPREAD ACROSS THE UNIVERSE WITH A VERY GROUNDED CAST OF CHARACTERS... As The Empire prepares for the inevitable war against an unseen, unimagined enemy from beyond the realm of the known, an enemy that is determined to destroy everything at any cost... a group youngsters from far and wide are brought together to begin their initiation into The Imperium and face their faceless foe... and in this group of outstanding people there are two that stand out... a girl and a boy... They are the first of their people to be allowed back into The Imperium in generations... for it was generations ago that the rebellion against The Empire had failed and their people were pushed into exile, an exile that had to come to an end when the War came calling... but as they're now being cautiously welcomed back into the mainstream fold... some are more careful about it than others... Join them as they try and find a place for themselves in a changing new world as their old world begins to collapse… two lost souls alone in the vast star system trying to help each other find their true paths... just as a great War charges ahead on its path to them! DESTINIES WILL BE CHANGED... LIVES WILL BE LOST... WHEN THE PAST & PRESENT COLLIDE! The epic story that was in the making for a thousand millennia… is finally ready to be told… This is that story... the story of an epic war as old as time itself... the story of how that immortal war finally died... this is the story of the Dance of Darkness & Light... Witness the beginning of the end with… Episode 1...


Devour the Stars

Devour the Stars by R Coots

SPSFC

Given the choice between death or revenge, who wouldn't take revenge? As the Fleet's newest Warlord, Syrus is offered the chance take revenge on the Empire that did everything in its power to crush him. Fortunately, the Fleet's also giving him with a ship and the troops to see his plan through. He can't wait to get started. But when he rescues two women from an abandoned planet, he earns himself a brewing mutiny. Trapped in a dead-end system, about to be attacked by an Imperial armada far better equipped than his own, he confronts the deadliest leadership crisis of his career. Can he overcome the challenges and seize his revenge? What secrets do the women carry? Devour the Stars is a dark, space operatic journey that charts one man's quest for revenge... and redemption. If you’re looking for the grit of Game of Thrones and the politics of Dune, welcome aboard.


The Golden Crunk of Cringle

The Golden Crunk of Cringle by Ken Rudisill

SPSFC

What could possibly go wrong when stealing a mysterious artifact from a vindictive alien race bent on conquering the galaxy? After years on the run, two desperate siblings mistakenly stow away on a criminal ship leaving sanctioned space. They think their luck can't get any worse until they overhear the crew discussing mutiny and the GCC. Is it possible the captain possesses the legendary artifact? Despite not knowing the object's true power or the creator's identity, they hatch a plan to steal it and depart at the next space station. Join the cautious older brother and reckless sister as they fight to change their fate, discover the mystery behind their colony's destruction, and enact justice on those that wronged them. For fans of underdog revenge stories, sibling bonds, and sentient animal companions.


Quinn of Cygnus: Lift Off

Quinn of Cygnus: Lift Off by AM Scott

SPSFC 2022

Something is wrong at Adzari Net Academy. Really wrong. It all seemed so right—Quinn’s big chance! She’d leave the mud, giant lizards and back-breaking labor behind forever and gain so much more: skills, connections, a job, a real life. Then Quinn arrives to find the academy under new ownership and everything’s changed. Mean girls, strict schedules and tough teachers aren’t a problem. Quinn’s got the brains, discipline and training to beat them at their own game. But the new owners raised the stakes and the house always wins. Quinn’s big adventure has become a fight for survival. Light years from home, with no power or backup, how can she endure? Some might give up and fail. But not Quinn. She’s determined to not just survive, but escape and do a little damage on her way out. They’ll never know what hit them.


World of Difference

World of Difference by WJ Donovan

SPSFC

Science fiction novel set 150 years in the future, Justine O'Rourke is a space engineer working on Io research station when she discovers she is pregnant, she relocates to Ceres for a new life. Her twin brother Davide has been shipped off to Mars to help build a colony as part of a convict work crew. Behind the scenes Bian and Ko Thang are pushing humankind into a new and dark vision of our future.


Memories of the Khassos

Memories of the Khassos by Leah Flaherty

SPSFC

The people of Anatan have lost their home and their means to create a new one, but the one person who could solve this problem doesn't remember who or what she is. With more than one civilization hanging in the balance, an Anatani criminal may be their last hope. When the ancient beings of Anatan get involved, powers old and new collide in a cataclysmic showdown. Will the mystery of their dangerous past be unraveled in time or will the memories reveal an even more dangerous threat?


Streamrider

Streamrider by Mark Huntley-James

SPSFC

Welcome to Bluesky! The most useful island of stability on the slipstream, only a few lightyears beyond Earth, the place to start wars, to bury enemies, and the gateway to the ultimate mineral-rich world of Cinder. Just don’t mention the revolution, the ousted Earth Colonial Office, or the uber-rich Rolanders who used to own it. Lois Rolander – rich girl and documentary addict – arrives on the run to save a piece of alien tech. She finds refuge under an alias amid the maintenance grunts. Jo-jo the thief drops in to put a price on Lois’s head and recover the alien tech he was stealing. Instead he’s dragged into a war he learns his grandfather secretly started. Lois and Jo-jo just need to navigate a path through the brewing war, as everyone fights over that alien tech, itself the key to future control of Cinder’s wealth.


The Aspirant

The Aspirant by Nick Furmidge

SPSFC 2022

Bache Loftt wants nothing more than to follow in his father’s footsteps and be an engineering officer on one of the galaxy’s most powerful, state of the art starships. He has the grades, he has the aptitude – and his application for the naval academy is in. All he has to do is wait for the call up. Then he witnesses a double murder. Barely escaping with his life, can he evade the unlimited resources of a galactic syndicate hunting for him and uncover a conspiracy that involves the very institution he’s determined to join? The Aspirant: a tale of friendships, betrayals, unspeakable crimes – and greed. "Absolutely loved this book! Adventure; Mystery; Intrigue; Conspiracy; Crime; Murder; Assassination — and all of it done on an intergalactic level, this book is worth picking up and taking the time to enjoy" - Goodreads


The Vacuum of Space

The Vacuum of Space by Julia Huni

SPSFC

In space, no one can hear you clean Most people want fame and fortune, but not Triana Moore. She prefers programming maintenance bots and eating vendo food in the solitude of the space station’s control center. But when a highly connected security agent interrupts her routine with stories of murder and missing bodies, Triana can’t ignore him; it’s cooperate or find a new job. A girl has to pay the rent, even on a crappy studio compartment. Since working with a shiny detective beats a shuttle dirt-side, Triana lends her programming skills to Agent O’Neill’s investigation. Together, they find more victims and evidence of a major cover-up. A killer with a clean-up crew means money—lots of money, and connections—just the kind of notice Triana tries to avoid. Following the clues leads them to the wealthiest levels of the station, uncovers long-hidden secrets and puts the killer on notice. It will take all Triana’s technical talents, most of O’Neill’s connections, and some really excellent croissants to stop the murders, save her job, and ultimately, her life. This book was previously published as Murder is Messy


Zenith

Zenith by Arshad Ahsanuddin

SPSFC 2022

Grounded after a rescue attempt in Earth orbit goes bad, Commander Martin Atkins of the Confederation Navy is approached by the Interscission Project, a consortium of civilian corporations on the verge of perfecting the technology to travel to another star. Despite his misgivings, the chance to get back in the pilot’s seat is too much to pass up, and he convinces his best friend and crewmate, Charles Davenport, to leave the military temporarily and join him as part of the crew of the Zenith, humanity’s first starship. Edward Harlen is a brilliant young engineer, and a key player in the construction of the Zenith to take advantage of the untested technology of foldspace drive. But Edward has his own agenda in joining the project, and a bitterly personal score to settle with his boss, Trevor Sutton, a vendetta of which Trevor is entirely ignorant. But when Edward’s sister Stella enters the picture and manages to secure a position on the project, all of Edward’s careful plotting is upset, and she might spell the downfall not only of his plans for revenge, but of the entire Zenith mission. The spark of attraction between Edward and Martin is a complication that Edward can’t afford, but of which he can’t let go. For Edward knows the secret at the heart of the Interscission Project, the hidden potential of the technology that in the wrong hands could become the ultimate assassin’s weapon: the ability to rewrite history, not just once, but many times. As an unseen enemy moves to destroy them, and the body count multiplies in their wake, Martin and Edward must choose whether they will allow the possibility of love to challenge their destinies, or will they instead take up arms in a war to control the most ancient and terrible power in the universe. Time, itself.


Passages

Passages by Laurel Wanrow

SPSFC

On the run, Quinn holds a secret that nearly got him killed. If only he knew what it was. 

Though the ambush scrambled his memories, Quinn is sure of one thing—he can’t trust the electorgs on this alien planet. But they know information he desperately needs to puzzle out who wants him dead, and why. 

For decades, Eve and her fellow electorgs—part human, part machine—have beaten back toxic spores that poison the native people on the quiet planet of Aarde. When their new commander halts work right before a deadly spore release, Eve races to protect the villagers she considers friends and family. 

In the fray, a handsome traveler arrives with a story in conflict with the emotions the psychic Eve detects wafting from him. Quinn may not remember his past, but he knows this capable woman can help him, and soon they’re caught up in his dangerous mission: Space marauders are risking the planet to harvest a valuable resource. But what is it? 

With the fate of life on Aarde in the balance, the logic of joining forces erupts into an attraction that could prove fatal for both of them. Buy Passages to unwind a thrilling science fiction fantasy mystery today!


Zero Day Threat

Zero Day Threat by R.M. Olson

SPSFC

Four ex-convicts. One charismatic mastermind. And the most dangerous heist the System has ever seen. Jez is a damn good pilot, and she’s always worked alone. Until she got picked up for smuggling, that is. Now she’s lost her ship, lost her job, lost her reputation, and is on the run from the law. So when a mysterious stranger in a battered pilots coat comes to her with an offer that sounds too good to be true, she reluctantly agrees to listen. All she has to do is fly one little job. Then she gets the details. She and a hand-picked band of misfit ex-convicts will be pulling a heist on Vitali “the Butcher” Dobrev, the most deadly weapons dealer and crime boss in the System. They’ll be stealing tech that could change the course of history. And the government, the mafia, and every enterprising criminal in the System would kill to get their hands on it. Thing is, Jez is out of options. She’s going to have to fly this job, and they’ll have to pull it off. And knowing Vitali, if they fail, dying is the least of their worries. Zero Day Threat is the first instalment in the space opera science fiction series The Ungovernable. Firefly meets Ocean’s Eleven in R.M. Olson’s fast-paced, kick-ass, wickedly-fun series.


Dead Star

Dead Star by Simon Kewin

SPSFC

A hidden trail among the stars The galaxy is in flames under the harsh theocratic rule of Concordance, the culture that once thrived among the stars reduced to scattered fragments. Selene Ada, last survivor of an obliterated planet, joins forces with the mysterious renegade, Ondo Lagan. Together they attempt to unravel the mystery of Concordance’s rapid rise to galactic domination. They follow a trail of shattered starship hulks and ancient alien ruins, with the ships of the enemy always one step behind. But it’s only when they find the mythical planet of Coronade that they uncover the true scale of the destruction Concordance is capable of unleashing… Don't forget to read the free prequel novella Home World (The Triple Stars volume 0) first.


Broken Ascension

Broken Ascension by Dave Walsh

SPSFC

The war is over, and there are no winners. Just a broken galaxy. Now humans and aliens must share this war-torn galaxy. None of this matters to Drake, though, he's just an artist. He's tagging along on the busted up ship Trystero, along with its ragtag crew. Together, they traverse the Demilitarized Zone between Terran and Gra'al borders, taking on any job they can find. Big or small. Human or alien. The galaxy changes when the crew encounters a derelict alien ship, its crew slaughtered. With his dying breath, a crewman points them to a box. In it? An abandoned alien baby. When their government refuses to get involved, Drake and the crew need to return the baby they've been calling Bruce home, a bloodthirsty warlord on their tail. His quest? Find Bruce and claim the Gra'al throne, declaring a new war on humanity. Drake never wanted to be a hero... now he's all that stands in the way of a fragile peace between humans and aliens.


Modulus

Modulus by Richard T Romero

SPSFC

Steve Holbrook, with his defense reserve squadron, is called upon to resist the incursion of an unknown star cruiser. The defenders fail to prevent the cruiser from destroying their world, but manage to survive. Who destroyed the planet and the pioneers who lived there? How was it done? Why would anyone destroy an out-of-the-way agricultural planet in such a destructive display of power?To track down and apprehend the one responsible, Steve will rely on friends old and new, follow a trail of clues, endure an assassination attempt, use powerful new technologies, and discover something alien that no human technology seems able to unlock.This is the first book in the Modulus series.


Godeena

Godeena by Stjepan Varesevac Cobets

SPSFC 2022

Henry Broncon is a Cyber-modified soldier, a special teams commander, and the sole survivor of the Field of Death battle on Planet Morad. Unable to shake off his old demons, he enlists in a new mission to collect more of them. Planet Godeena is a prized new acquisition from the war with the Anskers until it starts killing everyone who lands on it. Three complete expeditions to the planet disappear suddenly with no trace and no survivors. High Command is ready to write the rich planet off as "permanently inaccessible" until a lone survivor sends a cryptic SOS from the planet's surface using outdated Morse Code. Now Henry Broncon, with a platoon of hardened criminals as his only troops, must lead a force of prisoners, mystics, and old friends in a last-ditch effort to save a resourceful VIP survivor from a powerful and unknown enemy. In the process, he'll attempt to lay claim to the perfectly preserved remains of a two-thousand-year-old advanced civilization that once thrived on the now-deadly Planet Godeena. Can Planet Godeena be salvaged for the Interstellar Confederation? Will anyone return from this mission alive? Or will Henry, his squad, and his VIP all end up being buried there together, along with everyone else who has gone there before them?


PIERCING THE CELESTIAL OCEAN

PIERCING THE CELESTIAL OCEAN by Kip Koelsch

SPSFC

AN EPIC TALE, A CLASH OF TWO UNIVERSES Disgraced scientist, Captain Anton Ekels, seizes the opportunity for redemption he recognizes in the Endeavor’s near-collision with an alien stasis pod. Expelled from the mouth of a remote wormhole, the capsule—once taken onboard the deep space research vessel--reveals clues that the captain believes may link its female humanoid occupant to an alternate reality. A student of Earth’s space exploration history, Ekels quickly recognizes a plaque similar to that attached to the twentieth century’s Pioneer space probes--but the universe described is potentially unlike anything ever encountered by the Intragalactic Science Consortium. SIX-HUNDRED YEARS EARLIER ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WORMHOLE Grand Master G’lea and her assistant, Master T’reau, aim their innovative celestiscope skyward and make a heretical discovery. Suppressed and warped by influential P’nesian Clerics, this startling revelation further secures the dominance of the Grand Conclave, enhances the mystery of the Heavenly Visitors and seals the fate of G’lea and T’reau. Despite the best efforts of the Grand Conclave the legend of the Grand Master and her assistant lives on in hand-copied, forbidden books, the furtive whisperings of radical academics and the tall tales of drunken sailors on the island of Lolus. Hundreds of years later, on this oft-denigrated island, unique circumstances unite a sea captain raised on those whispered tall tales with the estranged son of the powerful P’nesian Archcleric. Aboard the Vagus, A’zra and G’regor begin an adventure that not only challenges entrenched religious beliefs, but eventually inspires a much greater scientific leap—towards the Celestial Ocean and beyond. PIERCING THE CELESTIAL OCEAN THE SAGA OF THE CERULEAN UNIVERSE BEGINS


No Easy Road (Concordia Series Book 1)

No Easy Road (Concordia Series Book 1) by Greg Camp

SPSFC

Five years in the Centauri Royal Navy has earned Lieutenant Thomas Cochrane the disapproval of his superiors. And when his captain dies in an accident that Tom is unable to prevent, the young officer finds himself without a posting and without a future. Unless he can make a destiny of his own. Bertrand Lile spends his days in the shadows, obeying the orders of a clandestine society while harboring his own secret, his belief that a distant enemy is weaving its tentacles into the heart of the Centauri Empire. But his time to prove this is running short. This first book in the Concordia Series starts the friendship of Tom and Bertrand set against a culture satisfied with its own traditions. Caught between pirates who want to kill them and their supposed comrades who could end their careers, they seek to save their worlds that do not yet know of the looming dangers. And they find that no matter what the destination, the journey has no easy road.


The Voyage of the White Cloud

The Voyage of the White Cloud by Darusha Wehm

SPSFC

Can home be a place you’ve never been, a place no one has ever been?The White Cloud is the most audacious experiment the human species has ever undertaken—to search for a new Earth. The ship and its crew exist for a solitary purpose—to reach a distant planet and establish a colony. However, the vast majority of people undertaking this journey will not live to see its result, nor were they part of the decision-making process to leave.A novel-in-stories, following the many generations who make the journey, The Voyage of the White Cloud asks how you can find meaning as a slave to destiny, a mere stepping-stone in history.These are the stories of the most ordinary people on a most extraordinary journey.


Where Weavers Daire

Where Weavers Daire by Robert Bentley

SPSFC

Ten years after the last war . . . Across the universe, on the desert world of Stuk’s Hollow, the New Year celebrations are in full swing with gatherings of Houses; the technological, the magical and the mortal. All the while invisible fingers pull the living, the dead and the banished towards the festivities. Salvage hauler Melinda Scott and her family are in the middle of an asteroid belt when her wild ride begins. Necromancer Spence MacGregor awakens from a long slumber only to find himself and his ship on a collision course with the Hollow. Techno Mage Roark Knoll is very dead but that doesn’t stop their adventures. From the cold and dark reaches of space to across the Wailing Sea, something old has been summoned. It’s just a question of who’s going to reach the festivities first and what secrets they will uncover. The Fallen Techno Mage. The Forgotten Weaver. The Lost Leader. The bloodthirsty evil. Welcome to Where Weavers Daire.


Aurora Ascending: Armageddon is only the Beginning

Aurora Ascending: Armageddon is only the Beginning by Dennis Ideue

SPSFC 2022

The first volume of the epic New Terrans series! Follow Elliot’s adventures he gathers a force to challenge the invincible fleet surrounding Aether. Vowing to destroy the Emperor that shattered his homeworld, he’s joined by a beautiful telepath, a smartass computer, and an elite team of Terran military forces. If you love action, detailed space battles, fleet engagements, ship-to-ship combat, and a little romance, you'll love this series. Elliot Greyjoy is an avid affecionado of 20th century Sci-fi. In alternating first-person, you will be swept into Elliot's universe. First contact, planetary occupation, and evacuation are merely the first trials he must overcome before his quest even begins. Armageddon is only the beginning of the adventure.


The Road from Antioch

The Road from Antioch by Pierre E. Pettinger Jr.

SPSFC

The pilgrim ship Antioch is destroyed just short of the New Vatican. Someone is stealing critical shipments in the Chemosh Empire. Two worlds of the Laanyr Clan Heer have been attacked. Small vessels are buzzing the Rivnyera World Ships. Who is behind these incidents? Terrorists? Rebels? The mysterious Cherek? Or someone else entirely? The nations of the Orion Arm must join forces and find the culprits. The investigation ranges from the space around the planet Ans to the fields of Inohr Dan Nool to the supposedly primitive planet of Cordwainer. Join an Admiral, a Catholic Sister, a Knight Militant, an Ensign, a Great Mind, an Inspector and a Herdmaster as they seek out the perpetrators of these odd occurrences.


Lost Solace

Lost Solace by Karl Drinkwater

SPSFC

Lost Solace was a semifinalist in the international SPSFC science fiction competition in 2022. Sometimes spaceships disappear with everyone on board - the Lost Ships. But sometimes they come back, strangely altered, derelict, and rumoured to be full of horrors. Opal is on a mission. She's been seeking something her whole life. Something she is willing to die for. And she thinks it might be on a Lost Ship. Opal has stolen Clarissa, an experimental AI-controlled spaceship, from the military. Together they have tracked down a Lost Ship, in a lonely nebula far from colonised space. The Lost Ship is falling into the gravity well of a neutron star, and will soon be truly lost ... forever. Legends say the ships harbour death, but there's no time for indecision. Opal gears up to board it. She's just one woman, entering an alien and lethal environment. But perhaps with the aid of Clarissa's intelligence - and an armoured spacesuit - Opal may stand a chance. Ideal for fans of sentient AI ships (such as Brandon Sanderson's Skyward books), while the creepy, derelict Lost Ships evoke Kristine Kathryn Rusch's Diving series.


The StarMaster's Son

The StarMaster's Son by Gabriel Morales

SPSFC

“Reminds me of Banks' Culture War series, with more developed humor.” -Duane, beta reader "A Game of Thrones in Space." -Amazon Customer review The most powerful man in the universe has died under mysterious circumstances, and now the StarMaster's underachieving son must save his empire from collapse... When Felik Ullon inherits the StarMaster’s prized ship, what seems like a blessing launches him into a universe of schemers, dark dealings, and truths too uncomfortable for even a black hole to swallow. If Felik is going to survive, he'll have to discover how his father died, uncover an alien conspiracy, and prevent his brothers from plunging the galaxy into civil war. Meanwhile, across space and time, the bold and cocky inquisitor Kai tracks the biggest bounty of her life, hoping to restore her family’s reputation. Yet killing her target may require unleashing an ancient threat that could dissolve the fabric of the cosmos. This is a universe both shrinking and expanding at its own pace. The more you think you know, the less you know. And the less you know, the better. If you’re a fan of the politics of The Expanse, The Interdependency, and Dune, download The StarMaster’s Son for a space opera thriller full of drama, politics, and laughs!


The Elitist Supremacy

The Elitist Supremacy by Niranjan K

SPSFC SPSFC 2022

Alexander Selwood is hiding many secrets. Being the first immortal is only one of them. He is also hunted by the despotic ruler of Cynfor, Cesar Thaxter -the man ruling the galaxy for centuries. Unknown to Alexander, the group of rebels who had been fighting Thaxter in secret is also seeking to use his company to build a safe haven. He would do anything to keep himself from falling into the clutches of either the Resistance or the Supreme Ruler. When the consequences of his actions cascade into a torrent of events that threatens to engulf him and everyone he cares for in danger, Alexander can't sit on the sidelines any longer. Having stayed out of the conflict for this long, he has to make a choice, but can he handle the repercussions of that decision?


Jiao Tu’s Endeavour, Episode 1: The Kidnapped Mousling

Jiao Tu’s Endeavour, Episode 1: The Kidnapped Mousling by Donald Jacob Uitvlugt

On a multigenerational colony ship five hundred years off course, a lagomorph warrior must survive using only his wits and his sword. Jiao Tu has been hired to rescue a young kidnapped mousling. A tip leads him to the Below, home to the engines that keep the world in motion. His mission has hardly begun when an encounter with a monstrous being plunges him into the midst of a struggle not only for control of the Below but for the world itself. Teamed with an untested ratling warrior and the ratling leader of a gang of thugs, Jiao Tu must stop the monster and save the mousling—and the world—before it is too late. Drawing inspiration from sources as diverse as Leigh Brackett’s planetary romances, Gene Wolfe’s Book of the Long Sun, Robert E. Howard’s Solomon Kane stories, Hideyuki Kikuchi’s Vampire Hunter D, Stan Sakai’s Usagi Yojimbo, and the wuxia tradition starting with Water Margins and Journey to the West, Uitvlugt has created a world all his own that promises a far-future adventure unlike any other.


Derelict

Derelict by LJ Cohen

SPSFC 2022

When Rosalen Maldonado tinkers with the derelict freighter, she's just hoping to prove she deserves a scholarship to University. She certainly doesn't count on waking the ship's damaged AI or having three stowaways, Micah Rotherwood and brothers Jem and Barre Durbin, along for the ride. They all have their private reasons for hiding aboard and lives they are seeking to escape, but if the accidental crew can't work together and learn to trust each other, they'll die together, victims of a computer that doesn't realize the war ended decades before any of them were even born.


The Chaos Job

The Chaos Job by T.M. Baumgartner

SPSFC

Far from civilization and only partially terraformed, the colony of Jackpot Drift struggles to survive. Silver Tailingstown hides the forbidden chaos god within her by keeping to her hilltop farm. When her damaged AI begins herding sheep into a symbol, she scrambles to disperse the beasts before anyone notices chaos has infected the area. But more gods than chaos play in this colony. Come along on this extraordinary adventure of gods, AIs, nanobots, and genetically engineered sheep. Welcome to Jackpot Drift!


Earth Warden

Earth Warden by Tony James Slater

SPSFC

The Wardens are our planet's last line of defence.
Powerful warriors, they stand firm against every threat humanity faces.
It’s more than just a career – it’s a sacred calling…
But it comes with a very short life expectancy. Lord Kreon, Warden of the First Circle, has a problem.
He’s been forced to kill another apprentice, and he’s rapidly running out of candidates. In fact, there is precisely one left… Raised on modern-day Earth, Tristan knows nothing of the wider galaxy.
He’s been fighting just to survive, ever since the day his dad left for work – and never came home.
He’s always believed that there was more to life. That he could make a difference.
He’s about to discover that what you don’t know can not only hurt you, it can tear your world apart! Forcibly abducted, he has no choice but to join the hand-picked warriors of Lord Kreon’s team:
Kyra, a rainbow-haired mercenary with a tongue as sharp as her swords;
Blas, a gigantic super-soldier left for dead by his unit;
and Loader, a cargo handling robot with an incredible secret. All he wants are answers – but will he survive long enough to get them? Join Tris, as he’s catapulted into a universe beyond his wildest imagination. Where bizarre aliens threaten mankind, genetically engineered assassins lurk in the shadows, and the mysterious Wardens live by an ancient code…
Of sacrifice. With a healthy dose of Joss Whedon-style humour, fans of Firefly and The Expanse will love this fast-paced and action-packed space opera. Buckle up, brace yourself, and download Earth Warden today! ***Complete 5-book series available now! All books in Kindle Unlimited.***


A Star Named Vega

A Star Named Vega by Benjamin J Roberts

SPSFC

The 30th Century is a technological paradise. Androids have built a utopian future of advanced robotics, augmented reality, and simulated worlds. Humanity thrives across the Thirteen Suns. Why not spread some chaos, shake things up a bit? Aster Vale leads a secret life as the Wildflower, a competitive street artist with dreams of infamy. When her father joins a mysterious research project in the Vega System, Aster sees their luxury starcruiser as just another canvas to explore. How else is she supposed to channel all this teenage rebellion? But not everyone prospers in this world of synthetic gods. Rel Akepri is a young soldier from a broken planet, genetically engineered for war. The research project in the Vega System now threatens the fate of his people, and he must embark upon a deadly mission to stop it. Rel's orders: intercept the starcruiser on its voyage to Vega, or face extinction. Perhaps Aster might find something new to fight for.


Between Mountain and Sea: The Paradisi Chronicles

Between Mountain and Sea: The Paradisi Chronicles by M. Louisa Locke

SPSFC SPSFC 2022

Mei Lin Yu should have been looking forward to the next stage in her life. As a descendant of one of the Founding Families who led the exodus from a dying Earth and now rule New Eden, Mei's choices are endless. But she has never felt part of the Yu Family or the world of technological marvels and genetic perfection the Founders created. All that will change the summer she spends at Mynyddamore, the home her ancestor Mabel Yu built in western Caelestis. Here, living among the Ddaerans, the original inhabitants of New Eden, Mei will discover secrets about Mabel Yu that her family want to keep buried and a truth about herself that will forever change her own destiny. Between Mountain and Sea is a coming of age novel, the first book in USA Today Bestselling author Louisa Locke’s Caelestis series in the Paradisi Chronicles (an open source, science fiction world created by multiple authors).


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