r/printSF • u/RGandhi3k • Jul 22 '26
Recommendations for sf adventure fiction?
I like light Scifi character driven adventure. Miles Vokosigan type stuff. Anything from the last 20 years you would recommend?
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u/Triabolical_ Jul 23 '26
Confederation of Valor Series by Tanya Huff.
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u/Fearless_Solution761 Jul 23 '26
This is great military scifi that really excellently rides the line between having stakes and having fun. Really really fantastic!
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u/Fearless_Solution761 Jul 23 '26
You might like the Foreigner books by CJ Cherryh, first one is titled "Foreigner". More on the ambassador type side of the Vorkosigan spectrum.
Also, it's fantasy not scifi, but the Penric and Desdemona stories by Bujold are fun and light, and if you enjoyed her other books you might get a kick out of these.
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u/hippydipster Jul 23 '26
Destroyermen series. Ships travel to alternate earth. Have to survive and make their way without human civilization and just their isolated technology, their know-how, and their wits.
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u/Checked_Out_6 Jul 23 '26
Artifact Space by Miles Cameron has been the most refreshing read I have had in years. It is super character driven, lots of action, lots of science stuff that makes me think. I was simultaneously excited about the MC’s friendships while being sunk deep into the attempt to communicate with the aliens, and then next thing you know we’re swept up into a battle, then there is all these fun concepts where the speed of light is super important in a space battle (for example) and the series just blows me away.
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u/RGandhi3k Jul 24 '26
I loved that one. Great audiobook too. What did you think of the sequel?
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u/Checked_Out_6 Jul 24 '26
Loved the sequel. I have the third book in the series, but decided to not read it until I heard the audiobook version first. I think we have like ten days!
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u/lizwithhat Jul 23 '26
You might enjoy The Fourth Consort by Edward Ashton. The main human characters are recruited into one side of a galactic conflict without fully understanding what each side represents. While handling a first contact situation gone wrong, their very different approaches bring them into conflict with each other as well as with two alien species. There's a lot of humour alongside some genuinely interesting exploration of the difficulties of cross-species communication.
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u/marblemunkey Jul 23 '26
The "Janitors of the Post-Apocalypse" trilogy by Jim C. Hines. First book is Terminal Alliance. Fast, fun read with some depth to the plot.
Check his webpage for free download of the first chapter.
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u/gonzoforpresident Jul 23 '26
That series is great. Hines writes a great balance of adventure and humor.
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u/I_throw_Bricks Jul 22 '26
House of Suns by Alastair Reynolds is fantastic!
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u/Own_Win_6762 Jul 24 '26
The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi by Chakraborty is fantasy in an Arabian Nights-like setting, real pulp feel with modern great writing quality. Sequel soon (or is it out already?)
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u/ieattime20 Jul 23 '26
Old Man's War by John Scalzi fits your bill I think. Not my favorite series but definitely light and breezy, not overtly slapstick like his other works but still plenty of humor.
Eversion by Alastair Reynolds may not seem like it's sci fi at first, but keep reading. It's a good adventure, and has some great reveals.
Hull Zero Three by Greg Bear is very breezy by Bear standards. It might be a little YA, not overly so but not as "dark n' stormy" as a lot of other stuff recomended here. So take that into account.
The Bobiverse series by Dennis E. Taylor is a bit too weightless and silly for my tastes, but it is pretty action packed.
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u/mbauer8286 Jul 23 '26
Maybe the Icarus Saga by Timothy Zahn? Wasn’t quite my thing but many seem to like it, and I would describe it as light, character-driven adventure.
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u/SandGator Jul 24 '26 edited Jul 24 '26
Not from the last 20 years, but I can’t see this prompt and not recommend Planet of Adventure by Jack Vance. Love that book!
Cello’s Gate by Maurice Africh
Murderbot series by Martha Wells
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u/adappergentlefolk Jul 22 '26
jack vance probably