11 Books Like First Ascent

Darrow is a Helldiver, one of a thousand men and women who live in the vast caves beneath the surface of Mars, generations of people who spend their lives toiling to mine the precious elements that will allow the planet to be terraformed. Just knowing that, one day, people will be able to walk the surface of the planet is enough to justify their sacrifice. The Earth is dying, and Darrow and his people are the only hope humanity has left.

Until the day Darrow learns that it is all a lie. That Mars has been habitable - and inhabited… show more.

Sam Brice, the perfect rugged hero, is involved with a young widow named Janice Gantry. But when she vanishes, Janice leaves behind a trail of blackmail, murder and a man at war with his own sense of duty.

Sam is too curious to steer clear of the mystifying disappearances off the Florida Keys, too stubborn to avoid making enemies with a cunning criminal and killer, and perhaps too enraged to do what he knows he must to save the one woman who matters: become as cold, impersonal, and deadly as an assassin.

'A thrilling standalone adventure that James S.A. Corey fans will relish' Publishers Weekly (starred review)

A search for a missing person uncovers a galaxy-spanning conspiracy in this thrilling standalone space opera from award-winning author Megan E. O'Keefe.

The Black Celeste is a ghost story. A once-legendary spaceship collecting dust in a cosmic graveyard known as the Clutch. Only famed pirate Bitter Amandine knows better, and she'll do anything to never go near it again. No matter the cost.

Faven Sythe is crystborn, a member of the near-human species tasked with charting starpaths from station to station. She's trained to be… show more.

When Rab was a baby, his mother made a decision which would change his life. She feared he would be sent to work in the hellish mines of Mercury, to eke out his life until he was worn out, all in the name of maintaning the defense of the Solar Sytem. But when her desperate attempt to flee with her 2 year old failed, she took a desperate step to save him. She cut off his hand.

Decades later, Rab has been spared the physical hardships he can no longer endure, and is now based on the Mask, the all-encompassing… show more.

The Ghost Camera is a parable that resonates with society's very real anxieties about where our advances in technology might lead, or indeed destroy us. It realises the power of the individual in its protagonist Morris, an unexpected player in the future of mankind.

During a lab experiment failure, a company accidentally create black holes that lead to alternate realities. While this sparks a storm of controversy from speculators about the future of humanity, Morris, the lab janitor nearing retirement, becomes the unlikeliest of heroes.

Until then, Morris was perfectly happy with his lot, working at the Chipperau Fusioneering lab… show more.

Multimillion-copy bestselling authors Douglas E. Richards and Brandon Ellis team up to deliver a gripping science-fiction thriller—one that captures the stunning collision of ancient myth and futuristic technology. The Hopi share tales of a devastating global flood like those found in cultures across the world. But some also speak of beings from the stars, massive flying objects, and a cataclysmic war between two hyper-advanced civilizations—Atlantis and Lemuria—that triggered this flood.But what if these stories aren’t just mythology? What if they’re real? Archeologist Robert Shaw believes they are. When his relentless pursuit of ancient truths leads him to a hidden starship… show more.

All Systems Red by Martha Wells begins The Murderbot Diaries, a new science fiction action and adventure series that tackles questions of the ethics of sentient robotics. It appeals to fans of Westworld, Ex Machina, Ann Leckie's Imperial Raadch series, or lain M. Banks' Culture novels. The main character is a deadly security droid that has bucked its restrictive programming and is balanced between contemplative self discovery and an idle instinct to kill all humans. In a corporate dominated s pa cef a ring future, planetary missions must be approved and supplied by the Company. Exploratory teams are accompanied by… show more.