Space Opera First Contact

Human descendants of the Earth colony ship Destiny face an incursion into their area of space by a powerful race. The Imperium Empire, which is ruled by the Krackus, is one wormhole away from the humans, and a rim mining planet, Kilmer, would be the alien race’s first contact. Fear rules the company leader. The Krackus represent danger. They sail powerful battleships. Moreover, the Naiad Council reels from the news that an alien race abuts their space. For centuries, humans in the Axis Crossing region thought they were alone.

To win the war one man must break the rules of war. Because in the fight against the ruthless Sa’Nerran Empire there is only victory or death. The Sa’Nerra were close to defeat, then everything changed. Armed with a unique neural weapon, the merciless alien warriors turned fleet crew against their own. Entire warships went rogue. Suspicion and fear ran riot. Victory now required new tactics and a new kind of ship and crew.

During the Alpha Contracts, 100 of Earth’s finest mercenary organizations went to the far reaches of the galaxy to fight for credits. Only four returned. The rest, tens of thousands of humanity’s best warriors, were gone. Unbeknownst to most, a small, unconventional group chose a different path. Their foresight and unique talents set the stage not only for the long-haul shipping company of the present day, but of something else.

Three generations of people have been raised on Astra, a colony established by people escaping from the tyrannical government of Terra. Dalgard is embarking on his coming-of-age exploration of the unknown northern lands. In his canoe with a friendly merman native he travels north and discovers proof that Those Others, the evil master race that formerly ruled the planet, are still a danger.

The newly formed Military Assistance Command-Maltaan (MACM), led by General Ellis Boudreaux, is facing serious problems. The Maltaan rainy season has begun, and the unpredictable weather has significantly reduced flight operations. The east-west highway which connects the capital Daarben to Ulvaan, the only major city in the east, is choked with convoys. The increasingly vulnerable rail line is the sole means of moving supplies to support Space Marines deployed in the east. Thousands of PCS were abandoned by their mercenary handlers, and it’s up to the Space Marines to collect them.

In the aftermath of the Guild War, the trail of Kr’et’Socae has gone cold. Young Peacemakers Jyrall and Larth continue their search with the intent to bring the disgraced Enforcer to justice. With new intelligence in hand, they make a move on a known associate and the game’s afoot once more.

Clarity's home is her spaceship. Living on the move. Planet to planet. When money trouble forces Clarity and her traveling companion, Irohann, to take on passengers, Irohann worries his secret identity will be revealed. He's a canine alien on the run from an empire of sentient plants, and their queen has a personal vendetta against him. Heartsick at the idea of losing their ship, Clarity accepts an offer that's clearly too good to be true, and they find themselves swept up in the crazy schemes of a rogue AI in a stolen robot body, and her haphazardly assembled team of disparate aliens.

It’s been ten years since the Lunar Free State established itself on Earth’s moon. Since then, other Earth nations have pushed into space, but - thanks to the advantages provided by its gravity-driven spacecraft - the LFS has continued to prosper. When the research ship LFS Stephen Hawking encounters an alien probe near Saturn, though, the craft leads Hawking on a chase before vanishing into hyperspace. Now the Lunar Free State must face two facts: The humans of Earth are not the only intelligent life in the universe, and travel to other star systems is possible.

La vida de Spensa como miembro de la Fuerza de Defensa Desafiante dista mucho de ser normal y corriente. Demostró ser una de las mejores pilotos de caza estelar en el enclave humano de Detritus y salvó a su pueblo del exterminio a manos de los krells, la enigmática especie alienígena que los tenía prisioneros desde hace décadas. Por si fuera poco, viajó a años-luz de distancia de su hogar como espía infiltrada en la Supremacía, a un lugar donde descubrió que había toda una galaxia más allá de su pequeño y desolado planeta natal.

With the human-Shiravan treaty on the line, Kitty Hawke must violently end a mutiny aboard one of her ships. Afterwards, she leaves Shiravi, bound for Earth after being away for two years. Marsha Kane replaces Kitty as the head of the human fleet in Shiravan space, but she has her own plans on how to end the war with the Garmon, formerly called the Korvil. Meanwhile, the humans and Shiravan take the fight to the Garmon, destroying their ships and decimating their worlds, and it seems as if the war is nearing its end.

Nine hundred Vennans undertake a cultural exchange to Tradepoint, a space station where aliens from different worlds meet to do business. A young and gifted Speaker, Gredin, is translator and diplomat for the happy occasion. But a horrific vision shatters her first night’s sleep on Tradepoint. Venna, their home world, has been destroyed. Now the safety of the delegation, the only Vennans left in all of time and space, rests on Gredin’s young shoulders.

Former Emperor Dumakas, thought to be killed, is returned from Revein'sev, the sacred place where all Antarians believe their ancient ancestors reside. Now seeking to return to power, Dumakas has a stronger fortitude and plans to invade Earth. However, there is strong opposition to him retaking his seat; those closest to the Emperor continue to hold the Empress' song within their hearts. Will Dumakas succeed with his invasion plans, or will the Empress return to Antares in time to stop him?

This is the warning delivered to Will Ryder by the alien spaceship that crash-landed in his backyard. But there is hope. With the ship's AI guiding him, Will must rebuild the craft in his barn and take to the stars to prevent the cataclysmic invasion.

Humanity's last encounter with aliens saw 16.2 billion people killed in a war with the Merkiaari that had spanned decades. Two hundred years later, the Alliance is cautiously exploring beyond its borders again, but the survey corp is considered a mere gesture by some. General Burgton of the 501st Infantry Regiment believes a lack of expansion is leading the Alliance into stagnation. So when one small ship discovers a new alien race, it should be an easy decision to make contact, but what if the aliens are like the Merkiaari?

The Lightship HMS Impulse is gone, sacrificed in a battle against First Empire ships. And though the fragile galactic alliance has survived the unexpected invasion, the Union forces might not prove victorious against a full onslaught by this legendary enemy. For Peter Cochrane, serving as an officer aboard his world's flagship, HMS Starbound, is a dream come true. Tasked with investigating a mysterious space station in a rediscovered star system, Peter and Starbound face a surprise attack by unknown forces

An eccentric, trigger-happy captain and a level-headed commander vie for control of the starship Gemini, but are forced to mix their two very divided crews when they encounter a space barge full of militarized waste. They say it takes two to tango, but when facing this planet-destroying vessel and the rumor of an ancient, hidden foe in the Umbra, it takes the military might of Captain Skip Sutridge and the scientific genius of Commander Maggie Antwa to be in with a fighting chance.

When starship mechanic, Denton Castus, is caught in the destructive path of a devastating war, he abandons his home and seeks refuge on a distant planet. However, this new safe haven has undiscovered threats of its own. Eliana Veston, a scout preparing the planet for the refugees, struggles with a deadly pandemic that is killing off colonists. The hunt for a cure unleashes a new threat to humanity - the Sirens - mysterious beings with incredible powers and a deep hatred for invaders.

A year after the Commonwealth won the war with the Theocracy, the interstellar cruise liner Supreme is on its maiden voyage, carrying a host of aristocrats thrilled to be sharing in a wondrous adventure among the stars. Then a collision with a pirate ship leaves the cruiser powerless and becalmed in hyperspace. And they’re not alone. Now, the mysterious force that’s living on this floating graveyard is coming for Supreme’s crew and passengers. As madness starts to tear at their minds, they must fight to survive in a strange alien realm.

Under the benevolent leadership of the League of Peoples, there is no war, little crime, and life is sacred...unless you're an Explorer. The ugly, the flawed, the misfit, the deformed, they are the unwanted, flung to the farthest corners of the galaxy to investigate hostile planets and strange, vicious creatures. Out there, there are a thousand different - and terrible - ways to die.

Few writers have successful blended hard science and speculation with fully realized characters as Gregory Benford has in his critically acclaimed novels. Now he draws us into a vortex of mystery and danger at the heart of the galaxy in his dazzling epic drama, Furious Gulf.