I’m looking to get inspiration for my own writing. I need a hard sci fi series where earth (and earthlike worlds) are too rare, inaccessible, and/or previously spoiled beyond ability to sustain life. Bonus points if it is set on a multi-generational space station or starship without any other options and goes into detail about life support, living space, mineral mining and expansion of the station to accomodate a growing population, and daily life of it’s residents.

If anyone remembers Drifter Colonies from Titan A.E., that’s what’s in my head.

I’m looking for The Martian levels of realism, and I’m fine with a bit of “Unobtanium” clichés if they’re not core to the story.

  • proprioception@kbin.social
    29·
    10 months ago

    Just a loose round up so far

    Seveneves Neal Stephenson
    Tau Zero Poul Anderson
    Metro 2033 Dmitry Glukhovsky
    The Children of Time Adrian Tchaikovsky
    Lucifer’s Hammer Larry Niven
    Pushing Ice Alastair Reynolds
    Record of a Spaceborn Few by Becky Chambers
    Diaspora by Greg Egan
    A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martin
    The 100 Kass Morgan
    Interdependency trilogy by John Scalzi.
    Silo series of books by Hugh Howey

    • init@lemmy.ml
      5·
      10 months ago

      Seveneves is incredible, with the caveat that the last chapter of the book was almost handwavey with regards to the author’s conclusion of where humanity ended up. 10/10 otherwise.

      • Hemingways_Shotgun@lemmy.caEnglish
        1·
        10 months ago

        That last part felt like an entirely different book. I didn’t even finish it. I just pretend the story ended before that.

      • macrocarpa@lemmy.world
        1·
        10 months ago

        What’s the rest of his works like? I’ve read snow crash and loved it, will give seveneves a go.

        • ThatFembyWho@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish
          3·
          10 months ago

          Highly recommend Anathem and Diamond Age. Cryptonomicon and Baroque Cycle are more tours-de-force but if you are nerdy enough (I mean c’mon this applies to all his work) and very into history, I can recommend those too.

          • matz_e@feddit.de
            2·
            10 months ago

            Seconded!

            I wouldn’t call Cryptonomicon a tour de force, I remember it fondly. But then again, I’m mildly interested in cryptography and historical background to stuff never hurts when presented entertainingly 😀

        • init@lemmy.ml
          1·
          10 months ago

          The only other one I’ve attempted to read by Niel Stephenson has been Cryptonomicon. It seemed to get way, way into the weeds and is over a thousand pages. It was in my 20’s that I attempted it and I only made it half way through.

          His work is top tier and highly regarded by many as thoroughly researched.

    • plumbus@feddit.de
      2·
      10 months ago

      Thumbs up for the Silo series. Even though it’s not in outer space, many other boxes tick: multi-generation, environmental systems, spoiled planet …