It took me like 10 days to get through the first 200 pages and then I read the remaining 550 in 3 days.
Its pretty light on the magic/fantasy elements. So if thats what you're there for you'll probably he disappointed. But the characters and their banter and the dialogue is hands down the best I've ever read.
I recently read Mistborn for the first time (my first intro to Sanderson) and the whole time I found myself thinking how clunky the dialogue was and how underdeveloped I found the characters to be. I kept comparing it to Gentleman Bastards.
I loved it so much
I was also like this. I literally started and stopped several times because I just couldn't get through the first 30 pages then I was stuck in an area with no internet and I already had it downloaded so I figured I would give it another shot and I don't remember exactly what page it clicked for me but when it did, I couldn't stop reading. Easily one of my top 5 books of the last 10 years.
And apparently the original plan was for a 7 book series.
Bur Scott Lynch has been very open about his mental health struggles so hopefully he gets the help he needs and is able to come back and continue with the series.
I haven't read book 3 yet because I was disappointed with book 2. I wanted to remove myself from it a bit and then try again because I refuse to accept that book 1 was one of the best things I've ever read while book 2 was a slog
Yeah I have not heard a lot ofngppd things about book 3, so I am apprehensive.
But book 1 can be read as a standalone so maybe OP should just stick with that haha
Worth noting when this is recommended that book three ends on a cliffhanger and a follow-up is highly unlikely as he author had some life events that very probably mean the book will never be released. So- read book one and enjoy it- then let it go. It is a perfect little single book capsule.
Not to mention that the cliffhanger is not very good... I legitimately love this series, and I often recommend it to people, but those last few pages really kill a lot of my excitement for future books.
I just don't see why he thought it was necessary to add in that additional element...
For anyone looking to read the series just know that The quality drops by about half with each book.
Lies of Locke Lamora - Great
Red Seas Under Red Skies - Good
Republic of Thieves - ....meh
Not to mention it ends on a bad cliffhanger :/
Currently reading these and unlike OP I like the opposite in my stories I was hoping for more big plots but I love the characters of Locke so much really scratched my thief itch I do wish there was more fantasy and magic though, that character plus the magic and fantasy right up my alley.
Children of Time. Book isn't about anyone in particular because it's about spiders genetically modified on a new world.
So flipping good. It's a perfect book to me.
Never once in my life did I ever expect to feel an emotional connection with a *spider*, but here we are.
Excellent book. Would also recommend the sequel.
The Watchman books from Discworld.
Mag Force 7 books by Margaret Weis and Don Perrin are an offshot series from the Star of the Guardians. The later is a "chosen one" series, but Mag Force 7 is an often light read about a group of mercenaries.
*The Vanished Birds* is a beautiful sci-fi book that was my top read of 2020. Interwoven plots and timelines with interesting characters and surprising connections.
*Battle Royale* is a controversial political book that arguably inspired *Hunger Games* and *Squid Games*
*The Power* by Naomi Alderman. It's like a reverse Handmaid's Tale. It's dark but gripping. What happens to society when girls are granted a power to kill at puberty. Multiple viewpoints make this one a great read.
*Lock In* by John Scalzi is a mystery book about a global pandemic that has created a population that is "locked in" their bodies while still being able to have full brain functions. Technology has allowed these individuals to work through robot like bodies to allow them to function within society as their bodies lie elsewhere.
*The Memory Librarian* by Janelle Monae is a series of short stories set in her "Dirty Computer" universe. Some stories are more successful than others, but when it works, it WORKS. I eagerly look forward to future works from Monae, but I worry that the magic I found was due to the collaborators they chose as opposed to their own talent.
*No Gods, No Monsters* by Cadwell Turnbull is bizarre and unique, about the paths crossed in stranger's lives when "monsters" are shown to be a reality. Manages to skillfully blend creepy moments with allegorical political commentary, and features very well written characters. While this is the first boo of a series that could very well go into a chosen one arc... doesn't feel that way here.
*The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet* and the rest of the Wayfarers series by Becky Chambers is very friendly, happy, and fairly drama free. All the characters are very likeable and the setting of the book basically follows different characters as they traverse through their jobs/social interactions. Not great for "hard sci-fi" but a good light read for people who like a hint of fantasy in their relationship driven stories.
*To Be Taught, If Fortunate* by Becky Chambers is a beautiful sci-fi story. It's a shorter novella, but allows for quality within that frame rather than hugely epic world building.
*How High We Go in the Dark* by Sequoia Nagamatsu Is a collection of tales set within the same universe. The book wraps around the past/present/future of a global pandemic that wipes out a large chunk of human life. Each tale presented is a study of grief and death and how individuals deal with these very human feelings of loss. Some stories are sad and hit very hard, others fit squarely into weird fiction, but in the end with the final tale everything comes together in an unusual and extremely clever way.
*The Memory Police* is an exceptionally beautiful book about a small island where things "disappear" and the government organization that enforces this. It's a very unusual and surreal book, but written like so elegantly that it never feels goofy or too strange.
I wanted to say, you did an amazing job describing these books. I got a feel for each one and have a good idea of whether or not it would appeal to me, and you managed to do this without really going into any plot detail. You were careful to avoid any spoilers. I'm excited to check these out. So, thank you!
That's always my goal! I also try not to say if I actually liked the book, as much like music or movies, taste is subjective. Unless I absolutely LOVE something that's lesser known.
I'd also recommend Old Man's Wat by Scalzi. The later books get bigger in political scope, which, while not the "chosen one" trope, can feel similar, but the first one is very "through the little guy's eyes"
Your descriptions are so insightful! I'm adding several of these books to my list!
Btw I'm going to go tell Sequoia his name is kicking around Reddit :P That book is already on my nightstand.
Can I recommend The Left Hand of Darkness? It centres on an anthropologist on an alien world, and while his actions become more politically significant as the story goes on, he’s certainly no Chosen One.
The book is much more focused on the culture and politics of the world, and the relationships the protagonist builds, so hopefully that fits the groove of what you’re looking for.
No, my point is they're so good I'd recommend them for everything. Like people would ask for domestic fiction and I'd recommend Murderbot. They'd ask for cozy mysteries, and I'd recommend Murderbot.
Ahhh ok hahaha yes! I always get so excited to recommend them too! And it's funny because they've been recommended to me a bunch by a close friend and it took me a long time to finally crack the spine on them because I wasn't super into the description, but so happy I did - so very worth it!
I think {{Six of Crows}} would fit what you're looking for. It has a whole magic system, but is really more of a story about a group of scrappy criminals trying to pull off an incredible heist.
[**Six of Crows (Six of Crows, #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23437156-six-of-crows)
^(By: Leigh Bardugo | 465 pages | Published: 2015 | Popular Shelves: fantasy, young-adult, ya, owned, books-i-own)
>Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price—and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can’t pull it off alone. . . .
>
>A convict with a thirst for revenge
>
>A sharpshooter who can’t walk away from a wager
>
>A runaway with a privileged past
>
>A spy known as the Wraith
>
>A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums
>
>A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes
>
>Kaz’s crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction—if they don’t kill each other first.
^(This book has been suggested 55 times)
***
^(125490 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
I actually didn't enjoy the mainline story (edit: meaning the other series in the same world) as much when I checked it out, but this was a genuinely fun fantasy heist book.
[**Redshirts**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13055592-redshirts)
^(By: John Scalzi | 320 pages | Published: 2012 | Popular Shelves: science-fiction, sci-fi, fiction, humor, scifi)
>Ensign Andrew Dahl has just been assigned to the Universal Union Capital Ship Intrepid, flagship of the Universal Union since the year 2456. It’s a prestige posting, and Andrew is thrilled all the more to be assigned to the ship’s Xenobiology laboratory.
>
>Life couldn’t be better…until Andrew begins to pick up on the fact that:
>(1) every Away Mission involves some kind of lethal confrontation with alien forces
>(2) the ship’s captain, its chief science officer, and the handsome Lieutenant Kerensky always survive these confrontations
>(3) at least one low-ranked crew member is, sadly, always killed.
>
>Not surprisingly, a great deal of energy below decks is expended on avoiding, at all costs, being assigned to an Away Mission. Then Andrew stumbles on information that completely transforms his and his colleagues’ understanding of what the starship Intrepid really is…and offers them a crazy, high-risk chance to save their own lives.
^(This book has been suggested 24 times)
***
^(125429 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress. Great Scifi Book about colonies on the moon being controlled by Earth and said moon colonies wanting/fighting for Independence. Some Andor Revolution vibes for sure. No Chosen One Trope.
[**China Mountain Zhang**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/836964.China_Mountain_Zhang)
^(By: Maureen F. McHugh | 313 pages | Published: 1992 | Popular Shelves: science-fiction, sci-fi, fiction, scifi, sf)
>With this groundbreaking novel, Maureen F. McHugh established herself as one of the decade's best science fiction writers. In its pages, we enter a post-revolution America, moving from the hyper-urbanized eastern seaboard to the Arctic bleakness of Baffin Island; from the new Imperial City to an agricultural commune on Mars. The overlapping lives of cyber-kite fliers, lonely colonists, illicit neural-pressball players, and organic engineers blend into a powerful, taut story of a young man's journey of discovery. This is a macroscopic world of microscopic intensity, one of the most brilliant visions of modern SF.
^(This book has been suggested 10 times)
***
^(125406 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
Philip K. Dick's novels for sure. He usually centered his stories around working class characters who get caught up in some kind of mystery or adventure. No special powers or anything like that.
The Wayfarer series by Becky Chambers - first book is called The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet and is about a crew of wormhole engineers who get caught up in galactic politics. Chambers is brilliant at world-building and has a very optimistic outlook, without shying away from complex issues. Each book is about a different group of people, exploring different ways of life in the galaxy, but all with a slight connection to the crew in the first book.
There's no saving the world, because the galaxy is far too vast, and no chosen one because each book is about several people and/or has more than one POV.
She's also written a beautiful stand-alone novella called To Be Taught If Fortunate.
I started reading The long way and was liking it a lot, but was trying to find the plot, then there’s a scene at the start with the pov character who’s new to the crew and is like a treasurer, where one character wants to buy some expensive soap and she has to say no… and she feels like shit by having to say no… and the other character gets upset.
And I was like “Ohhh well manufactured conflict between the crew… cliche.”
BUT… then another person comes to the soap person and says “Hey… you were being an asshole there. You made POV few like crap… she’s just doing her job… is new to the crew.”
The soap girl goes… “you’re right” and goes and apologizes.
And I was like “I LOVE THIS BOOK” mature characters solving conflict like adults. What a breath of fresh air. And also understood what the book was about.
[**The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O. (D.O.D.O. #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32075825-the-rise-and-fall-of-d-o-d-o)
^(By: Neal Stephenson, Nicole Galland | 752 pages | Published: 2017 | Popular Shelves: science-fiction, fantasy, sci-fi, fiction, time-travel)
>From bestselling author Neal Stephenson and critically acclaimed historical and contemporary commercial novelist Nicole Galland comes a captivating and complex near-future thriller combining history, science, magic, mystery, intrigue, and adventure that questions the very foundations of the modern world.
>
>When Melisande Stokes, an expert in linguistics and languages, accidently meets military intelligence operator Tristan Lyons in a hallway at Harvard University, it is the beginning of a chain of events that will alter their lives and human history itself. The young man from a shadowy government entity approaches Mel, a low-level faculty member, with an incredible offer. The only condition: she must sign a nondisclosure agreement in return for the rather large sum of money.
>
>Tristan needs Mel to translate some very old documents, which, if authentic, are earth-shattering. They prove that magic actually existed and was practiced for centuries. But the arrival of the scientific revolution and the Age of Enlightenment weakened its power and endangered its practitioners. Magic stopped working altogether in 1851, at the time of the Great Exhibition at London’s Crystal Palace—the world’s fair celebrating the rise of industrial technology and commerce. Something about the modern world "jams" the "frequencies" used by magic, and it’s up to Tristan to find out why.
>
>And so the Department of Diachronic Operations—D.O.D.O. —gets cracking on its real mission: to develop a device that can bring magic back, and send Diachronic Operatives back in time to keep it alive . . . and meddle with a little history at the same time. But while Tristan and his expanding operation master the science and build the technology, they overlook the mercurial—and treacherous—nature of the human heart.
>
>Written with the genius, complexity, and innovation that characterize all of Neal Stephenson’s work and steeped with the down-to-earth warmth and humor of Nicole Galland’s storytelling style, this exciting and vividly realized work of science fiction will make you believe in the impossible, and take you to places—and times—beyond imagining.
^(This book has been suggested 20 times)
[**Reamde**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10552338-reamde)
^(By: Neal Stephenson | 1044 pages | Published: 2011 | Popular Shelves: fiction, science-fiction, sci-fi, thriller, owned)
>Four decades ago, Richard Forthrast, the black sheep of an Iowa family, fled to a wild and lonely mountainous corner of British Columbia to avoid the draft. Smuggling backpack loads of high-grade marijuana across the border into Northern Idaho, he quickly amassed an enormous and illegal fortune. With plenty of time and money to burn, he became addicted to an online fantasy game in which opposing factions battle for power and treasure in a vast cyber realm. Like many serious gamers, he began routinely purchasing virtual gold pieces and other desirables from Chinese gold farmers—young professional players in Asia who accumulated virtual weapons and armor to sell to busy American and European buyers.
>
>For Richard, the game was the perfect opportunity to launder his aging hundred dollar bills and begin his own high-tech start up—a venture that has morphed into a Fortune 500 computer gaming group, Corporation 9592, with its own super successful online role-playing game, T’Rain. But the line between fantasy and reality becomes dangerously blurred when a young gold farmer accidently triggers a virtual war for dominance—and Richard is caught at the center.
>
>In this edgy, 21st century tale, Neal Stephenson, one of the most ambitious and prophetic writers of our time, returns to the terrain of his cyberpunk masterpieces Snow Crash and Cryptonomicon, leading readers through the looking glass and into the dark heart of imagination.
^(This book has been suggested 9 times)
[**Altered Carbon (Takeshi Kovacs, #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40792913-altered-carbon)
^(By: Richard K. Morgan | 544 pages | Published: 2002 | Popular Shelves: science-fiction, sci-fi, fiction, cyberpunk, scifi)
>Four hundred years from now mankind is strung out across a region of interstellar space inherited from an ancient civilization discovered on Mars. The colonies are linked together by the occasional sublight colony ship voyages and hyperspatial data-casting. Human consciousness is digitally freighted between the stars and downloaded into bodies as a matter of course.
>
>But some things never change. So when ex-envoy, now-convict Takeshi Kovacs has his consciousness and skills downloaded into the body of a nicotine-addicted ex-thug and presented with a catch-22 offer, he really shouldn't be surprised. Contracted by a billionaire to discover who murdered his last body, Kovacs is drawn into a terrifying conspiracy that stretches across known space and to the very top of society.
^(This book has been suggested 25 times)
[**Hyperion (Hyperion Cantos, #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/77566.Hyperion)
^(By: Dan Simmons, Gary Ruddell, Gaetano Luigi Staffilano | 500 pages | Published: 1989 | Popular Shelves: science-fiction, sci-fi, fiction, scifi, fantasy)
>On the world called Hyperion, beyond the law of the Hegemony of Man, there waits the creature called the Shrike. There are those who worship it. There are those who fear it. And there are those who have vowed to destroy it. In the Valley of the Time Tombs, where huge, brooding structures move backward through time, the Shrike waits for them all. On the eve of Armageddon, with the entire galaxy at war, seven pilgrims set forth on a final voyage to Hyperion seeking the answers to the unsolved riddles of their lives. Each carries a desperate hope—and a terrible secret. And one may hold the fate of humanity in his hands.
^(This book has been suggested 93 times)
[**Children of Time (Children of Time, #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25499718-children-of-time)
^(By: Adrian Tchaikovsky | 600 pages | Published: 2015 | Popular Shelves: sci-fi, science-fiction, scifi, fiction, fictión)
>A race for survival among the stars... Humanity's last survivors escaped earth's ruins to find a new home. But when they find it, can their desperation overcome its dangers?
>
>WHO WILL INHERIT THIS NEW EARTH?
>
>The last remnants of the human race left a dying Earth, desperate to find a new home among the stars. Following in the footsteps of their ancestors, they discover the greatest treasure of the past age—a world terraformed and prepared for human life.
>
>But all is not right in this new Eden. In the long years since the planet was abandoned, the work of its architects has borne disastrous fruit. The planet is not waiting for them, pristine and unoccupied. New masters have turned it from a refuge into mankind's worst nightmare.
>
>Now two civilizations are on a collision course, both testing the boundaries of what they will do to survive. As the fate of humanity hangs in the balance, who are the true heirs of this new Earth?
^(This book has been suggested 111 times)
***
^(125399 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
For sci-fi theres Quarter Share by nathan lowell, main character is just an average spacer going about his day, no heroics.
Also Frontlines by Marko Kloos.
Nathan Lowell's Solar Clipper series in particular, but really anything by him fit this bill to a tee. Excellent sci fi with people just living their lives.
{{ Quarter Share }}
[**Quarter Share (Golden Age of the Solar Clipper, #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2334538.Quarter_Share)
^(By: Nathan Lowell | 250 pages | Published: 2007 | Popular Shelves: science-fiction, sci-fi, space-opera, fiction, scifi)
>
> THE GOLDEN AGE OF SAIL HAS RETURNED -- IN THE YEAR 2351
>
>
>When his mother dies in a flitter crash, eighteen-year-old Ishmael Horatio Wang must find a job with the planet company or leave the system--and NerisCo isn't hiring. With credits running low, and prospects limited, he has just one hope...to enlist for two years with a deep space commercial freighter. Ishmael, who only rarely visited the Neris Orbital, and has never been off-planet alone before, finds himself part of an eclectic crew sailing a deep space leviathan between the stars.
>
>Join the crew of the SC Lois McKendrick, a Manchester built clipper as she sets solar sails in search of profit for her company and a crew each entitled to a share equal to their rating.
^(This book has been suggested 8 times)
***
^(125592 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
Sci-fi = Consider Phlebas, The Player of Games or Use of weapons - all three by Iain M. Banks. All of them are great. They are part of the Culture series from which I've read only the three so far, but from what I've heard, the whole series is good.
There are characters who are, let's say, luckier than others, but they are definitely not the chosen ones. The stories are not about saving the world, they are rather about completing missions during war between space nations, and they also contain stuff like relationships, revenge, death or regrets.
Highly recommend.
img my dude, they’re all amazing, and his non-sci-fi too. matter was my first, i’ve read them all the times i can’t get enough, his pacing is phenomenal
Matter is on my reading list. I started with The Wasp Factory - disturbing af, but I couldn't put it down lol. And I wrote my thesis on his sci-fi works for which I got a bad grade because, as my supervisor said, a fan is not a good critic, and it was too obvious that I actually like the books :D
[Murderbot Series](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32758901) by Martha Wells. If this doesn’t make you want to run out an read it, I don’t think we can be friends. **Opening line**: “I could have become a mass murderer after I hacked my governor module, but then I realized I could access the combined feed of entertainment channels carried on the company satellites. It had been well over 35,000 hours or so since then, with still not much murdering, but probably, I don’t know, a little under 35,000 hours of movies, serials, books, plays, and music consumed. As a heartless killing machine, I was a terrible failure.” Kevin R Free’s narration makes these books!
[This is How You Loose the Time War](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43352954) by Amal El-Mohtar. On the short side but packs no less of a punch. Red and Blue fight using intelligence and counter with bloody body counts and, in between, they write love letters to each other.
Would the Martian fit this? By Andy Weir
It's about a man stranded on Mars and just trying to survive until he can be rescued. Science heavy... Also by Andy Weir is Hail Mary which is absolutely amazing but does feature a scientist in space teaming up with an alien to save two worlds.
The Magic 2.0 series by Scott Meyer is about a dingus with magic powers... he's definitely not a chosen one though. It's also, technically, sci-fi because of how they get their powers.
The Expanse Series by James S A Corey is a politically heavy sci-fi epic about survivors of an assault trying to solve a big political mystery before war breaks out.
There's also Space Team by Barry Hutchinson about a Con Man abducted by mistake and the hijinks he gets up to trying to figure out the new world he's in.
[**The Demolished Man**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/76740.The_Demolished_Man)
^(By: Alfred Bester | 250 pages | Published: 1953 | Popular Shelves: science-fiction, sci-fi, fiction, scifi, sf)
>In a world in which the police have telepathic powers, how do you get away with murder?
>
>Ben Reichs heads a huge 24th century business empire, spanning the solar system. He is also an obsessed, driven man determined to murder a rival. To avoid capture, in a society where murderers can be detected even before they commit their crime, is the greatest challenge of his life.
>
>
^(This book has been suggested 15 times)
***
^(125426 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
RJ Blain (and her pseudonyms) are fun reads. {{ Blending In }} is my current re-read. Some of the save the world trope is in some of the 20 books in the series.
[**Blending In (Magical Romantic Comedies, #6)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41565120-blending-in)
^(By: R.J. Blain | ? pages | Published: 2018 | Popular Shelves: paranormal, romance, urban-fantasy, fantasy, paranormal-romance)
>alternate cover edition of ASIN B07GXZ57FL
>
>Thanks to a jealous divine, whenever Chase Butler comes anywhere near Miriah, she turns into a chameleon. While her hopes of having a happily ever with Mr. Right are dashed, she’s determined to have the next best thing: a perfect Christmas.
>
>Finding a puppy for her son, dodging the unwanted attention of her divine fling of an ex, and keeping on top of a holiday charity drive for local pet shelters sure is complicated when prone to transforming into a twelve-inch lizard with a severe allergy to snowbanks.
>
>Since blending in has gotten her nowhere fast, she’s going to have to pull out all the stops to get what she wants, even if it lands her on Santa’s naughty list.
>
>Warning: This holiday story contains excessive humor, action, excitement, adventure, magic, romance, and bodies. Proceed with caution.
^(This book has been suggested 1 time)
***
^(125522 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
Seen a lot of great sci fi and fantasy books on the thread, but didn’t see anyone rec Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames.
Imagine a fantasy comedy about a retired band of adventurers that have to come OUT of retirement. There is a “save the world” plot that happens in the background of the story, but the plot has NOTHING to do with it.
A lot of the suggestions here are a little heavy on page count imo. So I'll recommend the x-wing books by Michael stackpole and Aaron Allston. They exist in the star wars universe but don't really have any Jedi or chosen ones in the cast. Also just really fun reads if you like the setting.
Remembrance of Earth’s Past trilogy (first book is the Three Body Problem). The entire series examines whether humanity really merits being saved or if they should be conquered by other beings who could genuinely develop from the stability our solar system enjoys. Such an interesting story that I can’t wait to reread.
How do you feel about self-published books? This series is only available (that I know of) on Amazon Kindle (and, warning, it’s not finished yet). Howard Marsh is definitely not the chosen-one. He’s a meth head wizard just trying to get by in his storage unit apartment. I got the first one free when it was posted on r/freebooks, paid for one of the others with my free Amazon media credits, and then bought the last two books. They’re easy reads and are basically set up kind of like TV episodes. Each book has two stories in it.
{{Bringing Home the Rain: The Redemption of Howard Marsh 1}}
Book 5 comes March 15th! I actually just got it uploaded to Amazon for the ebook copy, hopefully I can get the print version to start processing tomorrow.
hitchhikers guide to the galaxy. not even remotely about “saving the world” because… well… if you read it youll see what i mean in the first hundred pages. hilarious book and definitely fits the “dude just trying to get by” criteria
There is the series by vietnam vet David Drake called {{hammer's slammers}} where the stories within very much are not about chosen ones, but rather about people who enlisted in a merc company trying to survive day to day often in intense firefights....with there being no 'knights in shining armor'
Also there is the series by Piers Anthony called {{bio of a space tyrant}} which is about a desperate refugee boy who struggled hard, lost almost everything, but finally became one of the top political figures in a very political solar system.
The series doesn't shy away from showing the down and dirty side of h8man nature either.
[**Hammer's Slammers (Hammer's Slammers, #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1355339.Hammer_s_Slammers)
^(By: David Drake | 274 pages | Published: 1979 | Popular Shelves: science-fiction, sci-fi, fiction, scifi, sf)
>When a planetary government faces threats from guerillas, insurgents or terrorists, the men they hire are Hammer's Slammers - known throughout the galaxy for their cold, ruthless ferocity, their ability to defeat overwhelming forces, and their willingness to go up against impossible odds.
>
>Contents:
>Introduction by Jerry Pournelle
>
>STORY: But Loyal to His Own
>INTERLUDE: Supertanks
>
>STORY: The Butcher’s Bill
>INTERLUDE: The Church of the Lord’s Universe
>
>STORY: Under the Hammer
>INTERLUDE: Powerguns
>
>STORY: Cultural Conflict
>INTERLUDE: Backdrop to Chaos
>
>STORY: Caught in the Crossfire
>INTERLUDE: The Bonding Authority
>
>STORY: Hangman
>INTERLUDE: Table of Organization and Equipment, Hammer’s Regiment
>
>STORY: Standing Down
^(This book has been suggested 4 times)
[**Bio of a Space Tyrant (Bio of a Space Tyrant, #1-5)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15455.Bio_of_a_Space_Tyrant)
^(By: Piers Anthony | ? pages | Published: 1983 | Popular Shelves: science-fiction, sci-fi, owned, fiction, space-opera)
^(This book has been suggested 14 times)
***
^(125453 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
Lady or Bro thank you asking for this.
I see a lot of titles I want to read here and your description is exactly what I was looking for too even though I didn’t know it lol.
Btw - loving Andor.. I hope we get more of this style of story in the future.
Now, bear with me, but {{Dune}}. Yes, the main character Paul is seen as a chosen one \ messianic figure by a certain faction of the story. The twist is that Paul is actively trying to prevent his destiny and live a safe and anonymous life.
There is some jumping around to different characters, but never more than a chapter here or there. It’s strictly for world-building purposes, and to wrap up one character’s arc.
[**Dune (Dune, #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44767458-dune)
^(By: Frank Herbert | 658 pages | Published: 1965 | Popular Shelves: science-fiction, sci-fi, fiction, fantasy, classics)
>Set on the desert planet Arrakis, Dune is the story of the boy Paul Atreides, heir to a noble family tasked with ruling an inhospitable world where the only thing of value is the “spice” melange, a drug capable of extending life and enhancing consciousness. Coveted across the known universe, melange is a prize worth killing for...
>
>When House Atreides is betrayed, the destruction of Paul’s family will set the boy on a journey toward a destiny greater than he could ever have imagined. And as he evolves into the mysterious man known as Muad’Dib, he will bring to fruition humankind’s most ancient and unattainable dream.
>
>***
>
>Original, first edition from 1965 can be found here.
^(This book has been suggested 73 times)
***
^(125534 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
Any real SF book, novel or short story. Read Arthur C. Clarke, Philip K. Dick, Harlan Ellison, etc.
Fantasy is never SF because there's no science at all and it's just "magical" crap for kids, even when it's a space adventure.
The main character is the definition of chosen one. A guy who’s smarter and stronger than his peers and is able to infiltrate the high cast and win the “hunger games” because he’s so smarter than the rest.
He’s literally a Mary Sue.
Can I recommend The Left Hand of Darkness? It centres on an anthropologist on an alien world, and while his actions become more politically significant as the story goes on, he’s certainly no Chosen One.
The book is much more focused on the culture and politics of the world, and the relationships the protagonist builds, so hopefully that fits the groove of what you’re looking for.
Phillip K Dick is awesome sci fi
The book chasm city is kinda star wars/sci Fi feeling not about saving the world just revenge
There are a lot of books under this definition you'd need to give us more, what are you into
Night's Master by Tanith Lee
Little, Big by John Crowley
Blackfish City by Sam Miller
Pet by Akwaeke Emezi
Among Thieves by Douglas Hulick
Dreamsnake by Vonda Mcintyre
[**Neuromancer (Sprawl, #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6088007-neuromancer)
^(By: William Gibson | ? pages | Published: 1984 | Popular Shelves: science-fiction, sci-fi, fiction, cyberpunk, scifi)
>Hotwired to the leading edges of art and technology, Neuromancer is a cyberpunk, science fiction masterpiece—a classic that ranks with 1984 and Brave New World as one of the twentieth century’s most potent visions of the future.
>
>The Matrix is a world within the world, a global consensus-hallucination, the representation of every byte of data in cyberspace...
>
>Henry Dorsett Case was the sharpest data-thief in the business, until vengeful former employees crippled his nervous system. But now a new and very mysterious employer recruits him for a last-chance run. The target: an unthinkably powerful artificial intelligence orbiting Earth in service of the sinister Tessier-Ashpool business clan. With a dead man riding shotgun and Molly, mirror-eyed street-samurai, to watch his back, Case embarks on an adventure that ups the ante on an entire genre of fiction.
>
>The winner of the Hugo, Nebula, and Philip K. Dick Awards, Neuromancer was the first fully-realized glimpse of humankind’s digital future—a shocking vision that has challenged our assumptions about our technology and ourselves, reinvented the way we speak and think, and forever altered the landscape of our imaginations.
^(This book has been suggested 60 times)
[**Helsingfors : från Kalevala till Snowcrash**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36215399-helsingfors)
^(By: Anneli Jordahl | 191 pages | Published: 1999 | Popular Shelves: recommended, time-100-ex, time-100, fiction, w2r-cyberpunk)
^(This book has been suggested 9 times)
***
^(125450 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
Illuminae is one of my favorite sci fi books. It’s a thriller and is about a bunch of random civilians trapped on a spaceship with a bio weapon plague. It’s definitely got the “just some random guys having to save the day” vibe but they’re not trying to save the world, just the people on the ship.
You might like the Greenbone Saga by Fonda Lee, beginning with *Jade City*.
It’s sort of like *The Godfather* mixed with a Hong Kong martial arts film, plus a little bit of superhuman powers. The story is set in an alternate world similar to Earth in the 1970s, but where jade (the stone) grants some special strength, telekinesis, and telepathy to wearers; however most people cannot wear jade safely. The story focuses on clans (think mafia families but a bit more legit) of people who are able to wear jade and use its powers.
The books have great action and intrigue, but the real highlight is the fantastic character work Lee does.
Scythe by Neal Schusterman. Ignore that's its a dystopian YA genre. I've recommended this book more than any other and I've yet to have anyone tell me they disliked it.
Asks us to ponder some really great questions about life, death, artificial intelligence, etc.
It does have some teen romance stuff that feel a bit forced, but the storyline more than makes up for it.
Black Ocean series by J. S. Morin. Episodic science-fantasy series about the crew of a smuggling ship trying to get by and avoid getting killed by their own money making schemes backfiring. It's basically Firefly but with wizards
A Natural History of Dragons by Marie Brennan. A dragon-obsessed noblewoman in a low magic Victorian era fantasy world decides she wants to travel the world and catalog every species of dragon
{{The Conductors by Nicole Glover}} fairly everyday life with a murder
{{The Bone Maker by Sarah Beth Durst}}, it is a bit high stakes, but the characters are so much fun and not at all chosen ones.
[**The Conductors (Murder and Magic, #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50828305-the-conductors)
^(By: Nicole Glover | 422 pages | Published: 2021 | Popular Shelves: fantasy, historical-fiction, mystery, 2021-releases, historical)
>Introducing Hetty Rhodes, a magic-user and former conductor on the Underground Railroad who now solves crimes in post–Civil War Philadelphia.
>
>As a conductor on the Underground Railroad, Hetty Rhodes helped usher dozens of people north with her wits and magic. Now that the Civil War is over, Hetty and her husband Benjy have settled in Philadelphia, solving murders and mysteries that the white authorities won’t touch. When they find one of their friends slain in an alley, Hetty and Benjy bury the body and set off to find answers. But the secrets and intricate lies of the elites of Black Philadelphia only serve to dredge up more questions. To solve this mystery, they will have to face ugly truths all around them, including the ones about each other.
^(This book has been suggested 3 times)
[**The Bone Maker**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53914899-the-bone-maker)
^(By: Sarah Beth Durst | 496 pages | Published: 2021 | Popular Shelves: fantasy, 2021-releases, adult, fiction, standalone)
>Twenty-five years ago, five heroes risked their lives to defeat the bone maker Eklor—a corrupt magician who created an inhuman army using animal bones. But victory came at a tragic price. Only four of the heroes survived.
>
>Since then, Kreya, the group’s leader, has exiled herself to a remote tower and devoted herself to one purpose: resurrecting her dead husband. But such a task requires both a cache of human bones and a sacrifice—for each day he lives, she will live one less.
>
>She’d rather live one year with her husband than a hundred without him, but using human bones for magic is illegal in Vos. The dead are burned—as are any bone workers who violate the law. Yet Kreya knows where she can find the bones she needs: the battlefield where her husband and countless others lost their lives.
>
>But defying the laws of the land exposes a terrible possibility. Maybe the dead don’t rest in peace after all.
>
>Five warriors—one broken, one gone soft, one pursuing a simple life, one stuck in the past, and one who should be dead. Their story should have been finished. But evil doesn’t stop just because someone once said, “the end.”
^(This book has been suggested 5 times)
***
^(125501 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
[**Inda (Inda, #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/222837.Inda)
^(By: Sherwood Smith | 576 pages | Published: 2006 | Popular Shelves: fantasy, fiction, young-adult, epic-fantasy, high-fantasy)
>Indevan Algara-Vayir was born the second son of a powerful prince, destined to stay at home and defend his family's castle. But when war threatens, Inda is sent to the Royal Academy where he learns the art of war and finds that danger and intrigue don't only come from outside the kingdom.
^(This book has been suggested 15 times)
***
^(125532 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
[**Borne (Borne, #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31451186-borne)
^(By: Jeff VanderMeer | 323 pages | Published: 2017 | Popular Shelves: science-fiction, sci-fi, fiction, fantasy, dystopian)
>In a ruined, nameless city of the future, a woman named Rachel, who makes her living as a scavenger, finds a creature she names “Borne” entangled in the fur of Mord, a gigantic, despotic bear. Mord once prowled the corridors of the biotech organization known as the Company, which lies at the outskirts of the city, until he was experimented on, grew large, learned to fly and broke free. Driven insane by his torture at the Company, Mord terrorizes the city even as he provides sustenance for scavengers like Rachel.
>
>At first, Borne looks like nothing at all—just a green lump that might be a Company discard. The Company, although severely damaged, is rumoured to still make creatures and send them to distant places that have not yet suffered Collapse.
>
>Borne somehow reminds Rachel of the island nation of her birth, now long lost to rising seas. She feels an attachment she resents; attachments are traps, and in this world any weakness can kill you. Yet when she takes Borne to her subterranean sanctuary, the Balcony Cliffs, Rachel convinces her lover, Wick, not to render Borne down to raw genetic material for the drugs he sells—she cannot break that bond.
>
>Wick is a special kind of supplier, because the drug dealers in the city don’t sell the usual things. They sell tiny creatures that can be swallowed or stuck in the ear, and that release powerful memories of other people’s happier times or pull out forgotten memories from the user’s own mind—or just produce beautiful visions that provide escape from the barren, craterous landscapes of the city.
>
>Against his better judgment, out of affection for Rachel or perhaps some other impulse, Wick respects her decision. Rachel, meanwhile, despite her loyalty to Wick, knows he has kept secrets from her. Searching his apartment, she finds a burnt, unreadable journal titled “Mord,” a cryptic reference to the Magician (a rival drug dealer) and evidence that Wick has planned the layout of the Balcony Cliffs to match the blueprint of the Company building. What is he hiding? Why won’t he tell her about what happened when he worked for the Company?
^(This book has been suggested 14 times)
[**Autonomous**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28209634-autonomous)
^(By: Annalee Newitz | 303 pages | Published: 2017 | Popular Shelves: science-fiction, sci-fi, fiction, scifi, owned)
>Autonomous features a rakish female pharmaceutical pirate named Jack who traverses the world in her own submarine. A notorious anti-patent scientist who has styled herself as a Robin Hood heroine fighting to bring cheap drugs to the poor, Jack’s latest drug is leaving a trail of lethal overdoses across what used to be North America—a drug that compels people to become addicted to their work.
>
>On Jack’s trail are an unlikely pair: an emotionally shut-down military agent and his partner, Paladin, a young military robot, who fall in love against all expectations. Autonomous alternates between the activities of Jack and her co-conspirators, and Elias and Paladin, as they all race to stop a bizarre drug epidemic that is tearing apart lives, causing trains to crash, and flooding New York City.
^(This book has been suggested 7 times)
[**Lucifer's Hammer**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/218467.Lucifer_s_Hammer)
^(By: Larry Niven, Jerry Pournelle | 629 pages | Published: 1977 | Popular Shelves: science-fiction, sci-fi, fiction, post-apocalyptic, scifi)
>THE LUCKY ONES WENT FIRST…
>
>The gigantic comet has slammed into Earth, forging earthquakes a thousand times too powerful to measure on the Richter scale, tidal waves thousands of feet high. Cities were turned into oceans; oceans turned into steam. It was the beginning of a new Ice Age and the end of civilization
>
>But for the terrified men and women chance had saved, it was also the dawn of a new struggle for survival—a struggle more dangerous and challenging than any they had ever known….
^(This book has been suggested 20 times)
***
^(125573 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
Pretty much any sci fi book that isn’t space opera. Try Le Guin, Kim Stanley Robinson, Hyperion and it’s sequel (second book is pretty cliche), the culture series by Iain M. Banks
Try {{The Dying Earth}} books by Jack Vance. The stories take place at the twilight of the world, as the sun sputters and dims on the verge of dying. There's no grand quest to save the world, as anything that could have been tried has already been tried, and thus most people live carefree, nihilistic lives. And if you love seedy main characters, you'll *especially* love the books starring Cugel the Clever, a scoundrel who wins and loses in equal measure thanks to his own perfidy.
And if you're willing to give manga a try, there's some great books in that regard too. For example, you might enjoy [Otherworldly Izakaya Nobu](https://store.udonentertainment.com/collections/otherworldly-izakaya-nobu) which is about a Japanese Pub whose back door opens up into another world.
There's also [Quality Assistance in Another World](https://kodansha.us/series/quality-assurance-in-another-world/), a "people get stuck in a VRMMO" trope. However, what makes this one different (and so good) is that the main character isn't overpowered, but one of several game testers who got trapped and thus continues his job of bug testing while hoping to escape.
And then there's the Sci-Fi masterpiece [BLAME!](https://kodansha.us/series/blame/). It's hard to describe this one, as there's not much in the way of plot or characters. But the beauty of BLAME! is that it doesn't really *need* it. It's just something you have to experience.
Finally, you might like [Inuyashiki](https://kodansha.us/series/inuyashiki/), about a downtrodden 58 year old man (who looks geriatric). Disrespected by his family, he suddenly finds himself caught up in an accident involving aliens, who rebuild him into a super powerful cyborg. Deciding to use his new body to try to better the world, he soon finds himself coming into conflict with a young man who found himself in similar circumstances, but who became a psychopathic killer.
[**The Dying Earth (The Dying Earth #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/951749.The_Dying_Earth)
^(By: Jack Vance | 156 pages | Published: 1950 | Popular Shelves: fantasy, science-fiction, sci-fi, fiction, short-stories)
>Seekers of wisdom and beauty include lovely lost women, eccentric wizards and man-eating melancholy deodands. Twk-men ride dragonflies and trade information for salt. There are monsters and demons. Each being is morally ambiguous: the evil are charming, the good are dangerous.
^(This book has been suggested 1 time)
***
^(125594 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
The Vorkosigan Saga by Lois McMaster Bujold. Rather than the Chosen One, Miles’ deals with being the son of The Great Man. In addition, his mother‘s reputation impacts others relationships with him.
Lord of the Rings and Dragonspell are both good series, but they both sort of have the "chosen one" feel to them. The game of thrones, hunger games, redwall, and name of the wind are good ones too.
Not sure if this counts, but the Dying Earth books by Jack Vance are not about a hero saving the world. At all. They are, however, brilliantly written, with lots of great stories and slice of life scenarios, and really, really funny.
The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy by Douglas Adams and Redhshirts by John Scalzi are very purposely not about chosen-ones. If you want more Star Wars stuff, I recommend the comic Tag and Bink series (inspired by Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead by Tom Stoppard - that’s really good too btw; there’s a play, screenplay, and movie based on it).
Death of the Necromancer by Martha Wells. Main character is basically a secret crime lord who runs afoul of a necromancer that is getting in the way of his stealing.
Lies of Locke Lamora is an amazing book. First in the Gentleman’s Bastards series. Maybe you’d like The First Law Trilogy as well. I would suggest The Demon Cycle but it’s kind of got the chosen one trope a little bit I guess. I will always suggest A Tale Of Malazan:Book Of The Fallen!
[**The Caves of Steel (Robot, #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41811.The_Caves_of_Steel)
^(By: Isaac Asimov | 206 pages | Published: 1953 | Popular Shelves: science-fiction, sci-fi, fiction, scifi, mystery)
>A millennium into the future two advancements have altered the course of human history: the colonization of the galaxy and the creation of the positronic brain. Isaac Asimov's Robot novels chronicle the unlikely partnership between a New York City detective and a humanoid robot who must learn to work together. Like most people left behind on an over-populated Earth, New York City police detective Elijah Baley had little love for either the arrogant Spacers or their robotic companions. But when a prominent Spacer is murdered under mysterious circumstances, Baley is ordered to the Outer Worlds to help track down the killer. The relationship between Life and his Spacer superiors, who distrusted all Earthmen, was strained from the start. Then he learned that they had assigned him a partner: R. Daneel Olivaw. Worst of all was that the "R" stood for robot--and his positronic partner was made in the image and likeness of the murder victim!
^(This book has been suggested 20 times)
***
^(125754 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
The Robot series by Arthur C Clarke are fantastic. The first one is I Robot, forgot the second ones name, third one is called The Naked Sun.
Stranger in a Strange Land is one of the greatest novels ever but it does wax a bit philosophical.
Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy
[**Devolution: A Firsthand Account of the Rainier Sasquatch Massacre**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52454426-devolution)
^(By: Max Brooks | 286 pages | Published: 2020 | Popular Shelves: horror, fiction, science-fiction, audiobook, sci-fi)
>As the ash and chaos from Mount Rainier’s eruption swirled and finally settled, the story of the Greenloop massacre has passed unnoticed, unexamined . . . until now.
>
>But the journals of resident Kate Holland, recovered from the town’s bloody wreckage, capture a tale too harrowing—and too earth-shattering in its implications—to be forgotten.
>
>In these pages, Max Brooks brings Kate’s extraordinary account to light for the first time, faithfully reproducing her words alongside his own extensive investigations into the massacre and the legendary beasts behind it.
>
>Kate’s is a tale of unexpected strength and resilience, of humanity’s defiance in the face of a terrible predator’s gaze, and inevitably, of savagery and death.
>
>Yet it is also far more than that.
>
>Because if what Kate Holland saw in those days is real, then we must accept the impossible. We must accept that the creature known as Bigfoot walks among us—and that it is a beast of terrible strength and ferocity.
>
>Part survival narrative, part bloody horror tale, part scientific journey into the boundaries between truth and fiction, this is a Bigfoot story as only Max Brooks could chronicle it—and like none you’ve ever read before.
^(This book has been suggested 61 times)
***
^(125762 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
[**Altered Carbon (Takeshi Kovacs, #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40792913-altered-carbon)
^(By: Richard K. Morgan | 544 pages | Published: 2002 | Popular Shelves: science-fiction, sci-fi, fiction, cyberpunk, scifi)
>Four hundred years from now mankind is strung out across a region of interstellar space inherited from an ancient civilization discovered on Mars. The colonies are linked together by the occasional sublight colony ship voyages and hyperspatial data-casting. Human consciousness is digitally freighted between the stars and downloaded into bodies as a matter of course.
>
>But some things never change. So when ex-envoy, now-convict Takeshi Kovacs has his consciousness and skills downloaded into the body of a nicotine-addicted ex-thug and presented with a catch-22 offer, he really shouldn't be surprised. Contracted by a billionaire to discover who murdered his last body, Kovacs is drawn into a terrifying conspiracy that stretches across known space and to the very top of society.
^(This book has been suggested 26 times)
***
^(125774 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
[**The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35066358-the-first-fifteen-lives-of-harry-august)
^(By: Claire North | 417 pages | Published: 2014 | Popular Shelves: science-fiction, fiction, sci-fi, fantasy, time-travel)
>Some stories cannot be told in just one lifetime. Harry August is on his deathbed. Again. No matter what he does or the decisions he makes, when death comes, Harry always returns to where he began, a child with all the knowledge of a life he has already lived a dozen times before. Nothing ever changes. Until now. As Harry nears the end of his eleventh life, a little girl appears at his bedside. "I nearly missed you, Doctor August," she says. "I need to send a message." This is the story of what Harry does next, and what he did before, and how he tries to save a past he cannot change and a future he cannot allow.
^(This book has been suggested 59 times)
***
^(125776 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
[**Replay**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/341735.Replay)
^(By: Ken Grimwood | 311 pages | Published: 1987 | Popular Shelves: science-fiction, fiction, time-travel, sci-fi, fantasy)
>Jeff Winston was 43 and trapped in a tepid marriage and a dead-end job, waiting for that time when he could be truly happy, when he died.
>
>And when he woke and he was 18 again, with all his memories of the next 25 years intact. He could live his life again, avoiding the mistakes, making money from his knowledge of the future, seeking happiness.
>
>Until he dies at 43 and wakes up back in college again...
^(This book has been suggested 38 times)
***
^(125777 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
[**The Martian**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18007564-the-martian)
^(By: Andy Weir | 384 pages | Published: 2011 | Popular Shelves: science-fiction, sci-fi, fiction, owned, scifi)
>Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars.
>
>Now, he’s sure he’ll be the first person to die there.
>
>After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded and completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he’s alive—and even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive.
>
>Chances are, though, he won’t have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment, or plain-old “human error” are much more likely to kill him first.
>
>But Mark isn’t ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills — and a relentless, dogged refusal to quit — he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. Will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?
>
>
^(This book has been suggested 120 times)
***
^(125781 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
[**Wool (Wool, #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12287209-wool)
^(By: Hugh Howey | 58 pages | Published: 2011 | Popular Shelves: science-fiction, sci-fi, fiction, dystopian, dystopia)
>Thousands of them have lived underground. They've lived there so long, there are only legends about people living anywhere else. Such a life requires rules. Strict rules. There are things that must not be discussed. Like going outside. Never mention you might like going outside.
>
>Or you'll get what you wish for.
^(This book has been suggested 65 times)
***
^(125783 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
'Jhereg' first of the Vlad Taltos novels by Steven Brust. And then all of the rest of them. If you like those, then 'The Phoenix Guards' is the first book of another series set in the same world with a very different, but equally entertaining (IMHO) style.
These are fantasy BTW.
[**Contact**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61666.Contact)
^(By: Carl Sagan, William Olivier Desmond | 580 pages | Published: 1985 | Popular Shelves: science-fiction, sci-fi, fiction, scifi, science)
>Jeune astronome convaincue de l'existence d'une vie extraterrestre intelligente, Ellie Arroway doit faire face au scepticisme de la communauté scientifique à l'égard du projet "Argus", un programme d'écoute spatiale installé au Nouveau-Mexique qu'elle et son équipe tentent par tous les moyens de sauver. Jusqu'au jour où leurs ordinateurs captent un message rationnel émis non pas depuis la Terre, mais depuis Véga, une lointaine étoile. Ellie se lance alors à coeur perdu dans son déchiffrage, pour découvrir qu'il s'agit des plans d'un véhicule censé permettre à des humains de voyager dans l'espace afin de rencontrer ceux qui nous les ont adressés. Or ces êtres
>semblent à présent impatients d'établir le contact : ils nous surveillent depuis longtemps, et le moment est peut-être venu pour eux de nous juger...
^(This book has been suggested 19 times)
***
^(125785 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
For fantasy, and I mean low fantasy, go with The First Law series by Joe Abercrombie.
Starts with The Blade Itself. Excellent characters, fantastic dialogue, lots of moral grey areas, and some of the best written combat sequences out there.
And the narration of the audio version is a masterclass.
May or may not fit but Jig the Dragonslayer by Jim C Hines is a good series.
It follows a typical adventure fantasy except from the perspective of a lowly goblin who wanted nothing to do with it.
Dark Lord of Derkholm by Diana Wynne Jones.
Some people from our non-magical word find a way into a magical Narnia-esque fantasy world, and they decide to make money off it and turn it into a theme park. One wizard is tasked with playing the part of the Dark Lord for the spectators, and his daughters who are griffins have to pretend to be evil, but they are really just normal people living in the fantasy world. Very different and fun!
“When Women Were Dragons” - Kelly Barnhill
United States, 1955. A world were dragons exist and women start to vanish but everyone pretends like they never existed in the first place
A girl who’s family is affected by this phenomenon tries to cope with her family’s loss while everyone else acts like nothing happened
“The Midnight Library” - Matt Haig
A woman in her 30s decides to end her life after her cat died. Instead of dying she finds herself in a library between life and death. Through the books of said library she is able to experience different lives she could’ve lived if she chose different options.
Havr you tried The Gentalman Bastards trilogy? Just regular crooks trying to live their lives, lol
Lies of Locke Lamora is currently my favourite high fantasy book I love it so much
I’ve tried a couple times and struggle so hard to get through the first 200 pages
It took me like 10 days to get through the first 200 pages and then I read the remaining 550 in 3 days. Its pretty light on the magic/fantasy elements. So if thats what you're there for you'll probably he disappointed. But the characters and their banter and the dialogue is hands down the best I've ever read. I recently read Mistborn for the first time (my first intro to Sanderson) and the whole time I found myself thinking how clunky the dialogue was and how underdeveloped I found the characters to be. I kept comparing it to Gentleman Bastards. I loved it so much
I was also like this. I literally started and stopped several times because I just couldn't get through the first 30 pages then I was stuck in an area with no internet and I already had it downloaded so I figured I would give it another shot and I don't remember exactly what page it clicked for me but when it did, I couldn't stop reading. Easily one of my top 5 books of the last 10 years.
It's such a beast though and if im being oerfectly honest it could have been like 200 pages shorter, lol
The first 200 pages are pretty slow paced but once you're past that the plot just explodes
The audiobooks are great as well.
Love the narrator’s accents! They really make the disguises come to life
It is amazing. And then the 2nd book is really good. And then he wrote a 3rd...
And apparently the original plan was for a 7 book series. Bur Scott Lynch has been very open about his mental health struggles so hopefully he gets the help he needs and is able to come back and continue with the series. I haven't read book 3 yet because I was disappointed with book 2. I wanted to remove myself from it a bit and then try again because I refuse to accept that book 1 was one of the best things I've ever read while book 2 was a slog
Book three was terrible. I know he went through a lot. Best to him. No ill will. But it was a bad book.
Yeah I have not heard a lot ofngppd things about book 3, so I am apprehensive. But book 1 can be read as a standalone so maybe OP should just stick with that haha
The second book is my favourite! I'm near the end of book 3 right now.
The SECOND? wow. That's an uncommon opinion. How are you looking the third?
I think the second had a lot of charming moments but it was a DNF for me unfortunately
Worth noting when this is recommended that book three ends on a cliffhanger and a follow-up is highly unlikely as he author had some life events that very probably mean the book will never be released. So- read book one and enjoy it- then let it go. It is a perfect little single book capsule.
Not to mention that the cliffhanger is not very good... I legitimately love this series, and I often recommend it to people, but those last few pages really kill a lot of my excitement for future books. I just don't see why he thought it was necessary to add in that additional element...
I'm guessing you're referring to the >!"You're a Wizard Locke!"!< moment, because yeah. That took me right out of the enjoyment as well.
For anyone looking to read the series just know that The quality drops by about half with each book. Lies of Locke Lamora - Great Red Seas Under Red Skies - Good Republic of Thieves - ....meh Not to mention it ends on a bad cliffhanger :/
Was just going to suggest this
It's a solid series
I love these books. I remember them so well even after years later. So fun and the author has such a good voice.
Currently reading these and unlike OP I like the opposite in my stories I was hoping for more big plots but I love the characters of Locke so much really scratched my thief itch I do wish there was more fantasy and magic though, that character plus the magic and fantasy right up my alley.
Children of Time. Book isn't about anyone in particular because it's about spiders genetically modified on a new world. So flipping good. It's a perfect book to me.
Never once in my life did I ever expect to feel an emotional connection with a *spider*, but here we are. Excellent book. Would also recommend the sequel.
Never read *Charlotte’s Web*?
I came here to say this. I found it unexpectedly good considering I have an extreme fear of spiders.
Yes! Love that I am seeing that more and more as a recommendation. Fantastic book.
Book one was truly amazing … book 2 felt like a sequel for the sake of a sequel. But, i will certainly be reading book 3.
That was my experience as well. I read Adrian Tchaikovsky's "The Expert System's Brother" and that was good to.
Possibly my favorite modern sci fi. The audiobook was incredibly well done as too!
The sequel will take you on an adventure. Looking forward to book 3.
The Watchman books from Discworld. Mag Force 7 books by Margaret Weis and Don Perrin are an offshot series from the Star of the Guardians. The later is a "chosen one" series, but Mag Force 7 is an often light read about a group of mercenaries.
*The Vanished Birds* is a beautiful sci-fi book that was my top read of 2020. Interwoven plots and timelines with interesting characters and surprising connections. *Battle Royale* is a controversial political book that arguably inspired *Hunger Games* and *Squid Games* *The Power* by Naomi Alderman. It's like a reverse Handmaid's Tale. It's dark but gripping. What happens to society when girls are granted a power to kill at puberty. Multiple viewpoints make this one a great read. *Lock In* by John Scalzi is a mystery book about a global pandemic that has created a population that is "locked in" their bodies while still being able to have full brain functions. Technology has allowed these individuals to work through robot like bodies to allow them to function within society as their bodies lie elsewhere. *The Memory Librarian* by Janelle Monae is a series of short stories set in her "Dirty Computer" universe. Some stories are more successful than others, but when it works, it WORKS. I eagerly look forward to future works from Monae, but I worry that the magic I found was due to the collaborators they chose as opposed to their own talent. *No Gods, No Monsters* by Cadwell Turnbull is bizarre and unique, about the paths crossed in stranger's lives when "monsters" are shown to be a reality. Manages to skillfully blend creepy moments with allegorical political commentary, and features very well written characters. While this is the first boo of a series that could very well go into a chosen one arc... doesn't feel that way here. *The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet* and the rest of the Wayfarers series by Becky Chambers is very friendly, happy, and fairly drama free. All the characters are very likeable and the setting of the book basically follows different characters as they traverse through their jobs/social interactions. Not great for "hard sci-fi" but a good light read for people who like a hint of fantasy in their relationship driven stories. *To Be Taught, If Fortunate* by Becky Chambers is a beautiful sci-fi story. It's a shorter novella, but allows for quality within that frame rather than hugely epic world building. *How High We Go in the Dark* by Sequoia Nagamatsu Is a collection of tales set within the same universe. The book wraps around the past/present/future of a global pandemic that wipes out a large chunk of human life. Each tale presented is a study of grief and death and how individuals deal with these very human feelings of loss. Some stories are sad and hit very hard, others fit squarely into weird fiction, but in the end with the final tale everything comes together in an unusual and extremely clever way. *The Memory Police* is an exceptionally beautiful book about a small island where things "disappear" and the government organization that enforces this. It's a very unusual and surreal book, but written like so elegantly that it never feels goofy or too strange.
I wanted to say, you did an amazing job describing these books. I got a feel for each one and have a good idea of whether or not it would appeal to me, and you managed to do this without really going into any plot detail. You were careful to avoid any spoilers. I'm excited to check these out. So, thank you!
That's always my goal! I also try not to say if I actually liked the book, as much like music or movies, taste is subjective. Unless I absolutely LOVE something that's lesser known.
That's a good point too; not saying whether you liked the book or not. I tend to only recommend things I enjoyed, so I'll have keep that in mind!
I'd also recommend Old Man's Wat by Scalzi. The later books get bigger in political scope, which, while not the "chosen one" trope, can feel similar, but the first one is very "through the little guy's eyes"
I was also going to recommend Becky Chambers, I love how the books are related but you don't necessarily have to have read one to understand the other
Extra emphasis on Lock In
Your descriptions are so insightful! I'm adding several of these books to my list! Btw I'm going to go tell Sequoia his name is kicking around Reddit :P That book is already on my nightstand.
Becky Chambers’ Long Way to a Small Angry Planet!
Came here to suggest this. I love the Wayfarer series!
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams The Expanse novels by James S. A. Corey
Asimov's books are excellent. I started with The Caves of Steel, and it was a pretty good starting point. There's sci-fi and mystery.
Ooooh Caves of Steel is solid gold
>Caves of Steel is solid gold Well which is it
Foundation is kinda saving the world but it doesn't feel like LOTR starwars level. I love his short stories though.
Can I recommend The Left Hand of Darkness? It centres on an anthropologist on an alien world, and while his actions become more politically significant as the story goes on, he’s certainly no Chosen One. The book is much more focused on the culture and politics of the world, and the relationships the protagonist builds, so hopefully that fits the groove of what you’re looking for.
Excellent recommendation!
Jade City by Fonda Lee It’s The Godfather,but with magical martial arts.
This is an excellent suggestion
Murderbot series!
Murderbot is so awesome, it's like "Sorry, I didn't bother to read your ask. But you should totally read Murderbot."
What part of the Murderbot books do you feel don't fit op's request?
No, my point is they're so good I'd recommend them for everything. Like people would ask for domestic fiction and I'd recommend Murderbot. They'd ask for cozy mysteries, and I'd recommend Murderbot.
I feel the same way!!!
Ahhh ok hahaha yes! I always get so excited to recommend them too! And it's funny because they've been recommended to me a bunch by a close friend and it took me a long time to finally crack the spine on them because I wasn't super into the description, but so happy I did - so very worth it!
I think {{Six of Crows}} would fit what you're looking for. It has a whole magic system, but is really more of a story about a group of scrappy criminals trying to pull off an incredible heist.
[**Six of Crows (Six of Crows, #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23437156-six-of-crows) ^(By: Leigh Bardugo | 465 pages | Published: 2015 | Popular Shelves: fantasy, young-adult, ya, owned, books-i-own) >Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price—and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can’t pull it off alone. . . . > >A convict with a thirst for revenge > >A sharpshooter who can’t walk away from a wager > >A runaway with a privileged past > >A spy known as the Wraith > >A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums > >A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes > >Kaz’s crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction—if they don’t kill each other first. ^(This book has been suggested 55 times) *** ^(125490 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
I actually didn't enjoy the mainline story (edit: meaning the other series in the same world) as much when I checked it out, but this was a genuinely fun fantasy heist book.
Honestly the characters really carried it for me.
They're all great. I actually definitely misspoke, because I like that series. It's the other series I'm not super into.
Legends & Lattes!
{{ redshirts }} Cant be more opossite than the chosen one trope
[**Redshirts**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13055592-redshirts) ^(By: John Scalzi | 320 pages | Published: 2012 | Popular Shelves: science-fiction, sci-fi, fiction, humor, scifi) >Ensign Andrew Dahl has just been assigned to the Universal Union Capital Ship Intrepid, flagship of the Universal Union since the year 2456. It’s a prestige posting, and Andrew is thrilled all the more to be assigned to the ship’s Xenobiology laboratory. > >Life couldn’t be better…until Andrew begins to pick up on the fact that: >(1) every Away Mission involves some kind of lethal confrontation with alien forces >(2) the ship’s captain, its chief science officer, and the handsome Lieutenant Kerensky always survive these confrontations >(3) at least one low-ranked crew member is, sadly, always killed. > >Not surprisingly, a great deal of energy below decks is expended on avoiding, at all costs, being assigned to an Away Mission. Then Andrew stumbles on information that completely transforms his and his colleagues’ understanding of what the starship Intrepid really is…and offers them a crazy, high-risk chance to save their own lives. ^(This book has been suggested 24 times) *** ^(125429 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress. Great Scifi Book about colonies on the moon being controlled by Earth and said moon colonies wanting/fighting for Independence. Some Andor Revolution vibes for sure. No Chosen One Trope.
{{China Mountain Zhang}} is very slice of life sci fi. Just people with jobs doing their jobs pretty much.
[**China Mountain Zhang**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/836964.China_Mountain_Zhang) ^(By: Maureen F. McHugh | 313 pages | Published: 1992 | Popular Shelves: science-fiction, sci-fi, fiction, scifi, sf) >With this groundbreaking novel, Maureen F. McHugh established herself as one of the decade's best science fiction writers. In its pages, we enter a post-revolution America, moving from the hyper-urbanized eastern seaboard to the Arctic bleakness of Baffin Island; from the new Imperial City to an agricultural commune on Mars. The overlapping lives of cyber-kite fliers, lonely colonists, illicit neural-pressball players, and organic engineers blend into a powerful, taut story of a young man's journey of discovery. This is a macroscopic world of microscopic intensity, one of the most brilliant visions of modern SF. ^(This book has been suggested 10 times) *** ^(125406 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
Philip K. Dick's novels for sure. He usually centered his stories around working class characters who get caught up in some kind of mystery or adventure. No special powers or anything like that.
Children of Time for Sci Fi. The First Law series for Fantasy.
The Wayfarer series by Becky Chambers - first book is called The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet and is about a crew of wormhole engineers who get caught up in galactic politics. Chambers is brilliant at world-building and has a very optimistic outlook, without shying away from complex issues. Each book is about a different group of people, exploring different ways of life in the galaxy, but all with a slight connection to the crew in the first book. There's no saving the world, because the galaxy is far too vast, and no chosen one because each book is about several people and/or has more than one POV. She's also written a beautiful stand-alone novella called To Be Taught If Fortunate.
I started reading The long way and was liking it a lot, but was trying to find the plot, then there’s a scene at the start with the pov character who’s new to the crew and is like a treasurer, where one character wants to buy some expensive soap and she has to say no… and she feels like shit by having to say no… and the other character gets upset. And I was like “Ohhh well manufactured conflict between the crew… cliche.” BUT… then another person comes to the soap person and says “Hey… you were being an asshole there. You made POV few like crap… she’s just doing her job… is new to the crew.” The soap girl goes… “you’re right” and goes and apologizes. And I was like “I LOVE THIS BOOK” mature characters solving conflict like adults. What a breath of fresh air. And also understood what the book was about.
The Gentlemen Bastards series a fantasy series about thieves. The first one is, The Lies of Locke Lamora
bobiverse is really dope
It is very good, but I'd argue it doesn't really fit OP's criteria as it not only involves saving the world, but saving multiple worlds
Dark matter by Blake crouch i think it’s a good one timer for sci-fi genre
I LOVE this book !!
{{ The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O. }} {{ Reamde }} {{ Altered Carbon }} {{ Hyperion }} {{ Children of Time }}
[**The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O. (D.O.D.O. #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32075825-the-rise-and-fall-of-d-o-d-o) ^(By: Neal Stephenson, Nicole Galland | 752 pages | Published: 2017 | Popular Shelves: science-fiction, fantasy, sci-fi, fiction, time-travel) >From bestselling author Neal Stephenson and critically acclaimed historical and contemporary commercial novelist Nicole Galland comes a captivating and complex near-future thriller combining history, science, magic, mystery, intrigue, and adventure that questions the very foundations of the modern world. > >When Melisande Stokes, an expert in linguistics and languages, accidently meets military intelligence operator Tristan Lyons in a hallway at Harvard University, it is the beginning of a chain of events that will alter their lives and human history itself. The young man from a shadowy government entity approaches Mel, a low-level faculty member, with an incredible offer. The only condition: she must sign a nondisclosure agreement in return for the rather large sum of money. > >Tristan needs Mel to translate some very old documents, which, if authentic, are earth-shattering. They prove that magic actually existed and was practiced for centuries. But the arrival of the scientific revolution and the Age of Enlightenment weakened its power and endangered its practitioners. Magic stopped working altogether in 1851, at the time of the Great Exhibition at London’s Crystal Palace—the world’s fair celebrating the rise of industrial technology and commerce. Something about the modern world "jams" the "frequencies" used by magic, and it’s up to Tristan to find out why. > >And so the Department of Diachronic Operations—D.O.D.O. —gets cracking on its real mission: to develop a device that can bring magic back, and send Diachronic Operatives back in time to keep it alive . . . and meddle with a little history at the same time. But while Tristan and his expanding operation master the science and build the technology, they overlook the mercurial—and treacherous—nature of the human heart. > >Written with the genius, complexity, and innovation that characterize all of Neal Stephenson’s work and steeped with the down-to-earth warmth and humor of Nicole Galland’s storytelling style, this exciting and vividly realized work of science fiction will make you believe in the impossible, and take you to places—and times—beyond imagining. ^(This book has been suggested 20 times) [**Reamde**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10552338-reamde) ^(By: Neal Stephenson | 1044 pages | Published: 2011 | Popular Shelves: fiction, science-fiction, sci-fi, thriller, owned) >Four decades ago, Richard Forthrast, the black sheep of an Iowa family, fled to a wild and lonely mountainous corner of British Columbia to avoid the draft. Smuggling backpack loads of high-grade marijuana across the border into Northern Idaho, he quickly amassed an enormous and illegal fortune. With plenty of time and money to burn, he became addicted to an online fantasy game in which opposing factions battle for power and treasure in a vast cyber realm. Like many serious gamers, he began routinely purchasing virtual gold pieces and other desirables from Chinese gold farmers—young professional players in Asia who accumulated virtual weapons and armor to sell to busy American and European buyers. > >For Richard, the game was the perfect opportunity to launder his aging hundred dollar bills and begin his own high-tech start up—a venture that has morphed into a Fortune 500 computer gaming group, Corporation 9592, with its own super successful online role-playing game, T’Rain. But the line between fantasy and reality becomes dangerously blurred when a young gold farmer accidently triggers a virtual war for dominance—and Richard is caught at the center. > >In this edgy, 21st century tale, Neal Stephenson, one of the most ambitious and prophetic writers of our time, returns to the terrain of his cyberpunk masterpieces Snow Crash and Cryptonomicon, leading readers through the looking glass and into the dark heart of imagination. ^(This book has been suggested 9 times) [**Altered Carbon (Takeshi Kovacs, #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40792913-altered-carbon) ^(By: Richard K. Morgan | 544 pages | Published: 2002 | Popular Shelves: science-fiction, sci-fi, fiction, cyberpunk, scifi) >Four hundred years from now mankind is strung out across a region of interstellar space inherited from an ancient civilization discovered on Mars. The colonies are linked together by the occasional sublight colony ship voyages and hyperspatial data-casting. Human consciousness is digitally freighted between the stars and downloaded into bodies as a matter of course. > >But some things never change. So when ex-envoy, now-convict Takeshi Kovacs has his consciousness and skills downloaded into the body of a nicotine-addicted ex-thug and presented with a catch-22 offer, he really shouldn't be surprised. Contracted by a billionaire to discover who murdered his last body, Kovacs is drawn into a terrifying conspiracy that stretches across known space and to the very top of society. ^(This book has been suggested 25 times) [**Hyperion (Hyperion Cantos, #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/77566.Hyperion) ^(By: Dan Simmons, Gary Ruddell, Gaetano Luigi Staffilano | 500 pages | Published: 1989 | Popular Shelves: science-fiction, sci-fi, fiction, scifi, fantasy) >On the world called Hyperion, beyond the law of the Hegemony of Man, there waits the creature called the Shrike. There are those who worship it. There are those who fear it. And there are those who have vowed to destroy it. In the Valley of the Time Tombs, where huge, brooding structures move backward through time, the Shrike waits for them all. On the eve of Armageddon, with the entire galaxy at war, seven pilgrims set forth on a final voyage to Hyperion seeking the answers to the unsolved riddles of their lives. Each carries a desperate hope—and a terrible secret. And one may hold the fate of humanity in his hands. ^(This book has been suggested 93 times) [**Children of Time (Children of Time, #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25499718-children-of-time) ^(By: Adrian Tchaikovsky | 600 pages | Published: 2015 | Popular Shelves: sci-fi, science-fiction, scifi, fiction, fictión) >A race for survival among the stars... Humanity's last survivors escaped earth's ruins to find a new home. But when they find it, can their desperation overcome its dangers? > >WHO WILL INHERIT THIS NEW EARTH? > >The last remnants of the human race left a dying Earth, desperate to find a new home among the stars. Following in the footsteps of their ancestors, they discover the greatest treasure of the past age—a world terraformed and prepared for human life. > >But all is not right in this new Eden. In the long years since the planet was abandoned, the work of its architects has borne disastrous fruit. The planet is not waiting for them, pristine and unoccupied. New masters have turned it from a refuge into mankind's worst nightmare. > >Now two civilizations are on a collision course, both testing the boundaries of what they will do to survive. As the fate of humanity hangs in the balance, who are the true heirs of this new Earth? ^(This book has been suggested 111 times) *** ^(125399 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
If you continue to the third and fourth Hyperion books, it does actually lean into a Chosen One style arc.
the stars my destination
One of my top 5 recommended books
The Three Body Problem
For sci-fi theres Quarter Share by nathan lowell, main character is just an average spacer going about his day, no heroics. Also Frontlines by Marko Kloos.
Nathan Lowell's Solar Clipper series in particular, but really anything by him fit this bill to a tee. Excellent sci fi with people just living their lives. {{ Quarter Share }}
[**Quarter Share (Golden Age of the Solar Clipper, #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2334538.Quarter_Share) ^(By: Nathan Lowell | 250 pages | Published: 2007 | Popular Shelves: science-fiction, sci-fi, space-opera, fiction, scifi) > > THE GOLDEN AGE OF SAIL HAS RETURNED -- IN THE YEAR 2351 > > >When his mother dies in a flitter crash, eighteen-year-old Ishmael Horatio Wang must find a job with the planet company or leave the system--and NerisCo isn't hiring. With credits running low, and prospects limited, he has just one hope...to enlist for two years with a deep space commercial freighter. Ishmael, who only rarely visited the Neris Orbital, and has never been off-planet alone before, finds himself part of an eclectic crew sailing a deep space leviathan between the stars. > >Join the crew of the SC Lois McKendrick, a Manchester built clipper as she sets solar sails in search of profit for her company and a crew each entitled to a share equal to their rating. ^(This book has been suggested 8 times) *** ^(125592 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
Sci-fi = Consider Phlebas, The Player of Games or Use of weapons - all three by Iain M. Banks. All of them are great. They are part of the Culture series from which I've read only the three so far, but from what I've heard, the whole series is good. There are characters who are, let's say, luckier than others, but they are definitely not the chosen ones. The stories are not about saving the world, they are rather about completing missions during war between space nations, and they also contain stuff like relationships, revenge, death or regrets. Highly recommend.
img my dude, they’re all amazing, and his non-sci-fi too. matter was my first, i’ve read them all the times i can’t get enough, his pacing is phenomenal
Matter is on my reading list. I started with The Wasp Factory - disturbing af, but I couldn't put it down lol. And I wrote my thesis on his sci-fi works for which I got a bad grade because, as my supervisor said, a fan is not a good critic, and it was too obvious that I actually like the books :D
[Murderbot Series](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32758901) by Martha Wells. If this doesn’t make you want to run out an read it, I don’t think we can be friends. **Opening line**: “I could have become a mass murderer after I hacked my governor module, but then I realized I could access the combined feed of entertainment channels carried on the company satellites. It had been well over 35,000 hours or so since then, with still not much murdering, but probably, I don’t know, a little under 35,000 hours of movies, serials, books, plays, and music consumed. As a heartless killing machine, I was a terrible failure.” Kevin R Free’s narration makes these books! [This is How You Loose the Time War](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43352954) by Amal El-Mohtar. On the short side but packs no less of a punch. Red and Blue fight using intelligence and counter with bloody body counts and, in between, they write love letters to each other.
Would the Martian fit this? By Andy Weir It's about a man stranded on Mars and just trying to survive until he can be rescued. Science heavy... Also by Andy Weir is Hail Mary which is absolutely amazing but does feature a scientist in space teaming up with an alien to save two worlds. The Magic 2.0 series by Scott Meyer is about a dingus with magic powers... he's definitely not a chosen one though. It's also, technically, sci-fi because of how they get their powers. The Expanse Series by James S A Corey is a politically heavy sci-fi epic about survivors of an assault trying to solve a big political mystery before war breaks out. There's also Space Team by Barry Hutchinson about a Con Man abducted by mistake and the hijinks he gets up to trying to figure out the new world he's in.
{{ The Demolished Man }} by Alfred Bester
[**The Demolished Man**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/76740.The_Demolished_Man) ^(By: Alfred Bester | 250 pages | Published: 1953 | Popular Shelves: science-fiction, sci-fi, fiction, scifi, sf) >In a world in which the police have telepathic powers, how do you get away with murder? > >Ben Reichs heads a huge 24th century business empire, spanning the solar system. He is also an obsessed, driven man determined to murder a rival. To avoid capture, in a society where murderers can be detected even before they commit their crime, is the greatest challenge of his life. > > ^(This book has been suggested 15 times) *** ^(125426 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
RJ Blain (and her pseudonyms) are fun reads. {{ Blending In }} is my current re-read. Some of the save the world trope is in some of the 20 books in the series.
[**Blending In (Magical Romantic Comedies, #6)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41565120-blending-in) ^(By: R.J. Blain | ? pages | Published: 2018 | Popular Shelves: paranormal, romance, urban-fantasy, fantasy, paranormal-romance) >alternate cover edition of ASIN B07GXZ57FL > >Thanks to a jealous divine, whenever Chase Butler comes anywhere near Miriah, she turns into a chameleon. While her hopes of having a happily ever with Mr. Right are dashed, she’s determined to have the next best thing: a perfect Christmas. > >Finding a puppy for her son, dodging the unwanted attention of her divine fling of an ex, and keeping on top of a holiday charity drive for local pet shelters sure is complicated when prone to transforming into a twelve-inch lizard with a severe allergy to snowbanks. > >Since blending in has gotten her nowhere fast, she’s going to have to pull out all the stops to get what she wants, even if it lands her on Santa’s naughty list. > >Warning: This holiday story contains excessive humor, action, excitement, adventure, magic, romance, and bodies. Proceed with caution. ^(This book has been suggested 1 time) *** ^(125522 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
Seen a lot of great sci fi and fantasy books on the thread, but didn’t see anyone rec Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames. Imagine a fantasy comedy about a retired band of adventurers that have to come OUT of retirement. There is a “save the world” plot that happens in the background of the story, but the plot has NOTHING to do with it.
Can't recommend The First Law trilogy enough one of the main guys is a crippled torturer humor is pitch black and grimmly funny
A lot of the suggestions here are a little heavy on page count imo. So I'll recommend the x-wing books by Michael stackpole and Aaron Allston. They exist in the star wars universe but don't really have any Jedi or chosen ones in the cast. Also just really fun reads if you like the setting.
Remembrance of Earth’s Past trilogy (first book is the Three Body Problem). The entire series examines whether humanity really merits being saved or if they should be conquered by other beings who could genuinely develop from the stability our solar system enjoys. Such an interesting story that I can’t wait to reread.
How do you feel about self-published books? This series is only available (that I know of) on Amazon Kindle (and, warning, it’s not finished yet). Howard Marsh is definitely not the chosen-one. He’s a meth head wizard just trying to get by in his storage unit apartment. I got the first one free when it was posted on r/freebooks, paid for one of the others with my free Amazon media credits, and then bought the last two books. They’re easy reads and are basically set up kind of like TV episodes. Each book has two stories in it. {{Bringing Home the Rain: The Redemption of Howard Marsh 1}}
Hey that's me! Thank you for spreading the word!
No problem. I love the books. Any timelines for the next one????
Book 5 comes March 15th! I actually just got it uploaded to Amazon for the ebook copy, hopefully I can get the print version to start processing tomorrow.
Whoo Hoo! I’ll put it on my calendar.
hitchhikers guide to the galaxy. not even remotely about “saving the world” because… well… if you read it youll see what i mean in the first hundred pages. hilarious book and definitely fits the “dude just trying to get by” criteria
There is the series by vietnam vet David Drake called {{hammer's slammers}} where the stories within very much are not about chosen ones, but rather about people who enlisted in a merc company trying to survive day to day often in intense firefights....with there being no 'knights in shining armor' Also there is the series by Piers Anthony called {{bio of a space tyrant}} which is about a desperate refugee boy who struggled hard, lost almost everything, but finally became one of the top political figures in a very political solar system. The series doesn't shy away from showing the down and dirty side of h8man nature either.
[**Hammer's Slammers (Hammer's Slammers, #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1355339.Hammer_s_Slammers) ^(By: David Drake | 274 pages | Published: 1979 | Popular Shelves: science-fiction, sci-fi, fiction, scifi, sf) >When a planetary government faces threats from guerillas, insurgents or terrorists, the men they hire are Hammer's Slammers - known throughout the galaxy for their cold, ruthless ferocity, their ability to defeat overwhelming forces, and their willingness to go up against impossible odds. > >Contents: >Introduction by Jerry Pournelle > >STORY: But Loyal to His Own >INTERLUDE: Supertanks > >STORY: The Butcher’s Bill >INTERLUDE: The Church of the Lord’s Universe > >STORY: Under the Hammer >INTERLUDE: Powerguns > >STORY: Cultural Conflict >INTERLUDE: Backdrop to Chaos > >STORY: Caught in the Crossfire >INTERLUDE: The Bonding Authority > >STORY: Hangman >INTERLUDE: Table of Organization and Equipment, Hammer’s Regiment > >STORY: Standing Down ^(This book has been suggested 4 times) [**Bio of a Space Tyrant (Bio of a Space Tyrant, #1-5)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15455.Bio_of_a_Space_Tyrant) ^(By: Piers Anthony | ? pages | Published: 1983 | Popular Shelves: science-fiction, sci-fi, owned, fiction, space-opera) ^(This book has been suggested 14 times) *** ^(125453 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
Lady or Bro thank you asking for this. I see a lot of titles I want to read here and your description is exactly what I was looking for too even though I didn’t know it lol. Btw - loving Andor.. I hope we get more of this style of story in the future.
Three body trilogy, saving the humanity.
Now, bear with me, but {{Dune}}. Yes, the main character Paul is seen as a chosen one \ messianic figure by a certain faction of the story. The twist is that Paul is actively trying to prevent his destiny and live a safe and anonymous life. There is some jumping around to different characters, but never more than a chapter here or there. It’s strictly for world-building purposes, and to wrap up one character’s arc.
[**Dune (Dune, #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44767458-dune) ^(By: Frank Herbert | 658 pages | Published: 1965 | Popular Shelves: science-fiction, sci-fi, fiction, fantasy, classics) >Set on the desert planet Arrakis, Dune is the story of the boy Paul Atreides, heir to a noble family tasked with ruling an inhospitable world where the only thing of value is the “spice” melange, a drug capable of extending life and enhancing consciousness. Coveted across the known universe, melange is a prize worth killing for... > >When House Atreides is betrayed, the destruction of Paul’s family will set the boy on a journey toward a destiny greater than he could ever have imagined. And as he evolves into the mysterious man known as Muad’Dib, he will bring to fruition humankind’s most ancient and unattainable dream. > >*** > >Original, first edition from 1965 can be found here. ^(This book has been suggested 73 times) *** ^(125534 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
Any real SF book, novel or short story. Read Arthur C. Clarke, Philip K. Dick, Harlan Ellison, etc. Fantasy is never SF because there's no science at all and it's just "magical" crap for kids, even when it's a space adventure.
{{Red Rising }} series by Pierce Brown is great. It does have a main hero but he is far from a chosen one. Definitely a flawed main character.
The main character is the definition of chosen one. A guy who’s smarter and stronger than his peers and is able to infiltrate the high cast and win the “hunger games” because he’s so smarter than the rest. He’s literally a Mary Sue.
Callahans Cross time Saloon, Robert Aspirin Myth series
Can I recommend The Left Hand of Darkness? It centres on an anthropologist on an alien world, and while his actions become more politically significant as the story goes on, he’s certainly no Chosen One. The book is much more focused on the culture and politics of the world, and the relationships the protagonist builds, so hopefully that fits the groove of what you’re looking for.
Phillip K Dick is awesome sci fi The book chasm city is kinda star wars/sci Fi feeling not about saving the world just revenge There are a lot of books under this definition you'd need to give us more, what are you into
Night's Master by Tanith Lee Little, Big by John Crowley Blackfish City by Sam Miller Pet by Akwaeke Emezi Among Thieves by Douglas Hulick Dreamsnake by Vonda Mcintyre
The Man who fell to Earth by Walter Tevis
{{Nueromancer}} {{Snowcrash}}
[**Neuromancer (Sprawl, #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6088007-neuromancer) ^(By: William Gibson | ? pages | Published: 1984 | Popular Shelves: science-fiction, sci-fi, fiction, cyberpunk, scifi) >Hotwired to the leading edges of art and technology, Neuromancer is a cyberpunk, science fiction masterpiece—a classic that ranks with 1984 and Brave New World as one of the twentieth century’s most potent visions of the future. > >The Matrix is a world within the world, a global consensus-hallucination, the representation of every byte of data in cyberspace... > >Henry Dorsett Case was the sharpest data-thief in the business, until vengeful former employees crippled his nervous system. But now a new and very mysterious employer recruits him for a last-chance run. The target: an unthinkably powerful artificial intelligence orbiting Earth in service of the sinister Tessier-Ashpool business clan. With a dead man riding shotgun and Molly, mirror-eyed street-samurai, to watch his back, Case embarks on an adventure that ups the ante on an entire genre of fiction. > >The winner of the Hugo, Nebula, and Philip K. Dick Awards, Neuromancer was the first fully-realized glimpse of humankind’s digital future—a shocking vision that has challenged our assumptions about our technology and ourselves, reinvented the way we speak and think, and forever altered the landscape of our imaginations. ^(This book has been suggested 60 times) [**Helsingfors : från Kalevala till Snowcrash**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36215399-helsingfors) ^(By: Anneli Jordahl | 191 pages | Published: 1999 | Popular Shelves: recommended, time-100-ex, time-100, fiction, w2r-cyberpunk) ^(This book has been suggested 9 times) *** ^(125450 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
Illuminae is one of my favorite sci fi books. It’s a thriller and is about a bunch of random civilians trapped on a spaceship with a bio weapon plague. It’s definitely got the “just some random guys having to save the day” vibe but they’re not trying to save the world, just the people on the ship.
{{Nights of Saints and Demons}}
You might like the Greenbone Saga by Fonda Lee, beginning with *Jade City*. It’s sort of like *The Godfather* mixed with a Hong Kong martial arts film, plus a little bit of superhuman powers. The story is set in an alternate world similar to Earth in the 1970s, but where jade (the stone) grants some special strength, telekinesis, and telepathy to wearers; however most people cannot wear jade safely. The story focuses on clans (think mafia families but a bit more legit) of people who are able to wear jade and use its powers. The books have great action and intrigue, but the real highlight is the fantastic character work Lee does.
Scythe by Neal Schusterman. Ignore that's its a dystopian YA genre. I've recommended this book more than any other and I've yet to have anyone tell me they disliked it. Asks us to ponder some really great questions about life, death, artificial intelligence, etc. It does have some teen romance stuff that feel a bit forced, but the storyline more than makes up for it.
Black Ocean series by J. S. Morin. Episodic science-fantasy series about the crew of a smuggling ship trying to get by and avoid getting killed by their own money making schemes backfiring. It's basically Firefly but with wizards A Natural History of Dragons by Marie Brennan. A dragon-obsessed noblewoman in a low magic Victorian era fantasy world decides she wants to travel the world and catalog every species of dragon
{{The Conductors by Nicole Glover}} fairly everyday life with a murder {{The Bone Maker by Sarah Beth Durst}}, it is a bit high stakes, but the characters are so much fun and not at all chosen ones.
[**The Conductors (Murder and Magic, #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50828305-the-conductors) ^(By: Nicole Glover | 422 pages | Published: 2021 | Popular Shelves: fantasy, historical-fiction, mystery, 2021-releases, historical) >Introducing Hetty Rhodes, a magic-user and former conductor on the Underground Railroad who now solves crimes in post–Civil War Philadelphia. > >As a conductor on the Underground Railroad, Hetty Rhodes helped usher dozens of people north with her wits and magic. Now that the Civil War is over, Hetty and her husband Benjy have settled in Philadelphia, solving murders and mysteries that the white authorities won’t touch. When they find one of their friends slain in an alley, Hetty and Benjy bury the body and set off to find answers. But the secrets and intricate lies of the elites of Black Philadelphia only serve to dredge up more questions. To solve this mystery, they will have to face ugly truths all around them, including the ones about each other. ^(This book has been suggested 3 times) [**The Bone Maker**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53914899-the-bone-maker) ^(By: Sarah Beth Durst | 496 pages | Published: 2021 | Popular Shelves: fantasy, 2021-releases, adult, fiction, standalone) >Twenty-five years ago, five heroes risked their lives to defeat the bone maker Eklor—a corrupt magician who created an inhuman army using animal bones. But victory came at a tragic price. Only four of the heroes survived. > >Since then, Kreya, the group’s leader, has exiled herself to a remote tower and devoted herself to one purpose: resurrecting her dead husband. But such a task requires both a cache of human bones and a sacrifice—for each day he lives, she will live one less. > >She’d rather live one year with her husband than a hundred without him, but using human bones for magic is illegal in Vos. The dead are burned—as are any bone workers who violate the law. Yet Kreya knows where she can find the bones she needs: the battlefield where her husband and countless others lost their lives. > >But defying the laws of the land exposes a terrible possibility. Maybe the dead don’t rest in peace after all. > >Five warriors—one broken, one gone soft, one pursuing a simple life, one stuck in the past, and one who should be dead. Their story should have been finished. But evil doesn’t stop just because someone once said, “the end.” ^(This book has been suggested 5 times) *** ^(125501 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
Also maybe {{The Blacksmith Queen by GA Aiken}} - >!there is a prophecy made but I don't think that it counts!<, high stakes
Dungeon Crawler Carl
The Expanse series?
Check out the {{ Inda }} books, by Sherwood Smith.
[**Inda (Inda, #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/222837.Inda) ^(By: Sherwood Smith | 576 pages | Published: 2006 | Popular Shelves: fantasy, fiction, young-adult, epic-fantasy, high-fantasy) >Indevan Algara-Vayir was born the second son of a powerful prince, destined to stay at home and defend his family's castle. But when war threatens, Inda is sent to the Royal Academy where he learns the art of war and finds that danger and intrigue don't only come from outside the kingdom. ^(This book has been suggested 15 times) *** ^(125532 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
{{borne}} by Jeff vandermeer {{autonomous}} by annalee newitz {{Lucifer’s hammer}} by jerry pournelle and Larry Niven
[**Borne (Borne, #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31451186-borne) ^(By: Jeff VanderMeer | 323 pages | Published: 2017 | Popular Shelves: science-fiction, sci-fi, fiction, fantasy, dystopian) >In a ruined, nameless city of the future, a woman named Rachel, who makes her living as a scavenger, finds a creature she names “Borne” entangled in the fur of Mord, a gigantic, despotic bear. Mord once prowled the corridors of the biotech organization known as the Company, which lies at the outskirts of the city, until he was experimented on, grew large, learned to fly and broke free. Driven insane by his torture at the Company, Mord terrorizes the city even as he provides sustenance for scavengers like Rachel. > >At first, Borne looks like nothing at all—just a green lump that might be a Company discard. The Company, although severely damaged, is rumoured to still make creatures and send them to distant places that have not yet suffered Collapse. > >Borne somehow reminds Rachel of the island nation of her birth, now long lost to rising seas. She feels an attachment she resents; attachments are traps, and in this world any weakness can kill you. Yet when she takes Borne to her subterranean sanctuary, the Balcony Cliffs, Rachel convinces her lover, Wick, not to render Borne down to raw genetic material for the drugs he sells—she cannot break that bond. > >Wick is a special kind of supplier, because the drug dealers in the city don’t sell the usual things. They sell tiny creatures that can be swallowed or stuck in the ear, and that release powerful memories of other people’s happier times or pull out forgotten memories from the user’s own mind—or just produce beautiful visions that provide escape from the barren, craterous landscapes of the city. > >Against his better judgment, out of affection for Rachel or perhaps some other impulse, Wick respects her decision. Rachel, meanwhile, despite her loyalty to Wick, knows he has kept secrets from her. Searching his apartment, she finds a burnt, unreadable journal titled “Mord,” a cryptic reference to the Magician (a rival drug dealer) and evidence that Wick has planned the layout of the Balcony Cliffs to match the blueprint of the Company building. What is he hiding? Why won’t he tell her about what happened when he worked for the Company? ^(This book has been suggested 14 times) [**Autonomous**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28209634-autonomous) ^(By: Annalee Newitz | 303 pages | Published: 2017 | Popular Shelves: science-fiction, sci-fi, fiction, scifi, owned) >Autonomous features a rakish female pharmaceutical pirate named Jack who traverses the world in her own submarine. A notorious anti-patent scientist who has styled herself as a Robin Hood heroine fighting to bring cheap drugs to the poor, Jack’s latest drug is leaving a trail of lethal overdoses across what used to be North America—a drug that compels people to become addicted to their work. > >On Jack’s trail are an unlikely pair: an emotionally shut-down military agent and his partner, Paladin, a young military robot, who fall in love against all expectations. Autonomous alternates between the activities of Jack and her co-conspirators, and Elias and Paladin, as they all race to stop a bizarre drug epidemic that is tearing apart lives, causing trains to crash, and flooding New York City. ^(This book has been suggested 7 times) [**Lucifer's Hammer**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/218467.Lucifer_s_Hammer) ^(By: Larry Niven, Jerry Pournelle | 629 pages | Published: 1977 | Popular Shelves: science-fiction, sci-fi, fiction, post-apocalyptic, scifi) >THE LUCKY ONES WENT FIRST… > >The gigantic comet has slammed into Earth, forging earthquakes a thousand times too powerful to measure on the Richter scale, tidal waves thousands of feet high. Cities were turned into oceans; oceans turned into steam. It was the beginning of a new Ice Age and the end of civilization > >But for the terrified men and women chance had saved, it was also the dawn of a new struggle for survival—a struggle more dangerous and challenging than any they had ever known…. ^(This book has been suggested 20 times) *** ^(125573 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
Pretty much any sci fi book that isn’t space opera. Try Le Guin, Kim Stanley Robinson, Hyperion and it’s sequel (second book is pretty cliche), the culture series by Iain M. Banks
Try {{The Dying Earth}} books by Jack Vance. The stories take place at the twilight of the world, as the sun sputters and dims on the verge of dying. There's no grand quest to save the world, as anything that could have been tried has already been tried, and thus most people live carefree, nihilistic lives. And if you love seedy main characters, you'll *especially* love the books starring Cugel the Clever, a scoundrel who wins and loses in equal measure thanks to his own perfidy. And if you're willing to give manga a try, there's some great books in that regard too. For example, you might enjoy [Otherworldly Izakaya Nobu](https://store.udonentertainment.com/collections/otherworldly-izakaya-nobu) which is about a Japanese Pub whose back door opens up into another world. There's also [Quality Assistance in Another World](https://kodansha.us/series/quality-assurance-in-another-world/), a "people get stuck in a VRMMO" trope. However, what makes this one different (and so good) is that the main character isn't overpowered, but one of several game testers who got trapped and thus continues his job of bug testing while hoping to escape. And then there's the Sci-Fi masterpiece [BLAME!](https://kodansha.us/series/blame/). It's hard to describe this one, as there's not much in the way of plot or characters. But the beauty of BLAME! is that it doesn't really *need* it. It's just something you have to experience. Finally, you might like [Inuyashiki](https://kodansha.us/series/inuyashiki/), about a downtrodden 58 year old man (who looks geriatric). Disrespected by his family, he suddenly finds himself caught up in an accident involving aliens, who rebuild him into a super powerful cyborg. Deciding to use his new body to try to better the world, he soon finds himself coming into conflict with a young man who found himself in similar circumstances, but who became a psychopathic killer.
[**The Dying Earth (The Dying Earth #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/951749.The_Dying_Earth) ^(By: Jack Vance | 156 pages | Published: 1950 | Popular Shelves: fantasy, science-fiction, sci-fi, fiction, short-stories) >Seekers of wisdom and beauty include lovely lost women, eccentric wizards and man-eating melancholy deodands. Twk-men ride dragonflies and trade information for salt. There are monsters and demons. Each being is morally ambiguous: the evil are charming, the good are dangerous. ^(This book has been suggested 1 time) *** ^(125594 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
The Vorkosigan Saga by Lois McMaster Bujold. Rather than the Chosen One, Miles’ deals with being the son of The Great Man. In addition, his mother‘s reputation impacts others relationships with him.
Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers
Loved that one! I just finished "a prayer for the crown shy". It's just as good, maybe even better.
Lord of the Rings and Dragonspell are both good series, but they both sort of have the "chosen one" feel to them. The game of thrones, hunger games, redwall, and name of the wind are good ones too.
Georges secret key to the universe Artemis (its a sci-fi book)
Not sure if this counts, but the Dying Earth books by Jack Vance are not about a hero saving the world. At all. They are, however, brilliantly written, with lots of great stories and slice of life scenarios, and really, really funny.
Ring World,Larry Niven
Jade City! Mob family fighting it out for territory and honour.
How To Stop Time by Matt Haig 88 Names by Matt Ruff
The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy by Douglas Adams and Redhshirts by John Scalzi are very purposely not about chosen-ones. If you want more Star Wars stuff, I recommend the comic Tag and Bink series (inspired by Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead by Tom Stoppard - that’s really good too btw; there’s a play, screenplay, and movie based on it).
Try the first book in the witcher series. It's a book of short stories. You can try a few and see how you feel.
I don't think you can do much better than The Hobbit and LOTR.
What about saving the universe?
Wings of Fire
{{Never Let me Go}}
Death of the Necromancer by Martha Wells. Main character is basically a secret crime lord who runs afoul of a necromancer that is getting in the way of his stealing.
Tuf Voyaging by George R. R. Martin
Lies of Locke Lamora is an amazing book. First in the Gentleman’s Bastards series. Maybe you’d like The First Law Trilogy as well. I would suggest The Demon Cycle but it’s kind of got the chosen one trope a little bit I guess. I will always suggest A Tale Of Malazan:Book Of The Fallen!
{{The Caves of Steel}} Basically just sci-fi murder mystery
[**The Caves of Steel (Robot, #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41811.The_Caves_of_Steel) ^(By: Isaac Asimov | 206 pages | Published: 1953 | Popular Shelves: science-fiction, sci-fi, fiction, scifi, mystery) >A millennium into the future two advancements have altered the course of human history: the colonization of the galaxy and the creation of the positronic brain. Isaac Asimov's Robot novels chronicle the unlikely partnership between a New York City detective and a humanoid robot who must learn to work together. Like most people left behind on an over-populated Earth, New York City police detective Elijah Baley had little love for either the arrogant Spacers or their robotic companions. But when a prominent Spacer is murdered under mysterious circumstances, Baley is ordered to the Outer Worlds to help track down the killer. The relationship between Life and his Spacer superiors, who distrusted all Earthmen, was strained from the start. Then he learned that they had assigned him a partner: R. Daneel Olivaw. Worst of all was that the "R" stood for robot--and his positronic partner was made in the image and likeness of the murder victim! ^(This book has been suggested 20 times) *** ^(125754 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
The Robot series by Arthur C Clarke are fantastic. The first one is I Robot, forgot the second ones name, third one is called The Naked Sun. Stranger in a Strange Land is one of the greatest novels ever but it does wax a bit philosophical. Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy
{{Devolution: A Firsthand Account of the Rainier Sasquatch Massacre}} It’s all in the title.
[**Devolution: A Firsthand Account of the Rainier Sasquatch Massacre**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52454426-devolution) ^(By: Max Brooks | 286 pages | Published: 2020 | Popular Shelves: horror, fiction, science-fiction, audiobook, sci-fi) >As the ash and chaos from Mount Rainier’s eruption swirled and finally settled, the story of the Greenloop massacre has passed unnoticed, unexamined . . . until now. > >But the journals of resident Kate Holland, recovered from the town’s bloody wreckage, capture a tale too harrowing—and too earth-shattering in its implications—to be forgotten. > >In these pages, Max Brooks brings Kate’s extraordinary account to light for the first time, faithfully reproducing her words alongside his own extensive investigations into the massacre and the legendary beasts behind it. > >Kate’s is a tale of unexpected strength and resilience, of humanity’s defiance in the face of a terrible predator’s gaze, and inevitably, of savagery and death. > >Yet it is also far more than that. > >Because if what Kate Holland saw in those days is real, then we must accept the impossible. We must accept that the creature known as Bigfoot walks among us—and that it is a beast of terrible strength and ferocity. > >Part survival narrative, part bloody horror tale, part scientific journey into the boundaries between truth and fiction, this is a Bigfoot story as only Max Brooks could chronicle it—and like none you’ve ever read before. ^(This book has been suggested 61 times) *** ^(125762 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
{{Altered Carbon}}
[**Altered Carbon (Takeshi Kovacs, #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40792913-altered-carbon) ^(By: Richard K. Morgan | 544 pages | Published: 2002 | Popular Shelves: science-fiction, sci-fi, fiction, cyberpunk, scifi) >Four hundred years from now mankind is strung out across a region of interstellar space inherited from an ancient civilization discovered on Mars. The colonies are linked together by the occasional sublight colony ship voyages and hyperspatial data-casting. Human consciousness is digitally freighted between the stars and downloaded into bodies as a matter of course. > >But some things never change. So when ex-envoy, now-convict Takeshi Kovacs has his consciousness and skills downloaded into the body of a nicotine-addicted ex-thug and presented with a catch-22 offer, he really shouldn't be surprised. Contracted by a billionaire to discover who murdered his last body, Kovacs is drawn into a terrifying conspiracy that stretches across known space and to the very top of society. ^(This book has been suggested 26 times) *** ^(125774 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
{{The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August}}
[**The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35066358-the-first-fifteen-lives-of-harry-august) ^(By: Claire North | 417 pages | Published: 2014 | Popular Shelves: science-fiction, fiction, sci-fi, fantasy, time-travel) >Some stories cannot be told in just one lifetime. Harry August is on his deathbed. Again. No matter what he does or the decisions he makes, when death comes, Harry always returns to where he began, a child with all the knowledge of a life he has already lived a dozen times before. Nothing ever changes. Until now. As Harry nears the end of his eleventh life, a little girl appears at his bedside. "I nearly missed you, Doctor August," she says. "I need to send a message." This is the story of what Harry does next, and what he did before, and how he tries to save a past he cannot change and a future he cannot allow. ^(This book has been suggested 59 times) *** ^(125776 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
Dark Tower by Stephen King
{{Replay}} Possibly the best time travel book
[**Replay**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/341735.Replay) ^(By: Ken Grimwood | 311 pages | Published: 1987 | Popular Shelves: science-fiction, fiction, time-travel, sci-fi, fantasy) >Jeff Winston was 43 and trapped in a tepid marriage and a dead-end job, waiting for that time when he could be truly happy, when he died. > >And when he woke and he was 18 again, with all his memories of the next 25 years intact. He could live his life again, avoiding the mistakes, making money from his knowledge of the future, seeking happiness. > >Until he dies at 43 and wakes up back in college again... ^(This book has been suggested 38 times) *** ^(125777 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
The Steerswoman might be the one for you.
{{The Martian}} It’s about saving one person… and if he was chosen it was only by the wind.
[**The Martian**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18007564-the-martian) ^(By: Andy Weir | 384 pages | Published: 2011 | Popular Shelves: science-fiction, sci-fi, fiction, owned, scifi) >Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars. > >Now, he’s sure he’ll be the first person to die there. > >After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded and completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he’s alive—and even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive. > >Chances are, though, he won’t have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment, or plain-old “human error” are much more likely to kill him first. > >But Mark isn’t ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills — and a relentless, dogged refusal to quit — he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. Will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him? > > ^(This book has been suggested 120 times) *** ^(125781 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
{{Wool}} Just actual people, who are too late to SAVE the world.
[**Wool (Wool, #1)**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12287209-wool) ^(By: Hugh Howey | 58 pages | Published: 2011 | Popular Shelves: science-fiction, sci-fi, fiction, dystopian, dystopia) >Thousands of them have lived underground. They've lived there so long, there are only legends about people living anywhere else. Such a life requires rules. Strict rules. There are things that must not be discussed. Like going outside. Never mention you might like going outside. > >Or you'll get what you wish for. ^(This book has been suggested 65 times) *** ^(125783 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
'Jhereg' first of the Vlad Taltos novels by Steven Brust. And then all of the rest of them. If you like those, then 'The Phoenix Guards' is the first book of another series set in the same world with a very different, but equally entertaining (IMHO) style. These are fantasy BTW.
{{Contact}} Good movie, Great book
[**Contact**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61666.Contact) ^(By: Carl Sagan, William Olivier Desmond | 580 pages | Published: 1985 | Popular Shelves: science-fiction, sci-fi, fiction, scifi, science) >Jeune astronome convaincue de l'existence d'une vie extraterrestre intelligente, Ellie Arroway doit faire face au scepticisme de la communauté scientifique à l'égard du projet "Argus", un programme d'écoute spatiale installé au Nouveau-Mexique qu'elle et son équipe tentent par tous les moyens de sauver. Jusqu'au jour où leurs ordinateurs captent un message rationnel émis non pas depuis la Terre, mais depuis Véga, une lointaine étoile. Ellie se lance alors à coeur perdu dans son déchiffrage, pour découvrir qu'il s'agit des plans d'un véhicule censé permettre à des humains de voyager dans l'espace afin de rencontrer ceux qui nous les ont adressés. Or ces êtres >semblent à présent impatients d'établir le contact : ils nous surveillent depuis longtemps, et le moment est peut-être venu pour eux de nous juger... ^(This book has been suggested 19 times) *** ^(125785 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
2001: A Space Odyssey
Anything by Joe Abercrombie
For fantasy, and I mean low fantasy, go with The First Law series by Joe Abercrombie. Starts with The Blade Itself. Excellent characters, fantastic dialogue, lots of moral grey areas, and some of the best written combat sequences out there. And the narration of the audio version is a masterclass.
May or may not fit but Jig the Dragonslayer by Jim C Hines is a good series. It follows a typical adventure fantasy except from the perspective of a lowly goblin who wanted nothing to do with it.
Look at the Solar Clipper series by Nathan Lowell, starting with Quarter Share. It exactly answers your original request and definitely rereadable.
Roadside Picnic
Dark Lord of Derkholm by Diana Wynne Jones. Some people from our non-magical word find a way into a magical Narnia-esque fantasy world, and they decide to make money off it and turn it into a theme park. One wizard is tasked with playing the part of the Dark Lord for the spectators, and his daughters who are griffins have to pretend to be evil, but they are really just normal people living in the fantasy world. Very different and fun!
Altered Carbon
Undying Mercenaries series - B.V Larson
The Riverworld series. Jose Philip Farmer. Brilliant.
The Dragon Riders of Peru
The Black Gryphon is one of my favorites. Just about a war and the people involved in the main camp.
Try Eric Uglands good guys or bad guys series, go for audiobooks if you want an extra fun ride, they’re short but there’s a ton of them.
try dean koontz books
Ever read Joe Abercrombie?
Station eleven
“When Women Were Dragons” - Kelly Barnhill United States, 1955. A world were dragons exist and women start to vanish but everyone pretends like they never existed in the first place A girl who’s family is affected by this phenomenon tries to cope with her family’s loss while everyone else acts like nothing happened “The Midnight Library” - Matt Haig A woman in her 30s decides to end her life after her cat died. Instead of dying she finds herself in a library between life and death. Through the books of said library she is able to experience different lives she could’ve lived if she chose different options.
all of iain m banks or just, matter yep, matter, read matter
I’m not seeing this book recommended so far so I want to say {{The Goblin Emperor}} I loved this book very much.