Come now, dear reader, and let us embark upon a most splendid adventure together. If you have followed young Darrow from the depths of Mars to the very heavens themselves, if your heart has raced alongside his through rebellion and ruin, then you shall find yourself quite wonderfully prepared for the treasures that await in these pages.
Pierce Brown’s magnificent saga has left many a reader hungry for more—more daring heroes rising against impossible odds, more worlds built upon secrets and stratified societies, more tales where the lowly become legendary. And so, like a faithful friend who knows precisely which star to follow, I shall guide you to seventeen remarkable books that capture that same intoxicating spirit.
Science Fiction Epics for the Bold of Heart
Empire of Silence by Christopher Ruocchio
In the grand tradition of space operas that sweep one quite off one’s feet, we find Hadrian Marlowe—a young man whose tale is told from beyond the stars, looking back upon a life that shaped galaxies. He is at once hero and monster, savior and destroyer, and therein lies the terrible beauty of the thing.
Ruocchio weaves a narrative so rich with political intrigue and philosophical depth that one might fancy oneself dining at the most elaborate feast. The prose itself sings with literary ambition, drawing comparisons to the great Frank Herbert, though forging its own magnificent path. For those who adored Darrow’s transformation from simple miner to revolutionary legend, Hadrian’s journey offers equally breathtaking metamorphosis.
Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey
Picture, if you will, a solar system on the precipice of war—Earth and Mars circling one another like wary wolves, whilst the forgotten folk of the asteroid belt cry out for justice. Into this powder keg stride two souls: Jim Holden, an idealist whose broadcasts might ignite the very stars, and Detective Miller, a world-weary investigator pursuing a ghost.
What begins as separate threads soon weaves into something magnificent and terrible, as a conspiracy threatens not merely nations but humanity itself. The political machinations shall remind you pleasantly of the Society’s scheming Golds, whilst the scrappy crew of the Rocinante captures that same family-forged-in-fire that Darrow finds among his Howlers.
Dune by Frank Herbert
One cannot speak of magnificent science fiction without paying homage to the grandfather of them all. Young Paul Atreides arrives upon the desert planet Arrakis—a world that appears barren yet holds the most precious substance in all the universe. Herbert’s masterwork explores power and its corruptions with such depth that even Pierce Brown himself has acknowledged its profound influence upon Red Rising.
The Fremen people, surviving and thriving in impossible conditions, echo the Reds of Mars in their fierce determination. The themes of chosen ones who may become tyrants, of religions wielded as weapons, of ecology and exploitation—all these threads run through both works like golden veins through marble.
Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card
Here we find another young soul thrust into a crucible of extraordinary design. Andrew “Ender” Wiggin is but a child when the military whisks him away to Battle School, where children are forged into commanders through games that prove far more serious than they appear. The adults manipulate whilst the children suffer, and genius becomes both blessing and terrible burden.
The zero-gravity battle rooms shall feel delightfully familiar to those who thrilled at the Institute’s challenges. Yet beneath the action lies a meditation upon violence, upon the weight of command, upon what we ask of our young when we send them to fight our wars.
Old Man’s War by John Scalzi
Imagine, dear reader, reaching your seventy-fifth year and being offered a most extraordinary proposition: join an interstellar army and receive a body young and strong once more. John Perry takes this bargain, leaving behind the grave of his beloved wife to discover a universe far stranger and more dangerous than Earth ever dreamed.
Scalzi writes with such wit and warmth that one laughs even whilst the battles rage fierce. The transformation Perry undergoes—body and soul—carries echoes of Darrow’s own making and remaking. And the questions it raises about identity, about what makes us truly ourselves, linger long after the final page.
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
Ryland Grace awakens alone upon a spaceship with no memory of why he is there or what mission he must complete. As his memories return in fragments, the terrible truth emerges: Earth is dying, consumed by a peculiar organism stealing the very light of the sun. He is humanity’s last hope, sent on a one-way journey to find salvation.
What makes this tale particularly delightful is the friendship Ryland forms with an alien creature whose appearance would frighten but whose heart proves wonderfully true. It is a story of science and wonder, of sacrifice and hope, told with infectious enthusiasm that shall keep you turning pages well past bedtime.
Hyperion by Dan Simmons
Seven pilgrims journey toward the Time Tombs on the world called Hyperion, each carrying a tale and a secret. They seek the Shrike—a creature of legend and nightmare, a being that impales its victims upon a tree of thorns. Yet why do they go? What do they seek? Each pilgrim’s story unfolds like a nested treasure box, revealing wonders and horrors in equal measure.
Simmons crafted something truly extraordinary here—a work that won the Hugo Award and has been called science fiction’s answer to The Canterbury Tales. The scope is immense, the writing breathtaking, and the questions it poses about time and faith and sacrifice shall haunt your dreams most pleasantly.
Consider Phlebas by Iain M. Banks
The Culture—a vast civilization of humans and minds so advanced they have abolished want and suffering—finds itself at war with the Idirans, a fierce religious empire. Our guide through this conflict is Horza, a shape-shifter who fights against the Culture, believing its machine-guided utopia to be somehow wrong.
Banks created something remarkable in the Culture novels: a vision of what humanity might become, explored through adventures that span artificial worlds and deadly games. The moral complexities mirror those of Red Rising beautifully—for who is truly the villain when all sides believe themselves righteous?
Wool by Hugh Howey
Deep beneath a poisoned Earth, humanity survives within the Silo—a vertical city of one hundred and forty-four floors where strict rules govern all. The greatest crime is expressing a desire to go outside, punishable by being sent to clean the sensors that show the toxic world above. But what if everything the Silo’s rulers have taught is a lie?
When mechanic Juliette is promoted to sheriff, she begins unraveling mysteries that those in power would kill to protect. Howey’s tale burns with the same revolutionary fire as Red Rising—the same question of what people owe to truth when comfortable lies keep society stable.
Fantasy Realms That Mirror the Stars
Mistborn: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson
For a thousand years, the Lord Ruler has reigned as immortal god and tyrant over a world of ash and mist. The skaa labor in hopeless servitude whilst the nobility feast and scheme. But now a crew of thieves and rebels gathers, led by the charismatic Kelsier, planning nothing less than the overthrow of the entire empire.
Young Vin, a street urchin who discovers she possesses extraordinary magical abilities, becomes central to their audacious scheme. Sanderson’s magic system—wherein metals are ingested and “burned” for power—is brilliantly constructed. But it is the themes of oppression and uprising, of finding strength one never knew one possessed, that shall resonate most deeply with Howler hearts.
An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
In a world inspired by ancient Rome, the Scholar people live in subjugation to the Martial empire. When Laia’s brother is arrested, she infiltrates the brutal military academy of Blackcliff as a spy. There she encounters Elias, one of the empire’s most skilled soldiers, who secretly dreams of freedom from the very system he serves.
The academy setting crackles with danger and intrigue—trials that determine who shall become emperor, training that kills the weak, and secrets that could shatter empires. Tahir weaves romance and rebellion together with such skill that one’s heart aches for both protagonists.
The First Law Trilogy by Joe Abercrombie
If Dark Age left you craving more morally complex characters and unflinching depictions of violence and consequence, then Joe Abercrombie awaits with open arms. His world is one where heroes prove disappointing, villains possess sympathetic depths, and the best intentions lead to terrible outcomes.
Logen Ninefingers, the Bloody-Nine, is a barbarian warrior trying to escape his violent past. Glokta is a torturer who was himself once tortured. Jezal dan Luthar is a vain young nobleman about to learn that the world is far harsher than he imagined. Together their stories interweave into something dark and magnificent.
The Will of the Many by James Islington
In the hierarchical empire of Caten, power flows upward—the lower classes literally cede their life force to those above them. Young Vis Telimus enters the empire’s most prestigious academy carrying secrets that could destroy him, seeking answers to a murder whilst climbing the treacherous ranks of competition.
The academy setting pulses with tension as students scheme and struggle for advancement. Islington has crafted a magic system as clever as any in fantasy, wrapped within political intrigue that recalls the Society’s machinations. This is one of the most exciting new series in fantasy, and readers of Red Rising shall find themselves quite at home.
The Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson
Upon a world scoured by magical storms, where civilization shelters in the lee of mountains and creatures have evolved shells for protection, an ancient evil stirs. Kaladin, a former soldier reduced to slavery, must find reason to fight once more. Shallan, a young scholar, pursues secrets that could save or doom kingdoms.
Sanderson’s epic spans thousands of pages and contains multitudes. The battles are extraordinary, the magic system intricate, and the characters—broken people learning to stand again—shall resonate with anyone who cheered Darrow’s refusal to stay fallen.
Dystopian Tales of Rebellion
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
One might say that Katniss Everdeen and Darrow are spiritual siblings—both forced into arenas where survival requires becoming something more than they were, both discovering that surviving is merely the beginning of a longer war. Collins’ dystopian masterpiece practically invented the modern genre of oppression and uprising.
The Capitol’s cruelty, the Districts’ suffering, the terrible spectacle of children fighting to the death—these elements shocked readers when they first appeared and continue to resonate. The trilogy asks hard questions about revolution, about what violence costs even the victors.
Legend by Marie Lu
In a future where the United States has fractured into warring nations, Day is the Republic’s most wanted criminal—a boy from the slums who has become legend through daring acts of rebellion. June is a prodigy being groomed for military greatness, absolutely loyal to the Republic that raised her. When tragedy strikes June’s family, she is sent to capture Day.
What follows is a tale of pursuit that becomes understanding, of enemies who discover they have more in common than either imagined. Lu writes action sequences that leap from the page whilst building a romance that feels earned and true.
The Maze Runner by James Dashner
Thomas awakens in a metal box with no memory of who he is, only to emerge into the Glade—a community of boys trapped at the center of an ever-shifting maze filled with deadly creatures. Why are they there? Who put them there? And can they possibly escape?
The mystery drives this tale forward at breakneck pace. The bonds formed between the Gladers—their slang, their hierarchy, their desperate hope—echo the found family that forms around Darrow. And the revelations, when they come, prove that some truths are more terrible than the unknown.
One Final Word Before You Go
There you have it, dear reader—seventeen magnificent doorways into worlds of rebellion and wonder, of heroes rising against impossible odds, of societies built on lies that brave souls dare to expose. Each offers something unique whilst sharing that essential spark that made Red Rising burn so bright in your heart.
Whether you choose the literary grandeur of Christopher Ruocchio, the political complexity of James S.A. Corey, the dark wit of Joe Abercrombie, or the hopeful science of Andy Weir, adventure awaits. For there is nothing quite so thrilling as that moment when you open a new book and realize you have found something special.
May your journey be grand, may your pages be many, and may you never forget: we are made to fly, to break, to rise again.
Per aspera ad astra.
Looking for more recommendations? We are always discovering new books that capture the spirit of epic science fiction and fantasy. The stars are full of stories waiting to be told.
