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

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

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

  • Berttheduck
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    135 months ago

    Doesn’t quite fit the bill as there’s a planet eventually but Children of Time by Tchaikovsky is excellent and half the book follows a generation ship. The other half follows a successive evolution of uplifted spiders. It’s reasonably hard sci-fi not Martian levels of detail about the science but very well written and enjoyable. Could be worth a go for some inspiration.

    • livus
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      45 months ago

      @Berttheduck

      The other half follows a successive evolution of uplifted spiders

      This is the book I didn’t know I wanted to read until now.

      • Berttheduck
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        55 months ago

        It does a really good job of making you empathize with giant spiders. I can also recommend the audio book, very well done.

        • livus
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          45 months ago

          @Berttheduck awesome. I love relatable non-human characters that are genuinely alien not just crypto humans.

      • @[email protected]
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        35 months ago

        It owns. Haven’t read the third one yet. Not even sure if it’s out but if it is it’s next on the list.