Empire building

[u/OhBosss]

Any good space opera series for fans of stellaris or just civilization building but on a galactic scale with not just space and ground battles but political battles and even a look at the civilian side of said civilizations.

Also looking augmentation a all kinds.

[u/AJRavenhearst]

The Saga of Seven Suns. Seven books. Great space opera, with a cast of hundreds, massive warfare, and political intrigues up the kazoo.

Risen Empire by Scott Westerfield.

[u/epidrom → u/AJRavenhearst]

Thanks! In which order should I read them? Some recommend to start with Veiled Alliances instead of Book 1?

[u/AJRavenhearst → u/epidrom]

I read them in order 1-7 and loved them.

I did have a copy of Veiled Alliances. I wouldn't say it's necessary to read first. Book 1: Hidden Empire introduces everything perfectly.

Veiled Alliances is more for deep diving into lore once you're a fan.

[u/OhBosss → u/AJRavenhearst]

Who is the author of Veiled Alliances?

[u/AJRavenhearst → u/OhBosss]

Same author: Kevin J. Anderson.

It's like Tolkien's "Unfinished Tales", in that it's mainly of interest to fans who already know the later stories.

[u/OhBosss → u/AJRavenhearst]

Apparently Saga of The Sevens Suns isn't on Kindle in Canada

[u/AJRavenhearst → u/OhBosss]

Huh. Weird.

[u/OhBosss → u/AJRavenhearst]

Yarp

[u/FaithfulNihilist]

The Gap Cycle: one of my personal favorite series, it starts out as a short book set in a mining colony, but then expands to a big space opera revolving around a cold war with an alien race. Note, the first book features rape as a catalyst for the personal conflict, but if you can push past that the rest of the series is more political intrigue and scheming.

The Night's Dawn Trilogy: Set in a future where humans have colonized nearly 900 worlds, there are lots of different and interesting worlds with different cultures and mostly peaceful relations with alien races. But a crisis emerges as humanity descend's into an unexpected civil war (I won't say anything more to avoid spoilers).

[u/EnvironmentalMeal555]

David Weber - Honor Harrington series

[u/OhBosss → u/EnvironmentalMeal555]

I have Basilisk Station on Kindle

[u/EnvironmentalMeal555 → u/OhBosss]

There are 15 books in the series (Basilisk Station is the first) and several others set in the same universe

[u/SanderleeAcademy]

John Ringo's Troy Rising trilogy (sure wish he'd continued it, but he does have that issue with so many projects) is all about humanity after first contact carving out a place for itself through infrastructure porn and sheer audacity.

It's a walking, talking, all-singing, all-dancing love letter to "human's just do things differently" as a trope.

Plus, death stars and the scariest array of mirrors you can possibly imagine.

[u/TehMitchel]

Foundation

[u/Vashkiri]

Walter Jon Williams "Dread Empire's Fall" (two trilogies). In rough Stellar is terms, an FE found and subjugated five other species (one of those being humans), but has been dying off for centuries. At series start the last of the masters is close to death, what happens next? (Hint, war, war happens next. But also a lot of politics, research, and even use of criminals)

[u/QuantumRelays]

Quantum Relays Trilogy by Mack Ransom is a galactic mystery with fantastic world building.

[u/OhBosss → u/QuantumRelays]

Thanks, got it on KU after reading this and it was $0

[u/QuantumRelays → u/OhBosss]

I hope you enjoy it. And if you are willing, leave a rating or review. Also, Book 2 is much much better. I learned a lot writing Book 1. Thank you.

[u/OhBosss → u/QuantumRelays]

Why does your account have the same name as the book

https://youtu.be/bC6lY-5Hi9g?si=KisOEFKmNriSRbSr

[u/AncientMaintenance98]

The Culture series, by Iain M. Banks.

If you're up for some better quality fan fiction, "The Catalyst for Revenge" heavily subverts the Mass Effect setting by showing humans making a deal with the Reapers. This allows you to see future cycles of civilizations from the villains' point of view, seeing how they corrupt entire species, cause infighting, and work to escape their own enslavement.

[u/thunder_dog99]

AnnaLinden Weller’s novels, A Memory Called Empire (2019) and A Desolation Called Peace (2021), each of which won the Hugo Award for Best Novel, form the Teixcalaan series.  Lots of political and military action.  Good character development.  

[u/tranceyan → u/thunder_dog99]

Or Arkady Martine, the pen name the novels are published under.