Litrpg Space Opera

“Thy legend was born in the shadow of the beast. Marked with their sign. All dust in the wind. Thy strength was forged in the shadow of the beast. Strength within. Echoes without. Loathe greatest of all when beasts’ shadows are gone. No longer in shadow, the shadow in thee. Breaker of stars, devourer of gods. Haunted triumphs none would crave.”—Prophecy of Aion Origin

Weary and tired from playing galactic bounty hunter and assassin, John and his crew of intrepid human survivors find themselves in Spaks after their latest escapade bring more heat than ever. In the outcast station of rebels and pirates, John is caught up in galactic politics once again. As trouble approaches on the hyperdrive engines of his many enemies, John finds answers to the System Quest and even more questions in the Rebel Station.

Life isn’t what it used to be in Earth’s megacities. Finally, having enough of eating crumbs and trying to stay alive, I decided to take hold of my destiny and join one of the space-faring legions. Getting accepted into a legion turned out to be a hell of a lot harder than I thought - until I met the Devil himself. Signing a contract and offering my soul in exchange for a chance at escaping Earth and a promise of power, I left it all behind only to find myself in a far worse situation among the sadistic officers aboard the Steel Legion.

“Blind eyes closed, but all-seeing. What was broken, mend and shatter. Orphan child, man of letters, tower keeper, castle feller. Body render, never feeling. What was severed, consume. Left hand hunger. Right devour. Starbreaker, death’s victor. Starbreaker, world eater. Starbreaker, awake.” —Prophecy of Aion Origin, date unknown

Millions of demons have taken notice of vampire warlock Riven Thane. Following his triumphant massacre at Daskus, victory over the cultists, and rescue of the succubus Fay, he's earned a fearsome reputation and a substantial rise on the power ladder. Now he's fostering a new empire and feeling invincible—or he would be if not for an unexpected snag in his own nefarious bloodline. Riven's due inheritance is a high-grade planet called Lutseki, a prominent trading hub that manages transported goods throughout the Blood Moon Requiem.

Unlikely hero Victor discovers the realm of Fanwath is even deadlier beneath the surface in the rollicking sequel to action-adventure fantasy Pit Fighter. Suddenly transported to the land of Fanwath, Victor had a hard time adapting to a reality controlled by an omniscient “System” that rewarded strength, skill, and savagery with increased “Energy,” which was necessary if one wished to continue breathing.

Since the apocalypse began, Bain Lee has survived with a class that should never have been intended for combat. Using his ability to see into the true nature of the System, he has turned the ocularist class into a powerhouse on the battlefield. His time on this new Earth has changed him, transformed him into what he was always meant to be: A leader among humanity, a general among all sentient species.

When young Victor Sandoval was snatched from his abuela's home and thrust into a brutal existence as a pit fighter in the land of Fanwath, it took a long time—and a heck of a lot of acquired skills and levels—to survive and become a formidable warrior with anger issues to spare. And now he seems to be right back at the bottom of the barrel.

Urey Lotheric, Supreme Mage of the Cabal of the Broken Gate, has been vanquished, and the valley has been saved from certain destruction. But none of that will matter if John can’t find a way back to Candle Scholar Tower. Stranded in the void with Ferdie and Ellie, John has to find a way to get access to the valley, or risk being separated from his farm forever.

Year 2197. Earth is suffering from the consequences of an environmental catastrophe. Cities the size of continents are drowning in a toxic industrial fog. Max Bourne is a typical teenager. Like billions of other people, he is forced to live in the protective shell of the individual life support module. His habitat is the virtual Layer. But one day, circumstances force the young man to leave the in-mode. He has no idea that fate will lead him through unimaginable hardships, bring him face to face with military AIs, and teach him to survive in the distant Outlands.

on Fanwath. But he had other ideas—bigger, bolder, bloodier ideas. Now known as Lord Victor after a hard-fought campaign to claim the newly christened Free Marches, his legend grows beyond his own lifetime. With yet another conquest, Victor must set order in his new realms, a task more daunting than battle with all it entails. But above all, he must somehow save his dear ally Edeya, whose spirit was stolen in the chaos of war.

On the planet of Fanwath survival depends on the skills, levels, and powers one attains through combat or exploration. Unfortunately, Morgan, Bronwyn, and Olivia aren’t on Fanwath anymore. In fact, they don’t know where the hell they are, but one thing’s for certain: they’re in constant danger.

After quitting her job as a therapist, Tess's life became pretty slow. A tad boring, even. It thus came as no small shock to her when she was chosen by a god. Suddenly thrust into a new world where magic, monsters, and character levels are par for the course, Tess will find that simply surviving can be a challenge. It doesn't help that dark forces are stirring, she's woefully underpowered, and spiders keep trying to claw her face off.

A strange body that refuses to obey you; a weird game you can't quit until your contract expires; a world teeming with powerful and very real enemies. The game in which your reputation and faction relationship are the only things that matter. These are the conditions of the agreement Ruslan signs without reading. The only thing he remembers is that he's been contracted to command a space fleet in a brand-new game he knows nothing about. Objective: to survive for six months.

When the Apocalypse descended, Bain Lee and the other death row inmates managed to survive the first year. Together, they joined forces with challengers from other worlds and managed to survive the next phase. Now, things have changed. Factions are forming, and with them, new alliances and rivalries are being forged. All the while, Bain's Occularist class continues to break the system in new and unforeseen ways.

If waking up in a new world isn't bad enough, Hestia starts her new life as a small, newborn dragon in a hostile forest filled with vicious monsters. With status screens obscuring her vision, her first task is to escape two hungry kobolds wanting some grilled lizard for breakfast. Equipped with fragmented memories from her past life and the gamelike mechanics of her new reality, Hestia must face trials, beasts, bosses, and more as she grows in size and power.

The Resistance is fractured. The remaining survivors are buckling under the might of the malicious Tyrant King. Enter Roark von Graf, hedge mage, lesser noble of Traisbin, and one of the last freedom fighters. Desperate and unhinged, Roark crafts one final attempt to overthrow the king. The plan goes awry, and Roark finds himself tumbling headfirst into an interdimensional portal. On the other side, he finds himself stranded in an unexpected place - an ultra-immersive fantasy video game called Hearthworld.

From a peaceful stay inside Firwood to the revelation of a political catastrophe, Firwood has been nothing less than an experience for the adventurer party, Aurora. Being in the right place at the right time, Hestia and co. managed to learn of a conspiracy that could have erupted into another elven-human war, stopping it from being uncovered by the wide-world by hiding its conclusion in the shadows of her concert’s lights and heart-racing songs.

The best of the year's science fiction and fantasy stories as selected by the multiple award-winning editor Jonathan Strahan. Distant worlds, time travel, epic adventure, unseen wonders, and much more! The best, most original and brightest science fiction and fantasy stories from around the globe from the past 12 months are brought together in one collection by multiple award winning editor Jonathan Strahan.

The apocalypse has been and gone. Now, Bain Lee and his faction are setting out to escape the Crucible and what has become of Earth. Nor was Earth the only world brought into the Crucible. Bain gathers allies from across numerous diverse species, each with their unique classes and powers. But it's the other humans posing the greatest threat.