Litrpg Space Opera

Death has a funny way of finding Lynette Heversham. After three villainous lifetimes—marked by pain, betrayal, and increasingly violent demises—Lynette still has no idea why she's been cursed with being reborn again and again. When she awakens as her younger self for the fourth time, she quickly realizes this life is her last chance to get it right.

This year’s selection of science fiction and fantasy stories, chosen by series editor John Joseph Adams and bestselling author of the Divergent series Veronica Roth, showcases a crop of authors that are willing to experiment and tantalize readers with new takes on classic themes and by exchanging the ordinary for the avant-garde. Folktales and lore come alive, the dead rise, the depths of space are traversed, and magic threads itself through singular moments of love and loss, illuminating the circulatory nature of life, death, the in-between, and the hereafter.

After witnessing the devastation of the end of the world, Salvos returns to the Netherworld stronger than ever. She is still resolved to find her first companion, but the threat of corruption still weighs on her mind. Because she knows she has to speak to the one responsible for the Apocalypse. She knows she has to speak to her father—the Devil himself.

The Val'ayash invasion of Earth had been defeated. New deals were reached with both the Qash'vo'tar and the Zhal Confederation. But Earth has one advantage that no one in their universe knows about. The portal to Ethorria.

Captain David Rice has a new ship, a new crew, and a new set of Jump Mages to carry him between the stars. All he wants is to haul cargo, make money and keep his head down. His past, however, is not so willing to let him go. An old enemy is reaching out from beyond the grave to destroy any chance of peace or life for Captain Rice - and old friends are only making things more complicated!

Humanity fought and won its freedom by establishing a fragile peace with the two great powers-the Qash'vo'tar and the Zhal Confederation—by bringing them proof that their ancient enemy, the Val'ayash, survived the great war. But despite that, Earth is still a minor player in a wider galaxy, with only one advantage. Magic. Two years after Earth won its freedom, the tensions between the three star nations are rising. And United Terran Systems council knows that it is only a matter of time before the two great powers pressure humanity for the secrets of their magi-tech.

He went searching for a fresh start. He didn’t expect to find unusual friends, fierce enemies, and primal powers. Jason thought that it was the end of his life after being hunted and attacked by a band of ruthless thugs. Instead, he tapped into the source of creation and emerged from his death experience with magical powers. As a new mage, Jason finds himself part of a wonderful - and dangerous - new supernatural world.

As reality's grand show concludes and alien watchers abandon and reset Earth, the world dissolves into primeval chaos. Monsters roam, magic surges, and the survivors battle to reclaim their world. Humans are forced to adapt… or become extinct. But humans aren't the only players in the game. Cunning mandrills now weaponize Earth's creatures, laying waste to the remnants of humanity. Warring dinosaurs, primordial monsters, and alien beasts complete this apocalyptic free-for-all, each hungry for their next kill.

The heliopause protected Earth, keeping us safe from a violent galaxy. Or so we thought. Who knew it did more than keep us guarded? Who understood that its integrity was the only thing holding our beginner’s protection in place? If we'd known—if we’d understood, we’d have waited longer, a hell of a lot longer to pierce its veil. But when the USM Arrowheart passed through it and left our solar system, that protection ended and all hell broke loose. The aliens who'd been watching, waiting, and biding their time were ready. We weren’t. But there was hope.

Book 3 of an action-packed LitRPG apocalypse series about a reincarnated loner turned lightning-thrower. She'll carve out a place for herself in a world changed by a System, conquering zombies, dungeon bosses, and worse, all while fast-traveling on a yacht.

When Shaun takes a chance on an all-new developmental therapy to improve his mental well-being and lose some weight, he is thrust into the ride of his life. Fighting through an all too real fantasy land, with the assistance of another, often-difficult participant, he is able to realign his outlook on life - which turns out to be more important than he could have dreamed, as they are thrust into a real-world battle for survival that will resonate across the galaxy.

A gas station clerk at twenty-seven with no future prospects on the horizon, Mike Reynolds is a dropout with an addiction to video games and a less-than-ideal living situation. Life definitely isn't great, but could it really get much worse? When monsters appear on Earth and begin destroying the fabric holding together humanity, that thought is thrown out the window: everything is getting worse, and fast. 'Is my world becoming an MMRPG Apocalypse?' Can Mike make good on his prior experience and carve a foothold for himself as a Necromancer in this RPG world?

Benning Kidd is a Drone, the lowest class of humanity. She exists without memory, purpose, or more than the most basic awareness of herself and the world around her. An accident changes all that, and Benning becomes a Citizen of the Collective, the first Drone to do so in history. She is uniquely talented and unscrupulously driven, choosing a path of battle and glory that will take her from arena to arena and out among the stars themselves.

On Earth, Shad Williams was a soldier in the US Army, protecting and defending his country. Now, he's a champion for Earth itself, engaging in combat against monstrous creatures on a distant planet. Humans are just one of several species taken from their homeworlds to serve powerful aliens. Tasked with obtaining a Reality Engine—a supercomputer capable of producing unimaginable technological creations—for their new overlords, they're forced to wage war against one another.

With divinity in hand, the challenges will only continue to get larger for Dale Mitchell as his worlds grow. What new struggles await him and his companions, and what direction will these new challenges take him?

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.

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.

Science fiction is a portal that opens doors onto futures too rich and strange to imagine. Fantasy takes us through doorways of magic and wonder. For more than a decade award-winning editor Jonathan Strahan has sifted through tens of thousands of stories to select the best, the most interesting, the most engaging science fiction and fantasy to thrill and delight readers.

Hugh Logan and the other human cores of the expeditionary force are back home, but the cost of keeping their allies alive has been a heavy one. Not happy about losing their prey, the Ssath continue to use the vast resources at their disposal to seek total victory over humanity. They will stop at nothing until Earth’s cores are defeated and the planet is transformed into a feeding ground and hunting preserve.

We put an end to the war with the Dark Faction, but still humanity's problems are far from over. More than half of the game's promised tong of safety has elapsed, and yet humankind is no closer to forming a unified front. We've just begun building one of the 12 planetary shield generators necessary to give Earth complete protection, but we don't have enough construction materials, players, or time. Should we ask the parallel magocratic world for help? After all, an invasion from outer space would hurt them just as bad. The mages, though, have plenty of problems of their own.