The 10 Best Books Similar to Babylon's Ashes (The Expanse) to Read Now
Just finished binge-reading Babylon's Ashes and craving more epic space operas with political intrigue, alien mysteries, and heart-pounding action? You're not alone! We've curated the ultimate list of 10 books that will capture your imagination and keep you turning pages late into the night.
Editor's Top Match
Ancillary Justice
by Ann Leckie
Why it's the perfect match
Ancillary Justice perfectly captures the political intrigue and complex world-building that makes The Expanse so compelling, with a unique perspective on AI consciousness and interstellar conflict that will leave you breathless.
The Full Curated Collection
9 Expert Recommendations
Leviathan Wakes
by James S. A. Corey
The explosive beginning of the Expanse series that started it all, introducing the mysterious protomolecule and the political tensions that will shape the solar system.
The Three-Body Problem
by Liu Cixin
A mind-bending hard sci-fi masterpiece that explores first contact with an alien civilization, featuring scientific concepts as awe-inspiring as the protomolecule and political implications on a cosmic scale.
Old Man's War
by John Scalzi
Military sci-fi at its finest, following elderly soldiers given new bodies in a war against alien species, featuring the same tactical combat and moral dilemmas that make The Expanse so gripping.
Altered Carbon
by Richard K. Morgan
In a future where consciousness can be digitized and transferred between bodies, a disgraced soldier is hired to solve a murder case that threatens the entire social order—perfect for fans of The Expanse's class struggles and futuristic tech.
Red Mars
by Kim Stanley Robinson
The first book in the Mars Trilogy offers the same detailed world-building and political intrigue as The Expanse, focusing on the colonization and terraforming of Mars with scientific accuracy that will thrill Corey's fans.
Caliban's War
by James S. A. Corey
The second book in The Expanse series continues the epic saga with even higher stakes, introducing new characters while expanding on the mysterious alien threat that captivated readers in Babylon's Ashes.
Dune
by Frank Herbert
The classic space opera that defined the genre, featuring political intrigue on an interstellar scale, religious elements, and a complex ecological system that fans of The Expanse's world-building will adore.
The Martian
by Andy Weir
While more grounded in science than The Expanse, this survival story features the same problem-solving protagonist and tense moments of isolation in space, with the added bonus of being laugh-out-funny at times.
Dark Orbit
by Kyle Mills
A contemporary sci-fi thriller that follows a crew investigating a mysterious alien discovery in a remote part of space, featuring the same sense of wonder and danger that defines Corey's work.
Slightly different vibe?
Explore adjacent cultural paths branching off from "Babylon's Ashes (The Expanse)".