Nova by Samuel R. Delany is a science fiction novel set in a far-future galaxy where interstellar travel and psychic powers exist.
The story follows Lorq von Ray, a starship captain on a quest to retrieve the rare and powerful substance known as “Illyrion” from an exploding star, a nova. The novel blends space opera with themes of mythology, class struggle, and the nature of storytelling.
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29 Best Similar Books To Nova
1: Sorcerer to the Crown by Zen Cho
A fantasy novel by Zen Cho, set in Regency England, where a sorcerer and an unconventional young woman must navigate magical politics and prejudice.
Sorcerer to the Crown and Nova have similar features like Adventure, but Sorcerer to the Crown lacks the following features like Cyberpunk, Science Fiction, Space Opera. Sorcerer to the Crown is Paid while Nova is Unknown.
2: The Spice Must Flow by Ryan Britt
A reference to the importance of spice in Frank Herbert’s "Dune" series, emphasizing its role in interstellar politics, power, and survival.
The Spice Must Flow and Nova have similar features like none, but The Spice Must Flow lacks the following features like Adventure, Cyberpunk, Science Fiction, Space Opera. The Spice Must Flow is Paid while Nova is Unknown.
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3: Those Beyond the Wall by Micaiah Johnson
A novel exploring a world divided by a massive wall, where characters confront their pasts, secrets, and the mysteries beyond the barrier.
Those Beyond the Wall and Nova have similar features like Adventure, Science Fiction, but Those Beyond the Wall lacks the following features like Cyberpunk, Space Opera. Those Beyond the Wall is Paid while Nova is Unknown.
4: Hyperion Cantos by Dan Simmons
A sci-fi series by Dan Simmons, featuring a pilgrimage to meet the mysterious Shrike, blending multiple genres and exploring themes of religion, time, and technology.
Hyperion Cantos and Nova have similar features like Cyberpunk, Science Fiction, Space Opera, but Hyperion Cantos lacks the following features like Adventure. Hyperion Cantos is Paid while Nova is Unknown.
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5: Who Fears Death by Nnedi Okorafor
A post-apocalyptic fantasy novel by Nnedi Okorafor, following a young woman with magical abilities as she confronts a powerful sorcerer and seeks to change her destiny.
Who Fears Death and Nova have similar features like none, but Who Fears Death lacks the following features like Adventure, Cyberpunk, Science Fiction, Space Opera. Who Fears Death is Paid while Nova is Unknown.
6: Solaris by Stanisław Lem
A sci-fi novel by Stanisław Lem, exploring a mysterious, sentient ocean on a distant planet, where scientists struggle with the unknown and their own psychological fears.
Solaris and Nova have similar features like Science Fiction, but Solaris lacks the following features like Adventure, Cyberpunk, Space Opera. Solaris is Paid while Nova is Unknown.
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7: Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein
A sci-fi novel by Robert A. Heinlein, about a human raised by Martians who returns to Earth, challenging societal norms and exploring themes of freedom and identity.
Stranger in a Strange Land and Nova have similar features like Science Fiction, but Stranger in a Strange Land lacks the following features like Adventure, Cyberpunk, Space Opera. Stranger in a Strange Land is Paid while Nova is Unknown.
8: Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky
A sci-fi novel by Adrian Tchaikovsky, where humanity's last survivors attempt to colonize a terraformed planet, only to discover it's inhabited by evolved, intelligent spiders.
Children of Time and Nova have similar features like Science Fiction, Space Opera, but Children of Time lacks the following features like Adventure, Cyberpunk. Children of Time is Paid while Nova is Unknown.
9: American War by Omar El Akkad
A dystopian novel by Omar El Akkad, set in a future where America is ravaged by a second civil war and climate change, exploring the personal and political costs of conflict.
American War and Nova have similar features like Science Fiction, but American War lacks the following features like Adventure, Cyberpunk, Space Opera. American War is Paid while Nova is Unknown.
10: The Best of All Possible Worlds by Karen Lord
A sci-fi novel by Karen Lord, following the survivors of a destroyed planet as they seek to rebuild their culture and find new homes.
The Best of All Possible Worlds and Nova have similar features like Adventure, Science Fiction, but The Best of All Possible Worlds lacks the following features like Cyberpunk, Space Opera. The Best of All Possible Worlds is Paid while Nova is Unknown.
11: Involution Ocean by Bruce Sterling
A sci-fi novel by Bruce Sterling, set on a dry planet where a vast ocean of dust is home to dangerous creatures and mysterious secrets.
Involution Ocean and Nova have similar features like Adventure, Science Fiction, but Involution Ocean lacks the following features like Cyberpunk, Space Opera. Involution Ocean is Paid while Nova is Unknown.
12: Grass by Sheri S. Tepper
A sci-fi novel by Sheri S. Tepper, set on a mysterious planet where strange rituals and alien lifeforms may hold the key to humanity's survival.
Grass and Nova have similar features like Science Fiction, Space Opera, but Grass lacks the following features like Adventure, Cyberpunk. Grass is Paid while Nova is Unknown.
13: Neuromancer by William Gibson
A cyberpunk novel by William Gibson, exploring a dystopian future where a washed-up hacker is hired for a final job in a world dominated by AI and cybernetics.
Neuromancer and Nova have similar features like Cyberpunk, Science Fiction, but Neuromancer lacks the following features like Adventure, Space Opera. Neuromancer is Paid while Nova is Unknown.
14: The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy: The Illustrated Edition by Douglas Adams
The Illustrated Edition: A humorous sci-fi adventure by Douglas Adams, following Arthur Dent's journey through space with quirky companions and absurd scenarios.
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy: The Illustrated Edition and Nova have similar features like Adventure, Science Fiction, but The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy: The Illustrated Edition lacks the following features like Cyberpunk, Space Opera. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy: The Illustrated Edition is Paid while Nova is Unknown.
15: Jaran by Kate Elliott
A sci-fi/fantasy novel by Kate Elliott, combining interstellar politics with a story of a nomadic people on a low-tech planet, focusing on culture, honor, and rebellion.
Jaran and Nova have similar features like Adventure, Science Fiction, but Jaran lacks the following features like Cyberpunk, Space Opera. Jaran is Paid while Nova is Unknown.
16: Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey
A space opera set in a future where humanity has colonized the solar system, featuring political intrigue, interstellar conflict, and a mysterious alien threat.
Leviathan Wakes and Nova have similar features like Science Fiction, Space Opera, but Leviathan Wakes lacks the following features like Adventure, Cyberpunk. Leviathan Wakes is Paid while Nova is Unknown.
17: Red Rising by Pierce Brown
A dystopian sci-fi novel where a young man infiltrates the elite ruling class of a brutal society to spark a revolution against oppression.
Red Rising and Nova have similar features like Adventure, Science Fiction, but Red Rising lacks the following features like Cyberpunk, Space Opera. Red Rising is Paid while Nova is Unknown.
18: Ancillary Justice (Imperial Radch Book 1) by Ann Lecki
A space opera about a former starship AI seeking revenge against the empire that betrayed it, raising questions about identity, consciousness, and justice.
Ancillary Justice (Imperial Radch Book 1) and Nova have similar features like Science Fiction, Space Opera, but Ancillary Justice (Imperial Radch Book 1) lacks the following features like Adventure, Cyberpunk. Ancillary Justice (Imperial Radch Book 1) is Paid while Nova is Unknown.
19: A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge
A space opera exploring a universe with different zones of thought, featuring an ancient superintelligence, galactic war, and a race to save the galaxy.
A Fire Upon the Deep and Nova have similar features like Cyberpunk, Science Fiction, Space Opera, but A Fire Upon the Deep lacks the following features like Adventure. A Fire Upon the Deep is Paid while Nova is Unknown.
20: Hainish Cycle by Ursula K. Le Guin
A series of loosely connected sci-fi novels by Ursula K. Le Guin, exploring themes of culture, society, and communication across different worlds.
Hainish Cycle and Nova have similar features like Science Fiction, but Hainish Cycle lacks the following features like Adventure, Cyberpunk, Space Opera. Hainish Cycle is Paid while Nova is Unknown.
21: The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin
A fantasy novel set in a world plagued by apocalyptic seismic activity, following a woman with earth-shattering powers as she seeks her missing daughter.
The Fifth Season and Nova have similar features like Adventure, Science Fiction, but The Fifth Season lacks the following features like Cyberpunk, Space Opera. The Fifth Season is Paid while Nova is Unknown.
22: The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin
A philosophical sci-fi novel about a physicist who travels between two contrasting societies—one anarchist, one capitalist—exploring freedom, utopia, and social structures.
The Dispossessed and Nova have similar features like Science Fiction, but The Dispossessed lacks the following features like Adventure, Cyberpunk, Space Opera. The Dispossessed is Paid while Nova is Unknown.
23: The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin
A sci-fi novel exploring humanity's first contact with an alien civilization, blending physics, philosophy, and politics in a tense, thought-provoking narrative.
The Three-Body Problem and Nova have similar features like Science Fiction, Space Opera, but The Three-Body Problem lacks the following features like Adventure, Cyberpunk. The Three-Body Problem is Paid while Nova is Unknown.
24: The Complete Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe
A dense, literary sci-fi/fantasy epic set in a distant future Earth, following an exiled torturer on a surreal, transformative journey.
The Complete Book of the New Sun and Nova have similar features like Adventure, but The Complete Book of the New Sun lacks the following features like Cyberpunk, Science Fiction, Space Opera. The Complete Book of the New Sun is Paid while Nova is Unknown.
25: A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller Jr.
A post-apocalyptic sci-fi novel exploring the cyclical nature of history through a Catholic monastery preserving knowledge after a nuclear war.
A Canticle for Leibowitz and Nova have similar features like Science Fiction, but A Canticle for Leibowitz lacks the following features like Adventure, Cyberpunk, Space Opera. A Canticle for Leibowitz is Paid while Nova is Unknown.
26: Hyperion by Dan Simmons
A sci-fi novel structured like "The Canterbury Tales," featuring pilgrims journeying to meet a mysterious creature called the Shrike in a richly imagined future.
Hyperion and Nova have similar features like Cyberpunk, Science Fiction, Space Opera, but Hyperion lacks the following features like Adventure. Hyperion is Paid while Nova is Unknown.
27: The Siege of Burning Grass by Premee Mohamed
A historical novel about a community's resilience and survival during a siege, exploring themes of war, loyalty, and the human spirit.
The Siege of Burning Grass and Nova have similar features like Science Fiction, but The Siege of Burning Grass lacks the following features like Adventure, Cyberpunk, Space Opera. The Siege of Burning Grass is Paid while Nova is Unknown.
28: Foundation by Isaac Asimov
A sci-fi classic about a group of scientists trying to preserve knowledge and civilization as the Galactic Empire declines, introducing the concept of psychohistory.
Foundation and Nova have similar features like Science Fiction, Space Opera, but Foundation lacks the following features like Adventure, Cyberpunk. Foundation is Paid while Nova is Unknown.
29: Dune by Frank Herbert
A sci-fi epic by Frank Herbert, set on the desert planet Arrakis, focusing on politics, religion, and power struggles over the valuable resource "spice."
Dune and Nova have similar features like Adventure, Science Fiction, Space Opera, but Dune lacks the following features like Cyberpunk. Dune is Paid while Nova is Unknown.