Alastair ReynoldsId say Reynolds is easily a, perhaps the, primary literary influence on how I think about the world of Starsector, and foremost his Revelation Space series which consists of:Revelation Space

Chasm City

Redemption Ark

Absolution Gap

The Prefect

Reynolds mixes some hard-enough science fiction with a something of the noir or gothic and quite a good dash of fun genre indulgence throughout. Noir comes through especially in Chasm City- and in the city in the novel which is its namesake with a tale of betrayal, revenge, several sci-fi mysteries to be solved, a lot of nearly sociopathic characters; the whole lot. And gothic in both the Victorian and modern sense, I think, ranging from the classically tragic-grotesque figure of the Captain and his peculiar affliction to the more-than-modern space-goth Ultras who would probably be a hit at some club nights Ive been to.Plus theres the sheer cheekiness of an entire central faction of the Revelation Space universe that I swear is one big revisionist take on Star Treks Borg. It tackles how to make the Borg make sense and, better yet, how to make them appealing so keep an eye out for the Conjoiners. And then comesAbsolution Gapevoking some deliciously mad sci-fi religion with the imagery of huge caterpillar-tracked and mechanical-legged gothic cathedrals forever circling a frozen moon. And how can I fail to mention the technological terror of the Cache Weapons or the Inhibitors?Reynolds world is some fantastic stuff. You should visit.

Iain M. BanksIain Banks is my favourite author. I dont say that lightly. Hes amazing. He elevated science fiction to respectful literature at the same time that he was absolutely indulgent in the genre and having a great deal of fun. And somehow he seemed to do this almost unconsciously, unthinkingly, just writing what he wanted to write and it happens to accomplish all of the above. Its difficult to fathom how. Banks is great.Against a Dark Background

I love this book. Its among my favourites with Banks Use of Weapons (which is not on this list but which you should read do it). Theres a lot going on here; its part a character study, its part a sweeping sci-fi epic, its part deconstruction of said epic fantasy quest narratives; or is it deconstruction of science-fiction power fantasy? Or commentary on the Cold War or personal tragedy?The mood and setting tie in to Starsector, in my mind. This is a dark, autumn world (worlds if you must be literal) where the heights of technology and civilization perhaps belong to the past. Things slowly fell apart and the past mistakes were forgotten again, made again, and forgotten again. Powerful people fight over ancient technology which isnt understood but has meaning projected on it thats nothing to do with whatever it was and more to do with what someone wants. Its a world decayed because of the mundane-worst of humanity, and maybe not. Banks black humour is applied masterfully.The Algebraist

Outskirts of a hegemonic galactic portal empire?Check. Said portal connection is destroyed, leaving a small section of the empire cut off? Check. Due to this, lots of trouble brewing? Check. Its classic Banks to make a villain this over the top actually work.

(If you want to get in on Banks Culture series, which does not particularly relate to Starsector, perhaps start with Player of Games. I imagine that gamers in particular will get a bit of a kick out of it.)Dan SimmonsAs a matter of fact Im just now re-reading this series for the third or fourth fifth? Ive lost count call it the fourth time now. Id treat the Hyperion series as one work pretty much, because it is. You may be able to find the entire collection as Hyperion Cantos, but the individual books are:Hyperion

The Fall of Hyperion

Endymion

The Rise of Endymion

From the start Hyperion straight-up involves a galactic portal-empire called the Hegemony so itd be absolutely remiss to leave it out of a discussion of Starsector. (This naming overlap isnt my fault! Really!) I dont want to say too much about the catastrophe(s) that befall(s) the setting, but suffice to say it applies to our mutual interests.This is a literary sci-fi series, but not in the sense of modern/post-modern literature that which scoffs at tales of adventure and so on. Hyperion is more a science fiction story with love of poetry and epics; Simmons is an author who clearly adores classical myth (and his other works, Ilium and Olympos, lay this plain) mere humans are caught between forces of titanic power and its the heroism of their humanity which tips the world one way or the other. Hyperion also digs into themes of Abrahamic religion, and while I dont think I could dig so far as he does, theimagery of his far-future Catholic Church is to die for. (Heh heh, youll get it after you read it.)Plus, the Shrike is an absolutely unforgettable figure.All the common points of setting are found in Simmons work here as well an empire sprawled in death across more or less terraformed worlds, and all that entails.

Now! Compare Simmons take on AI versus Banks; compare Simmons Ousters of theHyperion Cantoswith Banks Beyonders fromThe Algebraist. Compare Reynolds Cache Weapons with Banks Lazy Gun; Reynolds nanotech with Simmons nanotech and how the respective contemporary fictional societies feel about all of it.There are some similar ideas in play through the aforementioned novels but each author has a radically different approach.These stories wont tell you what exactly is going to be in Starsector but theyll tell you a lot about how Id like Starsector to feel when its done.Now its your turn: Are there any stories you think fit nicely with whats going on in Starsector? Id love to hear your thoughts and recommendations.