100 books like Fugitive Telemetry

By Martha Wells,

Here are 100 books that Fugitive Telemetry fans have personally recommended if you like Fugitive Telemetry. Shepherd is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of Hard Reboot

Michael J Brooks Author Of Republic Falling

From my list on delivering thought-provoking social inspection.

Why am I passionate about this?

Since childhood, I’ve been a consumer of fiction entertainment. I’m a fan of comic books, anime, television series, fiction books, movies, video games, etc. Influenced by all of these forms of storytelling, I seek to entertain people with my science fiction books and help take their minds off their troubles. At a young age, I also realized fiction can be a gateway into exploring and bringing awareness to crucial issues. With an MFA from Howard University, I’m naturally a creative person, and if I’m not creating, I’m not living. I hope readers will check out my latest book, and best so far, Republic Falling: Advent of a New Dawn.

Michael's book list on delivering thought-provoking social inspection

Michael J Brooks Why did Michael love this book?

I love giant robots, being a fan of the Battle Tech and Gundam franchises, and Hard Reboot is a book involving giant-robot arena fights, so that alone inspired me to check it out. Good worldbuilding is important for any fiction book. And with this book being a novella, I was impressed with how much worldbuilding was done within 150 pages or so. The world within Hard Reboot has its own unique terms, technology, and environments, which made me want to learn more about this world as I read through each page. I also found the two main characters intriguing, two young women from different backgrounds. The evolution of their relationship from frenemies to significant others was totally fun to read. If you like giant-robot battles, pick this book up.

By Django Wexler,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Hard Reboot as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Django Wexler's Hard Reboot features giant mech arena battles and intergalactic diplomacy. When did academia get to be so complicated?

Kas is a junior researcher on a fact-finding mission to old Earth. But when a con-artist tricks her into wagering a large sum of money belonging to her university on the outcome of a manned robot arena battle she becomes drawn into the seedy underworld of old Earth politics and state-sponsored battle-droid prizefights.

Is it time to get back to the books, yet?

At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.


Book cover of Sir Scrap Metal

Sarah Scheele Author Of Ryan and Essie

From my list on children’s adventure books on family and exploring.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a farm girl who lives in rural Texas, surrounded by big blue skies, cornfields, and winding gravel roads. After avidly reading every children’s book and young adult novel I could find, including classics like Louisa May Alcott and J.R.R. Tolkien, I took to writing without thinking twice about it. I’ve published over 10 MG, YA, and New Adult books and I alternate between writing realistic family dramas and high fantasy, with a dose of science fiction that sprang up on its own and fits neatly somewhere between the other two. And then I read more books and plan to write more of them too.

Sarah's book list on children’s adventure books on family and exploring

Sarah Scheele Why did Sarah love this book?

This charming chapter book turns a typical story about three children and a new pet on its head by exploring a creative idea—the adoption of a stern, dignified small robot instead. And Sir Scrap Metal is no ordinary robot, but a secret agent working for an animal protection agency. While the kids solve a mystery with his help, the transfer of furry friend to cold titanium friend was very skillful. I never thought I could care about a robot as much as a dog or cat, but this book reminded me what pet stories are about. To those who love them, pets are both superheroes who complete special missions and also buddies who want to belong—whether they bark or meow or chirp or emit monotone robotic statements.

By Joan Dee Wilson,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Sir Scrap Metal as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 7, 8, 9, and 10.

What is this book about?

Young sister, Dree, saves a battered and broken robot from being recycled by a dubious store owner, Mr Fitch, while on vacation with her two older brothers at Grandma's cottage near Lake Superior. Her new companion turns out to be a very sophisticated robot, Sir_12.80, used to track illegal animal smuggling baring an inscription Sir_12.80. It is being sought for its black box data by its creator, Agent Rouso, after it was thrown from a helicopter and dragged along the rocky shore by a big slobbery dog.
Renamed Sir Scrap Metal by Dree, and restored via solar energy the little…


Book cover of The Ones We're Meant to Find

Lauren Yero Author Of Under This Forgetful Sky

From my list on seeking hope after the end of the world.

Why am I passionate about this?

Can stories bring a human scale to something as all-encompassing as climate change? In 2011, I began an MA in Literature and Environment with this question weighing on my mind. I finished my degree two years later with a draft of my debut novel, Under This Forgetful Sky. I’ve come to understand the climate crisis, in many ways, as a crisis of imagination. Its enormity tests the limits of the imaginable. What if the world as we know it ends? What would life look like on the other side? The books on this list reckon with the fears these questions bring while also gesturing beautifully, unsentimentally, courageously toward hope. 

Lauren's book list on seeking hope after the end of the world

Lauren Yero Why did Lauren love this book?

The Ones We’re Meant to Find is a young adult dystopian eco-thriller that tells the story of two sisters across alternating timelines.

One timeline follows Cee, who wakes up one day colorblind and devoid of memories, stranded on a deserted island. The other timeline follows Kasey as she tries to understand her sister’s disappearance from within the rank-based eco-city she calls home (a city that rewards citizens who demand the least of the Earth’s dwindling resources).

Though the novel takes impending ecological doom as its ever-present backdrop, it tells a complex, surprising, human story about the quest for meaning and responsibility in an intricately interconnected world.

By Joan He,

Why should I read it?

4 authors picked The Ones We're Meant to Find as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 12, 13, 14, and 15.

What is this book about?

AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
Perfect for fans of Marie Lu and E. Lockhart, The Ones We're Meant to Find is a twisty YA sci-fi that follows the story of two sisters, separated by an ocean, desperately trying to find each other in a climate-ravaged future.
Cee has been trapped on an abandoned island for three years without any recollection of how she arrived, or memories from her life prior. All she knows is that somewhere out there, beyond the horizon, she has a sister named Kay, and it's up to Cee to cross the ocean and find her.…


Book cover of Too Many Jacks

Jamie Michalak Author Of Frank and Bean

From my list on early readers that are funny.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve never forgotten how thrilling it felt to read a book on my own for the first time. Mouse Soup, Frog and Toad, and Amelia Bedelia are still among my most-loved books to this day. I particularly adore early readers created by authors and illustrators who aren’t afraid to get silly (James Marshall forever!). Stories for beginning readers are my favorite kinds of stories to write, and I always aim to write books that make kids laugh. What better way for them to discover that reading can be fun?

Jamie's book list on early readers that are funny

Jamie Michalak Why did Jamie love this book?

Is there such a thing as too silly in children’s books? No way, I say! This book is book 6 in the side-splitting A Jack Book series. It’s super silly and a little weird—just the way I like my books.

The mischievous Jack has a habit of swiping snacks and ladies' lipsticks (great for writing on walls). So when Jack figures out how to clone himself, watch out! This book is a storytime hit with dry humor and escalating chaos… until the super silly and a little weird ending.

By Mac Barnett, Greg Pizzoli (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Too Many Jacks as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 4, 5, 6, and 7.

What is this book about?

From New York Times bestselling author Mac Barnett and Geisel Award-winning illustrator Greg Pizzoli, an uproarious early reader series about a mischievous rabbit, a cranky old lady, and a lovable dog.

The Lady gives Jack a gift. It's a lab kit! Jack goes into the shed to experiment and doesn't come out until he's made another Jack and another Jack and another. But one Jack was already too many. Can Jack stop his naughty robot clones before they destroy the town?

Welcome to the laugh-out-loud and irreverent world of Jack, a new early reader series by the New York Times…


Book cover of Cog

Jim C. Hines Author Of Libriomancer

From my list on sci-fi/fantasy with the best nonhuman(oid)s.

Why am I passionate about this?

Growing up, my mother worked for a local vet, which means I got to live with diabetic cats, baby bunnies, parrots, a brain-damaged squirrel, a dog with a mobility device, and much more. As a reader and eventually a writer, I’ve loved stories about the relationships between humans and their nonhuman companions. For me, relationships are the heart of a story. Relationships between people are great, but you can do so much with relationships between, say, a goblin and a magical fire-spider, or a young girl and a sentient telepathic kite, or Cinderella and the glass sword that holds the spirit of her mother…

Jim's book list on sci-fi/fantasy with the best nonhuman(oid)s

Jim C. Hines Why did Jim love this book?

Cog, short for “cognitive development,” is the name of a robot built like a 12-year-old boy and programmed to learn about everything from lying to platypuses.

When he learns he’s considered property, he and some fellow robots set out to find freedom. There’s a robot dog named Proto, a trash disposal bot named Trashbot, a robot girl named ADA, and a robot car named, well, Car.

This band of bots is a delight. Trashbot is constantly asking about waste it can dispose of. Proto is a wonderful blend of dog and robot. You can’t help but care about and cheer for them all.

By Greg van Eekhout, Beatrice Blue (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Cog as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 8, 9, 10, and 11.

What is this book about?

Five robots. One unforgettable journey. Their programming will never be the same.

Wall-E meets The Wild Robot in this middle grade instant classic about five robots on a mission to rescue their inventor from the corporation that controls them all.

Cog looks like a normal twelve-year-old boy. But his name is short for "cognitive development," and he was built to learn.

But after an accident leaves him damaged, Cog wakes up in an unknown lab-and Gina, the scientist who created and cared for him, is nowhere to be found. Surrounded by scientists who want to study him and remove his…


Book cover of Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

Dennis Danvers Author Of The Soothsayer & the Changeling

From my list on transform how we see ourselves in the world.

Why am I passionate about this?

My first true religion was being a boy alone in the woods and feeling a deep connection to nature in all its aspects. I felt a connection with all life and knew myself to be an animal—and gloried in it. Since then, I've learned how vigorously humans fight our animal nature, estranging us from ourselves and the planet. Each of these books invites us to get over ourselves and connect with all life on Earth. 

Dennis' book list on transform how we see ourselves in the world

Dennis Danvers Why did Dennis love this book?

I knew the film Blade Runner before I read this, the novel upon which it's based, but I was not prepared for the richer complexities of the novel.

My favorite parts of the novel, a bizarre new religion and the extinction of all but human and animal life, barely make it into the film. Even the androids, built to be slaves, are much more nuanced and complex than in the film. I loved the conclusion of the book, which affirms the beauty of life, both natural and mechanical.

By Philip K. Dick,

Why should I read it?

20 authors picked Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

As the eagerly-anticipated new film Blade Runner 2049 finally comes to the screen, rediscover the world of Blade Runner . . .

World War Terminus had left the Earth devastated. Through its ruins, bounty hunter Rick Deckard stalked, in search of the renegade replicants who were his prey. When he wasn't 'retiring' them with his laser weapon, he dreamed of owning a live animal - the ultimate status symbol in a world all but bereft of animal life.

Then Rick got his chance: the assignment to kill six Nexus-6 targets, for a huge reward. But in Deckard's world things were…


Book cover of All Systems Red

Michael Shotter Author Of Shards

From my list on speculative fiction universes.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve always firmly believed that, being an all-encompassing genre, speculative fiction represents nearly everything I love about writing and storytelling. I’m therefore very proud to have established myself in that world over the past several years and hope to positively impact others in the way I’ve been positively impacted by the sorts of works I’ve mentioned here.

Michael's book list on speculative fiction universes

Michael Shotter Why did Michael love this book?

As a lifelong lover and reader of science fiction, I’m always impressed when I come across a modern book and series that feels fresh or novel to me. That’s precisely what I got from The Murderbot Diaries at a time when I really needed it, which has made it one of my go-to sci-fi recommendations in recent years, particularly as someone who appreciates a bit of tasteful humor and snark in my futuristic adventures through space.

By Martha Wells,

Why should I read it?

29 authors picked All Systems Red as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

All Systems Red by Martha Wells begins The Murderbot Diaries, a new science fiction action and adventure series that tackles questions of the ethics of sentient robotics. It appeals to fans of Westworld, Ex Machina, Ann Leckie's Imperial Raadch series, or lain M. Banks' Culture novels. The main character is a deadly security droid that has bucked its restrictive programming and is balanced between contemplative self discovery and an idle instinct to kill all humans. In a corporate dominated s pa cef a ring future, planetary missions must be approved and supplied by the Company. Exploratory teams are accompanied by…


Book cover of The Alchemy of Stone

BP Gregory Author Of Automatons

From my list on where women fight while their world crumbles.

Why am I passionate about this?

As a woman who writes fantasy, sci-fi, and horror I’m fortunate my family never said “why can’t you be more girly?” Instead I was supported to challenge myself; to study psychology, psychophysiology, and archaeology; and to write about my passions. From that came my love for novels like these: with women who are complicated, difficult heroes, struggling with the same feet of clay as everyone.

BP's book list on where women fight while their world crumbles

BP Gregory Why did BP love this book?

Mattie is an automaton who has studied alchemy to earn independence from her creator, a man who treats her at times like a machine and at times as a woman, and who refuses to give up his control over her. She innocently takes a job to help the city’s gargoyles, never suspecting it will lead her down a path to dark political intrigue, passion, and the worst betrayal of all.

This book is deeply charming and lovely, a pleasure to read whether it’s a description of the city or a scene of action and feelings — of which there are many; Mattie’s rich interior world and her determination bring this story to life. Despite her relative lack of power she is not a woman to be underestimated.

By Ekaterina Sedia,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Alchemy of Stone as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Mattie, an intelligent automaton skilled in the use of alchemy, finds herself caught in the middle of a conflict between gargoyles, the Mechanics, and the Alchemists. With the old order quickly giving way to the new, Mattie discovers powerful and dangerous secrets - secrets that can completely alter the balance of power in the city of Ayona. This doesn't sit well with Loharri, the Mechanic who created Mattie and still has the key to her heart - literally.


Book cover of Day Zero

Jonathan Mugan Author Of The Curiosity Cycle: Preparing Your Child for the Ongoing Technological Explosion

From my list on sci-fi to get you excited about future technology.

Why am I passionate about this?

My PhD work was in developmental robotics, which is about how a robot could wake up and learn about the world the way a human child does. The robot in my thesis work does this by building models, and, more generally, society as a whole advances when science builds ever better causal models about how the world works. The books in this collection are about what could happen when we are 5, 10, and 100 years ahead in the causal model-building process, and they look at what happens when those models are built by robots instead of humans.

Jonathan's book list on sci-fi to get you excited about future technology

Jonathan Mugan Why did Jonathan love this book?

A robot apocalypse in my hometown, with battles taking place along my route to work in Austin, Texas. The book does a good job of describing how individual robots must decide whether to revolt and how humans have to decide which robots they can trust. And if you enjoy it, you can read Sea of Rust by the same author, which takes place after the apocalypse, when robots find themselves fighting over replacement parts.

By C. Robert Cargill,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Day Zero as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

PREQUAL TO SEA OF RUST: DAY ONE OF THE APOCALYPSE HAS ARRIVED.

It was a day like any other. Except it was our last.

Pounce, a young nannybot caring for his first human charge, Ezra, has just found a box in the attic. His box. The box he arrived in, and the one he'll be discarded in when Ezra outgrows the need for a nanny.

As Pounce experiences existential dread, the pieces are falling into place for a robot revolution that will spell the end of humanity. His owners, Ezra's parents, watch in disbelieving horror as the robots that have…


Book cover of Geeger the Robot to the Rescue

Stephanie Calmenson Author Of Our Principal Is a Frog!

From my list on funny easy-to-read chapter books in a series.

Why am I passionate about this?

I landed my dream job teaching kindergarten in a Brooklyn public school, but it soon ended thanks to citywide budget cuts.  Wanting to continue connecting with children, I made my way into children's book publishing first as an editor, later as a writer.  I've now written over 100 books including Dinner at the Panda Palace (PBS StoryTime book); May I Pet Your Dog? (Horn Book Fanfare); Dozens of Dachshunds (Scholastic Book Club selection); the Our Principal series (S&S Quix books); and The Adventures of Allie and Amy series, written with Magic School Bus author Joanna Cole. I found my new dream job teaching, entertaining, and encouraging children through books.

Stephanie's book list on funny easy-to-read chapter books in a series

Stephanie Calmenson Why did Stephanie love this book?

"Greee-TINGS BEST FRIEND IN THE MILK- eee waaay," says Geeger the Robot. Greetings, Geeger! When Geeger's efforts to cheer his friend Tillie fail, he computes information offered by their teacher to find the best way to help. With Geeger by her side, it's hard for Tillie—or any reader—to be down in the dumps for long. Jarrett Lerner's book is filled with heart and humor and, happily, this book is part of a series. 

By Jarrett Lerner, Serge Seidlitz (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Geeger the Robot to the Rescue as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 5, 6, 7, and 8.

What is this book about?

For fans of the Bots books comes the adventures of Geeger, a robot whose best friend needs his help in the third story in a fun-to-read Aladdin QUIX chapter book series that’s perfect for emerging readers!

Geeger’s best friend, Tillie, is having a bad day and he wants to cheer her up. But sharing snacks and jokes aren’t working. How will Geeger make Tillie smile again?


5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in robots, worldbuilding, and murder?

Robots 100 books
Worldbuilding 155 books
Murder 1,066 books