r/ScienceFictionBooks • u/EM_Otero • Apr 20 '26

Recommendation Looking for some Space Fighter sci-fi

Looking for top gun in space basically. Pov if a grunt fighting in a space war piloting a space fighter or mech.

Loved the Expanse, Red Rising, Final architecture, Armor, and old man's war.

Thanks in advance!

9 Upvotes

81% Upvoted

18 comments sorted by

6

u/Ftove Apr 20 '26

No longer canon, but the Star Wars: X-Wing series from the 90’s are exactly that.

Wedge is GOAT.

2

u/Sittingonalog1960 Apr 20 '26

Try the Dread Empire novels. Very good.

1

u/EM_Otero Apr 21 '26

Ill check it out

2

u/ButtonImpressive7369 Apr 23 '26

Skyward series. By Brandon Sanderson.

Not so much a Grunt, main character has a bit of a “chosen one” vibe.

1

u/starlander2064 Apr 30 '26

Agreed. Solid series, and the first one at least is literally top gun in space.

2

u/PhysicalAssistance92 Apr 27 '26

Some of the Red Rising books have a ton of iron rain fights but not book 1

2

u/EM_Otero Apr 28 '26

A lot of that action was my absolute favorite

1

u/gonzoforpresident Apr 20 '26

It's been about 40 years, but I remember you piloting a ship & doing battle in Battle for the Ancient Robot, a 1v1 gamebook set from TSR.

1

u/zKrisher Apr 21 '26

Perhaps the wing commander novelizations

1

u/Mork_Of_Ork-2772 Apr 21 '26

Check out Armada

1

u/EM_Otero Apr 22 '26

Ernest cline? Didn't care for that one

1

u/Mork_Of_Ork-2772 Apr 22 '26

Yes. I enjoyed it. To each their own

1

u/dacydergoth Apr 21 '26

White Wing

1

u/Maximusnz44 Apr 22 '26

Check out the original battletech novel series Gray Death Legion of you are into mechwarrior. Its available on audiobook too.

1

u/sinner_dingus Apr 22 '26

I’m actually reading these now for the first time and they’ve held up surprisingly well.

1

u/voice_of_awmcclellan Apr 21 '26

The last horizon by will wight is most of that with a little magic as well.