May the (Other) Force Be with You: 6 Books with That Star Wars Vibe

Deathstalker, by Simon Green
Let’s see—epic? Check. Corrupt Galactic Empire? Check. Rebellion led by humble heir to a legendary name? Check. Green’s Deathstalker books are filled with space opera goodness and perfect for fans of Star Wars. We follow Owen Deathstalker, a man who wants nothing to do with the warrior past of his namesake…until he’s unjustly named an outlaw by the Galactic Empress. Forced to abandoned his comfortable life, Deathstalker slowly comes to realize that the Empire must be destroyed, and becomes the rebellion’s leader. Green creates a huge universe populated by a long list of fantastic characters, and fills it with the sort of humor, action, and fully-fleshed settings that have made Star Wars so popular.

Saga, by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples
This series of comics, collected into graphic novel form, was explicitly inspired by Star Wars. Telling the star-cross’d tale of a mixed-alien couple fleeing an intergalactic war between their respective alien races in order to protect their infant daughter, the title of this ongoing graphic novel series is no accident: Vaughan spins a complex story that’s been compared to Game of Thrones for its scope and subtlety, effortlessly mixing in wild science fiction technology and elements of magic that will delight folks who love blaster battles as much as they believe in the Force. The through-line that holds everything together is the fierce loyalty and love between two people in love fighting overwhelming odds against a backdrop of truly spectacular, often surreal imagery provided by artist Fiona Staples.

Red Rising, by Pierce Brown
Forget the way people constantly compare this trilogy-opener to The Hunger Games; this epic space opera about a rebellion, a young hero, and a huge, detailed universe is Star Wars through and through. Darrow is recruited from the Martian mines to infiltrate the an elite competition designed to choose the next generation of an aristocratic ruling class that ruthlessly oppress the native population. Darrow must undergo painful surgeries in order to pass as one of the kids at a ruthless, exclusive private school, where he joins a warrior culture that will feel familiar to SW fans even as they learn a whole new vocabulary—but wasn’t discovering the details of a fictional universe part of the original appeal of the Holy Trilogy?

The Stellar Legion, by Leigh Brackett
If you’re unfamiliar with Brackett, for shame: a prolific and celebrated writer of mysteries and science fiction, Brackett is best known today for having written the first draft of the screenplay for The Empire Strikes Back shortly before her untimely death in 1978. While little of her work remained in the final version, Brackett’s name is in the film’s credits as co-writer, and it’s easy to see why Lucas turned to her in the first place: her science fiction has the space opera spice that only ripened as the writer/director cooked up his galaxy far, far away. Many of Brackett’s novels will give fans the Star Wars feels, but The Stellar Legion is an excellent place to start.

The Vorkosigan Saga, by Lois McMaster Bujold
Bujold’s Vorkosigan Saga is set in a galactic civilization in which humanity has spread to numerous inhabitable planets, but, due to the limitations of communicating and traveling such vast distances, has also fractured, each colony world developing its own unique culture. This universe matches Star Wars’ feel and complexity so closely, you can easily imagine the whole Vorkosigan civilization as part of the Empire, complete with senators reporting to Coruscant and scheming with the Sith, as Bujold describes corrupt monarchies, political intrigue, and spacecraft derring-do with incredible writing and a sense of fun that any fan will appreciate. (No magical energy field, though… sorry about that one.)

The Free Traders series, by Andre Norton
Norton’s Free Trader books offer up a universe that feels like what we’d imagine a Han Solo-centered epic would be. The Free Traders are essentially fortune-hunters who travel the galaxy seeking treasure, usually finding equal helpings of danger and mystery along the way. The books are a bit antiquated these days, but they absolutely have the spirit and fun of Star Wars, and if they act as a gateway to Norton’s other work, all the better; the first female Gandalf Grand Master of Fantasy and a SFWA Grand Master, she sure knew how to write exciting, engrossing space opera.
What’s your favorite Star Wars readalike?