Welcome to my regular Thursday feature, Turning off the TV! In this feature I recommend books similar to TV shows or films you may have enjoyed, both series and specific episodes.
The TV series this week is: Firefly.
Five hundred years in the future, a renegade crew aboard a small spacecraft tries to survive as they travel the unknown parts of the galaxy and evade warring factions as well as authority agents out to get them.
One of my absolute favourite series, Firefly was sadly cancelled after one season due to low viewing figures. Since it was aired it has gained a cult following – sadly a little too late. A film sequel to the series, entitled Serenity (which I have the DVD of and STILL haven’t watched!) was released in 2005, and wraps up events. As well as the following recommendations, there are also many books and graphic novels based on the series.
Avalon by Mindee Arnett
I first heard of Avalon when Tory mentioned it during one of her Sci-Fi Month posts. I immediately thought it looked like the perfect book for fans of Firefly – it sounds like a teenage version, and Anya seems to agree according to her review! It’s about a group of teenage mercenaries who captain a ship, and steal to get by – which sounds pretty similar to what the crew of Serenity do! It currently has an average rating of four stars on Goodreads, so it’s doing pretty well!
Leviathan Wakes (Expanse #1) by James S.A. Corey
So many of my science fiction loving friends have recommended Leviathan Wakes. It’s one of the books on the Dragons & Jetpacks Ultimate Booklist, a booklist created by my bookgroup where we have compiled all the science fiction and fantasy books we think everyone should read at least once in their lives (one nomination per genre each). Whilst the characters are the crew of an ice mining ship, a little different compared to Serenity, a major element of the plot is a crucial female character, whom the crew must protect from the authorities – a bit like River in Firefly.
Retribution Falls (Tales of the Ketty Jay #1) by Chris Wooding
The crew of the Ketty Jay, the spaceship in Retribution Falls, are perhaps even more like the crew of the Serenity: space pirates. And like each member of the Serenity crew, the crew of the Ketty Jay all have secrets hidden away that will slowly be revealed as the story progresses. This is another one that comes highly recommended by many of my Goodreads friends!
Rinn Reads 