The Expeditionary Force is a military science-fiction series. Its writer is self-published author Craig Alanson.
When the battle between 2 alien species hits Earth, humanity finds that space has more advanced species. Humans are recruited to fight in a cosmic conflict. Army Specialist Joe Bishop is sent to another solar system for training. This is where he realized he was fighting on the wrong side.
Each of the novels features a distinct set of main characters who are combating aliens in space. Each volume depicts a different space operation carried out by the United Nations. These actions are known as special operations. The task force assigned to carry them out is made up of members of an elite group of fighters, called the Expeditionary Force.
The books move quickly from one set piece to the next. They’re exciting and entertaining and filled with creative problem-solving. There are intricate repercussions of each action on diplomacy and politics later in the series.
Expeditionary Force Books in order
- Columbus Day (2016)
- SpecOps (2016)
- Paradise (2016)
- Black Ops (2017)
- Zero Hour (2017)
- Mavericks (2018)
- Renegades (2018)
- Armageddon (2019)
- Valkyrie (2019)
- Critical Mass (2020)
- Brushfire (2020)
- Breakaway (2021)
- Fallout (2021)
Similar authors
- Bobiverse by Dennis E. Taylor follows Robert “Bob” Johansson. After selling his software company he spends his small fortune having his head cryogenically frozen upon his death.
- Joshua Dalzelle’s Black Fleet Trilogy features humans who have conquered space. With the advent of faster-than-light travel, livable planets are available for colonization. Mankind has been exploiting the space for riches and resources for hundreds of years with impunity.
See also: Ben Bova Books in Order.
Most recommended books:
- Fallout (Expeditionary Force, #13) (4.58 Goodreads score)
- Critical Mass (Expeditionary Force, #10) (4.53 Goodreads score)
- Breakaway (Expeditionary Force, #12) (4.50 Goodreads score)
- Brushfire (Expeditionary Force #11) (4.46 Goodreads score)
- Armageddon (Expeditionary Force, #8) (4.41 Goodreads score)
Awards
The Columbus Day audiobook became a finalist for the Audie Award as Audiobook of the Year.
Upcoming releases
The next book in the series is called Match Game, the 14th book in the Expeditionary Force series. It’s going to be released on June 7th, 2022.
Book summaries
Columbus Day (2016)
We were fighting on the wrong side, of a war we couldn’t win. And that was the good news.The Ruhar hit us on Columbus Day. There we were, innocently drifting along the cosmos on our little blue marble, like the native Americans in 1492. Over the horizon come ships of a technologically advanced, aggressive culture, and BAM! There go the good old days, when humans only got killed by each other. So, Columbus Day. It fits.When the morning sky twinkled again, this time with Kristang starships jumping in to hammer the Ruhar, we thought we were saved. The UN Expeditionary Force hitched a ride on Kristang ships to fight the Ruhar, wherever our new allies thought we could be useful. So, I went from fighting with the US Army in Nigeria, to fighting in space. It was lies, all of it. We shouldn’t even be fighting the Ruhar, they aren’t our enemy, our allies are.I’d better start at the beginning….
SpecOps (2016)
The sequel to ‘Columbus Day’. Colonel Joe Bishop made a promise and he’s going to keep it; taking the captured alien starship Flying Dutchman back out. He doesn’t agree when the UN decides to send almost 70 elite Special Operations troops, hotshot pilots and scientists with him; the mission is a fool’s errand he doesn’t expect to ever return. At least, this time, the Earth is safe, right?Not so much.
Paradise (2016)
While the crew of the starship Flying Dutchman have been trying to assure that hostile aliens do not have access to Earth, the UN Expeditionary Force has been stranded on the planet they nicknamed ‘Paradise’. The Flying Dutchman is headed back out on another mission, and the UN wants the ship to find out the status of the humans on Paradise. But Colonel Joe Bishop warns that they might not like what they find, and they can’t do anything about it without endangering Earth.
Black Ops (2017)
The elite crew of the pirate ship UNS Flying Dutchman had a simple mission: determining whether the Thuranin are sending another starship to Earth. Along the way, they became sidetracked by securing a future for the UNEF troops on the planet Paradise. When asked whether Earth was now safe, their ancient alien AI responded ‘Not so much’… now they have to deal with the consequences.
Zero Hour (2017)
United Nations Special Operations Command sent an elite Expeditionary Force of soldiers and pilots out on a simple recon mission, and somehow along the way they sparked an alien civil war. Now the not-at-all-Merry Band of Pirates is in desperate trouble, again. Their stolen alien starship is falling apart, thousands of lightyears from home. The ancient alien AI they nicknamed ‘Skippy’ is apparently dead, and even if they can by some miracle revive him, he might never be the same.
Mavericks (2018)
The remnants of the Expeditionary Force stranded on the alien-controlled planet ‘Paradise’ get a chance to prove themselves, in a simple off-world training mission with a ship full of teenage alien cadets. When the mission goes horribly wrong and the survival of everyone on Paradise is at risk, the Merry Band of Pirates may have to come to the rescue. Unless they get killed first…
Renegades (2018)
The battle-scarred star carrier Flying Dutchman is finally on her way back to Earth, after an exceptionally successful series of missions that have once again Saved The World. The ship needs a serious refit, and her exhausted crew just wants a break from constant clandestine warfare against a vicious and superior enemy. Wishes come true, right? Not for the Merry Band of Pirates.
Armageddon (2019)
After the Renegade mission by the crew of the starship Flying Dutchman, the UN Expeditionary Force thought Earth was safe for hundreds of years, at least. After there was trouble on the Homefront, and the President had to authorize a nuclear strike on an American city. UNEF decided they did need the Merry Band of Pirates again. So, the Flying Dutchman is sent out on a simple recon mission. But for the Pirates, nothing is ever simple, and their mission will become Armageddon
Valkyrie (2019)
After saving the world many times, the Merry Band of Pirates have accepted the inevitable: Earth is doomed. All they can do is try to bring a few thousand people to safety, before vicious aliens arrive to destroy humanity’s homeworld. No. There is one other thing they can do: hit the enemy so hard that the aliens will regret they ever heard of humans.
Critical Mass (2020)
The Merry Band of Pirates are in desperate trouble after the end of their last mission, and the real danger to humanity is just getting started. Hostile aliens have discovered there is something odd going on with wormholes in the galaxy, and their investigations could lead to finding a shortcut to Earth….
Brushfire (2020)
Peacetime can be a rough adjustment for the battle-hardened Merry Band of Pirates.Especially when aliens don’t get the memo that the shooting is over.
Breakaway (2021)
The Merry Band of Pirates offered the bad guys a ceasefire. We won’t mess with them, if they don’t mess with us. Easy, right? NO. The aliens chose to do things the hard way. So, the Pirates are racing around the galaxy to clean up the threat to Earth. The infant UN Navy has their own mission with the Alien Legion: get humanity some allies in the fight. And the Ethics & Compliance Office might have to do something…ethical. Unless they can find a way around it.
Fallout (2021)
The problem with lying about having a super weapon, is that the bad guys might believe they have nothing to lose by doing something stupid that both sides will regret. Or, they might just call your bluff. Either way, the Merry Band of Pirates need a plan to deal with the Fallout.
