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A Fall of Moondust

Arthur C. Clarke

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Similar in characterization + relationships

These books are ranked using the characterization + relationships labels extracted for A Fall of Moondust. Books rank higher when they are close on every selected axis.

Characterization labels used: competent professionals, engineers, scientists, captain, stewardess, tourists, news reporter, retired space veteran, competent woman, male-dominated cast, ensemble cast

Relationships labels used: crew and passengers, rescue team and survivors, romantic tension, professional teamwork, authority and compliance, group morale, community under stress

This does not mean the books share the same plot, setting, quality, or difficulty. It means their characterization + relationships embeddings are close.

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Exigency

Michael Siemsen · 2015

Scientists studying an alien world crash onto its surface and must survive among two very different intelligent species.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: scientists · astronauts · ensemble cast · generalist leader · linguist · mission commander · deputy commander · medic · psychologist · specialists · morally flawed · believable characters · character-driven

Relationships labels: crew family · professional tension · romantic triangle · ex-partner tension · same-sex relationship · colleagues · interpersonal conflict · group dynamics

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1854

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Deepsix

Jack McDevitt · 2002 · The Academy

A pilot leads a rushed archaeological mission on a doomed alien world, then must help the team survive when escape collapses.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: female lead · competent pilot · strong heroine · resourceful leader · ordinary person · cynical journalist · misanthropic journalist · bitter survivor · pompous intellectual · misogynist · cowardly characters · heroic scientists · motley crew · supporting cast · selfish officials · vulnerable competence

Relationships labels: crew dynamics · leadership under stress · professional rivalry · gender friction · mutual dependence · team conflict · rescuer and rescued

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1982

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Losing Mars

Peter Cawdron · 2018 · First Contact

A Mars base must rescue stranded astronauts in orbit, then confront a discovery that tests survival and ethics.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: astronauts · mission specialists · scientists · engineer types · well-developed characters · human, flawed protagonists · self-aware protagonist · ordinary heroes

Relationships labels: married couples · crew dynamics · professional teamwork · international cooperation · rescue team · family-like crew · power imbalance · romantic partners

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1991

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Europa

Greig Beck · 2025

A Europa expedition finds life beneath the ice, but the discovery awakens an ancient horror that hunts the crew.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: astronauts · scientists · engineers · captain · crew ensemble · military personnel · trained professionals · ill-prepared characters · stupid characters · interchangeable cast · love interest · survivor · crew camaraderie · competent woman

Relationships labels: crew dynamics · team split · romance subplot · brother relationship · command hierarchy · trust and suspicion · captain-subordinate · first contact fear

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.2104

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The Long Sunset

Jack McDevitt · 2018 · The Academy

An experienced interstellar pilot defies a shutdown order to trace an alien signal and discovers unexpected civilizations.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: experienced pilot · older heroine · scientist · astronomer · crew mission · bureaucrats · politicians · paranoid leaders · humanitarian protagonists · competent professionals · mother · retired veteran · minor celebrity

Relationships labels: crew teamwork · human-alien contact · mother-child · professional partnership · politics vs science · bureaucratic obstruction · command conflict · interspecies cooperation · rescue alliance · community solidarity

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.2151

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The Black

Paul Elard Cooley · 2014 · The Black

An offshore drilling crew uncovers a perfect oil field that awakens a deadly, shape-shifting threat below.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: thin characterization · well-defined characters · likeable cast · crew ensemble · scientists · engineers · roughnecks · strong female character · female geologist · everyman characters · interpersonal conflict · bureaucratic conflict · smart characters · competent crew

Relationships labels: crew camaraderie · workplace conflict · faction conflict · interpersonal tension · shared survival · close quarters · us vs them · male-dominated workplace

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.2171

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Rolling in the Deep

Mira Grant · 2015 · Rolling in the Deep

A mermaid documentary shoot aboard a cruise ship turns into a deadly deep-sea disaster.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: ensemble cast · scientists · crew members · TV personalities · professional performers · professional mermaids · deaf character · wheelchair user · ambitious · snarky · cynical · skeptical · predatory · well-developed characters (reception)

Relationships labels: crew dynamics · teamwork · workplace tension · professional hierarchy · scientist-performer mix · captain crew relationship · network control · contractual pressure · romantic absence

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.2196

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The High Country

John Jackson Miller · 2023 · Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

A Star Trek rescue mission strands Pike's crew on a tech-hostile frontier world where survival, ethics, and rebellion collide.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: ensemble cast · captain protagonist · resourceful heroine · competent officer · cadet · scientific officer · supporting crew · missing character · cowboy persona · cowboy hero · survival skills · leadership under pressure · character voices

Relationships labels: crew cohesion · teamwork · rival leadership · past connection · power hierarchy · community conflict

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.2231

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Lost Souls

David Mack · 2008 · Star Trek: Destiny

Three captains race to stop a civilization-ending Borg assault while a buried origin story rewrites the enemy's past.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: ensemble cast · captains · fleet command · politician · veteran hero · burdened leader · strong-willed captain · morally conflicted · resourceful crew · new character focus · character development

Relationships labels: teamwork · command hierarchy · crew solidarity · alliances · cross-crew cooperation · mentor dynamics · romantic tension · family-like crew · political coordination · captaincy

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.2232

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The Wounded Sky

Diane Duane · 1986 · Star Trek: The Original Series

The Enterprise tests a radical faster-than-warp drive and risks unraveling space, time, and reality itself.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: ensemble cast · competent crew · alien scientist · nonhuman character · bridge crew · cerebral characters · emotionally resonant characters · in-character portrayal

Relationships labels: crew camaraderie · found family · friendship · professional partnership · cross-species friendship · command hierarchy

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.2235

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Rama II

Arthur C. Clarke, Gentry Lee · 2012 · Rama

A second mysterious alien ship enters the solar system, sending an expert crew into a tense mission of secrets, science, and drama.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: ensemble cast · scientists · cosmonauts · journalist · doctor · military officer · religious character · ambitious characters · unlikable characters · morally gray · backstory-rich

Relationships labels: crew dynamics · interpersonal conflict · romantic tension · love triangle · friendship · rivalry · betrayal · power struggles · sexual relationships · family backstory

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.2276

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Critical Mass

Daniel Suarez · 2023 · Delta-v

A stranded asteroid-mining crew races to build the space infrastructure needed for a rescue amid climate and geopolitical crisis.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: engineer-hero · astronaut crew · entrepreneur protagonists · strong-willed lead · single-minded protagonist · flat characters · international cast · secondary character depth · character-driven tension

Relationships labels: crew camaraderie · rescue obligation · loyalty · friendship · found family · team dynamics · interpersonal conflict · power struggle · institutional conflict

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.2301

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