Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Orbital Decay | 1989 | Allen M. Steele | Buy |
| 2 | Clarke County, Space | 1990 | Allen M. Steele | Buy |
| 3 | Lunar Descent | 1991 | Allen M. Steele | Buy |
| 4 | Labyrinth of Night | 1992 | Allen M. Steele | Buy |
| 5 | A King of Infinite Space | 1997 | Allen M. Steele | Buy |
The Near-Space series by Allen M. Steele consists of five novels published between 1989 and 1997. Orbital Decay, the first book, follows construction workers building solar power satellites in Earth orbit. The working-class perspective sets the tone for the whole series, which treats space not as a frontier of exploration but as a workplace with its own labor disputes, safety hazards, and politics.
Clarke County, Space and Lunar Descent continue the near-future setting, while Labyrinth of Night moves to Mars. A King of Infinite Space, the final entry, takes the series further into the solar system. Steele’s engineering background shows in the technical details, and the series is often cited as an example of hard science fiction that keeps its focus on ordinary people rather than extraordinary heroes.