Vonini recommends Gateway by Frederik Pohl

reading_fox recommends The Faded Sun Trilogy by C. J. Cherryh, "Same basic sort of premise - SciFi set on desert worlds inspires the rise of a galactic empire, but very different outcomes!"

amysisson recommends Bright of the sky by Kay Kenyon, "Different in tone, but similar in scope, plus it's also about the lengths to which empires will go to maintain the status quo."

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