Books like The Judge of Ages by John C. Wright

In 10,515 AD, the Hyades Armada—traveling near lightspeed—will arrive at Earth in four centuries to evaluate humanity for slavery. For eight millennia, two opposing factions have shaped humanity’s destiny in stark contrast. Ximen del Azarchel, an immortal mutineer from the starship Hermetic and self‑appointed Master of the World, has continually altered human evolution, birthing bizarre races in a search for a species the Hyades might deem worthy of conquest. In opposition stands Menelaus Montrose, the posthuman Judge of Ages, whose cryonic Tombs on Earth harbor survivors from each Hermetic era. Montrose seeks to defend Earth and survive long enough to be reunited with his bride Rania, who is on a seventy‑millennia journey across tens of thousands of light‑years to confront the Hyades’ masters. As the Hyades’ arrival draws near, del Azarchel and Montrose must face each other in a climactic battle of gunfire, powered armor, and cliometric calculus—each determined to decide Earth’s ultimate destiny.

First publish date: 2014