*

The Series / Status: Complete

Looking for an action-packed space saga? Look no further than the popular Backworlds series! Join Craze as he’s banished from his home planet and finds himself on a thrilling adventure that will turn him into an unlikely hero. With surprising plot twists and a focus on everyday people rising to the challenge, this series is a must-read for fans of science fiction and epic adventures.

What Inspired the Backworlds?

1. The love of space opera
2. The love of discovery and exploration
3. The love of characters dealt lousy hands but make good
4. And I’m one of those who keeps wishing Firefly would come back

Fun Fact: This series started as a short story. The scene with the Water-breather walking into Craze’s bar in Stopover at the Backworlds’ Edge was that story. I submitted it to a well-known sci-fi magazine, and it was rejected. However, it was rejected with an entire page of positive feedback from the editor with notes on what I could do better. Ebooks were starting to take off at the time, so I used the feedback to make changes, then turned that one story into a series. I had envisioned it originally as different adventures in Craze’s bar, but I received a lot of fan mail about how readers loved Talos and Lepsi in the first book. (Lepsi was supposed to be dead in book 2, but I quickly undeaded him). I kept tugging at threads until an epic bloomed.

The Books in Order

• The Backworlds – Craze is forced to flee his home planet and navigate a harsh universe filled with bioengineered descendants of humanity. Most of them are cutthroats and thieves. With his father trying to destroy him, Craze must learn to survive and forge a new life in a galaxy of fierce competition and scarce resources.

 

• Stopover at the Backworlds’ Edge – In this action-packed sequel to The Backworlds, Craze is determined to seek revenge against his father, but a battleship from the past threatens to shatter the fragile peace with the Foreworlds. With the fate of his world hanging in the balance, Craze must tread carefully or risk losing everything.

 

• Boomtown Craze – As the grand opening of his new tavern approaches, Craze’s plans for Pardeep Station are put in jeopardy when a mysterious Backworlder arrives claiming her spaceship is possessed, revealing a connection to the dark underworld of one of his closest friends. With everything he’s built at risk, Craze must navigate dangerous waters to ensure his dreams don’t go the way of the extinct.

 

• Beyond the Edge – Craze and Captain Talos set out on a search for Craze’s missing friend, but their quest leads to an uncharted region of the galaxy where they uncover a terrible truth. Meanwhile, Rainly’s introspection on Pardeep Station unlocks a sinister secret of her own, revealing that some truths are better left unfound.

 

• Worlds on Edge – As the aliens’ invasion looms closer, Craze must make a choice: risk everything to save his moon, or leave it to warn the Backworlds of the impending doom. With an old enemy also resurfacing, the odds pile up against him. Will Craze be able to protect the ones he loves before it’s too late?

 

• Precipice – The Backworlds hang by a Quantum string, a thread about to snap. Annihilation is coming if Craze can’t stop it. To survive, the Backworlds must overcome centuries of hate and forge an alliance with their oldest enemy, and Craze is the only one who can represent his people. The looming war will be a holocaust unless he can stop it.

 

• FreeFall – Craze must navigate dangerous alliances and betrayals to find a way to save the Backworlds and end the war once and for all, even if it means sacrificing everything he holds dear.

 

• Endpoint – As the galaxy falls into chaos, Craze is forced to confront the impossible task of saving everyone he loves. With time running out, he embarks on a dangerous mission to turn the tide of the war, but victory may come at a steep cost.

 

• The Afterworlds – Craze yearns for peace after a brutal war, but the Backworlds refuse to let him rest. With one last enemy threatening to shatter the fragile peace, and survivors looking to him for salvation, Craze must confront the ghosts of his past and the daunting task of rebuilding a life from the ruins.

Buy the complete series from me as individual ebooks and you get:

1) a discount; and 2) digital posters. One of Craze in his original tavern, and one of a scene in Stopover at the Backworlds’ Edge by the talented artist, Loretta Stephenson (she is dearly missed). GET THE SERIES

• Escape From Doka: A Backworlds Adventure – On the planet Doka, Lepsi, the youngest son of a struggling nobleman, endures a life of misery under his cruel father, while Talos, from the city’s poorest quarter, longs for a better future after losing his mother. Both dream of escaping their bleak lives, and their chance comes when a cargo transport seeks crew members. Drawn by the promise of a new start, they sign up—but fate has other plans. Talos crosses paths with ruthless pirates, and Lepsi’s father pursues him with relentless aristocratic power. As danger mounts, their unlikely friendship faces ultimate tests. Can they outwit their enemies and escape Doka? Sign up for my mailing list to get this Backworlds adventure for FREE!

• Backworlds Box Collection Books 1, 2, and 3 – This box set includes The Backworlds, Stopover at the Backworlds’ Edge, and Boomtown Craze.
• Backworlds Box Collection Books 4, 5, and 6 – This box set includes Beyond the Edge, Worlds on Edge, and Precipice.
• Backworlds Box Collection Books 7, 8, and 9 – Releases 7/14/2026. On Preorder!

Bonus Reading: FREE!

Stories

• Extra fan-exclusive novel, Escape from Doka! Join the MPax Dimension!
• A Bonus Snippet from Sanjay Strom
• Ashes and Dust: A Moment of Reflection on Pardeep Station

Worldbuilding Articles

• The Power and Mystery of the Lepper System

 

• Craze – A Verkinn from Siegna disowned by his people and thrown off the planet. He’s big and burly with living hair, velvety skin, and acute hearing. Verkinns prize wealth and status. Craze want revenge on his father by becoming a huge success. He’s owner and sole employee of Craze’s Tavern.
• Talos – An Aviarman from Doka. He loves sailing the skies and is best friends with Lepsi. Aviarmen are tall, lanky, and good at navigation. Talos is a loyal friend and hopes to establish a lucrative trade route.
• Lepsi – An Aviarman from Doka, he doesn’t know what he wants other than to stay away from his family and Doka. He’s best friends with Talos and is searching for something worthwhile to trade.
• Rainly – A Cytran from unknown origins. She’s the only one of her kind. Or is she? Madly in love with Dactyl. Considers Craze her bestest friend in the galaxy. Like to talk. A lot. Directs spaceship traffic and repairs ships.
• Dactyl – Former lawman from Howper. Has a secret and dark past. He is a Quatten, which is a dense, short genetically modified human with great strength. He’s head over heels for Rainly and helps her with fixing ships and a tad jumpy.
• Pauder – Planetlord of Pardeep Station and veteran of the Fo’wo War. He’s not all there and sees the enemy everywhere. He might be a bit on the cranky side.
• Meelo – a refugee. Quiet. Stutters. Farms rootbaggers.
• Plenty of others populate the Backworlds on a regular basis. Be sure to meet them all.

 

 

 

Original artwork gifted by Loretta Stephenson

Original artwork by

Luke Barsby

 

Pardeep Station is inspired by the tiny town of Riley in Oregon:

 

Found this tavern in Jacksonville, OR:

 

What’s Your Backworlds Name?

 

 

Which Backworlds Character are you?

*