The Top 10 Secondary or Ensemble Sci-Fi Characters Who Deserve Their Own Spin-off!

Whether it's to see where they began, or where they ended up, or what happened in between, these ten extraordinary secondary characters are the ones the Discover Sci-Fi community voted as being most deserving of their own spin-off book or series. But which one did readers deem most deserving? You'll have to read on to find out!

Without further ado, based on the combined nominations and votes here on the Discover Sci-Fi blog and the Facebook group, here are the top 10 secondary or ensemble characters who deserve their own spin-off! 

10. Gregor Vorbarra from the Vorkosigan Saga by Lois McMaster Bujold

Given the amount of fanfic devoted to exploring Gregor Vorbarra, the esteemed Emperor of the Barrayaran Imperium in Lois McMaster Bujold’s Vorkosigan Saga, it is no surprise to see him on this list. There is a ton to mine here! There’s some debate around where to start with this series, but here we’ll defer to the author, who recommends starting with Shards of Honor and then moving right into Barrayar. For paperback lovers, these are available in an omnibus edition called Cordelia’s Honor. 

Ravaged by the Barrayaran-Betan War and turned into outcasts, Cordelia Naismith and Lord Aral Vorkosigan have no idea what vile plans are being hatched around their cell-damaged son.

Pick up Cordelia's Honor here on Amazon

9. The Mother Thing from Have Space Suit—Will Travel by Robert A. Heinlein

Many of you will have cut your teeth on Robert A. Heinlein’s juveniles, so it’s no surprise to see at least one character from one of those books on our list. The Mother Thing—described as an alien who speaks in a kind of birdsong—is resourceful, protective, comforting and bold. If you missed Have Space Suit—Will Travel as a kid, you’ll find this quick read is still worth picking up as an adult.

Kip Russell wants nothing more than to go to the moon. But after entering a contest to help realize his dream, he is thrust into a space adventure he could never have imagined—with the most unlikely of friends and enemies. A favorite among Heinlein readers.

Pick up Have Space Suit—Will Travel here on Amazon.

8. Anne, the “Fair Witness” from Robert Heinlein’s Stranger in a Strange Land

“So? “Anne!”

Anne was on the springboard; she turned her head. Jubal called out, “That house on the hilltop — can you see what color they’ve painted it?”

Anne looked, then answered, “It’s white on this side.”

Jubal went on to Jill, “You see? It doesn’t occur to her to infer that the other side is probably white, too. All the King’s horses couldn’t force her to commit herself . . . unless she went there and looked — and even then she wouldn’t assume that it stayed whatever color it might be after she left.”

 “Anne is a Fair Witness?”

“Graduate, unlimited license, and admitted to testify before the High Court.”—Robert A. Heinlein, Stranger in a Strange Land

Anne the “Fair Witness” is a character from Robert A.Heinlein’s Stranger in a Strange Land. Gifted with an eidetic memory and the ability to perceive events accurately and with complete objectivity, Anne certainly would be a fun character to explore in greater depth and in a different context.  

Raised by Martians on Mars, Valentine Michael Smith is a human who has never seen another member of his species. Sent to Earth, he is a stranger who must learn what it is to be a man. But his own beliefs and his powers far exceed the limits of humankind, and as he teaches them about grokking and water-sharing, he also inspires a transformation that will alter Earth’s inhabitants forever...

Get your copy of Stranger in a Strange Land here on Amazon.

7. Trillian from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

The brilliant mathematician and astrophysicist Tricia Marie McMillan aka Trillian Astra aka Trillian has made regular appearances in the books, radio, television and film versions of Douglas Adams’ The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Intelligent, insightful, confident and charming, she’s definitely a character who deserves a greater share of the limelight!  

It’s an ordinary Thursday morning for Arthur Dent . . . until his house gets demolished. The Earth follows shortly after to make way for a new hyperspace express route, and Arthur’s best friend has just announced that he’s an alien.

After that, things get much, much worse.

Start reading The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy here on Amazon.

6. Stockton from Blood on the Stars by Jay Allan

Jake Stockton is a dynamic character who has had some excellent storylines and suffered a LOT throughout the course of Jay Allan’s epic military space opera series, Blood on the Stars. As with Andi Laforge, a fan favorite who was treated to her own Blood on the Stars spinoff series, without a doubt, Jake would make a compelling central character for a series of his own. We had the pleasure of chatting with Jay Allan about Jake Stockton, and he had this to say:

"Jake Stockton has been one of my favorite characters to write.  He has come a long way, changing considerably in some ways, and remaining the same in others.  Jake has come close to becoming a main character, but in the end, he has remained a supporting cast member in all of the books, if a major one.  He has appeared in 17 books all together, and the 18th and final one is coming out later this year. Duel in the Dark is the first book, both of the series and also with Jake as one of the characters." – Jay Allan

If you are new to the series, definitely start with book one, Duel in the Dark. Given the binge worthy nature of the series, you could be all caught up by the time book 18 comes out!

A duel, in the deepest darks, a savage fight between two veteran warriors, two captains, two heroes.

An epic battle that only one can survive. A fight to determine if there is peace, or a bloody war where billions will die.

Grab Duel in the Dark here on Amazon.

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5. Hazel Stone from The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert 

Hazel Stone, nominated here for her role in The Moon is a Harsh Mistress is a compelling character who appeared first in Robert A. Heinlein’s book The Rolling Stones, popping up in later works as well, including The Cat Who Walks Through Walls where she, using the alias Gwendolyn Novak, plays a central role. As Discover Sci-Fi blog reader Jim Ellis commented:

 “We know where Hazel Stone winds up later in life. The tale from TMIAHM [The Moon is a Harsh Mistress] to then would be a fun adventure, probably several volumes.” 

We agree!

The rollicking adventures of the Stone Family on a tour of the Solar System. It all statred when the twins, Castor and Pollux Stone, decided that life on the Lunar colony was too dull and decided to buy their own spaceship and go into business for themselves. Their father thought that was a fine, idea, except that he and Grandma Hazel bought the spaceship and the whole Stone Family were on their way out into the far reaches of the Solar System, with stops on Mars(where the twins got a lesson in the interplanetary economics of bicycles and the adorable little critters called flatcats who, it turned out, bred like rabbits; or perhaps, Tribbles....), out to the asteroids, where  Mrs. Stone, an M.D., was needed to treat a dangerous outbreak of disease, even further out, to Titan and beyond.

Get your copy of The Moon is a Harsh Mistress here on Amazon.

4. Stilgar from Dune by Frank Herbert

Stilgar is a born leader with a magnetic personality, respected thanks to his honest and trustworthy nature. He plays a significant role in Frank Herbert's Dune, but would definitely be worth exploring further via a spin-off. 

Set on the desert planet Arrakis, Dune is the story of the boy Paul Atreides, heir to a noble family tasked with ruling an inhospitable world where the only thing of value is the “spice” melange, a drug capable of extending life and enhancing consciousness. Coveted across the known universe, melange is a prize worth killing for....

Dive into Dune here on Amazon.

3. Bobbie Draper from The Expanse by James S. A. Corey

“Bobbie was not the right shape to fit into one of the standard suits, and the Marines made her jump through a series of flaming hoops every time she requisitioned a new custom one. At a bit over two meters tall, she was only slightly above average height for a Martian male, but thanks in part to her Polynesian ancestry, she weighed in at over a hundred kilos at one g. None of it was fat, but her muscles seemed to get bigger every time she even walked through a weight room. As a marine, she trained all the time.” —James, S. A. Corey, Caliban’s War

First appearing in Caliban's War, book two of James S. A. Corey's series The Expanse, Roberta “Bobbie” Draper is a long time fan favorite and widely regarded as one of the most badass characters of sci-fi, let alone the series. While Bobbie doesn’t appear until the second book, if you are new to this series, you’re definitely going to want to start at the beginning with Leviathan Wakes! 

Humanity has colonized the solar system -- Mars, the Moon, the Asteroid Belt and beyond -- but the stars are still out of our reach.

Jim Holden is XO of an ice miner making runs from the rings of Saturn to the mining stations of the Belt. When he and his crew stumble upon a derelict ship, the Scopuli, they find themselves in possession of a secret they never wanted. A secret that someone is willing to kill for -- and kill on a scale unfathomable to Jim and his crew. War is brewing in the system unless he can find out who left the ship and why.

Get your copy of Leviathan Wakes here on Amazon.

2. Scotty Tremaine and Horace Harkness from the Honor Harrington series by David Weber

Sir Horace Harkness and his mentee Prescott “Scotty” Tremaine made their first appearances in On Basilisk Station, the first book of David Weber’s Honor Harrington series, and were regular characters throughout the series. These two are scrappy, resourceful and seasoned, and it would absolutely be cool to see a spinoff featuring either or both. 

Having made him look a fool, she's been exiled to Basilisk Station in disgrace and set up for ruin by a superior who hates her.

Parliament isn't sure it wants to keep the place; the major local industry is smuggling; the merchant cartels want her head; the star-conquering, so-called "Republic" of Haven is Up To Something; and Honor Harrington has a single, over-age light cruiser with an armament that doesn't work to police the entire star system.

But the people out to get her have made one mistake. They've made her mad.

Start On Basilisk Station here on Amazon.

1. Agent Pike from the Black Fleet Saga by Joshua Dalzelle

Fans of Joshua Dalzelle’s outstanding, adventurous and fast-paced Black Fleet Saga have long called for a spinoff exploring Agent Pike’s backstory and, rumor has it, this is an idea Dalzelle has actually considered so maybe there is reason to be hopeful! New to the series? Start with Warship and be ready to binge read from there! 

In the 25th century humans have conquered space. The advent of faster-than-light travel has opened up hundreds of habitable planets for colonization, and humans have exploited the virtually limitless space and resources for hundreds of years with impunity.

So complacent have they become with the overabundance that armed conflict is a thing of the past, and their machines of war are obsolete and decrepit. What would happen if they were suddenly threatened by a terrifying new enemy? Would humanity fold and surrender, or would they return to their evolutionary roots and meet force with force? One ship—and one captain—will soon be faced with this very choice.

Grab Warship here on Amazon.

What did you think of the top 10 selections as decided by your fellow Discover Sci-Fi readers? Any you strongly agree or disagree with? Any you're eager to pick up now that weren't on your radar before? Share you thoughts in the comments here on the blog, or visit us here in our Facebook group and make sure to check out our most recent poll while you're there!

*All book-related copy in this post was pulled from Amazon, Goodreads & Wikipedia, unless otherwise credited.