History CoolStarship / Literature

* The ''Ark'' in ''Literature/TufVoyaging'' is an ancient, thirty-kilometer-long "seedship" containing the genetic material for thousands of species and millions of bacteria with the technology on board to clone them all, tweak their genetics as desired, and ''warp the fabric of time'' to age them up as needed. It even comes with fancy shuttles named for mythical beasts. And a NiceHat.

* Scott Westerfeld's ''Literature/{{Succession}}'' is full of [[CoolSpaceship Cool Spaceships]]. [[http://s3.amazonaws.com/adaptiveblue_img/books/killing_of_worlds_book_two_of_succession/scott_westerfeld Pictured here]] are the Rix battlecruzer (top) and the Lynx (bottom).

** There is also the slightly less powerful but more common [[http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/TIE_Avenger TIE Advanced]], a mass-produced variant of Darth Vader's personal fighter. It was proven capable of outmaneuvering any Rebel starfighter, and experienced pilots were able to outwit renegade TIE Defender pilots. The thing's nickname? The [[AwesomeMcCoolName TIE Avenger.]]

* In the ''Land and Overland'' trilogy by Bob Shaw, there's a powerful energy source in the strange trees of these two planets. There's also an extremely hard tree known as ''brakka'' which can be made into ship hulls which leads to the ability to create primitive but effective wooden spaceships.
* In ''The Lazarus War'' by Jamie Sawyer, the back of the cover has a blurb from Neal Asher of ''Literature/ThePolity'' series. "Alien biomechs...terrorism, subterfuge and traitors... starships sporting particle beam weapons, railguns the size of skyscrapers, laser batteries, missiles... This, dear readers, is the good stuff." And yes, the human vessel that had particle beams, laser batteries, missiles and railguns the size of skyscrapers - that was just a scout ship!

* In Chris Ruocchio's ''The Suneater'', the party in the 2nd book can only marvel and gawk at Kharn Sagara's Sojourner-class starship, ''Demiurge''. The party determine that the Demiurge is 100 miles long and big enough to fit several Sollan capital ships with ease. Bristling with gun towers, the Demiurge is almost invincible with conventional firepower alone, additionally it also doubles as a vault to LostTechnology StarKilling {{Superweapon}}s taken from humanity's A.I. overlords in the distant past. On a more peaceful note, the Demiurge has a city-sized garden for Sagara's enjoyment.

%% This page has been alphabetized. Please add new examples in the correct order.

** Kind of subverted in the very first book, in which the SuperPrototype ship seemed incredibly Cool on the surface- it was able, in theory, to casually destroy vessels orders of magnitude larger- but was actually horribly flawed by a fatal case of AwesomeButImpractical in a world too far on the realistic end to let such things slide.

* On the subject of Weber, "Star Runner" from ''Literature/InFuryBorn''. An AI-controlled light cruiser equipped with ''battleship-grade'' engines and shields. As it's too small to carry useful numbers of the long-range SLAMS (Supra-Light Accelerated Missiles - essentially [[WaveMotionGun targeted black holes]]), the designers pretty much decide 'sod it' and [[BeamSpam pack it bow to stern]] with [[EnergyWeapon Frickin' Laser Beams]], [[MacrossMissileMassacre missile launchers]] and [[PointDefenseless point defense]]. It can outrun destroyers and ''[[CurbstompBattle outgun battleships]]'', in spite of the fact it's a ''light cruiser''. It also has a hologram projector capable of making it look like a down-on-its-luck tramp freighter rather than, say, a stolen military experimental ship piloted by the most wanted woman in the ''sector''.
* The novel ''Invaders From the Infinite'' featured the ''Thought'' - a ship made of, well, ''solidified thought''. Its main armament consisted of the device that made it.

* The enormous Black Ship in the ''Literature/NationOfTheThirdEye'' novel by K.K. Savage can switch between physicality and the astral world at will. Also, it is the most powerful ship in the Solar System and hosts the Grand Temple - a room that is over 2 miles high.
* The Starship Lady [=MacBeth=] in ''Literature/TheNightsDawnTrilogy''. It's essentially a [[SpheroidDropship giant flying sphere]], but it also has 3 fusion rockets and 8 overpowered communication lasers (Masers) that just happen to double as Deathrays. It also has an AntiMatter Drive - Antimatter itself is illegal, but [[RulesLawyer nowhere in the Confederation laws does it say]] that a antimatter ''drive'' is illegal.

** The giant robot ship Old Man - a hemisphere with 200 kilometer diameter and a height of 100 km - was one of the largest ships ever encountered... and mistook a domestic discussion for people initiating a war.
** The SOL was a dumbbell-shaped ship with two spheres at the end - each 2500 meter large, held together by a originally 1500 meter long and thick 'tube'. The tube later was enlarged to 2500 meter length. The ship would land 'sideways' (i.e., on one of the spheres), turning it into a mountain 8 kilometer tall - about the height of Mt Everest, measuring from sea level. It's main computer, SENECA, was sentient and the ship would not react to any commands if he was removed, which several beings attempted.

* The ships from Neal Asher's ''Literature/ThePolity'' books - the 'Cable Hogue' has the same mass as Earth's Moon, but it's bigger. 'Geronamid' and 'Jerusalem' are space-distorting huge, and make planet-eating alien creatures of near-infinite intelligence wet themselves just by their arriving anywhere. AI controlled, they also tend to be very self-aware, often inscrutable and occasionally inclined to sarcasm. The wardrones are even more fun...

* In the post ''Literature/StarTrekDestiny'' universe you now have the ''Vesta''-class, spearheaded by the ''[[http://memory-beta.wikia.com/wiki/File:Aventine_rear.jpg USS Aventine]]''. Forget warp speed or transwarp. These babies were built with quantum slipstream drives - the kind that make a jaunt from Earth to the Delta Quandrant (a 70-year journey for ''Voyager'') a quick three-week trip. But don't let their quick velocity give the impression of a FragileSpeedster - the ''Vesta''s can go toe-to-toe with the heavy hitters of the Breen Confederacy or Romulan Empire.

*** If there's anything more awesome than the background of the ''Lusankya'' (she wasn't just any SSD - she was the ''Executor'''s friggin ''twin sister''), it was the fact she was used mainly by the ''good guys''. Just imagine what the original ''Executor'' would have been like as a Rebel flagship (complete with Rebel Alliance/New Republic sunbirds on her sides), and you have the ''Lusankya''. Many an Imperial Warlord and wannabe Emperor has literally [[ComicBook/StarWarsCrimsonEmpire pissed themselves]] upon seeing her exit hyperspace, especially when, going by her New Republic transponder signal, they were originally expecting a Mon Cal cruiser or ''Nebulon-B''-class frigate. And that's not discounting how the Republic also used her against other ''Executor''-class Super Star Destroyers, as best shown in the [[http://images.wikia.com/starwars/images/d/d6/Lusankya_vs_Reaper.jpg Third Battle of Orinda]]. Hell, even the Yuuzhan Vong (who usually despised and looked down upon New Republic ships for being inorganic) outright feared her, especially when the New Republic began utilizing Imperial tactics[[note]]In itself a achievement best elaborated by this line from Wedge Antilles: "We're going to face them with an enemy they've never had the displeasure of fighting. We're going to hit them with the Empire."[[/note]] against them at the Battle of Borleias.
*** Even the ''Lusankya'''s death was incredibly epic - the ship was damaged during a long siege, and so it was slowly stripped of weapons, and a reinforced spar full of explosives constructed along its 8km central spine. In the final battle of ''[[Literature/NewJediOrder Rebel Dream]]'', it ''rammed an enemy [[ThatsNoMoon worldship]]'' and exploded, wiping out the attackers' command cadre and allowing the garrison to evacuate from what was ''supposed'' to be a suicide mission.

* ''Literature/SistersOfTheVastBlack'' has [[LivingShip Our Lady of Impossible Constellations.]]

** Downplayed with the Cielcin's worldship, the ship made the Demiurge look like a child's toy because it was the size of a moon. Unfortunately the lower level of Cielcin technology made it a lot less cool. The Cielcin's specifically look for asteroids and planetoids with a heavy ice surface and then hollow it out to refit as a starship. The Cielcin never invented ray shielding to protect against radiation and so required the ice layer to protect its inhabitants and even then they still needed protective gear. Additionally the worldship was surprisingly fragile, it took only a few atomics and antimatter warheads to destroy the Cielcin ship at the peace accord.

* In Chris Ruocchio's ''The Suneater'', the party in the 2nd book can only marvel and gawk at Kharn Sagara's Sojourner-class starship, ''Demiurge''. The party determine that the Demiurge is 100 miles long and big enough to fit several Sollan capital ships with ease. Bristling with gun towers, the Demiurge is almost invincible with conventional firepower alone, additionally it also doubles as a vault to LostTechnology StarKilling weapons taken from humanity's A.I. overlords in the distant past. On a more peaceful note, the Demiurge has a city-sized garden for the Sagara's enjoyment.

* On the subject of Weber, "Star Runner" from ''Literature/InFuryBorn''. An AI-controlled light cruiser equipped with ''battleship-grade'' engines and shields. As it's too small to carry useful numbers of the long-range SLAMS (Supra-Light Accelerated Missiles - essentially [[WaveMotionGun targeted black holes]]), the designers pretty much decide 'sod it' and [[BeamSpam pack it bow to stern]] with FrickinLaserBeams, [[MacrossMissileMassacre missile launchers]] and [[PointDefenseless point defense]]. It can outrun destroyers and ''[[CurbstompBattle outgun battleships]]'', in spite of the fact it's a ''light cruiser''. It also has a hologram projector capable of making it look like a down-on-its-luck tramp freighter rather than, say, a stolen military experimental ship piloted by the most wanted woman in the ''sector''.

* On the subject of Weber, "Star Runner" from ''Literature/InFuryBorn''. An AI-controlled light cruiser equipped with ''battleship-grade'' engines and shields. As it's too small to carry useful numbers of the long-range SLAMS (Supra-Light Accelerated Missiles - essentially [[WaveMotionGun targeted black holes]]), the designers pretty much decide 'sod it' and [[BeamSpam pack it bow to stern]] with FrickinLaserBeams, [[MacrossMissileMassacre missile launchers]] and [[PointDefenceless point defence]]. It can outrun destroyers and ''[[CurbstompBattle outgun battleships]]'', in spite of the fact it's a ''light cruiser''. It also has a hologram projector capable of making it look like a down-on-its-luck tramp freighter rather than, say, a stolen military experimental ship piloted by the most wanted woman in the ''sector''.

* Creator/IsaacAsimov's ''Literature/FoundationsEdge'':

* ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'': Technological miracle? How about a spaceship built with [[ClockPunk Renaissance-level technology]]? Living ship? Well, sort of; its power source is a lot of [[OurDragonsAreDifferent swamp dragons]]. General cool appearance? It's designed to look like a bird-of-prey in the process of catching a salmon. It is, of course, ''The Kite'' from ''Discworld/TheLastHero''.

* Creator/IsaacAsimov's ''Literature/FoundationsEdge'' and ''Literature/FoundationAndEarth'':
** Far Star. A Foundation ship with a highly advanced drive and a computer that responded to human thought. It was so advanced [[spoiler:that it could decide the fate of a galaxy, depending on the thoughts of its captain by enforcing either the PsychicStatic of a Foundation ship or strengthening the telepathic powers of either a Second Foundation or a Gaia agent]].
** Munn Li Compor has a nearly-identical ship provided to him for the purpose of following the Far Star, and both the Far Star and Compor's ship lack weapons, to keep their captains from going out of control. Mayor Branno's gravitic warship, on the other hand, is ''not'' lacking in weapons... including ones [[PsychicStatic aimed]] at the Second Foundation.

* The ''[[http://drexfiles.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/vanguard_3_hot_pursuit_r02.jpg USS Sagittarius]]'' from ''Literature/StarTrekVanguard'' is a fast-looking, sexy little thing, even when it's on fire and about to be curb stomped by Klingons. Also, the fiercely awesome ''[[http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20090314131643/startrek/images/4/42/TOS_Miranda.jpg USS Bombay]]''. Not only is it a TOS-ified version of the already cool ''[[Film/StarTrekIITheWrathOfKhan Reliant]]'', it kicks ass and takes names in an insane five-on-one battle before [[spoiler: [[HeroicSacrifice getting]] [[TakingYouWithMe blown]] [[DyingMomentOfAwesome up]]]]. Starship {{Determinator}} FTW.

** Also the titular spaceship from ''Literature/RendezvousWithRama'', a giant alien generation ship. It holds multiple generations of otospiders, of the Avian-Myrmicat-Sessile symbiotic ecosystem, and, eventually, of humans.

** The ''Bistromath'' is arguably a subversion of this trope.

** Also the titular spaceship from ''Literature/RendezvousWithRama'', a giant alien generation ship.

* In the mil-SF novel series ''Literature/HonorHarrington'', approximately seventy percent of the books deal with cool space ships that can kill worlds and use gravity as their DeflectorShields, and the steady improvement of such. Harrington's own command becomes one as the saga continues. The books are unabashedly "HoratioHornblower in space," and author David Weber designed the spaceflight physics to encourage maneuvers and combat right out of the 18th century, including broadsides of gamma-ray lasers and missiles capable of doing 0.8''c''.

** Although they seem somewhat pedestrian compared to the newer examples listed above, Honor Harrington's commands from the second and third books of the series, the new HMS ''Fearless'' (a ''Star Knight''-class heavy cruiser built to replace the ''Courageous''-class light cruiser from the first book) and HMS ''Nike'' (the ''Reliant''-class battlecruiser mentioned above) definitely qualify in the context of the books they first appeared in. At the time, they were among the newest, fastest and most powerful ships of their type in any navy and got in multiple [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome crowning moments of awesome]]. The ''Fearless'' can almost be thought of as an Honorverse counterpart to [[Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries Captain Kirk's]] original ''Constitution''-class USS ''Enterprise'': a top-of-the line heavy cruiser in its day, not the biggest or most powerful ship, but the perfect command for a daring, [[MilitaryMaverick slightly unorthodox]] [[TheCaptain starship captain]] like Kirk or Harrington to prove themselves with.

** ''Executor'''s sister ship, the ''[[Literature/XWingSeries Lusankya]]'' (originally ''Executor II''). It was buried under Coruscant's surface and used as a brainwashing facility; the New Republic knew of the facility and the name, but they thought it was a secret prison on a distant planet, not right in the heart of the Empire. Its rising, to the utter gaping shock and horror of the New Republic, which had just captured the planet, was a CrowningMomentOfAwesome. When the New Republic captured it they did not rename it, unlike virtually every other captured capital ship. And, well, face it. If there was ever a ship's name that went really well with terrified/awed bits of OminousLatinChanting, it's ''Lusankya''.
*** If there's anything more awesome than the background of the ''Lusankya'' (she wasn't just any SSD - she was the ''Executor'''s friggin ''twin sister''), it was the fact she was used mainly by the ''good guys''. Just imagine what the original ''Executor'' would have been like as a Rebel flagship (complete with Rebel Alliance/New Republic sunbirds on her sides), and you have the ''Lusankya''. Many an Imperial Warlord and wannabe Emperor has literally [[ComicBook/StarWarsCrimsonEmpire pissed themselves]] upon seeing her exit hyperspace, especially when, going by her New Republic transponder signal, they were originally expecting a Mon Cal cruiser or ''Nebulon-B''-class frigate. And that's not discounting how the Republic also used her against other ''Executor''-class Super Star Destroyers, as best shown in the [[http://images.wikia.com/starwars/images/d/d6/Lusankya_vs_Reaper.jpg Third Battle of Orinda]]. Hell, even the Yuuzhan Vong (who usually despised and looked down upon New Republic ships for being inorganic) outright feared her, especially when the New Republic began utilizing Imperial tactics[[note]]In itself a CrowningMomentOfAwesome best elaborated by this line from Wedge Antilles: "We're going to face them with an enemy they've never had the displeasure of fighting. We're going to hit them with the Empire."[[/note]] against them at the Battle of Borleias.