Star Frontiers has a list of "Reading for Fun and Ideas" but (and I'm not the first to point this out) it's really just a grab-bag of good and/or classic science fiction. The relationship between the list and SF's explicit and implied setting and the sort of elements that would show up in a game are elusive. It isn't anything like a "how-to" manual.
So I thought it was worth coming up with a list of inspirational media that is more to the point. This will be my perspective; I make no claims about what works the original authors made in mind. I will, though, at least for the works I dub "core," try to stick to works that could have been inspirations back in 1982.
The Core
General features: A lack of focus on cybernetics, dystopia, interaction with inscrutable aliens, common psi, or space empires. They tend to have generally a more upbeat (at least not brooding or dour) tone and a focus on adventure rather than tech.
CJ Cherryh - The Pride of Chanur. Interesting but accessible aliens. space trading.
Alan Dean Foster - Humanx Commonwealth series, particularly the subseries of the Adventures of Flinx and Pip. Strong human-alien cooperation (and with insectoid aliens), conflict with another alien species, unusual planets for adventure.
Andre Norton - Solar Queen series. Corporate-centered space travel and free-trading. Mysteries of previous civilizations on isolated worlds.
Jack Vance - The Demon Princes series. Travel between core worlds and a frontier region, Space criminals and cops. Strange societies.
Planet of Adventure series. Stranded on an alien planet after a crash with a lot of weird stuff going on.
Ralph McQuarrie |
The Frontier
These works are either post-1982, have fewer elements of homology to the Star Frontiers setting, or both.
Brian Daley - Han Solo Adventures series. fast-paced adventure, human-nonhuman cooperation.
Edmond Hamilton and others - Captain Future series. space criminals and mad scientists. A smaller number of worlds.
Film/TV:
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century. More action pulp than serious sci-fi. Costume design aesthetic of roughly the same era as the game.
Firefly. Smaller setting. ragtag crew like a PC party.
Comic Books/Strips:
Atari Force vol. 2. '80s science fiction aesthetics, friendly humanoid aliens.
Star Hawks. Space law enforcement.
Star Wars. The post-Empire Strikes Back era of the comic has aesthetics not unlike the game, and the comic and comic strip at times have more general Space Opera plots.