Startide Rising is the story of the Earth starship Streaker and its crew of humans, dolphins, and chimpanzees. The animals have been gifted with Uplifting, a process by which they were helped to self-awareness by gene therapy and other scientific methods, and are now part of Earth's society. The ship discovers derelict wreckage of ships believed to belong to humanity's own Uplifters and is embroiled in a dangerous chase as other Uplifted alien races descend, hoping to claim the legacy as their own.
The Stars My Destination is the science fiction story of revenge-driven escaped prisoner Gully Foyle, an analogue to Alexander Dumas' Count of Monte Cristo. Foyle remakes himself to seek revenge on a former employer, a powerful corporation which ignored him after the wreck of his cargo ship. The plot also deals with how jaunting, the ability to teleport matter through space, has destabilized human society throughout the galaxy and on Earth, now called Terra.
The Fault in Our Stars is a young adult novel that follows the budding romance between teenagers Hazel Grace Lancaster and Augustus Waters, who meet at a cancer support group. Though Augustus is in remission and Hazel's disease is steadily progressing, they find themselves growing closer as they bond over books and movies. Despite the odds, the two fall deeply in love, eventually even travelling to Amsterdam to meet the author of their favorite book. This unique love story highlights Augustus and Hazel's humanity rather than their disease.
The Hour of the Star is the story of narrator Rodrigo S. M., a distinguished and educated but unhappy man, and the subject of his narration: Macabea, a poor girl from the slums of Rio who has nothing in life. The two characters are used to illustrate the gulf between classes in Brazil as well as to challenge the notion that those higher up on the food chain are happier than their subordinates.