I would like novels that are 1- standalone with a complete story arch. 2-about an interstellar empire or federation. Anything interstellar.
A Memory Called Empire stands up well as a single book with a complete story.
It’s a really good book, and has a lot to say on empires.
There is a sequel in A Desolation Called Peace.
I think I gave this 4/5 on good reads. Interesting premise but you have to pay really close attention to what’s going on and even then you sometimes feel left in the dark. The details that were relevant to the plot often ended up feeling lost in the pages of characters’ reflection imo
House of Suns by Alastair Reynolds is a standalone interstellar story though it isn’t exactly about a typical interstellar empire.
Diaspora by Greg Egan, but i'm just on this sub to recommend Greg Egan.
I have tried reading that twice because it gets recommended so much. I was so bored I kept falling asleep. For reference, I read everything and finish it, and was a middle school English teacher, so I can read anything all the way through.
Hard Sf is really not for everyone, especially Greg Egan, we're used to characters or story driven books, and this is concept driven i believe.
Characters hold little personality but are vessels for ideas, stories are caveat for scientific or philosophical notion to be explored.
Personally, I'm very fond of that, especially in short format, but some people (most people?) find it boring at best.
and was a middle school English teacher
I don't think you've taken the prerequisites for this material.
Because I got a master's in English Lit? Whatever. You want to read mind numbing, try James Joyce's Finnegan's Wake.
I love Greg Egan, but I'd say Diaspora doesn't exactly fit what OP wants. It does take place within an interstellar empire, but almost the entire plot revolves around a relatively small cast of characters. The narrative itself doesn't really feel like it spans a massive empire, even though technically it certainly does.
Likewise, Incandescence, also by Greg Egan, is set in "The Amalgam", which is a galactic civilization. I think it does a slightly better job of feeling like it, but mostly I think Egan just doesn't write "big galaxy spanning civilization". It's not his thing.
Vernor Vinge - A Fire Upon the Deep
Half of it is set in a vast multi-species galaxy-spanning civilization, and half of it is set with some people whose spaceship crash-landed on a planet with a feudal alien society.
Does a corporate controlled diaspora count as an empire?
If so, "Fallen Dragon" by Peter F. Hamilton kinda works...
I am going to cheat a bit and recommend the interdependency series by John Scalzi. Yes, it's not a standalone. But hear me out. It's only 3 books, they are relatively thin (each one just over 300 pages) and most importantly they are fast paced and easy reads.
The series is all about an interstellar empire that is about to face a crisis.
These are def a light and fun read
Space Opera is about humanity joining an existing federation of planets, but done in a style similar to Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy.
The carpet makers. Trust me, this one is interesting. Also a short read.
Interstellar Empire by John Brunner
Fire Upon the Deep.
Actually multiple empires, but the galactic scope and depth is the same.
95% of Iain Banks Culture novels are stand-alone. Extremely well regarded and popular writer.
I mean you can read Dune as a stand-alone if you want
Doesn't you need to read the series to fully understand the story?
Not at all.
I read Dune 30 years ago. Never felt like I missed reading the sequels
Not necessarily. Dune is a great story on it’s own, but the sequels (especially Messiah imo) add depth to the story and universe.
It's kinda cheating, but get the 4 volume single novel collection of Blish's Cities in Flight.
Thanks for the down vote Vegan Orbital Fort.
An easy-to-read short trilogy is Dave Bara's Lightship Chronicles. Not quite what you're asking for, but I tend to treat them like one long novel.
House of Suns - Alastair Reynolds