(Last week was paranormal romance.)
Space opera.
Like with all the subgenres, the definition floats a little bit, but for now we’ll cleave to the Wikipedia definition, which is: “a subgenre of science fiction that emphasizes romantic, often melodramatic adventure, set mainly or entirely in outer space, usually involving conflict between opponents possessing advanced technologies and abilities.”
Time to ask you:
What are your three essential space opera reads?
Drop ’em in the comments!
Cat Sparks says:
Just finished the new Paul McAuley, Evening’s Empires. Brilliant, wildly imaginative stuff.
July 22, 2013 — 8:47 PM
Dr. Krog says:
Childe Cycle – Gordon R. Dickson
July 22, 2013 — 8:50 PM
J Kenton Pierce says:
Lois McMaster-Bujold’s Vorkosigan series. Cordelia’s Honor and A Civil Campaign in particular.
July 22, 2013 — 9:00 PM
Darkest Hero (@KateSherrod) says:
Nathan Lowell’s Solar Clipper series (aka Share series, starts with Quarter Share); Alastair Reynolds Revelation Space trilogy-and-sidequel are my favorite modern ones; classics I love the first 2 1/2 or so of the Dune books and Frederick Pohl’s Heechee and then there’s the Culture books and Pohl/Kornbluth’s Space Merchants and… oh, I just can’t decide. Space opera is one of my favorite genres.
July 22, 2013 — 9:08 PM
Miles J Johnson (@milesj6) says:
A Deepness in the Sky, by Vernor Vinge
Harvest the Stars, by Poul Anderson
The Mote in God’s Eye, by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle
July 22, 2013 — 9:27 PM
Margaret Dunlap says:
The Valor series by Tanya Huff, fun books and a love-letter to the space opera genre.
July 22, 2013 — 9:47 PM
bradellison says:
With space opera I think you have to drop series rather than individual volumes, so:
Foundation
Dune
Lensmen
July 23, 2013 — 3:40 AM
johannpollardn says:
Leviathan Wakes and Dune is the two that tickled my fancy the most.
July 23, 2013 — 5:50 AM
dancingcrow says:
Bujold’s Vorkosigan saga (but I love Cordelia mostest)
Ken MacLeod’s Cosmonaut Keep
Elizabeth Bear’s Dust and following books (although the Jenny Casey books are also space opera-ey)
July 23, 2013 — 4:00 PM
Wilson says:
I’m shocked that no one mentioned the Uplift Trilogy, by David Brin. I second the great Risen Empire series.
July 24, 2013 — 12:38 PM
Andy says:
Weber’s Honorverse, pick one
Battlefield Earth (not the movie)
July 24, 2013 — 5:26 PM
Matt says:
Sorry to say but I’m trying to get into the Space Opera genre because it is definitely something that intrigues me. I’ve looked many times at Leviathan Wakes but I just never pulled the trigger and bought it. Any comments about it? For some reason, I think it seems like it would be tough to get through and I really enjoy fast reads that I can’t put down. Thanks for any comments 🙂
July 24, 2013 — 10:37 PM
Daniel R. Davis says:
Another nod for Alastair’s Revelation Space. I also liked CJ Cherryh’s Faded Sun trilogy. I keep hearing a lot of good about the Vorkosigan saga. I’m gonna have to pick that one up.
July 25, 2013 — 9:48 AM
Mike Young says:
Stainless Steel Rat series by DiGriz
July 25, 2013 — 8:24 PM
oshvat says:
I am going to go all English:
1. The Late Great Iain M. Banks really any of his Science Fiction but I am going to recommend one of his non culture books(even though I loved the Last The Hydrogen Sonata) The Algerbraist not because the Culture is bad in any way but because the aliens are just that alien.
2. Alastair Reynolds the again I will go against convention and as much as I have liked the Revelation Space books I recommend House of Suns or Pushing Ice. House of Suns is a beautiful story about hundreds of clones and Pushing Ice starts close to now and moves to the far future and both need sequels that may or may not come.
3. A tie between Charles Stross for Glasshouse, a story that looks set in the fifties or sixties which is so much more and Hannu Rajaniemi for the Quantum Thief, a amazing story of a thief looking for his stolen memories as well as a hidden treasure that he stole as his original self.
P.S. One of my favorites I had forgetten about in till now C.J. Cherryh and her novel Cyteen, one of my favorite books I have a hard cover and 2 sets of the original Questar paperbacks that she doesn’t like because it broke the novel up, a brilliant novel about A scientist Ariane Emory who upon her death the company she helped build still needs her so they clone her and try to raise her like she was originally to continue where she left off. The Sequel is OK but not as brilliant as the first.
July 28, 2013 — 10:58 PM
Zachary Ricks says:
Any of the Alan Dean Foster “Humanx Commonwealth” books, in particular the first few Flinx books (Tar-Ayim Krang, Orphan Star, End of the Matter, and For Love of Mother-Not… which is a prequel to the other three). But I also read and loved Icerigger, Mission to Moulokin, Cachalot, Midworld and others.
David Weber’s “Mutineer’s Moon” and “Armageddon Inheritance” were great, fun reads.
And Heinlein’s Starship Troopers.
July 29, 2013 — 11:49 AM
Jan S says:
CJ Cherryh’s Chanur series, with the initial trilogy being the best. If I can’t whisper “Yay!” after the last page is read, I don’t consider it space opera. 🙂 Pyanfar rocks!
Herbert’s Dune trio, beginning with Dune. The “Litany Against Fear” is my favorite motivational text.
Last but not least, despite the controversy surrounding the writer’s personal opinions, Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card.
OT (since they’re not books) but deserving of mention, warts and all: TV series “Battlestar Galactica,” “Babylon 5” and “Firefly,” because experiencing them, ofr me, was very similar to reading a great book or series.
July 29, 2013 — 3:45 PM
Jan S says:
Sorry, it’s “for” not “ofr.” Argh.
July 29, 2013 — 3:46 PM