RBWells

Space Opera?

https://lemmy.world/post/810755

Space Opera? - Lemmy.world

I love Neal Asher’s books, found him a long time ago in one of those “year’s best” collections of short stories from the library (though the ones with fantasy and horror were always the best, I think I read every single collection for every year and found so many good writers that way.) They are full of action, good characters and worlds and ideas, sweeping and huge settings. Feels almost more like watching a movie to read them. Who among us likes these action packed stories?

Jun 29, 2023 at 7:40pmWeb
Show threadMapleJun 29, 2023
Space Opera has got to be my favorite genre, but it feels like we have so precious few that actually nail it. Mass Effect, and Star Wars are ones that instantly come to mind, Starship Troopers is an excellent piece that also falls into the same vein.
Show threadderioderi0Jun 29, 2023
This might be the first time I’ve ever seen Starship Troopers defined as space opera, it pretty much kickstarted the military scifi genre.
Show threadStillPaisleyCatJun 30, 2023

There’s a close relationship, or at least some significant overlap/intersection between military SF and space opera.

Weber’s Honor Harrington series would be considered both. Likewise, Tanya Huff’s Confederation novels are unabashedly military SF, but within a decidedly space opera overall frame that is progressively revealed through the course of the series.

Some space opera series, like Bujold’s Vorkosigan Saga cross back and forth across diverse sub genres - some military SF in some, political space opera in others along with some social and genetic engineering here and romance there.

CJ Cherryh’s Alliance-Union Universe isn’t primarily military SF, but it’s in the mix.

Show threadIzzyJun 29, 2023
The Quantum Magician and The Final Architecture are great space operas in my opinion. They both have really large stakes, a large number of factions and species with varying politics and exciting space combat. They are both incredibly different though.
Show threadRBWellsJun 29, 2023
Thank you, these look fantastic.
Show threadScrumblesPAbernathyJun 29, 2023
I have to second The Final Architecture. Lots of action, lots of fleshed out alien species, a good solid crew to follow. It checks all the boxes.
Show threaddaveJun 29, 2023
Just about half way through of Lords Of Uncreation and wondering where to go next… Kind of don’t want to finish so am rationing.
Show threadScrumblesPAbernathyJun 29, 2023
Have you read Children of Time? It's also Tchaikovsky, it doesn't really get space-opera-y until the third book, Children of Memory but it's soooooo good. Soooooo good.
Show threaddaveJun 30, 2023
Yes but only when it came out, so I’m about ready to go back and then follow on with the other two :)
Show threadScrumblesPAbernathyJun 30, 2023
Children of Ruin feels like it's just going to be a rehash at the beginning. Stick with it, though. It takes a drastic departure into horror and asks some really interesting questions.
Show threadderioderi0Jun 29, 2023
The Vorkosigan Saga by Bujold is considered to be some of the best space opera in the entire genre, definitely recommend giving it a try. Start with Warriors Apprentice if Shards of Honor isn’t to your liking.
Show threadRBWellsJun 29, 2023
Oh, how could I forget those! Have read the whole series 3 times. It's incredible. Shards of Honor is wonderful. All of the books are fantastic.
Show threadIonAddisJul 1, 2023

I jived best with Warrior's Apprentice, but my friend, who reads more romance (I generally don't read it), liked Shards of Honor just fine.

The series as a whole is top-tier sci-fi, but Shards of Honor is definitely a romance in SFF trappings, and one of Bujold's earlier books (which, to me, shows, as she's still honing her chops).

Show thread8565Jun 30, 2023
isnt Expeditionary force a space opera? at least Skippy would like it to be.
Show threadBitchPuddingJun 30, 2023

Some of my all time favorites are the Spinward Fringe series by Randolph Lalonde, The Intrepid Saga from the Aeon 14 universe, and the Imperial Radch Trilogy from Ann Leckie.

A Memory Called Empire was really good, but it wasn't a space battle shoot-em-up, more like large scale political intrigue and murder mystery.

@Izzy brought up Tchaikovsky's Final Achitecture and @ScrumblesPAbernathy mentioned Children of Time series, loved those. Right now I'm on the second of his Bioforms books, Bear Head. After that it's back to Idris and The Lords of Uncreation.

While it probably doesn't qualify as space opera, I have to throw in The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells. I just fucking love Murderbot and ART.

There's always the Bobiverse, The Culture Series, and The Cluster Saga, too.

Show threadScrumblesPAbernathyJun 30, 2023
Anyone who hasn't read The Murderbot Diaries should read The Murderbot Diaries right now!
Show threadIonAddisJul 1, 2023

...I had to stop and wonder why Murderbot wasn't space opera, but I suppose it's too close and personal and doesn't have the sweeping scope.

Still, insofar as sci-fi goes, it's very accessable and modern and relevant.

Show threadOlapJul 3, 2023
Saga of the Seven Suns was good from my recollection. I wonder when he’ll revisit, Kevin J Anderson is prolific
Show threadTryingSomethingNewJan 20, 2024

There are so much fantastic space opera out there. Some high-points for me, but depends on what you want out of a space opera:

  • Alistair Reynolds, “revelation space” and its’ series
  • James Alan Gardner: “expendable” and its’ series
  • Timothy Zahn: lord, he has probably dozens
  • Allan Cole & Chris Bunch: Sten series
  • Simon R. Green: Deathstalker series
  • Alan Dean Foster: A Call To Arms and trilogy
  • Brandon Sanderson
  • John Scalzi did a trilogy a couple of years ago
  • John Varley’s “Seven Worlds”(?) series.
  • Vernor Vinge: Fire Upon the Deep
  • Ken MacLeod’s “Fall Revolution “ series
  • Kim Stanley Robinson “Mars” Series
  • The Expanse