I'm running out of space operas!

[Andols]

I just realized yesterday im about 75% finished reality dysfunction and I might not have much left after this series.

I need my spirits lifted guys. I always fall back on space operas in between fantasy works and other sci fi. It's easily my favorite sub genre.

Here's what I've finished:

Dune
Hyperion Cantos
Ender series
Enders shadow series
Illium and Olympos
Otherland
Richard Morgans books
Gap series
Foundation series
Mars trilogy
others I am forgetting.

I tried Banks and wasnt a fan, and I have revelation space waiting for me after hamiltons books. Are there any other really solid space operas I missed out on or havent heard of?

(yes I checked the reccomendation thread Rob, please dont shut me down in my time of need )


HERE ARE THE RECCOMENDATIONS COMPILED FROM THIS THREAD:

Jack McDevitt - A Talent for War (1989)
Jack McDevitt - Polaris (2004)
Jack McDevitt - Seeker (2005)
Jack McDevitt - The Devil's Eye (2008)
Jack McDevitt - Echo (2010)

David Brin - Sundiver (1980)
David Brin - Startide Rising (1983)
David Brin - The Uplift War (1987)
David Brin - Brightness Reef (1995)
David Brin - Infinity's Shore (1996)
David Brin - Heaven's Reach (1998)

Vernor Vinge - A Fire Upon the Deep (1992)
Vernor Vinge - A Deepness in the Sky (1999)
Vernor Vinge - Rainbows End (2006)

Walter H. Hunt - The Dark Wing(2001)
Walter H. Hunt - The Dark Path (2003)
Walter H. Hunt - The Dark Ascent (2004)
Walter H. Hunt - The Dark Crusade (2005)

Gary Gibson - Stealing Light (2007)
Gary Gibson - Nova War (2009)
Gary Gibson - Empire of Light (2010)

Jack Williamson - The Legion of Space (1947)
Jack Williamson - The Cometeer (1950)
Jack Williamson - One Against the Legion (1967)
Jack Williamson - The Queen of the Legion (1983)

Poul Anderson - Tau Zero (1970)

Allen Steele - Coyote: A Novel of Interstellar Exploration (2002)
Allen Steele - Coyote Rising: A Novel of Interstellar Revolution (2004)
Allen Steele - Coyote Frontier: A Novel of Interstellar Colonization (2005)
Allen Steele - Spindrift (2007)
Allen Steele - The River Horses (2007), novella
Allen Steele - Galaxy Blues (2008)
Allen Steele - Coyote Horizon (2009)
Allen Steele - Coyote Destiny (2010)

Simon Green - Deathstalker (1995)
Simon Green - Deathstalker Rebellion (1996)
Simon Green - Deathstalker War (1997)
Simon Green - Deathstalker Honour (1998)
Simon Green - Deathstalker Destiny (1999)
Simon Green - Deathstalker Legacy (2003)
Simon Green - Deathstalker Return (2004)
Simon Green - Deathstalker Coda (2005)

Lois McMaster Bujold - The Warrior's Apprentice (1986)
Lois McMaster Bujold - Borders of Infinity (1989)
Lois McMaster Bujold - Brothers in Arms (1989)
Lois McMaster Bujold - The Vor Game (1990)
Lois McMaster Bujold - Barrayar (1991)
Lois McMaster Bujold - Vorkosigan's Game (omnibus) (1992)
Lois McMaster Bujold - Mirror Dance (1994)
Lois McMaster Bujold - Cetaganda (1995)
Lois McMaster Bujold - Memory (1996)
Lois McMaster Bujold - Young Miles (omnibus) (1997)
Lois McMaster Bujold - Komarr (1998)
Lois McMaster Bujold - A Civil Campaign (1999)
Lois McMaster Bujold - Miles, Mystery and Mayhem (omnibus) (2001)
Lois McMaster Bujold - Diplomatic Immunity (2002)
Lois McMaster Bujold - Miles Errant (omnibus) (2002)
Lois McMaster Bujold - Miles, Mutants and Microbes (omnibus) (2007)
Lois McMaster Bujold - Miles in Love (omnibus) (2008)
Lois McMaster Bujold - "Winterfair Gifts" (2008)

Kevin J. Anderson - Hidden Empire (2002)
Kevin J. Anderson - A Forest of Stars (2003)
Kevin J. Anderson - Horizon Storms (2004)
Kevin J. Anderson - Scattered Suns (2005)
Kevin J. Anderson - Of Fire and Night (2006)
Kevin J. Anderson - Metal Swarm (2007)
Kevin J. Anderson - The Ashes of Worlds (2008)

Michael Cobley- Seeds Of Earth (2009)

Larry Niven and Edward M. Lerner - Fleet of Worlds (2007)
Larry Niven and Edward M. Lerner - Juggler of Worlds (2008)
Larry Niven and Edward M. Lerner - Destroyer of Worlds (2009)

Kathryn Rusch - Vol. 1: The Disappeared, 2002
Kathryn Rusch - Vol. 2: Extremes, 2003
Kathryn Rusch - Vol. 3: Consequences, 2004
Kathryn Rusch - Vol. 4: Buried Deep, 2005
Kathryn Rusch - Vol. 5: Paloma, 2006
Kathryn Rusch - Vol. 6: Recovery Man, 2007
Kathryn Rusch - Vol. 7: Duplicate Effort, 2009

John Scalzi - Old Man's War (2005)

Michael McCollum - Antares Dawn (1986)
Michael McCollum - Antares Passage (1987)
Michael McCollum - Antares Victory (2002)

Bruce Sterling - Schismatrix (1985)

David Zindell - Neverness (1988)

Isaac Asimov - Foundation (1951)
Isaac Asimov - Foundation and Empire (1952)
Isaac Asimov - Second Foundation (1953)
Isaac Asimov - Foundation's Edge (1982)
Isaac Asimov - Foundation and Earth (1986)
Isaac Asimov - Prelude to Foundation (1988)
Isaac Asimov - Forward the Foundation (1993)

Harry Harrison - Bill, the Galactic Hero (1965)
Harry Harrison - Bill, the Galactic Hero on the Planet of Robot Slaves (1989)
Harry Harrison - Bill, the Galactic Hero on the Planet of Bottled Brains (1990)
Harry Harrison - Bill, the Galactic Hero on the Planet of Tasteless Pleasure (1991)
Harry Harrison - Bill, the Galactic Hero on the Planet of Zombie Vampires (1991)
Harry Harrison - Bill, the Galactic Hero on the Planet of Ten Thousand Bars (1991)
Harry Harrison - Bill, the Galactic Hero: the Final Incoherent Adventure (1991)

Harry Harrison - A Stainless Steel Rat is Born (1985)
Harry Harrison - The Stainless Steel Rat Gets Drafted (1987)
Harry Harrison - The Stainless Steel Rat Sings the Blues (1994)
Harry Harrison - The Stainless Steel Rat (1961)
Harry Harrison - The Stainless Steel Rat's Revenge (1970)
Harry Harrison - The Stainless Steel Rat Saves the World (1972)
Harry Harrison - The Stainless Steel Rat Wants You (1978)
Harry Harrison - The Stainless Steel Rat for President (1982)
Harry Harrison - The Stainless Steel Rat Goes to Hell (1996)
Harry Harrison - The Stainless Steel Rat Joins the Circus (1999)
Harry Harrison - The Stainless Steel Rat Returns (2010)

(omnibuses, wiki the damn series if you want in indivdual books, its a mess)
C.J. Cherryh - The Book of Morgaine (1979) —Gate of Ivrel (1976), Well of Shiuan (1978) and Fires of Azeroth (1979)
C.J. Cherryh - The Dreaming Tree (1997) —The Dreamstone (1983) and The Tree of Swords and Jewels (1983)
C.J. Cherryh - The Faded Sun Trilogy (2000) —Kesrith (1978), Shon'Jir (1978) and Kutath (1979)
C.J. Cherryh - The Chanur Saga (2000)—The Pride of Chanur (1981), Chanur's Venture (1984) and The Kif Strike Back (1985)
C.J. Cherryh - Devil to the Belt (2000) —Heavy Time (1991) and Hellburner (1992)
C.J. Cherryh - Alternate Realities (2000) —Wave Without a Shore (1981), Port Eternity (1982) and Voyager in Night (1984)
C.J. Cherryh - At the Edge of Space (2003) —Brothers of Earth (1976) and Hunter of Worlds (1977)
C.J. Cherryh - The Deep Beyond (2005) —Serpent's Reach (1980) and Cuckoo's Egg (1985)
C.J. Cherryh - Alliance Space (2008) —Merchanter's Luck (1982) and Forty Thousand in Gehenna (1983)


Stephen R. Donaldson - The Gap into Conflict: The Real Story (1991)
Stephen R. Donaldson - The Gap into Vision: Forbidden Knowledge (1991)
Stephen R. Donaldson - The Gap into Power: A Dark and Hungry God Arises (1993)
Stephen R. Donaldson - The Gap into Madness: Chaos and Order (1994)
Stephen R. Donaldson - The Gap into Ruin: This Day All Gods Die (1996)

Gregory Benford - In the Ocean of Night (1976)
Gregory Benford - Across the Sea of Suns (1984)
Gregory Benford - Great Sky River (1987)
Gregory Benford - Tides of Light (1989)
Gregory Benford - Furious Gulf (1994)
Gregory Benford - Sailing Bright Eternity (1995)

Paul J. McAuley - Four Hundred Billion Stars (1988)
Paul J. McAuley - Secret Harmonies (1989)
Paul J. McAuley - Eternal Light (1991)
Paul J. McAuley - The Quiet War (2008)
Paul J. McAuley - Gardens of the Sun (2009)

Stephen Baxter - Coalescent 2003
Stephen Baxter - Transcendent 2005
Stephen Baxter - Timelike Infinity 1992
Stephen Baxter - Ring 1993
Stephen Baxter - Reality Dust 2000
Stephen Baxter - Riding the Rock 2002
Stephen Baxter - Exultant 2005
Stephen Baxter - Raft 1991
Stephen Baxter - Flux 1993
Stephen Baxter - Ring 1994


Timothy Zahn - Conquerors' Pride (1994)
Timothy Zahn - Conquerors' Heritage (1995)
Timothy Zahn - Conquerors' Legacy (1996)
Timothy Zahn - Heir to the Empire (1991)
Timothy Zahn - Dark Force Rising (1992)
Timothy Zahn - The Last Command (1993)


Walter John Williams - The Praxis (2002)
Walter John Williams - The Sundering (2003)
Walter John Williams - The Conventions of War (2005)


Charles Sheffield - Summertide (1990) (Book One)
Charles Sheffield - Divergence (1991) (Book Two)
Charles Sheffield - Transcendence (1992) (Book Three)
Charles Sheffield - Convergence (1997) (Book Four)
Charles Sheffield - Resurgence (2002) (Book Five)


Ken MacLeod - Cosmonaut Keep (2000)
Ken MacLeod - Dark Light (2001)
Ken MacLeod - Engine City (2002)

Peter F. Hamilton - The Reality Dysfunction (1996)
Peter F. Hamilton - The Neutronium Alchemist (1997)
Peter F. Hamilton - The Naked God (1999)
Peter F. Hamilton - Pandora's Star (2004)
Peter F. Hamilton - Judas Unchained (2005)


Iain M. Banks - Consider Phlebas
Iain M. Banks - Excession

Sean Williams - The Prodigal Sun (1999)
Sean Williams - The Dying Light (2000)
Sean Williams - The Dark Imbalance (2001)
Sean Williams - Echoes of Earth (2002)
Sean Williams - Orphans of Earth (2003)
Sean Williams - Heirs of Earth (2004)
Sean Williams - Saturn Returns (2007)
Sean Williams - Cenotaxis (2007) - book 1.5, novella
Sean Williams - Earth Ascendant (2008)
Sean Williams - The Grand Conjunction (2009)

Colin Greenland - Take Back Plenty (1990)

William Barton - White Light; 1998
William Barton - Alpha Centauri 1997
William Barton - When Heaven Fell1995
William Barton - Iris 1990

Charles Stross - Singularity Sky (2003)
Charles Stross - Iron Sunrise (2004)
Charles Stross - Saturn's Children (2008)


Gardner Dozois - The New Space Opera (2007)
Gardner Dozois - The New Space Opera 2 (2009)

[Sparrow]

For fast and true (and intelligent) space opera try one of Jack McDevitt's Alex Benedict books... I'd have you read Seeker which won a 2005 Nebula Award for Best Novel, but the other three stories in the series are also quite good. There is nothing in these books that will over tax you all that much, just good clean fun with some really cool plot twists.

[Andols]

Those look great, thanks a million. I knew there would be a few I hadn't heard of.

[nquixote]

How about the Uplift books, by David Brin? Those won two Hugos, I believe. And they're some of my personal favorites.

[E_Moon]

You think of the Uplift books as space opera?

[Hobbit]

You think of the Uplift books as space opera?

I'm interested to hear why you think they're not, Elizabeth.

Multiple races (human and alien!), broad canvas over more than one world, political and social machinations all over the place...

Mark

[nquixote]

You think of the Uplift books as space opera?

Absolutely. As does Wikipedia, and also the editors of The Space Opera Renaissance.

The Uplift books have at least as much action in space as Hyperion or A Deepness in the Sky. In addition to spaceships and space battles, the books have far-off worlds, plenty of interesting aliens, galactic-level events, and pretty much everything else you'd want of a space opera. Startide Rising and Heave's Reach are definitely the most space-opera-ish of the bunch.

[nquixote]

Oh yeah, Andols, I see your list also didn't include A Fire Upon the Deep and A Deepness in the Sky, by Vernor Vinge!

They are very different books (Fire is more far-out, Deepness is better-written IMHO), but both are some of the best space operas ever written, on a par with my other top faves, the Hyperion books and the Uplift books.

[E_Moon]

I'm interested to hear why you think they're not, Elizabeth.

Multiple races (human and alien!), broad canvas over more than one world, political and social machinations all over the place...

Mark

Clearly we have a different definition of space opera, then. Those components don't make space opera for me. Human & alien races, broad multi-world canvas, social machinations...could be several varieties of SF. I always thought of Brin's as "just" (the term here is not at all pejorative) science fiction.

Do you then consider Cherryh's work largely space opera? (For my taste, some is, and some isn't.)

[E_Moon]

Absolutely. As does Wikipedia, and also the editors of The Space Opera Renaissance.

The Uplift books have at least as much action in space as Hyperion or A Deepness in the Sky. In addition to spaceships and space battles, the books have far-off worlds, plenty of interesting aliens, galactic-level events, and pretty much everything else you'd want of a space opera. Startide Rising and Heave's Reach are definitely the most space-opera-ish of the bunch.

Much of the "new" space opera doesn't affect me as space opera. It affects me as non-space-opera science fiction. What's happened is not that there's a new form of space opera, but that SF with action, aliens, space travel has been relabeled space opera (leaving more traditional space opera out in the cold, by the way...)

[psikeyhackr]

You think of the Uplift books as space opera?

I'm interested to hear why you think they're not, Elizabeth.

Multiple races (human and alien!), broad canvas over more than one world, political and social machinations all over the place...

The definition of space opera does seem to be a problem. Some people seem to think anything with space ships is space opera.

psik

[livens]

Im a bit lost on this one (the side argument here about what is/isn't space opera)

E_Moon, what would you consider to be space opera? Im not arguing against or for you, just want a baseline for comparison.

[Rob B]

(yes I checked the reccomendation thread Rob, please dont shut me down in my time of need )

But have you checked this thread?
Best Space Opera

One series I thought of as Space Opera and very entertaining was Walter Hunt's Dark Wing saga. Lots of fun, those books.

[nquixote]

Much of the "new" space opera doesn't affect me as space opera. It affects me as non-space-opera science fiction. What's happened is not that there's a new form of space opera, but that SF with action, aliens, space travel has been relabeled space opera (leaving more traditional space opera out in the cold, by the way...)

This I'll agree with. "Space opera" now just basically means "interstellar sci-fi". It's not limited to Doc Smith-style gung-ho romantic adventures.

But I personally think that Uplift, Hyperion, and Zones of Thought ARE romantic adventure stories, updated for modern sensibilities. They simultaneously tickle the geekiness receptors and the romance/adventure receptors of modern readers for whom Doc Smith is just dated...

[E_Moon]

Trying to define space opera can be like juggling lumps of Jello...but I'll try, or at least add what tickles my space opera receptors. And the difference in our opinions may be that our receptors aren't sensitive to the same things.

"Adventures in space" might be an umbrella term suitable, but I'd then have to start throwing some adventures off the sledge because they're not also rollicking. (Aliens aren't a requirement for me, so humans in space--esp if some are gengineered in interesting ways--are enough.) Rollicking is a big part of what makes something feel like space opera to me. That can go alongside serious concerns, but it keeps the space opera from going flat. (Souffle...that's one metaphor.) Take for instance Bujold's The Warrior's Apprentice or Brothers in Arms, both of which are worlds-spanning, involve political/social machinations, some nice tech-geeky stuff, and some issues that could be tedious if handled with no rollicking...but make what I consider really good space opera because of it. There's a combination of lightness and solidity under the lightness that fits my receptors....there's that sense of riskiness, of being always on the edge of absurdity, but like the spinning gyroscope, it manages to stay centered in science fiction. Some of the Miles books don't strike me as space opera (Memory, for instance) but the group as a whole certainly do fit as long as "aliens" aren't a requirement. Tanya Huff's "Valor" series is superb military-based space opera--many worlds, many alien races, intrigue, adventure, etc. And they rollick delightfully. Cherryh's Merchanter's Luck is certainly space opera, as Cyteen is certainly not.

Taking a personal turn here: after my mother died, and I had written one flawed and depressing book, I decided to write something rollicking to break the downward slide. That was Hunting Party, which is intentionally teetering on the edge. (And fun to write--it did clear my head.) As the rest of the Serrano/Suiza books progressed, they grew darker, and more serious issues emerged, but they stayed on the space opera side of the force with the possible exception of Brun's abduction. The Vatta's War books have strands of both space opera and ordinary far-future-space SF. Remnant Population, though it's set on another planet and has aliens and so on, hasn't a tinge of space opera to it. Several of my shorter works, though set in space, aren't space opera either. (There's not a gram of rollicking in "Chameleons" or in "Combat Shopping.")

So, if the books you mentioned tickle your space opera receptors but not mine--that's just a difference in the receptors. For instance, I like McDevitt's writing a lot, and enjoy the Alex Benedict books...but they don't feel space-opera-ish to me. (I was re-reading The Devil's Eye even as this topic came up.)