Best Space Opera

**Luke_B** · May 23rd, 2004, 11:45 PM

Just skimming through, but I don't think anybody's mentioned Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game and Speaker for the Dead. Apologies if that's not the case.

My personal favourite is Iain M. Banks' Use of Weapons, part of the afore mentioned Culture series.

Really looking forward to reading Tony Daniel's Metaplanetary and Superluminal and Alastair Reynold's 'Revelation Space' series.

Unfortunately still a looong wait for Dan Simmons' Olympos.

Another useful link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_opera

**jrg** · May 24th, 2004, 02:42 PM

Originally Posted by Hobbit

Yes, know what you mean PJ - it was a nice but quick read. Suspect the impending new arrivals may have something to do with it - Miles is mellowing as he approaches middle age!

We must be due for a nice meaty one soon, sort of like Mirror Dance (I hope!).

Hobbit

The series seems to be mellowing.

A other series that I really enjoy from an author that also work with Baen is the Legacy of the Alldenata series from John Ringo, wich is more Military Sci-fi than space opera, David Weber Honor Harrinton, March Upcountry and Dahak and David Drake Raj Whitehall series, but if you like more action then psychological mambojumbo this books are GREAT!!!

**PinaColada** · December 5th, 2005, 11:48 PM

Catherine Asaro's Saga of the Skolian Empire books are amazing space opera - romance mixed with military interstellar battles, mixed with a bit of hard science as well - a unique combination.

The series starts with Primary Inversion, which chronicles the adventures of Sauscony Valdoria. Her story continues in The Radiant Seas, and there are at least 6 more books in the series, which you can find on Amazon or at your local library.

These books are a very entertaining read, especially for me as a fantasy fan who enjoys sci-fi.

**Jadder** · December 7th, 2006, 04:04 PM

I think Simon R. Green's Deathstalker Series was great, and from the descriptions here can be considered a space opera.

**north** · December 8th, 2006, 04:46 AM

Harry Harrison's Deathworld trilogy is the first series that comes to my mind when somebody mentions Space Opera.

**JohnT** · December 12th, 2006, 11:09 PM

Originally Posted by Soon Lee

Much as I enjoyed Peter F. Hamilton's Night's Dawn books, I think he wrote himself into a corner and then used a deus ex machina to get himself out.

I am looking forward to Tony Daniel's "Superluminal", the sequel to "Metaplanetary".

He did the exact same thing in Judas Unchained, a distressingly lackluster sequel to a book I consider one of the best examples of the genre written, the superb Pandora's Star. I wish he'd stop writing himself into corners!

**ArthurFrayn** · December 12th, 2006, 11:51 PM

This past year, one of the most entertaining space operas I read was Vernor Vinge's A Fire Upon the Deep.
I think it's one a fantasy reader would like a lot.

**Archren** · December 13th, 2006, 11:41 AM

Originally Posted by JohnT

He did the exact same thing in Judas Unchained, a distressingly lackluster sequel to a book I consider one of the best examples of the genre written, the superb Pandora's Star. I wish he'd stop writing himself into corners!

John, could you explain which deus ex machina you meant in Judas Unchained, maybe behind spoiler tags? I agree that Pandora's Star is better written than Judas (mostly because of the 500 page long chase scene that is the core of Judas' plot), but there wasn't anything that lept out at me as cheating. (My biggest problem was the Ozzie/Silfen path plot. What exactly was the point of that, in the end? Fun to read, but I feel like it didn't pay off.)

**JohnT** · December 13th, 2006, 04:46 PM

Originally Posted by Archren

John, could you explain which deus ex machina you meant in Judas Unchained, maybe behind spoiler tags? I agree that Pandora's Star is better written than Judas (mostly because of the 500 page long chase scene that is the core of Judas' plot), but there wasn't anything that lept out at me as cheating. (My biggest problem was the Ozzie/Silfen path plot. What exactly was the point of that, in the end? Fun to read, but I feel like it didn't pay off.)

Perhaps deus ex machina is not correct, but the fact is that the alien menace was dealt with rather backhandedly

Spoiler:

"Oh, look, we've created a Superbomb. Let's blow it up and get rid of those pesky aliens so we can spend 500 pages chasing the Starflyer!"

The problem was, it doesn't follow with what happened before. Remember that

Spoiler:

MorningLightMountain has been seeding colonies for years after the barrier went down,

and was working on giving the motiles far more individual initiative (a concept derived from Dudley Bose's memory cell).

Spoiler:

One bomb wasn't going to do the trick - it would take hundreds, all exploding around different (unknown) stars.

But... he wrote himself into a corner and we're now supposed to buy that

Spoiler:

one bomb saved the galaxy and that MLM just gave up

.

[ADMIN EDIT: Multiple spoilers covered up. Hobbit]

**JohnT** · December 13th, 2006, 08:24 PM

Er, sorry 'bout that. I've been away for a while and I forgot the rules. My apologies.

**Hobbit** · December 14th, 2006, 04:25 AM

No probs John. We try to cover them up when we get chance.

You make good points though.

Hobbit

**Archren** · December 14th, 2006, 11:46 AM

Mmm. I see what you're saying John. Yeah, when you look closely some things don't hold up. I wonder if there's any space opera that doesn't cheat that way somehow. (maybe Alastair Reynolds Revelation Space? Except that he pretty much does pull a straight-up deus ex machina at the end of the trilogy.)

But it's still a heck of a good read! With some really fun world-building. And isn't that what space-opera is all about?

**JohnT** · December 14th, 2006, 11:53 AM

Originally Posted by Archren

Mmm. I see what you're saying John. Yeah, when you look closely some things don't hold up. I wonder if there's any space opera that doesn't cheat that way somehow. (maybe Alastair Reynolds Revelation Space? Except that he pretty much does pull a straight-up deus ex machina at the end of the trilogy.)

But it's still a heck of a good read! With some really fun world-building. And isn't that what space-opera is all about?

It is. But I'm picky about things like that. You should've seen my reaction when I read Dan Simmons' Endymion and found that

Spoiler:

Despite having his cruciform ripped from his body by the Shrike in Fall of Hyperion, Paul Dure was still being resurrected in subsequent novels. "Uh, Dan? You removed his cruciform in the last book, dude!"

**Abby** · December 15th, 2007, 06:56 PM

The Vorkosigan saga by Lois McMaster Bujold is one of the better space opera series I've read. She's a talented writer.

Overall, I'd say this subgenre could really use some higher quality and better choices. Star Wars revolutionized the film industry; I say we need something similar in the book industry.

**Rob B** · December 16th, 2007, 08:38 PM

JohnT, I agree with you about the ending of Judas Unchained, and on the whole while a good novel it wasn't as well-rounded as Pandora's Star. I said as much when I read it.

I've got an ARC of Hamilton's The Dreaming Void staring at me.

Good call Abby. I've only read a couple of books from that series, but enjoyed them a great deal.