Good Space Opera?
- Thread starter jrg
- Start date
Yesterday I started reading Ray Bradbury's The Martian Chronicles. I’ve seen the TV miniseries a couple of times and I still don’t get or like the ending, but hope the book clarifies a few issues.
I’d love to find a good action-military-SF-space opera, something like 'Starship Troopers'.
BTW: English is not my first language, so please excuse any spelling errors!
I’d love to find a good action-military-SF-space opera, something like 'Starship Troopers'.
BTW: English is not my first language, so please excuse any spelling errors!
- Joined
- Jul 16, 2001
- Messages
- 18,554
Welcome, jrg!
Don't think you'll find too many answers in the stories/novel The Martian Chronicles, though Bradbury has a style that is pretty good.
The nearest suggestions to what you want would be (as given above!):
David Weber's Honor Harrington series (start with On Basilisk Station),
David Feintuch's Hope/ Seafort Saga Series (start with Midshipman's Hope) and
Lois McMaster Bujold's Miles Vorkosigan series (start with Warrior's Apprentice)
There's a lot of military Sf around similar - John Steakley's Armor has been mentioned before, and if you haven't tried The Forever War by Joe Haldeman then that has to be a must. Not really Space Opera but seems to be in line with what you want. Try also Peter F Hamilton's Greg Mandel series or the Night's Dawn series too. There is an old thread in the archive that gives loads of examples of this. Try searching for it.
Don't know how easy any of this is to find outside the English language though. Best of luck!
Hobbit
Don't think you'll find too many answers in the stories/novel The Martian Chronicles, though Bradbury has a style that is pretty good.
The nearest suggestions to what you want would be (as given above!):
David Weber's Honor Harrington series (start with On Basilisk Station),
David Feintuch's Hope/ Seafort Saga Series (start with Midshipman's Hope) and
Lois McMaster Bujold's Miles Vorkosigan series (start with Warrior's Apprentice)
There's a lot of military Sf around similar - John Steakley's Armor has been mentioned before, and if you haven't tried The Forever War by Joe Haldeman then that has to be a must. Not really Space Opera but seems to be in line with what you want. Try also Peter F Hamilton's Greg Mandel series or the Night's Dawn series too. There is an old thread in the archive that gives loads of examples of this. Try searching for it.
Don't know how easy any of this is to find outside the English language though. Best of luck!
Hobbit
Thank you very much Hobbit.
From your recommendations and others in this thread, I think I can put together some selections for my shopping list for the coming months.
I read two or tree books a month, mostly fantasy and a few SF, almost all in English, because they loose a lot in the translation, I have a couple of books from the Foundation series in Spanish and believe me is an unpleasant experience to read them, so I try to keep to the original language that a book was written.
P.S.: Some times it even can be funny to read a sci fi novel in Spanish.
From your recommendations and others in this thread, I think I can put together some selections for my shopping list for the coming months.
I read two or tree books a month, mostly fantasy and a few SF, almost all in English, because they loose a lot in the translation, I have a couple of books from the Foundation series in Spanish and believe me is an unpleasant experience to read them, so I try to keep to the original language that a book was written.
P.S.: Some times it even can be funny to read a sci fi novel in Spanish.
- Joined
- Jul 16, 2001
- Messages
- 18,554
Pleasure, jrg! 
I have the utmost admiration for anyone who can read a book in another language - I was once bought a copy of an Asimov book in French and got so frustrated because i wanted to read Asimov but wasn't good at the translating...
It was quite funny evidently.
I've said it before in the Forum, I'm always amazed at the global dimension to Forumites here - so well done to you!
I hope that some of these (if not all!) are worth your while.
Hobbit
I have the utmost admiration for anyone who can read a book in another language - I was once bought a copy of an Asimov book in French and got so frustrated because i wanted to read Asimov but wasn't good at the translating...
It was quite funny evidently.I've said it before in the Forum, I'm always amazed at the global dimension to Forumites here - so well done to you!
I hope that some of these (if not all!) are worth your while.
Hobbit
Kamakhya
Seeker of Stuff
- Joined
- Jan 30, 2002
- Messages
- 652
I'm sorry Fitz, I have to disagree. I don't think The Dark Wing (not that it isn't good), is Space Opera. I noticed that is marketed as such, but it doesn't seem to have the hallmarks of Space Opera. In fact, this was one of my qualms with the cover art, in that it had an ad stating that it was Space Opera. While it did involve space ships and huge leaps across space, it did not seem to span a multitude of years or generations. There was very little interaction between or even description of the worlds of both the humans and the Zor. The interactions between the two main spacial areas was one of a military bent, rather than a social bent. It also had zero romance. Basically, this was straight up "military SF". While certainly Space opera can have a military aspect, it is usually not the main theme. In The Dark Wing, the military theme is dominant.
So, I would recommend The Dark Wing as good military SF, I would not recommend it as good Space Opera.
Then again, these subcatagories are a bit silly. It's all good SF!
Kamakhya
So, I would recommend The Dark Wing as good military SF, I would not recommend it as good Space Opera.
Then again, these subcatagories are a bit silly. It's all good SF!
Kamakhya
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Well since my last post I have read The Forever War, Triplanetary, Warriors Apprentice, The Mountains of Mourning and Mutineer's Moon. All of them great read and I’ve really enjoyed them all.
The last Two I downloaded from the Baen free library.
This I find an interesting concept, a publishing house that has a free library and you can download complete books for free and with no strings attached. They say is it give there authors great publicity and is also there answer to piracy on the net.
And looking back is a good hook, cause now I’m looking for Mutineer's Moon follow-up books.
Today I’ll start reading The Vor Game and funny a it may seems I’ haven’t finish The Martian Chronicles.
If any other publishing house has something similar to Baen please let me know.
The last Two I downloaded from the Baen free library.
This I find an interesting concept, a publishing house that has a free library and you can download complete books for free and with no strings attached. They say is it give there authors great publicity and is also there answer to piracy on the net.
And looking back is a good hook, cause now I’m looking for Mutineer's Moon follow-up books.
Today I’ll start reading The Vor Game and funny a it may seems I’ haven’t finish The Martian Chronicles.
If any other publishing house has something similar to Baen please let me know.
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