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The New Space Opera 2
All-new stories of science fiction adventure from some of the most beloved names in science fiction spin all-new tales of interstellar adventure and wonder.
Contents
3 • Utriusque Cosmi • (2009) • novelette by Robert Charles Wilson
27 • The Island • (2009) • novelette by Peter Watts
63 • Events Preceding the Helvetican Renaissance • (2009) • novelette by John Kessel
93 • To Go Boldly • shortstory by Cory Doctorow
113 • The Lost Princess Man • (2009) • novelette by John Barnes
139 • Defect • (2009) • novelette by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
175 • To Raise a Mutiny Betwixt Yourselves • (2009) • novelette by Jay Lake
209 • Shell Game • (2009) • novelette by Neal Asher
237 • Punctuality • (2009) • shortstory by Garth Nix
245 • Inevitable • (2009) • novelette by Sean Williams
273 • Join The Navy and See the Worlds • (2009) • shortstory by Bruce Sterling
293 • Fearless Space Pirates of the Outer Rings • (2009) • novelette by Bill Willingham
321 • From the Heart • (2009) • novelette by John Meaney
353 • Chameleons • (2009) • novella by Elizabeth Moon
407 • The Tenth Muse • (2009) • novelette by Tad Williams
431 • Cracklegrackle • (2009) • novelette by Justina Robson
465 • The Tale of the Wicked • (2009) • novelette by John Scalzi
487 • Catastrophe Baker and a Canticle for Leibowitz • (2009) • shortstory by Mike Resnick
501 • The Far End of History • (2009) • novelette by John C. Wright
Contents
3 • Utriusque Cosmi • (2009) • novelette by Robert Charles Wilson
27 • The Island • (2009) • novelette by Peter Watts
63 • Events Preceding the Helvetican Renaissance • (2009) • novelette by John Kessel
93 • To Go Boldly • shortstory by Cory Doctorow
113 • The Lost Princess Man • (2009) • novelette by John Barnes
139 • Defect • (2009) • novelette by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
175 • To Raise a Mutiny Betwixt Yourselves • (2009) • novelette by Jay Lake
209 • Shell Game • (2009) • novelette by Neal Asher
237 • Punctuality • (2009) • shortstory by Garth Nix
245 • Inevitable • (2009) • novelette by Sean Williams
273 • Join The Navy and See the Worlds • (2009) • shortstory by Bruce Sterling
293 • Fearless Space Pirates of the Outer Rings • (2009) • novelette by Bill Willingham
321 • From the Heart • (2009) • novelette by John Meaney
353 • Chameleons • (2009) • novella by Elizabeth Moon
407 • The Tenth Muse • (2009) • novelette by Tad Williams
431 • Cracklegrackle • (2009) • novelette by Justina Robson
465 • The Tale of the Wicked • (2009) • novelette by John Scalzi
487 • Catastrophe Baker and a Canticle for Leibowitz • (2009) • shortstory by Mike Resnick
501 • The Far End of History • (2009) • novelette by John C. Wright
24 pages, Audiobook
First published June 30, 2009
156 people are currently reading
1101 people want to read
About the author
Gardner Dozois
645 books360 followersGardner Raymond Dozois was an American science fiction author and editor. He was editor of Asimov's Science Fiction magazine from 1984 to 2004. He won multiple Hugo and Nebula awards, both as an editor and a writer of short fiction.
Wikipedia entry: Gardner Dozois
http://us.macmillan.com/author/gardne...
Wikipedia entry: Gardner Dozois
http://us.macmillan.com/author/gardne...
Ratings & Reviews
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 103 reviews
December 31, 2009
LOVED this collection. Think I'm on a hard sci-fi kick though, so this really rung true with me! All the stories were interesting (a few too pretentious in that hard sci-fi way, but surprisingly few). Particularly liked Elizabeth Moon's, and Sean Williams (always forget how much I like this author!) I know this ground might feel familiar to aficionados of this genre, but especially for ppl not as immersed, this is really a good compilation!
July 23, 2014
Excellent anthology; 19 stories from totally different authors than NSO1; big time highlights from John Barnes and JC Wright with highlights from RC Wilson, P. Watts, E. Moon, new author Bill Willingham, N. Asher, S. Williams, KK Rusch, J. Robson, J. Meaney and quite good stories from Jay Lake, John Kessel, Mike Resnick and Tad Williams.
Only the Doctorow, Nix, Sterling (none surprisingly since neither of these authors is readable by me) and Scalzi (surprising since I generally like his work) did not connect.
But 15 out 19 is a great ratio especially with 11 superb stories in the mix
Only the Doctorow, Nix, Sterling (none surprisingly since neither of these authors is readable by me) and Scalzi (surprising since I generally like his work) did not connect.
But 15 out 19 is a great ratio especially with 11 superb stories in the mix
June 21, 2025
So a much better book than the last short story offering: the best science fiction and fantasy.
The stories were far more virile, chock full of ideas…admittedly I may be biased toward male writers.
How crazy is real life…these stories came out 15 years ago and in one there’s a Ship that can almost talk to the crew like it’s a person…umm LLMs would like to have conversation.
And the last story is just too weird…
The stories were far more virile, chock full of ideas…admittedly I may be biased toward male writers.
How crazy is real life…these stories came out 15 years ago and in one there’s a Ship that can almost talk to the crew like it’s a person…umm LLMs would like to have conversation.
And the last story is just too weird…
February 11, 2020
Please remember this review is only my opinion.
Overall rating for the anthology: 3.5.
I got the book for “The Island”, by Peter Watts, a great story.
I gave this story, and one other, the John Scalzi story, a 4 rating.
Bear in mind that space opera is not my favorite genre. That said, this is probably as good and varied a collection of space opera short stories as one could have found anywhere. One could have wished for a more diverse group of writers (most were men from America, Britain, or Australia), but that was the state of science fiction when this volume was published. It’s changed since then.
As one can expect for any anthology edited by Gardner Dozois and Jonathan Strahan, all the stories were solid. However, many of them (not all)
felt like they were truncated, and finished before a
satisfying endpoint.
A lot of the stories in this book seemed to be written and for men.
The main focus of these stories are flashy plot twists.
Personally I prefer more character driven stories.
Often these are written by women, although male
writers like Neal Stephenson and Kim Stanley Robinson
feature strong characters.
Space opera tends to be more plot driven, with
thinly developed or even cartoonish characters.
Maybe that’s why it’s not my favorite genre.
That said, there are some stories in which this framework works very
well, as in the Peter Watts story, and in “Fearless Space Pirates of the Outer Rings”,
by Bill Willingham. The latter tale is an unabashed ode to comic books,
read with swashbucking flair by R.C. Bray.
As for the audio readers: the audio narration specialists were much better than the film and TV actors, as a rule. As I’ve mentioned below, though, there were some notable exceptions to that rule.
Utriusque Cosmi by Robert Charles Wilson
3
The title is taken from the name of the book that’s the major work of seventeenth century mathematician, mystic, and Qabbalist Robert Fludd. It roughly translates as “Origin and Structure of the Universe” (strict translation from Latin: “Both of the Cosmi”). In the story, this title referred to an old drawing, showing a sky full of enemies. I’m not sure if Fludd’s manuscript and the drawing are related, but I’m betting they are.
This is story of Carlotta Boudaine, who is a teenager when the
world ends. She is “raptured” up into the Fleet, which
attempts to save as many as possible from the multiple worlds that
are being destroyed by invisible enemies.
Carlotta continues living as a sort of virtual entity in
the Fleet’s data banks. Her addict mother, Abby, and Abby’s violent
boyfriend Dan-O, don’t survive.
Meh. This story didn’t really work for me.
Its attempts to marry cosmology, metaphysics, and vastness with mundane,
everyday life fell flat.
I’m not sure if Bahni Turpin’s audio narration contributed to the problem.
Its bright and breezy tone seemed unsuitable for the material. Often TV and
movie actors aren’t great audio narrators. It’s a different skill set.
Part of me thinks a better reader would have made a difference.
But part of me isn’t sure it’s her fault. Maybe it’s just the way
the story was written.
Her reading sounded like someone chanting some solemn spiritual text to
the tune of “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”. Incongruous and silly.
Still, it’s a well crafted story, which is why I didn’t
give it a lower rating.
The Island by Peter Watts
4
Great story.
This story was the main reason I got the book.
It’s expertly narrated by Caroline Schaffer. She’s also an actress, so she’s
clearly an exception to the rule that actors aren’t always good audio narrators.
This story is the successor to Watts’ novella “The Freeze-Frame Revolution”. It takes
place in the future, long after the events in that novella.
Sunday Ahzmudin, the heroine of this series, the Sunflower Cycle, wakes from cold sleep
to a couple of surprises. One is that the ship’s personnel roster has changed. The other is that, for the first time in the spaceship Eriophora’s millennia long voyage, a sentient alien has apparently attempted to contact the ship. What could possibly go wrong?
We are shown two very different sides of Sunday’s character. On the one hand, she is understandably, though inexcusably, impatient with a crewmate’s stupidity. On the other hand, she nobly tries to protect the alien because it’s the first sentient species that’s attempted contact with the ship. We come away with mixed feelings about Sunday, but we understand her better.
Events Preceding the Helvetican Renaissance by John Kessel
3
A well told tale about a war between the Helveticans and the Caslonians, narrated by a monk.
It left me totally cold for some reason. I couldn’t bring myself to care about the characters or their story.
To Go Boldly by Cory Doctorow
3.5
Read by Sean Runnette
This was initially confusing so I had to reread it, although admittedly I was very drowsy when I read it the first time and maybe wasn’t paying attention. You’ve got to be attentive when you read this, or you’ll be lost.
It’s a Star Trek parody. (The title hints at this).
Here’s the first sentence : “Captain Reynold J. Tsubishi of the APP ship Colossus II was the youngest commander in the fleet.” APP stands, a bit ironically, for “Alliance of Peaceful Planets”.
I’ll say no more about this story, because I can’t without spoiling it.
Except that the story is based on a tricky or deceitful concept. We aren’t let in on the secret until the story’s end, although the author drops pretty broad hints along the way. While I found this type of scenario annoying, I also had to admire the author’s skill in pulling it off. (It’s too much artifice—like the author is shouting, “Hey, look at me, aren’t I clever?)
The audio reader’s pompous tone is very appropriate.
The Lost Princess Man by John Barnes
3.5
Read by Tom Taylorson
Another quite original but rather confusing story.
Aurigar is running a successful con. He finds
young girls who are “fostindents”, tells them they
are some lost princess, then spirits them away to
be genetically modified for beauty and sells them to
high end brothels. His life is dandy until he runs into
Lord Leader Cetus Sir. Then it all changes.
This is another story where the reader is tricked and isn’t in on the secret until
the end of the story. The plot is like a Russian doll. Once again, I found my irritation (too much artifice—like the author is shouting, “Hey, look at me, aren’t I clever?)
vying with admiration of the author’s skill.
Defect by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
3.5
Read in a suitably understated way by Hilary Huber
A science fiction crime story. A major crime takes place aboard a space ship for tourists.
A former secret agent, who has defected, gets drawn in against her will and better judgement,
because her family is involved.
A good, solid story.
To Raise a Mutiny Betwixt Yourselves by Jay Lake
Read by Marguerite Gavin
3.5
I’ve been a fan of the late, great Jay Lake for a few years. I have really enjoyed all of his stories
that I’ve read previously and all the anthologies he edited.
I thought the same would be true of this story too. I was enthralled...until it ground to a halt in a bizarro ending. Now I’m not sure.
This story seems to be heavily influenced by Dan Simmons..there is a religious Ekumen and strange ways of killing and maiming people. Check out the ending. That’s a Dan Simmons ending if I ever saw one.
Captain Raisa Siddiq and her second in command on the space ship Polyphemus, Michaela Cannon, are at war with each other. Long ago, they were once lovers. Both are “Befores” (meaning they are ancient beings that have been alive for hundreds of years and predated the “Mistake”). After The Mistake, Galactic civilization ground to a halt and its efficient method of Faster Than Light travel, the threadneedle drive, was lost forever. Some of it’s been built back. A new method of Faster Than Light travel called Paired Drives has been developed, but it’s not nearly as efficient as the threadneedle drive was.
As the story opens, Michaela Cannon cannot reach Captain Siddiq, who, for some unknown reason, is off the ship, out of range, and apparently fomenting a mutiny against her own ship. She seems to be taking trips to a certain (relatively) nearby planet.
Cannon is trying to put a stop to this nonsense and get the ship back under control.
Very weird story.
Lake gives a nod to the next story, “Shell Game” by
mentioning The Polity in passing.
Shell Game by Neal Asher
2.5
Read by Tom Weiner.
I don’t think Tom Weiner’s monotonously singsong reading style is suitable for this story.
Every sentence sounds the same. He put me to sleep.
Stupid story, involving giant mollusks, parasitical
worms, a race that thinks it’s God’s gift to the
universe, and a crazy starship captain’s revenge.
Oh, and a senior citizen romance based on bonding over shared
danger.
I wonder if a better reader might have rescued this tale.
Probably not.
Punctuality by Garth Nix
3.5
Read by Xe Sands
Nice story about imperial succession. Excellent reader.
But so cryptic, I went “huh?” at the end.
Inevitable by Sean Williams
3
Read by Erica Sullivan
Is she reading a science fiction story or
“Gossip Girl”? I’m waiting for the “like..like...like” and
“OMG”.
Another stage and film actor who isn’t the best audio narrator.
Ok. I’m exaggerating. She wasn’t a bad reader.
But at times she did sound like she was reading
Gossip Girl.
As for the story...
Oh wow oh wow...time loops and time paradoxes.
Enemies working together.
The Guild and Terminus (along with the Structure) are enemies. Or are they?
Whoopee doo.
I suppose this wasn’t a bad story. Just not my cuppa.
Join the Navy and See the Worlds by Bruce Sterling
3.5
Read by Neil Shah
Neil Shah is a first class audio narrator.
In fact, his reading was one of the best in this entire
collection.
Good story. But with another frustratingly cutoff ending.
Fearless Space Pirates of the Outer Rings by Bill Willingham
3.5
Read by R.C. Bray
Another excellent reading by a top drawer audio
narrator. Once again we see an audio
specialist outclassing TV and film actors.
Good story, perfectly read by Bray.
I can’t say much without revealing spoilers.
Let’s just say that our tale starts with a
bunch of space pirates aboard a ship called
the Merry Prankster. The First Mate, Danny
Wells, is the only human on the crew and they’re
about to raid a merchant ship.
This is one story where the comic book
atmosphere is perfectly suited to the tale.
Well done.
From the Heart by John Meaney
3.5
Read by Lloyd James
Strange but hauntingly lovely story. We’re not sure what’s real and what’s imaginary here.
Carl Blackstone is travelling under an assumed name to a planet that it’s illegal to
fly to. Various adventures and misadventures ensue. I’ll say no more to avoid spoilers.
Lloyd James was a generally good audio narrator, but he seemed to totally miss the reference to the writer Borges in The Labyrinth, mispronouncing the name as “Borjez” (ucch...).
(It’s Borges Boulevard in the Labyrinth in this story. The real writer Borges wrote a book
called “Labyrinths”, a very surreal fantasy to which John Meaney, the writer of this
story is obviously giving a nod. It’s very appropriate, given the dreamlike quality of this story).
Audio narrator James probably never heard of Jorge Luis Borges, who the author of the story is clearly referencing. It annoys me how little preparation some of these audio readers seem to do
prior to reading a text.
Chameleons by Elizabeth Moon
3.5
Read by Sean Runnette
Good, fun interstellar crime story, with lots
of twists and turns.
Solid audio reader.
The Tenth Muse by Tad Williams
3.5
Read by Tristan Morris
A fun story about Dr. Balcescu, who
turns out not to be as much of an arrogant jerk as he
appears to be. Told by crew member
Rahul Jatt of the Confederation Starship Lakshmi, who also creates a misleading first impression. When there is a major
disruption at the Rainwater Hub wormhole,
Dr. Balcescu, apparently a professor of linguistics,
has some unusual ideas about a solution.
Cracklegrackle by Justina Robson
3.5
Read by Tom Weiner
Good, absorbing story. Mark Bishop’s
daughter, Tabitha, went missing a
year ago in a Mars expedition. He enlists
the aid of a strange creature called Hyperion,
a kind of shaman who can see energy, to help
him find her.
Also, Tom Weiner was a much better reader for
this story than for the previous one he read in
this anthology.
The Tale of the Wicked by John Scalzi
4
Read by Kevin Kenerly.
A very suprising story about the
spaceship “Wicked”; its Commander,
Michael Obwije, and a Tarin battle cruiser.
I’m not a huge John Scalzi fan, but
I loved this story.
Perfectly read by Kevin Kenerly, a film and
stage actor who’s an exception to the rule
that many screen actors are bad audio narrators.
He does a great job reading.
Catastrophe Baker and a Canticle for Leibovitz by Mike Resnick
3.5
Read by R.C. Bray
Cute and mildly funny story about “freelance hero”
and spacer Catastrophe Baker and his adventure involving
a beautiful woman named, memorably, Voluptua Von Climax, and the theft of an..er..canticle.
R.C. Bray narrates it perfectly.
The Far End of History by John C. Wright
3.5
Read by Terri McMahon
This was more like an epic poem. In beautiful poetic language, Wright describes the love
affair between the planets Ulysses and Penelope. It was almost like a science fiction
version of the Odyssey. I nearly gave it a 4, but the stuff at the end, while interesting, diluted
the impact of the whole.
Film and stage actress Terri McMahon was generally a good reader. However, at times her overly crisp enunciation seemed like overkill, although it was preferable to the sloppy mispronunciation frequently heard from audio readers.
Overall rating for the anthology: 3.5.
I got the book for “The Island”, by Peter Watts, a great story.
I gave this story, and one other, the John Scalzi story, a 4 rating.
Bear in mind that space opera is not my favorite genre. That said, this is probably as good and varied a collection of space opera short stories as one could have found anywhere. One could have wished for a more diverse group of writers (most were men from America, Britain, or Australia), but that was the state of science fiction when this volume was published. It’s changed since then.
As one can expect for any anthology edited by Gardner Dozois and Jonathan Strahan, all the stories were solid. However, many of them (not all)
felt like they were truncated, and finished before a
satisfying endpoint.
A lot of the stories in this book seemed to be written and for men.
The main focus of these stories are flashy plot twists.
Personally I prefer more character driven stories.
Often these are written by women, although male
writers like Neal Stephenson and Kim Stanley Robinson
feature strong characters.
Space opera tends to be more plot driven, with
thinly developed or even cartoonish characters.
Maybe that’s why it’s not my favorite genre.
That said, there are some stories in which this framework works very
well, as in the Peter Watts story, and in “Fearless Space Pirates of the Outer Rings”,
by Bill Willingham. The latter tale is an unabashed ode to comic books,
read with swashbucking flair by R.C. Bray.
As for the audio readers: the audio narration specialists were much better than the film and TV actors, as a rule. As I’ve mentioned below, though, there were some notable exceptions to that rule.
Utriusque Cosmi by Robert Charles Wilson
3
The title is taken from the name of the book that’s the major work of seventeenth century mathematician, mystic, and Qabbalist Robert Fludd. It roughly translates as “Origin and Structure of the Universe” (strict translation from Latin: “Both of the Cosmi”). In the story, this title referred to an old drawing, showing a sky full of enemies. I’m not sure if Fludd’s manuscript and the drawing are related, but I’m betting they are.
This is story of Carlotta Boudaine, who is a teenager when the
world ends. She is “raptured” up into the Fleet, which
attempts to save as many as possible from the multiple worlds that
are being destroyed by invisible enemies.
Carlotta continues living as a sort of virtual entity in
the Fleet’s data banks. Her addict mother, Abby, and Abby’s violent
boyfriend Dan-O, don’t survive.
Meh. This story didn’t really work for me.
Its attempts to marry cosmology, metaphysics, and vastness with mundane,
everyday life fell flat.
I’m not sure if Bahni Turpin’s audio narration contributed to the problem.
Its bright and breezy tone seemed unsuitable for the material. Often TV and
movie actors aren’t great audio narrators. It’s a different skill set.
Part of me thinks a better reader would have made a difference.
But part of me isn’t sure it’s her fault. Maybe it’s just the way
the story was written.
Her reading sounded like someone chanting some solemn spiritual text to
the tune of “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”. Incongruous and silly.
Still, it’s a well crafted story, which is why I didn’t
give it a lower rating.
The Island by Peter Watts
4
Great story.
This story was the main reason I got the book.
It’s expertly narrated by Caroline Schaffer. She’s also an actress, so she’s
clearly an exception to the rule that actors aren’t always good audio narrators.
This story is the successor to Watts’ novella “The Freeze-Frame Revolution”. It takes
place in the future, long after the events in that novella.
Sunday Ahzmudin, the heroine of this series, the Sunflower Cycle, wakes from cold sleep
to a couple of surprises. One is that the ship’s personnel roster has changed. The other is that, for the first time in the spaceship Eriophora’s millennia long voyage, a sentient alien has apparently attempted to contact the ship. What could possibly go wrong?
We are shown two very different sides of Sunday’s character. On the one hand, she is understandably, though inexcusably, impatient with a crewmate’s stupidity. On the other hand, she nobly tries to protect the alien because it’s the first sentient species that’s attempted contact with the ship. We come away with mixed feelings about Sunday, but we understand her better.
Events Preceding the Helvetican Renaissance by John Kessel
3
A well told tale about a war between the Helveticans and the Caslonians, narrated by a monk.
It left me totally cold for some reason. I couldn’t bring myself to care about the characters or their story.
To Go Boldly by Cory Doctorow
3.5
Read by Sean Runnette
This was initially confusing so I had to reread it, although admittedly I was very drowsy when I read it the first time and maybe wasn’t paying attention. You’ve got to be attentive when you read this, or you’ll be lost.
It’s a Star Trek parody. (The title hints at this).
Here’s the first sentence : “Captain Reynold J. Tsubishi of the APP ship Colossus II was the youngest commander in the fleet.” APP stands, a bit ironically, for “Alliance of Peaceful Planets”.
I’ll say no more about this story, because I can’t without spoiling it.
Except that the story is based on a tricky or deceitful concept. We aren’t let in on the secret until the story’s end, although the author drops pretty broad hints along the way. While I found this type of scenario annoying, I also had to admire the author’s skill in pulling it off. (It’s too much artifice—like the author is shouting, “Hey, look at me, aren’t I clever?)
The audio reader’s pompous tone is very appropriate.
The Lost Princess Man by John Barnes
3.5
Read by Tom Taylorson
Another quite original but rather confusing story.
Aurigar is running a successful con. He finds
young girls who are “fostindents”, tells them they
are some lost princess, then spirits them away to
be genetically modified for beauty and sells them to
high end brothels. His life is dandy until he runs into
Lord Leader Cetus Sir. Then it all changes.
This is another story where the reader is tricked and isn’t in on the secret until
the end of the story. The plot is like a Russian doll. Once again, I found my irritation (too much artifice—like the author is shouting, “Hey, look at me, aren’t I clever?)
vying with admiration of the author’s skill.
Defect by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
3.5
Read in a suitably understated way by Hilary Huber
A science fiction crime story. A major crime takes place aboard a space ship for tourists.
A former secret agent, who has defected, gets drawn in against her will and better judgement,
because her family is involved.
A good, solid story.
To Raise a Mutiny Betwixt Yourselves by Jay Lake
Read by Marguerite Gavin
3.5
I’ve been a fan of the late, great Jay Lake for a few years. I have really enjoyed all of his stories
that I’ve read previously and all the anthologies he edited.
I thought the same would be true of this story too. I was enthralled...until it ground to a halt in a bizarro ending. Now I’m not sure.
This story seems to be heavily influenced by Dan Simmons..there is a religious Ekumen and strange ways of killing and maiming people. Check out the ending. That’s a Dan Simmons ending if I ever saw one.
Captain Raisa Siddiq and her second in command on the space ship Polyphemus, Michaela Cannon, are at war with each other. Long ago, they were once lovers. Both are “Befores” (meaning they are ancient beings that have been alive for hundreds of years and predated the “Mistake”). After The Mistake, Galactic civilization ground to a halt and its efficient method of Faster Than Light travel, the threadneedle drive, was lost forever. Some of it’s been built back. A new method of Faster Than Light travel called Paired Drives has been developed, but it’s not nearly as efficient as the threadneedle drive was.
As the story opens, Michaela Cannon cannot reach Captain Siddiq, who, for some unknown reason, is off the ship, out of range, and apparently fomenting a mutiny against her own ship. She seems to be taking trips to a certain (relatively) nearby planet.
Cannon is trying to put a stop to this nonsense and get the ship back under control.
Very weird story.
Lake gives a nod to the next story, “Shell Game” by
mentioning The Polity in passing.
Shell Game by Neal Asher
2.5
Read by Tom Weiner.
I don’t think Tom Weiner’s monotonously singsong reading style is suitable for this story.
Every sentence sounds the same. He put me to sleep.
Stupid story, involving giant mollusks, parasitical
worms, a race that thinks it’s God’s gift to the
universe, and a crazy starship captain’s revenge.
Oh, and a senior citizen romance based on bonding over shared
danger.
I wonder if a better reader might have rescued this tale.
Probably not.
Punctuality by Garth Nix
3.5
Read by Xe Sands
Nice story about imperial succession. Excellent reader.
But so cryptic, I went “huh?” at the end.
Inevitable by Sean Williams
3
Read by Erica Sullivan
Is she reading a science fiction story or
“Gossip Girl”? I’m waiting for the “like..like...like” and
“OMG”.
Another stage and film actor who isn’t the best audio narrator.
Ok. I’m exaggerating. She wasn’t a bad reader.
But at times she did sound like she was reading
Gossip Girl.
As for the story...
Oh wow oh wow...time loops and time paradoxes.
Enemies working together.
The Guild and Terminus (along with the Structure) are enemies. Or are they?
Whoopee doo.
I suppose this wasn’t a bad story. Just not my cuppa.
Join the Navy and See the Worlds by Bruce Sterling
3.5
Read by Neil Shah
Neil Shah is a first class audio narrator.
In fact, his reading was one of the best in this entire
collection.
Good story. But with another frustratingly cutoff ending.
Fearless Space Pirates of the Outer Rings by Bill Willingham
3.5
Read by R.C. Bray
Another excellent reading by a top drawer audio
narrator. Once again we see an audio
specialist outclassing TV and film actors.
Good story, perfectly read by Bray.
I can’t say much without revealing spoilers.
Let’s just say that our tale starts with a
bunch of space pirates aboard a ship called
the Merry Prankster. The First Mate, Danny
Wells, is the only human on the crew and they’re
about to raid a merchant ship.
This is one story where the comic book
atmosphere is perfectly suited to the tale.
Well done.
From the Heart by John Meaney
3.5
Read by Lloyd James
Strange but hauntingly lovely story. We’re not sure what’s real and what’s imaginary here.
Carl Blackstone is travelling under an assumed name to a planet that it’s illegal to
fly to. Various adventures and misadventures ensue. I’ll say no more to avoid spoilers.
Lloyd James was a generally good audio narrator, but he seemed to totally miss the reference to the writer Borges in The Labyrinth, mispronouncing the name as “Borjez” (ucch...).
(It’s Borges Boulevard in the Labyrinth in this story. The real writer Borges wrote a book
called “Labyrinths”, a very surreal fantasy to which John Meaney, the writer of this
story is obviously giving a nod. It’s very appropriate, given the dreamlike quality of this story).
Audio narrator James probably never heard of Jorge Luis Borges, who the author of the story is clearly referencing. It annoys me how little preparation some of these audio readers seem to do
prior to reading a text.
Chameleons by Elizabeth Moon
3.5
Read by Sean Runnette
Good, fun interstellar crime story, with lots
of twists and turns.
Solid audio reader.
The Tenth Muse by Tad Williams
3.5
Read by Tristan Morris
A fun story about Dr. Balcescu, who
turns out not to be as much of an arrogant jerk as he
appears to be. Told by crew member
Rahul Jatt of the Confederation Starship Lakshmi, who also creates a misleading first impression. When there is a major
disruption at the Rainwater Hub wormhole,
Dr. Balcescu, apparently a professor of linguistics,
has some unusual ideas about a solution.
Cracklegrackle by Justina Robson
3.5
Read by Tom Weiner
Good, absorbing story. Mark Bishop’s
daughter, Tabitha, went missing a
year ago in a Mars expedition. He enlists
the aid of a strange creature called Hyperion,
a kind of shaman who can see energy, to help
him find her.
Also, Tom Weiner was a much better reader for
this story than for the previous one he read in
this anthology.
The Tale of the Wicked by John Scalzi
4
Read by Kevin Kenerly.
A very suprising story about the
spaceship “Wicked”; its Commander,
Michael Obwije, and a Tarin battle cruiser.
I’m not a huge John Scalzi fan, but
I loved this story.
Perfectly read by Kevin Kenerly, a film and
stage actor who’s an exception to the rule
that many screen actors are bad audio narrators.
He does a great job reading.
Catastrophe Baker and a Canticle for Leibovitz by Mike Resnick
3.5
Read by R.C. Bray
Cute and mildly funny story about “freelance hero”
and spacer Catastrophe Baker and his adventure involving
a beautiful woman named, memorably, Voluptua Von Climax, and the theft of an..er..canticle.
R.C. Bray narrates it perfectly.
The Far End of History by John C. Wright
3.5
Read by Terri McMahon
This was more like an epic poem. In beautiful poetic language, Wright describes the love
affair between the planets Ulysses and Penelope. It was almost like a science fiction
version of the Odyssey. I nearly gave it a 4, but the stuff at the end, while interesting, diluted
the impact of the whole.
Film and stage actress Terri McMahon was generally a good reader. However, at times her overly crisp enunciation seemed like overkill, although it was preferable to the sloppy mispronunciation frequently heard from audio readers.
February 23, 2023
A really good collection of stories. I'd say about 5% of them really enjoyable. I will have to go through the index and mention any particularly good ones but it's so damn easy to forget who wrote what in an audiobook.
February 24, 2012
I do have a bad habit with anthologies I’ve been published in. I tend to receive them then stick them on a shelf as eye-candy yet, of course, they probably contain lots of stories I would like to read. The other day I changed that habit by picking up The New Space Opera edited by Gardner Dozois and Jonathan Strahan. It contains a story by me called Shell Game, and has been sitting on my shelf since 2009. I did enjoy this and out of the 19 stories enclosed there were only two I didn’t finish and maybe only a couple more I finished with a ‘meh’. Particular highlights for me were the stories by Robert Charles Wilson, Peter Watts, Kristine Kathryne Rusch, Jay Lake, Sean Williams, John Meaney, Elizabeth Moon and John Scalzi.
July 23, 2017
Great setup, great list of writers assembled here by Dozois & Strahan.
Four standouts (the Wilson, the Asher, the Scalzi, and the Wright) and decent level with the others.
Certainly the only good original anthology of 2009 and a worthy sequel.
Four standouts (the Wilson, the Asher, the Scalzi, and the Wright) and decent level with the others.
Certainly the only good original anthology of 2009 and a worthy sequel.
July 9, 2020
An enjoyable read. Recommended.
November 8, 2023
Excellent collection, quite diverse, with many stories being on a much grander scale than the previous collection. And only a few that are just "ok".
August 27, 2010
Dozois is my go to editor for science ficiton. I have been reading Dozois' Year's Best Science Fiction for twenty years now and he almost never disappoints me (his co-editor, Honathan Strahan is no slouch either). I find it strange and wonderful that my editorial aesthetic matches so closely with his. This usually means that I can't wait to get into a Dozois anthology. Usually.
The New Space Opera 2 is the follow-up anthology to last year's The New Space Opera. New space opera is one of my favorite sub-genres. I love the things that authors like Reynolds, Banks and MacLeod are doing with the form and I love seeing others move the ball forward. The original The New Space Opera was delightful, ingenious and exciting. The New Space Opera 2 is, well, more of the same. It feels as if that Dozois was worried that he couldn't sell a massive 1000 page anthology of space opera and divided it into two.
In an interesting turn, Dozois did not include any authors from the first anthology. This helps it to feel fresh despite the sameness of the subject matter. It also allows for the-not-usual-suspects to have a chance to strut their stuff out of the shadow of the British Triumvirate. While I would have prefered to see more of Reynolds, Banks and MacLeod, what I got was better than average. Mostly.
I can't really complain about the quality of the stories, nor can I complain about the excitation of them either. Everything is above average, and yet, because of that, everything seems average. There were only a couple of standout stories for me, and by couple I mean two. That should not happen in an anthology like this (although I will admit that there have been a couple of Year's Best… that have left me wanting as well).
Peter Watts' "The Island" about a continously resurrected starship crew eternally building FTL gates in their wake for a civilization they have never seen (since they travel at relativistic speeds and cannot slow down) really struck me. Watts captures the frustration and futility of the viewpoint character and his shipmates and their longing for the Earth they left so many millions of years behind. Watts tantalizingly hints at the mystery of what mankind has become, but only hints; neither the characters nor the reader ever find out. The story also contains one of the most interesting and ingenious alien lifeforms I have seen in a long time. "The Island" is fast paced, chock full of mysteries and has a satisfying ending with a twist I didn't see coming. I want more. I would love to see another story, or better yet, a series of linked stories about this crew.
The other is the anthology's last story, a novelette by John C. Wright. "The Far End of History" is love story, a war story and a myth story all wrapped up together. I would love to go into details, but anything I can say about it would be a spoiler; the novelette's structure defies spoilerless analysis. So I will say what I can about it. It is very well written. Wright's language is lyrical, sad, triumphant and strange all at once. This is one of the most powerful and touching stories I have read all year. It is not to be missed.
In the end, The New Space Opera 2 is fun but I can't help but feel that the first anthology was "better" in some way. I do recommend it to anyone interested in the sub-genre of New Space Opera, even if you have never read any of it before. All of the stories here are approachable by any fan of science fiction, and they are sure to please.
If you have the original The New Space Opera you really should do yourself a favour and get the sequel. You won't be disappointed.
The New Space Opera 2 is the follow-up anthology to last year's The New Space Opera. New space opera is one of my favorite sub-genres. I love the things that authors like Reynolds, Banks and MacLeod are doing with the form and I love seeing others move the ball forward. The original The New Space Opera was delightful, ingenious and exciting. The New Space Opera 2 is, well, more of the same. It feels as if that Dozois was worried that he couldn't sell a massive 1000 page anthology of space opera and divided it into two.
In an interesting turn, Dozois did not include any authors from the first anthology. This helps it to feel fresh despite the sameness of the subject matter. It also allows for the-not-usual-suspects to have a chance to strut their stuff out of the shadow of the British Triumvirate. While I would have prefered to see more of Reynolds, Banks and MacLeod, what I got was better than average. Mostly.
I can't really complain about the quality of the stories, nor can I complain about the excitation of them either. Everything is above average, and yet, because of that, everything seems average. There were only a couple of standout stories for me, and by couple I mean two. That should not happen in an anthology like this (although I will admit that there have been a couple of Year's Best… that have left me wanting as well).
Peter Watts' "The Island" about a continously resurrected starship crew eternally building FTL gates in their wake for a civilization they have never seen (since they travel at relativistic speeds and cannot slow down) really struck me. Watts captures the frustration and futility of the viewpoint character and his shipmates and their longing for the Earth they left so many millions of years behind. Watts tantalizingly hints at the mystery of what mankind has become, but only hints; neither the characters nor the reader ever find out. The story also contains one of the most interesting and ingenious alien lifeforms I have seen in a long time. "The Island" is fast paced, chock full of mysteries and has a satisfying ending with a twist I didn't see coming. I want more. I would love to see another story, or better yet, a series of linked stories about this crew.
The other is the anthology's last story, a novelette by John C. Wright. "The Far End of History" is love story, a war story and a myth story all wrapped up together. I would love to go into details, but anything I can say about it would be a spoiler; the novelette's structure defies spoilerless analysis. So I will say what I can about it. It is very well written. Wright's language is lyrical, sad, triumphant and strange all at once. This is one of the most powerful and touching stories I have read all year. It is not to be missed.
In the end, The New Space Opera 2 is fun but I can't help but feel that the first anthology was "better" in some way. I do recommend it to anyone interested in the sub-genre of New Space Opera, even if you have never read any of it before. All of the stories here are approachable by any fan of science fiction, and they are sure to please.
If you have the original The New Space Opera you really should do yourself a favour and get the sequel. You won't be disappointed.
April 1, 2017
As usual, some good, some not-so-much, a lot of worth reading.
Good: "Chameleons" by Elizabeth Moon; "The Tale of the _Wicked_" by John Scalzi; "Defect" by Kristine Kathryn Rusch;
Not-so-much: "The Far End of History" by John C. Wright (the mythical and astronomy babble of the first 3 segments stopped me from going further; YMMV, as they say); "Catastrophe Baker and a Canticle for Leibowitz" was just too cutesy.
Good: "Chameleons" by Elizabeth Moon; "The Tale of the _Wicked_" by John Scalzi; "Defect" by Kristine Kathryn Rusch;
Not-so-much: "The Far End of History" by John C. Wright (the mythical and astronomy babble of the first 3 segments stopped me from going further; YMMV, as they say); "Catastrophe Baker and a Canticle for Leibowitz" was just too cutesy.
October 9, 2015
This anthology was a mixed bag of stories by some of today's top sci-fi talent. Some of it was great, some not so great, and some I thought was pretentious artsy garbage more interested in impressing critics than telling stories. Of course YMMV. Here's a short breakdown.
Liked:
Events Preceding the Helvetican Renaissance by John Kessel - neat take on human religion and spirituality in a space opera setting
The Lost Princess Man by John Barnes - This had great potential. The premise is a new take on an old trope in a flipped fairy tale kind of way. And the plotting against each other was fun. But it never went anywhere and ended oddly.
Shell Game by Neal Asher - great aliens, neat protagonists, and the McGuffin was cool
To Raise a Mutiny Betwixt Yourselves by Jay Lake - an unusually good artsy story with complex characters (in a no clear good guy, Game of Thrones style) in a complex universe
Inevitable by Sean Williams - neat look at the dilemma of relativity problems and the real nature of inevitability
Fearless Space Pirates of the Outer Rings by Bill Willingham - a new take on a couple of old tropes that I enjoyed
The Tenth Muse by Tad Williams - a new take on the hostile First Contact trope
The Tale of the Wicked by John Scalzi - a fun look at the dilemma of AIs
The Far End of History by John C. Wright - a very human way to tell a tale as vast as the Universe in a way that is part mythology, part cyberpunk, and part space opera on a truly grand scale
Disliked:
The Island by Peter Watts - I realize it's en vogue to be nihilistic in sci-fi these days, but the protagonist was terribly unsympathetic and so I'm not sure I really cared what happened to her.
Hated:
Utriusque Cosmi by Robert Charles Wilson - Really, I'm not sure I grasped the point of this. I suppose the author thought he was saying something profound about the nature of life and the universe, but I thought it was bad cyberpunk masquerading as pseudo-spiritual space opera. The title is a reference to an obscure work of philosophy that only proves that the writer thinks he's the smartest person in the room. I think this is writing for hipsters and putting it at the beginning of the book just about put me off the whole thing.
To Go Boldly by Cory Doctorow - As far as I can tell, the whole point of this story was to prove how much better and more sophisticated modern sci-fi writing is compared to the classic Star Trek style space opera. It didn't work. All it did was prove to me that the author is willing to contemptuously spit upon the works of those who paved the way for him. In other words, he writes like a hipster.
Punctuality by Garth Nix - I had not yet read anything by Garth Nix either so I was looking forward to it, since he has such a reputation as a rising star in modern sci-fi. I hope this story was no indication of the kind of writing we can expect from him. It had no plot, no goal, no direction, and the characters were completely flat and uninteresting, barely more than memes. And it was boring. That's several minutes of my life I'll never get back.
Join the Navy and See the Worlds by Bruce Sterling - This one had great potential and went nowhere. I was left scratching my head at the end of it, asking "what the hell just happened?" and "what, exactly, was your point here?"
From the Heart by John Meaney - Again, the setup was great - a world and characters of vast complexities and depths. Then it just fizzled. I don't understand the point of the ending at all, and as a matter of fact, it seems to turn a whole bunch of the coolest parts of the story into red herrings. Did the author realize he was running close to his word count limit and decide to end the story in a hurry so that he could shoehorn it into the slot, or what?
Loved:
Defect by Kristine Kathryn Rusch - space opera meets spy thriller with a twist ending. Good work that reminded me of Lois McMaster Bujold.
Chameleons by Elizabeth Moon - a wonderful sci-fi thriller in a very complex and interesting world. I would like to read more about this world. Strangely I've never before read anything by Moon (despite the fact that she's been around for a long time) and I would like to read more of her work.
Cracklegrackle by Justina Robson - what a cool sci-fi explanation for mysticism, that also manages to be a sci-fi whodunnit while it waxes rhetoric about the nature of life, identity and humanity.
Catastrophe Baker and a Canticle for Leibowitz by Mike Resnick - not only does this witty story give a nod to a sci-fi classic in the title, but it also invokes about a dozen classic sci-fi tropes and turns them gently on their heads with masterfully woven language. Highly recommended!
So there's a fair number more of the stories I liked than anything else, but because there are several stories I loathed also, I can't give this book any higher than three starts. But it's worth a read anyway.
Liked:
Events Preceding the Helvetican Renaissance by John Kessel - neat take on human religion and spirituality in a space opera setting
The Lost Princess Man by John Barnes - This had great potential. The premise is a new take on an old trope in a flipped fairy tale kind of way. And the plotting against each other was fun. But it never went anywhere and ended oddly.
Shell Game by Neal Asher - great aliens, neat protagonists, and the McGuffin was cool
To Raise a Mutiny Betwixt Yourselves by Jay Lake - an unusually good artsy story with complex characters (in a no clear good guy, Game of Thrones style) in a complex universe
Inevitable by Sean Williams - neat look at the dilemma of relativity problems and the real nature of inevitability
Fearless Space Pirates of the Outer Rings by Bill Willingham - a new take on a couple of old tropes that I enjoyed
The Tenth Muse by Tad Williams - a new take on the hostile First Contact trope
The Tale of the Wicked by John Scalzi - a fun look at the dilemma of AIs
The Far End of History by John C. Wright - a very human way to tell a tale as vast as the Universe in a way that is part mythology, part cyberpunk, and part space opera on a truly grand scale
Disliked:
The Island by Peter Watts - I realize it's en vogue to be nihilistic in sci-fi these days, but the protagonist was terribly unsympathetic and so I'm not sure I really cared what happened to her.
Hated:
Utriusque Cosmi by Robert Charles Wilson - Really, I'm not sure I grasped the point of this. I suppose the author thought he was saying something profound about the nature of life and the universe, but I thought it was bad cyberpunk masquerading as pseudo-spiritual space opera. The title is a reference to an obscure work of philosophy that only proves that the writer thinks he's the smartest person in the room. I think this is writing for hipsters and putting it at the beginning of the book just about put me off the whole thing.
To Go Boldly by Cory Doctorow - As far as I can tell, the whole point of this story was to prove how much better and more sophisticated modern sci-fi writing is compared to the classic Star Trek style space opera. It didn't work. All it did was prove to me that the author is willing to contemptuously spit upon the works of those who paved the way for him. In other words, he writes like a hipster.
Punctuality by Garth Nix - I had not yet read anything by Garth Nix either so I was looking forward to it, since he has such a reputation as a rising star in modern sci-fi. I hope this story was no indication of the kind of writing we can expect from him. It had no plot, no goal, no direction, and the characters were completely flat and uninteresting, barely more than memes. And it was boring. That's several minutes of my life I'll never get back.
Join the Navy and See the Worlds by Bruce Sterling - This one had great potential and went nowhere. I was left scratching my head at the end of it, asking "what the hell just happened?" and "what, exactly, was your point here?"
From the Heart by John Meaney - Again, the setup was great - a world and characters of vast complexities and depths. Then it just fizzled. I don't understand the point of the ending at all, and as a matter of fact, it seems to turn a whole bunch of the coolest parts of the story into red herrings. Did the author realize he was running close to his word count limit and decide to end the story in a hurry so that he could shoehorn it into the slot, or what?
Loved:
Defect by Kristine Kathryn Rusch - space opera meets spy thriller with a twist ending. Good work that reminded me of Lois McMaster Bujold.
Chameleons by Elizabeth Moon - a wonderful sci-fi thriller in a very complex and interesting world. I would like to read more about this world. Strangely I've never before read anything by Moon (despite the fact that she's been around for a long time) and I would like to read more of her work.
Cracklegrackle by Justina Robson - what a cool sci-fi explanation for mysticism, that also manages to be a sci-fi whodunnit while it waxes rhetoric about the nature of life, identity and humanity.
Catastrophe Baker and a Canticle for Leibowitz by Mike Resnick - not only does this witty story give a nod to a sci-fi classic in the title, but it also invokes about a dozen classic sci-fi tropes and turns them gently on their heads with masterfully woven language. Highly recommended!
So there's a fair number more of the stories I liked than anything else, but because there are several stories I loathed also, I can't give this book any higher than three starts. But it's worth a read anyway.
April 1, 2012
As a fan of both fantasy and SciFi I feel as though I've been neglecting half of my soul. Time to rectify that. My favorites have always been good old fashioned space operas. Poul Anderson. Isaac Asimov. But I'm not too familiar with contemporary authors. Thought this would be a good collection to start with.
I never know how to review short story collections. By an average? By my favorites? Today I've decided to go with the second choice. So not every story here is worth a four star rating. But my favorites are.
Utriusque Cosmi by Robert Charles Wilson starts the book with a bang. I loved this story. Earth is gone and humans have adopted a new form of life.
To Go Boldly by Cory Doctorow. This bleak tale is for all the gamers out there. Although it's mostly a commentary on the game of life.
The Lost Princess Man by John Barnes. An Anastasia con in space. With a very cool twist.
Defect by Kristine Kathryn Rusch. A solidly fun space adventure.
Fearless Space Pirates of the Outer Rings by Bill Willingham. For the comic book super hero fans. Reminded me of something that could've come from the golden age of SciFi. (a favorite era of mine even though I am too young to have enjoyed it first hand)
The Tenth Muse by Tad Williams. Frankly didn't expect to like it because I don't enjoy his fantasy. But he surprised me. Liked it. Talked to the old Hollywood fan in me. And what draws me to SciFi. The exploration of different alien worlds and cultures.
The Tale of the Wicked by John Scalzi. A starship becomes sentient. Expected to like it when I saw who wrote it and I did.
So...seven stories out of nineteen. Doesn't sound so good. But better than I usually do with analogies. So whatever. The rating stays.
Recommended to any reader of SciFi. The stories here run the gamut of thought provoking puzzles to what the hell was that about to just plain mindless action. Whatever your tastes you'll probably find something you like.
I never know how to review short story collections. By an average? By my favorites? Today I've decided to go with the second choice. So not every story here is worth a four star rating. But my favorites are.
Utriusque Cosmi by Robert Charles Wilson starts the book with a bang. I loved this story. Earth is gone and humans have adopted a new form of life.
To Go Boldly by Cory Doctorow. This bleak tale is for all the gamers out there. Although it's mostly a commentary on the game of life.
The Lost Princess Man by John Barnes. An Anastasia con in space. With a very cool twist.
Defect by Kristine Kathryn Rusch. A solidly fun space adventure.
Fearless Space Pirates of the Outer Rings by Bill Willingham. For the comic book super hero fans. Reminded me of something that could've come from the golden age of SciFi. (a favorite era of mine even though I am too young to have enjoyed it first hand)
The Tenth Muse by Tad Williams. Frankly didn't expect to like it because I don't enjoy his fantasy. But he surprised me. Liked it. Talked to the old Hollywood fan in me. And what draws me to SciFi. The exploration of different alien worlds and cultures.
The Tale of the Wicked by John Scalzi. A starship becomes sentient. Expected to like it when I saw who wrote it and I did.
So...seven stories out of nineteen. Doesn't sound so good. But better than I usually do with analogies. So whatever. The rating stays.
Recommended to any reader of SciFi. The stories here run the gamut of thought provoking puzzles to what the hell was that about to just plain mindless action. Whatever your tastes you'll probably find something you like.
September 26, 2010
What do people mean when they say something was "well written". It's always bothered me, and this compendium of stories yet again makes me wonder. A lot (most) (actually, nearly all) of these stories I found difficult to read for one reason or another. Either they were too simple:
"The Tale of the Wicked" by John Scalzi
"Fearless Space Pirates of the Outer Rings" by Bill Willingham.
or they were too hard (tiresome) to figure out:
"The Island" by Peter Watts.
or they seemed, once the first few paragraphs had been read, and sometimes re-read, not worth the trouble. Nothing grabbed me. Most of those that that I finished at all were a struggle.
Is it me, or is it them? A book is after all a two-way conversation, and it may well be possible that should any of them and I meet on a train, we would bore the pants off each other.
And yet and yet…
I started reading " How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe," by Kenneth Wu, a book that docks beside my bed in a sloshy slipstream of high-falutin' praise, and there it was!
Two sentences in and I knew I was in good hands. Completely hooked.
So what makes this book different from some (most?) the authors writing in the other one?
It's clear. Clear, clear, clear. It explains it's world with great economy, and paces the explanations so you can absorb them as easily as climbing into a warm bath. And it doesn't leave you puzzling over things that are only gradually revealed later (a huge problem for me. Not being a particularly self-confident reader, I always assume the not-getting-it is my fault).
To me, the best science fiction books are really one-offs, often done by people not in the field, or more accurately, done by people who are writer's first.
"The Tale of the Wicked" by John Scalzi
"Fearless Space Pirates of the Outer Rings" by Bill Willingham.
or they were too hard (tiresome) to figure out:
"The Island" by Peter Watts.
or they seemed, once the first few paragraphs had been read, and sometimes re-read, not worth the trouble. Nothing grabbed me. Most of those that that I finished at all were a struggle.
Is it me, or is it them? A book is after all a two-way conversation, and it may well be possible that should any of them and I meet on a train, we would bore the pants off each other.
And yet and yet…
I started reading " How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe," by Kenneth Wu, a book that docks beside my bed in a sloshy slipstream of high-falutin' praise, and there it was!
Two sentences in and I knew I was in good hands. Completely hooked.
So what makes this book different from some (most?) the authors writing in the other one?
It's clear. Clear, clear, clear. It explains it's world with great economy, and paces the explanations so you can absorb them as easily as climbing into a warm bath. And it doesn't leave you puzzling over things that are only gradually revealed later (a huge problem for me. Not being a particularly self-confident reader, I always assume the not-getting-it is my fault).
To me, the best science fiction books are really one-offs, often done by people not in the field, or more accurately, done by people who are writer's first.
August 24, 2012
The idea of machine minds has permeated the 'new' space opera quite thoroughly. A side effect is that it is no longer Westerns In Space (if it ever really was) and is more of its own thing. It does what all good science fiction does: explore being human, the requirements and the ramifications.
March 1, 2010
Mostly excellent stories here, though there were a couple I didn't care for. Doctorow's riff on some "Star Trek" cliches was a blast!
August 19, 2025
The New Space Opera 2 – A Starfield of Stories That Burn Bright
Edited by Gardner Dozois & Jonathan Strahan
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4 out of 5 stars)
If the first New Space Opera anthology was a supernova, this sequel is a full-blown galactic storm—brimming with ambition, imagination, and the kind of narrative propulsion that defines the best of modern science fiction. Dozois and Strahan have once again assembled a stellar crew of authors, each contributing original tales that stretch the boundaries of space, time, and human (or post-human) experience.
Overview
This anthology features 19 all-new stories from some of the genre’s most decorated and daring voices. From Hugo and Nebula winners to cult favorites and rising stars, the lineup reads like a who’s who of speculative fiction:
Author Notable Vibe
Neal Asher Bio-tech brutality meets cosmic scale
Cory Doctorow Political edge with digital grit
Elizabeth Moon Military precision and emotional depth
Peter Watts Bleak brilliance and evolutionary horror
John Scalzi Witty, fast-paced, and deceptively sharp
Justina Robson Genre-bending with philosophical punch
Bruce Sterling Cyberpunk roots with post-human flair
And that’s just a sampling. Each story stands alone, yet collectively they form a mosaic of what space opera can be in the 21st century—bold, diverse, and unafraid to challenge convention.
Highlights
• Peter Watts’ contribution is a standout: cerebral, chilling, and laced with existential dread.
• Kristine Kathryn Rusch delivers a tale that’s both intimate and epic, proving that emotional stakes can rival interstellar ones.
• Garth Nix and Tad Williams bring mythic resonance to futuristic settings, weaving timeless themes into alien landscapes.
Verdict
Whether you’re a die-hard fan of space opera or a newcomer looking for a gateway into the genre, The New Space Opera 2 delivers. It’s not just a collection—it’s a constellation of voices, each illuminating a different facet of the cosmos. Expect starships, strange worlds, and stories that linger like cosmic echoes.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ — A dazzling anthology with a few uneven or overly cerebral entries, but the highs are stratospheric.
Happy reading 🚀🪐🤖📚
Edited by Gardner Dozois & Jonathan Strahan
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4 out of 5 stars)
If the first New Space Opera anthology was a supernova, this sequel is a full-blown galactic storm—brimming with ambition, imagination, and the kind of narrative propulsion that defines the best of modern science fiction. Dozois and Strahan have once again assembled a stellar crew of authors, each contributing original tales that stretch the boundaries of space, time, and human (or post-human) experience.
Overview
This anthology features 19 all-new stories from some of the genre’s most decorated and daring voices. From Hugo and Nebula winners to cult favorites and rising stars, the lineup reads like a who’s who of speculative fiction:
Author Notable Vibe
Neal Asher Bio-tech brutality meets cosmic scale
Cory Doctorow Political edge with digital grit
Elizabeth Moon Military precision and emotional depth
Peter Watts Bleak brilliance and evolutionary horror
John Scalzi Witty, fast-paced, and deceptively sharp
Justina Robson Genre-bending with philosophical punch
Bruce Sterling Cyberpunk roots with post-human flair
And that’s just a sampling. Each story stands alone, yet collectively they form a mosaic of what space opera can be in the 21st century—bold, diverse, and unafraid to challenge convention.
Highlights
• Peter Watts’ contribution is a standout: cerebral, chilling, and laced with existential dread.
• Kristine Kathryn Rusch delivers a tale that’s both intimate and epic, proving that emotional stakes can rival interstellar ones.
• Garth Nix and Tad Williams bring mythic resonance to futuristic settings, weaving timeless themes into alien landscapes.
Verdict
Whether you’re a die-hard fan of space opera or a newcomer looking for a gateway into the genre, The New Space Opera 2 delivers. It’s not just a collection—it’s a constellation of voices, each illuminating a different facet of the cosmos. Expect starships, strange worlds, and stories that linger like cosmic echoes.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ — A dazzling anthology with a few uneven or overly cerebral entries, but the highs are stratospheric.
Happy reading 🚀🪐🤖📚
March 8, 2021
It took me AGES but I finally completed this beast of a compilation. Short stories don't tend to work for me as well as tomes, novels and even novelettes. Ultimately I enjoyed less than half the stories presented. But a few of these deserve special mention.
• Utriusque Cosmi • (2009) • novelette by Robert Charles Wilson
Interesting. Unsure if it was real or imagined? Great concepts of expansive time and space.
Update: this one has actually stuck with me.
• The Lost Princess Man • (2009) • novelette by John Barnes
This narrator is AMAZING. Tom Taylorson.
The story was okay, reminded me from time to time of Black Mirror or The Quantum Thief, but that latter might be due to the magnificence of the narrator.
• Defect • (2009) • novelette by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
I liked it. A mother/government assassin rescues her son and decides despite her coldness toward him previously to keep him by her side. Dark. But well written
• Inevitable • (2009) • novelette by Sean Williams
Very nice story about time loops and paradox. Well done.
• Chameleons • (2009) • novella by Elizabeth Moon
Hard to get into a week or so ago, but I started over, and once I realized that it was written by Elizabeth Moon I paid closer attention. Her signature style of very meticulous details was very much in evidence, and slow burned / built into a hell of a good story. Two rich kids and their bodyguard navigating a nasty space station. It was great!
• The Tenth Muse • (2009) • novelette by Tad Williams
Story was okay, the writing was great. I can see why Tad Williams is a well-esteemed author.
***
GR Personal Rating System:
5 ~ LOVED
4 ~ ENJOYED
3 ~ LIKED
2 ~ MEH
1 ~ NOPE
• Utriusque Cosmi • (2009) • novelette by Robert Charles Wilson
Interesting. Unsure if it was real or imagined? Great concepts of expansive time and space.
Update: this one has actually stuck with me.
• The Lost Princess Man • (2009) • novelette by John Barnes
This narrator is AMAZING. Tom Taylorson.
The story was okay, reminded me from time to time of Black Mirror or The Quantum Thief, but that latter might be due to the magnificence of the narrator.
• Defect • (2009) • novelette by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
I liked it. A mother/government assassin rescues her son and decides despite her coldness toward him previously to keep him by her side. Dark. But well written
• Inevitable • (2009) • novelette by Sean Williams
Very nice story about time loops and paradox. Well done.
• Chameleons • (2009) • novella by Elizabeth Moon
Hard to get into a week or so ago, but I started over, and once I realized that it was written by Elizabeth Moon I paid closer attention. Her signature style of very meticulous details was very much in evidence, and slow burned / built into a hell of a good story. Two rich kids and their bodyguard navigating a nasty space station. It was great!
• The Tenth Muse • (2009) • novelette by Tad Williams
Story was okay, the writing was great. I can see why Tad Williams is a well-esteemed author.
***
GR Personal Rating System:
5 ~ LOVED
4 ~ ENJOYED
3 ~ LIKED
2 ~ MEH
1 ~ NOPE
August 19, 2025
Catherynne M. Valente's "Space Oddity" continues the whimsical, genre-bending journey begun in "Space Opera". Following humanity's improbable survival of the Metagalactic Grand Prix, thanks to washed-up glam rock band Decibel Jones and the Absolute Zeroes, the sequel picks up with Decibel on a galactic victory tour. However, boredom strikes, leading to an accidental discovery of a new sentient species and, inevitably, another high-stakes round of the musical contest.
Valente's prose remains effervescent and playfully chaotic, packed with pop culture references and a unique brand of humor. While the early sections may feel like a slow burn as the narrative meanders through witty observations and universe-building, the latter half delivers a more linear and satisfying conclusion to the madcap adventure. Fans of humorous sci-fi with a strong dose of absurdity, akin to Douglas Adams or Jason Pargin, will likely appreciate Valente's imaginative world-building and hilarious take on galactic diplomacy.
Valente's prose remains effervescent and playfully chaotic, packed with pop culture references and a unique brand of humor. While the early sections may feel like a slow burn as the narrative meanders through witty observations and universe-building, the latter half delivers a more linear and satisfying conclusion to the madcap adventure. Fans of humorous sci-fi with a strong dose of absurdity, akin to Douglas Adams or Jason Pargin, will likely appreciate Valente's imaginative world-building and hilarious take on galactic diplomacy.
April 9, 2024
Like every collection, there's some stories that are great and others that aren't your cup of tea. The ones that succeeded here for me had a more immediacy of voice and did a good job of capturing characters. I really enjoyed:
- "To Go Bodly" by Corey Doctorow
- "Join the Navy and See the Worlds" by Brucet Sterling
- "Fearless Space Pirates of the Outer Rings" by Bill Willingham
- "Chameleons" by Elizabeth Moon
- "The Tale of the Wicked" by John Scalzi
- "Catastrophe Baker and a Canticle for Leibowitz" by Mike Resnick.
No suprise to see six of the biggest names of the mid 2000's rising to the top. But, overall, this anthology was a good showcase of where space opera was trending back then. It'd be interesting to see where Dozois and Strahan would guess the genre is going now.
- "To Go Bodly" by Corey Doctorow
- "Join the Navy and See the Worlds" by Brucet Sterling
- "Fearless Space Pirates of the Outer Rings" by Bill Willingham
- "Chameleons" by Elizabeth Moon
- "The Tale of the Wicked" by John Scalzi
- "Catastrophe Baker and a Canticle for Leibowitz" by Mike Resnick.
No suprise to see six of the biggest names of the mid 2000's rising to the top. But, overall, this anthology was a good showcase of where space opera was trending back then. It'd be interesting to see where Dozois and Strahan would guess the genre is going now.
June 6, 2020
70% Utriusque Cosmi / Robert Charles Wilson
70% Ostrov / Peter Watts
80% Události předcházející Helvetskému obrození / John Kessel
90% Putování mezi hvězdami / Cory Doctorow
90% Lovec princezen / John Barnes
100% Zběhnutí / Kristine Kathryn Rusch
60% Vzpoura mezi svými / Jay Lake
70% Skořápky / Neal Asher
80% Načas / Garth Nix
80% Nevyhnutelnost / Sean Williams
60 % Dej se k námořnictvu a uvidíš kus vesmíru / Bruce Sterling
70 % Nebojácní vesmírní piráti z vnějších prstenců / Bill Willingham
60 % Od srdce / John Meaney
90 % Chameleoni / Elizabeth Moon
60 % Desátá múza / Tad Williams
20 % Třeštivřesk / Justina Robson
90 % Příběh Šibalky / John Scalzi
70 % Katastrofa Baker a chvalozpěv na Leibowitze / Mike Resnick
20 % Vzdálený konec dějin / John Charles Wright
70% Ostrov / Peter Watts
80% Události předcházející Helvetskému obrození / John Kessel
90% Putování mezi hvězdami / Cory Doctorow
90% Lovec princezen / John Barnes
100% Zběhnutí / Kristine Kathryn Rusch
60% Vzpoura mezi svými / Jay Lake
70% Skořápky / Neal Asher
80% Načas / Garth Nix
80% Nevyhnutelnost / Sean Williams
60 % Dej se k námořnictvu a uvidíš kus vesmíru / Bruce Sterling
70 % Nebojácní vesmírní piráti z vnějších prstenců / Bill Willingham
60 % Od srdce / John Meaney
90 % Chameleoni / Elizabeth Moon
60 % Desátá múza / Tad Williams
20 % Třeštivřesk / Justina Robson
90 % Příběh Šibalky / John Scalzi
70 % Katastrofa Baker a chvalozpěv na Leibowitze / Mike Resnick
20 % Vzdálený konec dějin / John Charles Wright
May 29, 2025
There are 19 short stories here. An anthology of various authors is always a mixed bag as all are never your cup of hydraulic fluid, or rum. There were a few I didn't finish, some solid reads and then there were the best, or at least the ones I liked very much that I list below and these made this review 5 stars.
Chameleon by Elizabeth Moon is a real gem.
Fearless Space Pirates of the Outer Ring by Bill Willingham, now this is opera.
The Tale of the Wicked by John Scalzi was way outside any box.
Punctuality by Garth nix is a model of how a short story should be.
Defect by Kristine Rouch is also very good.
Chameleon by Elizabeth Moon is a real gem.
Fearless Space Pirates of the Outer Ring by Bill Willingham, now this is opera.
The Tale of the Wicked by John Scalzi was way outside any box.
Punctuality by Garth nix is a model of how a short story should be.
Defect by Kristine Rouch is also very good.
July 17, 2024
Not up to spec
This should have been a much better anthology than it became. Dozois and Strahan have been in this arena for a long time and have put out much better over many years. There are some very nice stories in here, but marred by a surprising sloppiness in execution. This was particularly painful in stories from authors that I KNOW consistently put out better, not just from those who more usually write fantasy. Not to mention a couple that I had a hard time viewing as Space Opera, which is after all, the theme.
This should have been a much better anthology than it became. Dozois and Strahan have been in this arena for a long time and have put out much better over many years. There are some very nice stories in here, but marred by a surprising sloppiness in execution. This was particularly painful in stories from authors that I KNOW consistently put out better, not just from those who more usually write fantasy. Not to mention a couple that I had a hard time viewing as Space Opera, which is after all, the theme.
did-not-finish
June 16, 2023Just didn't find the stories I listened to that interesting. Stopped on the 1st page of the Asher story. Of the earlier titles that I listened to, the Rauch story caught my attention the best and was the only one that actually held my attention.
Someday I may try the rest, since there are some upcoming authors that I have enjoyed in the past. But I just couldn't right now... to many other books I'd rather be reading.
Someday I may try the rest, since there are some upcoming authors that I have enjoyed in the past. But I just couldn't right now... to many other books I'd rather be reading.
August 6, 2025
This was a fun, rewarding read. There’s a ton of variety on these pages, so even the stinkers aren’t horrible because there’s always something different on its heels.
Sadly the sequel doesn’t live up to the quality from the original, making #2 here occasionally feel like the leftovers that didn’t quite make the first cut. That’s not to say this iteration is bad; it’s just a bit less impressive than its predecessor.
Sadly the sequel doesn’t live up to the quality from the original, making #2 here occasionally feel like the leftovers that didn’t quite make the first cut. That’s not to say this iteration is bad; it’s just a bit less impressive than its predecessor.
June 4, 2024
A decent collection of some interesting short stories. I really enjoyed Chameleons - that one was a lot of fun, and had some cool concepts. The Island, Utriusque Cosmi, and The Lost Princess Man were all interesting but still couldn't grab my full attention. Most of them tried to be too convoluted - layers within layers or excessive twists and turns, etc.
April 8, 2025
It is an anthology so you get a mix. Some of the stories were excellent, a couple I just didn't connect with at all. The introduction states that "space opera" is kind of hard to define. I would agree that most of these were not what I would consider "space opera" but some definitely were in what I define that bucket to be.
July 9, 2025
Far too many of these stories I found unreadable, or uninteresting. I thought 4 out of the 18 stories were OK, and none really good enough that I'll remember them. The number that were truly awful really overshadowed that.
About the only positive thing about this collection is that you can borrow it for free through Kindle Unlimited.
About the only positive thing about this collection is that you can borrow it for free through Kindle Unlimited.
April 14, 2021
This is a fascinating collection of stories, spanning the SF gamut through planetary romance, science fantasy, noir mystery, New Age, galactic saga, and more, including good old-fashioned Space Opera, as the title suggests. A good read.
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