Space Opera Fans discussion

What might be considered "classics" in this genre?

I'll bump this one because I need to put out my love for The Stars my Destination by Bester.

Mind-teleportation that changes everything, not only transportation. Evil corporations. Anti-hero at his angriest and most determined. Fast paced action (I was literally sweating while reading the escape scene from the prison). An ending that gives it a huge scope even though the plot didn’t look like it at first.

It’s been some years that I read it but I remember what stayed with me was the feeling that I just experienced something truly epic.

Hmm. Best of something is always so hard to define. So many people like so many different things.

Try Psychoshop by Alfred Bester

Here are a few other good ones:

The Warrior's Apprentice by Lois McMaster Bujold
Isle of the Dead by Roger Zelazny
Armor by John Steakley

If we are talking about older classics Foundation by Isaac Asimov seems to be a good place to start as any. (view spoiler)[Still attempting to finish this series actually but the first three books have been interesting. Especially the Foundation book 1, which seems certainly to be an origin type book that can be directly related to hundreds of later science fiction works. Certainly it's possible that I just haven't read any older books that also discuss complete city worlds for example. (hide spoiler)]

A good new Classic would be Jack Campbell's The Lost Fleet series. It was interesting in it's portrayal of what seemed like more realistic space warfare, with the added bonus of a love triangle.

I'll also second The Vorkosigan Saga. Bujold's style is playful and fun to read most of the time, and her stories remain grounded in character driven plots. I also really enjoyed Dan Simmons Hperion Cantos. I've only finished the first two books but plan on moving on to Endymion and The Rise of Endymion soon hopefully.

Classics ... Foundation series and Ender's series (later books in the series ... Ender's Game itself rather bored me at the time of release because I've just never been all that into video games)

Slightly newer 'classics' would be anything by Jack Campbell, David Brin and Larry Niven.

It took me a second run to get into Ender's Game. Like many great Sci-Fi it’s not really about the science but about the personal journey of our hero. The pressure that kept rising with every game, that almost cracked him, and how he coped with it was nicely captured. Also the twist at the end was great.

I think this book is even more relevant today with all the drone killings and fear mongering.

The Kris Longknife series Mutineer might fit here, it's military space opera. Mike Shepherd is a cool guy, he's the author, met him at Orycon SciFi Book Convention. Great conversationalist

Foundation series and the Dune books. I didn't mind some of the stuff written by Brian Herbert such as the Houses of Dune and the Butlerian jihad but it wasn't as good as his dad's work.

Yes definitely Foundation series and Dune

For all the Dune fans out there have you read the book that tied it for the Hugo award in 1966? It's mildly space opera (post apocalypse earth, plus aliens) but This Immortal by Roger Zelazny is a fantastic book.

The Foundation series seems to improve each time I read it, and I thought it was great to begin with.

How about David Weber? On Basilisk Station is the first Honor Harrington book and really good space opera, although The Honor of the Queen (HH2) is my favorite of the series.

I agree with Paul, I'm currently reading the Honor Harrington Series (just finished Honor of the Queen) and I couldn't put it down! I finished it in one night. It well written and one of few strong female characters.
My two other series are the Old Man's war series as well as the Kris Longknife series.

I add my vote for Honor Harrington and Foundation. Although I wonder if Foundation is really space opera.

Betsy wrote: "Although I wonder if Foundation is really space opera."

The later ones are, especially when they start to merge back in with the I, Robot series.

I'm a Foundation fan. Dune was great but I got bogged down in the details. I want the story to move at a reasonable pace.

Just my opinion.

Ray wrote: "I'm a Foundation fan. Dune was great but I got bogged down in the details. I want the story to move at a reasonable pace...."

I know what you mean about Dune, especially the first one where I think Frank Herbert must have describe 500 different ways to recoup water from your sweat, your bad breath, your armpits and your pee. Every ... chance ... he got! Ewwwww!!! But I'm an epic-anything fan, so I enjoyed it nonetheless. :-)

Uhh I have a list of the most influencial sci-fi I keep I'll put down the space opera ones only.

Galactic Patrol by E.E. "Doc" Smith
*Origin of the crazy over the top arms races.
*Origin of Jedi Knights/Green Lanterns

Foundation(1951) by Isaac Asimov

Dune(1965) by Frank Herbert
*In many ways Sci-fi's LOTR, in terms of sheer impressive length at the time, and really helping to make sci-fi more mainstream.

Space Battleship Yamoto aka Starblazers(1974)
* The most literal wet navy in space ever made. With the series basically being a sci-fi retelling of the pacific front in WWII.
* Basically the inspiration for Mobile Suit Gundam, which spawned the real-type mecha genre.

Star Wars (1977)
* Hugely formative in making sci-fi main stream.
* Extended Universe

Newer classics? that will probably be refered too later.

Shards of Honour (1986) by Lois McMaster Bujold
* Fantasically well written series, and probably the first Space Opera with books in the series that I would put under Romance.
* Probably pointed to as the first great Romantic Space Opera.

On Basilisk Station (1992) by David Weber
* Hornblower in space.
* Heavy politics, higher fleet level strategy, and a slowly increasing tech curve. David Weber's series is the first that I know of that gives off 100% pure space opera feel. Others such as The Lost Fleet series have come by later.



I don't think Ender's Game is really Space Opera more doomsday/dystopian.

I'm a big fan of R.M. Meluch, and her "Tour of the Merrimack" series.

Epic space opera that reads like a cross between Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica, and I, Claudius.

I always liked Sovereign by R.M. Meluch great space opera.

I think these responses have done a good job listing the classic space operas that I'm familiar with. I'll have to look into a couple I wasn't familiar with.

I also wanted to mention David Drake's RCN series, I'm only a little ways into it, but it reads like space opera to me.

Here's the first book in the series:
With the Lightnings

Another one that I thought of, although I'm not sure if it can truly be classified as space opera, as most of it takes place on a single planet:
March Upcountry

No love for Toby Frost and his wonderfully silly Space Captain Smith series?

I love the Honor Harrington, Vorkosigan, Hospital Station, the Ben Bova Grand Tour series, Jack McDevitt's Academy series...

Ronnie wrote: "No love for Toby Frost and his wonderfully silly Space Captain Smith series?"
Oh yeah, the "Sector General" series is great. :)

Yeah, Ronnie, I sure wish they were available for the Kindle/Audible

Kirsten wrote: "Yeah, Ronnie, I sure wish they were available for the Kindle/Audible"

Well, James White passed away in 1999, and I believe all the "Sector General" novels are out of print.

Kirsten wrote: "I love the Honor Harrington, Vorkosigan, Hospital Station, the Ben Bova Grand Tour series, Jack McDevitt's Academy series..."

Ohh man Grand Tour was so up and down for me.

The Rock Rat Books, 2 of the moon ones, and Titan were pretty darn good though.

Someday I will read David Drakes series...someday

Ronnie wrote: "Well, James White passed away in 1999, and I believe all the "Sector General" novels are out of print..."

I found them! Sector General novels:

http://www.amazon.com/James-White/e/B...

Cool some of them are in Kindle! (Not Sector General though, had to order that through Better World Books.)

Pandoras Star
Revelation Space
Dune
God Emperor of Dune
A Fire Upon the Deep

God Emperor of Dune ... now that's a book I haven't heard of in a while.

My votes would go for:
1. Foundation Series by Isaac Asimov
2. The Honor Harrington Series by David Weber
3. The Lensman Series by E. E. 'Doc' Smith
4. The Sector General Series by James White
5. John Grimes Series by A. Bertram Chandler

Anna wrote: "God Emperor of Dune ... now that's a book I haven't heard of in a while."

My favourite of the 6 Dune books! Also the least space-operaish of them. Kind of a black sheep of the series.

Catseye by Andre Norton - one of the first Sci-fi books I ever read!

It might not be classic, because it's relatively new, but one of my favourites is the Paradox series by Rachel Bach (starting with Fortune's Pawn).

That was also the very first science fiction novel I ever read! Of course then I had to read all of her books LOL...

I have to second the Paradox series. It was a great read!!

Hyperion cantos by Dan Simmons Hyperion
Zones of thought by Vernor Vinge A Fire Upon the Deep

I enjoyed The Reality Dysfunction by Peter F. Hamilton, but then again I do love me a good doorstopper.

I think people have named a lot of the classics of the genre already but for newer books that should become classics i nominate Light by M. John Harrison or Excession by Iain M. Banks.

Brendan wrote: "I think people have named a lot of the classics of the genre already but for newer books that should become classics..."

Yes! Let's push New Space Opera! I recommend Alastair Reynolds' Revelation Space (and sequels).

James S.A. Corey 's expanse series Leviathan Wakes wasn't bad either.

As far as Space Opera goes, I am in love with The Ender Saga (all 14 of those books, inclusing the Ender's Shadow series).

My favorite has always and will always be Star Wars - at least the ones prior to the whole "All the Expanded Universe Books you've read don't exist anymore" stuff. The first 2 books of the new "official cannon" haven't impressed me.

As far as indy books go though, I have to say I was pretty impressed by Midshipman Henry Gallant in Space. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

Brendan wrote: "Anna wrote: "God Emperor of Dune ... now that's a book I haven't heard of in a while."

My favourite of the 6 Dune books! Also the least space-operaish of them. Kind of a black sheep o..."

The Dune Series is excellent, and I even love the ones that Kevin J. Anderson and Brian Herbert did (they haven't done one in a while, have they?)

I liked Dune, even the latter ones that people bashed.

Anna wrote: "I liked Dune, even the latter ones that people bashed."

Yeah... those are good too. They need to make a decent movie for them though I think. The ones that Sci-Fi Channel (yes, I know it's Syfy now, but when they did it they were still able to spell) did a few years ago were okay. But those books weren't meant to be produced on TV.

Man. That's hard. Dune, Chronicles of the Lensmen, Volume 1, and Ringworld tend to be my top 3. Classic man myself. But I DO like Vinge, Reynolds, and a few others to fill out my tastes.

Joey wrote: "Man. That's hard. Dune, Chronicles of the Lensmen, Volume 1, and Ringworld tend to be my top 3. Classic man myself. But I DO like Vinge, Reynolds, and a fe..."

Oh man. I can't believe I forgot Niven... I love Ringworld too!

I love Ringworld but I found that the sequels got progressively sillier as the series went on.

James wrote: "Joey wrote: "Man. That's hard. Dune, Chronicles of the Lensmen, Volume 1, and Ringworld tend to be my top 3. Classic man myself. But I DO like Vinge, Reyno..."

Ya. Known Space is up there with Banks' Culture as my favorite Space 'verses'.

Actually I also really, really, love The Integral Trees for a slice of Space Opera novel by Niven. It's a great snapshot of a 'lost world'.

Brendan, I agree. Much like Dune. The first novel is the best and stands well enough alone.