Dubuque Virtual Book Club discussion

Join us on Saturday, December 12th as we discuss our favorites from the Space Opera genre from 1-2:30 p.m. Can't make the discussion, share your favorites here!

I might be able to make it, but if not - I loved the Paradox trilogy by Rachel Bach.

A lot of fun, dramatic, some humor. Tough, tough female protaganist. I really enjoyed these books.

I agree, Angela! This was the first thing I thought of. Such a great series!

I started reading Fortune's Pawn, but it was due back to the library before I finished it and I just never got back to it. It definitely had a fun start and was very readable!

Personally, my current favorite is probably Saga, Volume 1. It's weird and creative and maybe too sweepingly epic and gross, but still beautiful and full of heart.

My introduction to space opera was the Exordium series (first book The Phoenix in Flight). It's an older series (1980s), but there were some great kick-butt women, so teen me loved them.

I no longer understand what "space opera" means. I understand that Star Wars is a space opera, but then I see the term applied to very different things. For example, I just read Ancillary Sword, third in the Ann Leckie Ancillary series. I've seen that series referred to as space opera and I just don't understand. Help!

Saga is on my TBR... not that that seems to mean much these days.

Precise rules for any genre are messy because there's always some instinct to... color outside the lines, so to speak. Things start as a description of a trend, become a list of rules, and then people break those rules (intentionally or no) and everything becomes muddled.

Very generally put, space opera are those really big stories (galaxy spanning!), where the stakes are very high (the fate of the universe!), and the science part of the science fiction is more hand waving (warp speed!) or even outright space magic (use the force!) than it is hard science (actual physics).

Ann Leckie's Ancillary series fits because it takes many familiar space opera elements or tropes, and then puts a bit of a new spin on things. The lines between good and evil might be blurry, but you always know who the hero is.