SciFi and Fantasy eBook Club discussion

I recently finished reading/reviewing Space Race I: Solar Flare which is a fairly good "Space Opera" (well, kinda), and I got to thinking how wide the space opera sub-genre can be.

I've been reading science fiction for around 60 years and space operas are one of my favorite "flavors". I've read a lot of them, from E. E. "Doc" Smith's classic Lensman series to John Bower's recent Fighter Queen saga.

I was wondering: what space opera(s) have YOU read that you really enjoyed?

NO, not your own novel, something written by someone else. This is for readers, not authors. Authors can participate AS READERS, but this isn't a place to promote your own stuff.

I just picked up an anthology entitled simply enough Space Opera edited by Rich Horton. It's a collection with authors including Una McCormack, Alastair Reynolds and Elizabeth Bear. I haven't started it yet, but it's on my short list.

Geoffrey wrote: "I just picked up an anthology entitled simply enough Space Opera edited by Rich Horton. It's a collection with authors including Una McCormack, [auth..."

Interesting, but what space opera have you READ that floated your boat?

Not sure if Ian Rankin series comes into that genre but his complex world is good sci-fi. There are Heinlen's loosely linked stories which have space in them but they are more planet opera same with Asimov's Foundation or Herbert's Dune. In the end I am struggling to find a series I really liked that is a true space opera like Star Trek but maybe more serious.

One of my favorites in recent years was House of Suns by Alastair Reynolds. Another series that ranks up there for completely different reasons are The Golden Age of The Solar Clipper series by Nathan Lowell.

Yeah, I've always really considered Dune to be space opera. It's pretty much all on the one planet, but its scope is galaxy wide.

Other than that, I've been an avid reader of the "new" space operas, especially those coming out of the UK scene: Alastair Reynolds's Revelation Space works, Iain M. Bank's Culture series, Peter F. Hamilton's Night's Dawn Trilogy.

But I've never read any of the old space operas.

A lot depends upon the definition of "space opera", but I don't really want to get into that. If you think it's a space opera and it involves space and some means of transportation, it can probably be included here.

Dune is a favorite of mine (not the follow-on books), and I guess it has at least one space opera scene in it (the trip from Paul's home to Arakis).

Lensmen series is probably my favorite. Galactic Patrol the best of the series.

Paul wrote: "Lensmen series is probably my favorite. Galactic Patrol the best of the series."

I absolutely loved that series! I still re-read it on occasion (it's in my library). Definitely "dated", but for this old foggy, it takes me back to my youth.

I enjoyed Simon R. Green's Deathstalker series, but it's been almost 20 years since I read it.

Seems the sub-genre is ripe for a new take - I'll get scribbling

Philip: Don't tell us what YOU are going to write. Tell us what you've read that you like (by someone else).

I enjoyed the Quadrail series by Timothy Zahn -- not deep, just a fun series.

Al wrote: "Philip: Don't tell us what YOU are going to write. Tell us what you've read that you like (by someone else)."

Paul mentioned Lensmen and I previously mentioned Dune. The Space Opera signifies a series as opposed to a one off. How about Ben Bova stories

Philip wrote: "The Space Opera signifies a series as opposed to a one off. How about Ben Bova stories"

A series????

Here's the Wikipedia definition: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_opera (Yes, I stooped to looking it up -- very un-manly of me because "real men" never read the instructions).

Philip wrote: "How about Ben Bova stories "

I assume you mean the Bolo stories???? Good selection. Some of the later stuff written by other authors don't ring my bell, but Bova's versions got my attention.

I thought those were Keith Laumer?

Didn't know Bova did any. Have to check them out.

Yes on Ben Bova, although I liked his Mars and Colony works

Having now checked your link for the definition I see it mentions some cyber-punk elements which strikes me as moving away from the space theme. Of recent work I'll come back to Iain Bank's Culture although I made the mistake of dropping in mid-series. The setting makes it really hard to follow at first.
Not sure about the romantic element except of course the romantic period like pirates or wild west.
Is there something else I have missed is the only difference with these stories the space setting?

Is adding Arthur C Clarke's 2001, and sequels a space opera?

It would seem from the wikipedia "definition" and conversation, that "space opera" encompasses a lot more than I thought it did. Any large theme SF story would seem to qualify (which answers our earlier question about Dune).

I'd not made the tie-in to the term "soap opera" that seemed to be the original entomology behind the term. Thank Heaven that we've gotten beyond that and more or less redefined the originally coined term.

Paul wrote: "I thought those were Keith Laumer?

Didn't know Bova did any. Have to check them out."

I stand, sitting here, corrected. My ossified brain once got the notion that Bova wrote the original Bolo series and I can't seem to repair the mental link. Probably because both "Bova" and "Bolo" are 4-letter words that start with "B".

You are, of course, correct.

The Vorkosigan saga counts, yes? That would be my favorite. I enjoyed Dune a lot too, but my memory of it is certainly soured by its sequels