Space Opera Fans discussion

Greetings Space Opera Fans!

It's that time of the month to nominate what space opera books we'd like to read as a group in May. Since Anna, our fearless leader, is still jammed, I'm trying to cover for her with a slightly diminished reading schedule. We're going to skip the YA selection for the time being. Up this month we have the following categories:

READER PICK: Dead trees is where it's at for the Reader Pick, which should be widely available in both paperback and ebook at most chain bookstores and public libraries. Books can't be exclusive to Kindle Unlimited since we're a global community.

INDIE PICK: This is for those newer, edgier books where the author has to do it all. Books that have been published by a micropress that helps you upload the thing, but YOU otherwise do the work and marking are okay, or if you got your backlist back, still qualify.

There has been some discussion of a third category, but that's still up in the air.

Drop your nomination into the thread below and, on the first of the month (or so), we'll spin it through Random.org to pick two brand new group reads.

Betsy

P.S. - drive-by spam nominations not allowed, so if you're not an active member, we reserve the right to disqualify anything fishy

Reader Pick: The January Dancer by Michael Flynn

Indie: Scout's Honor by Henry Vogel

Indie book: Rajani Chronicles I: Stone Soldiers by me. ☺

Reader pick: Deathstalker by Simon R. Green

Reader Pick: The Greatship by Robert Reed

Operation: Outer Space! by Murray Leinster
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6...

I would say Red Rising by Pierce Brown. I dont know if its been suggested before or not I usually do not participate in group reads.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

For the Indie book id have to say The Atlantis Gene was a fantastic one by A.G Riddle

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...

The Fortress at the End of Time by Joe M. McDermott

Reader pick: Leviathan Wakes

Indie pick: Broken Worlds https://www.amazon.com/BROKEN-WORLDS-...

Reader Pick -


Indie Pick -

Indie Pick, if I may try again:

Run from the Stars


Fed up with post-apo? Had enough of gritty squalour? Instead meet an action heroine who looks stunning in designer evening wear but can total the baddies with her bare hands. Thrill as Jane dances the night away with a small atomic weapon tucked down the front of her dress. Watch in wonder as she enjoys any number of romantic candlelit dinners without gaining weight. Gasp as she wins a fleet exercise single-handed by bending the rules close to breaking point.

It's space opera. It's romance. It's Jane.

Reader's Pick: I don't know if this is allowed or not, but I would like to nominate my own boos for consideration. Hegira book one of The Brin Archives, and Recusant book two of The Brin Archives.

Jim wrote: "Reader's Pick: I don't know if this is allowed or not, but I would like to nominate my own boos for consideration. Hegira book one of The Brin Archives, and Recusant book two of The Brin Archives."

Jim, wouldn't this book be considered an indie selection? Added the goodreads book link here... Hegira

Prof. wrote: "I would say Red Rising by Pierce Brown. I dont know if its been suggested before or not I usually do not participate in group reads. "

We read Red Rising for December 2014.

Tor.com wrote: "The Fortress at the End of Time by Joe M. McDermott"

We're reading The Fortress at the End of Time this month.

Drew wrote: "Reader pick: Leviathan Wakes"

We read Leviathan Wakes for November 2014.

David Weber Safehold series

These get my vote:

Six Wakes by Mur Lafferty

or

The Collapsing Empire by John Scalzi

or

Pilot X by Tom Merritt

Nick wrote: "These get my vote:

Six Wakes by Mur Lafferty or The Collapsing Empire by John Scalzi or Pilot X by Tom Merritt"

Nick, you may only nominate one book per category. Since it looks like all of these are Reader Picks, you can only nominate one of them. Unless you want to specify one of the others, I will use The Collapsing Empire.

Nick, you may only no..."

My apologies. The Collapsing Empire is fine. Thanks!

Prof. wrote: "For the Indie book id have to say The Atlantis Gene was a fantastic one by A.G Riddle"

The Atlantis Gene looks really interesting, but I'm not sure it qualifies as space opera, even with a broad definition. It doesn't seem to have anything to do with space. Am I wrong?

Here's what we have so far:

READER PICK:

The January Dancer
Deathstalker
The Greatship
Operation: Outer Space
Thrawn
Off Armageddon Reef
The Collapsing Empire

INDIE PICK:

Scout's Honor
Stone Soldiers
The Druid Gene
Run from the Stars
Hegira

Indie: The Reality Thief by Paul Anlee
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...

A supra-natural, hard sci-fi technothriller. If you love intergalactic intrigue and paradigm-shifting ideas, the Deplosion series is for you.

Darian Leigh was an accident, a brilliant accident with a lattice-augmented brain. When he invents the Reality Assertion Field generator, a device that can alter the universal laws of physics, he sets ablaze the worlds of science, religion, and politics. Will Darian’s invention be a magnanimous gift to humanity or will it bring about its demise? Mired in conspiracy, betrayal, and murder, the struggle will rage for eons...

In the far future, a self-appointed Living God uses the device to unleash His Divine Plan on an unsuspecting Realm. His diabolical scheme? To collapse all of creation and remake it in His personal image of heaven. When a Cybrid rebel and an enigmatic traveler from beyond the edge of the universe stumble onto His plan, they must stand against Him or be consumed along with the rest of reality. What would you be willing to sacrifice to ensure the survival of the universe? What if it meant giving up paradise?

Reader Pick: second The Collapsing Empire. Read synopsis and comments; looks well worth a try

We're a little short of Indie nominations. Is no one going to nominate The Alliance this month?

Indy pick: Milk Run by Nathan Lowell

Prof. wrote: "I would say Red Rising by Pierce Brown. I dont know if its been suggested before or not I usually do not participate in group reads.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1......"

If it hasn't been suggested before it should have been! (apologies but I'm not sure of what has or hasn't been previously suggested)
Red Rising is indeed a brilliant book...

Allan wrote: "Prof. wrote: "I would say Red Rising by Pierce Brown. I dont know if its been suggested before or not I usually do not participate in group reads.

If it hasn't been suggested before it should have been!"

Allan, see message 15.

I'm new here and perhaps too late, but I'd like to nominate H. Beam Piper's the Cosmic Computer.

I just want to point out that the Safehold series (Off Armageddon Reef) is NOT Space Opera. The *backstory* is Space Opera, but Weber dispenses with that in less than a page. The entire rest of the series is about an android left over from the prologue who is living in the equivalent of the mid-1700s, complete with a Spanish Inquisition analogue.

Weber's Honor Harrington series has been described as "Horatio Hornblower in space", but in the Safehold series he replaces "space" with "alien planet."

So anyone picking that up expecting a Star Trek/Star Wars/BSG type of story is going to be terribly disappointed. Aside from the ancient android, the highest tech they have is bigger cannons on their ships... which the android designed.

That's one reason I never felt much desire to read it, though I'm generally a Weber fan.

That's the thing about planetary romance, it can stand a much lower level of tech

The selections for May 2017, select by the inimital Randomizer.Org, are:

Thrawn, at the following thread:

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

The Druid Gene at the following thread:

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...