Space Opera Fans discussion

One of the suggested topics for our Theme category is Adoption, as in someone adopting a member of another species. There are quite a few books that have this as a key point. I'm going to mention just a few of the ones I've thought of. Do you know of another good one?

Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein. I wouldn't call this space opera. Michael Valentine Smith was raised from infant to adulthood by Martians. We don't get any of the story of how the Martians raised him, and barely any of how he adjusted to meeting humans for the first time. We do get quite a bit of the culture shock part though.

Family Law by Mackey Chandler. The main character is (12? 13?) when her parents are killed while exploring a new planet. The girl and the parents' partner who is not human are the only survivors. The partner adopts the girl. When they return to civilization, there are multiple problems with both humans and aliens who refuse this arrangement. I enjoyed this series very much.

Citizen of the Galaxy by Robert A. Heinlein. Thorby is adopted twice in this Heinlein juvenile. I'm not sure whether those who adopt him count as aliens but they are definitely cultures he is lost in when adopted and when (view spoiler)[he finally returns to his home planet he has yet another culture shock (hide spoiler)]. This is one of my favorite of the Heinlein juveniles.

Have you read any of these? Or know of another on this theme?

Please note this thread is for discussion, not for nominations, although the amount of discussion that arises may impact whether we ever use Adoption as one of our theme topics.

My first thought is the movie, Enemy Mine, from 1985 starring Dennis Quaid and Louis Gossett Jr. I don't know if it was based on a book or short story, but I couldn't find any reference to such in the IMDB info.

Enemy Mine by Barry B. Longyear was one of the others I thought of too. It was originally published as a novella (well before the movie), then later expanded. At this point it's hard to tell which edition has parts that are novelization of the movie. It's been way too long since I've read that one, but my vague memories are likely from the original novella and seems to stop at the point where the alien child is still an infant. I could be completely mistaken there.

How far does the movie take it? My memories of that are even more vague.

Out of all that you just showed me which do you think is the best for me a Space Operas and good SiFi's lover?

I don't remember the name of the story but odds are it's a short story. Humans on a planet with alien species adopt some alien orphans. Humans are aghast at the way aliens treat their kids, with a lot of physical abuse. The adopted orphans are treated with kindness instead, and the aliens complain that the humans aren't raising them right. Orphans start declining in health. After aliens remove the orphans from the humans and start smacking them around regularly, the orphans' immune system starts working properly again.

One of those "don't judge an alien society by human rules" stories.

I did have Stranger in a strange land marked already as want to read.

BetterNot wrote: "Out of all that you just showed me which do you think is the best for me a Space Operas and good SiFi's lover?"
I suggest that you read or listen to free previews of any that sound interesting, and buy or borrow the ones that catch your interest. Taste in books is highly personal.

True, thanks for being honest.

Teresa wrote: "Enemy Mine by Barry B. Longyear was one of the others I thought of too. ... How far does the movie take it? My memories of that are even more vague."

My memories are not too clear on it either, but it seems to me the movie continued into the orphan's childhood, maybe to about age 10 or so.

Another oldie that I haven't read in decades: Cuckoo's Egg by C.J. Cherryh which I see is available as ebook in the omnibus The Deep Beyond: Cuckoo's Egg / Serpent's Reach.

I don't recall whether it was any good, but odds are it is. This one is a human raised by aliens, who apparently wasn't even told that there were others of his race.