Space Opera Fans discussion

This thread is for nominations for READER category for October 2025.

READER books need to be
* currently in print in either hardback or paperback (or both). Requiring a special order from a store or website counts, but not if the book is only available used.
* currently available in multiple ebook formats, from multiple vendors
* Space Opera, which means a spaceship has to be involved in the story somewhere.
* If it is part of a series, it needs to be suitable to being read without having read other books in the series.
* Please no blatantly erotic books, as some of our members are not full adults yet.

RULES:
* you may nominate one book on this thread.
* you may second as many nominations as you like on this thread.
* it is okay to nominate the same book on more than one nomination thread, as long as it meets the criteria
* books we already have on our bookshelf will be disqualified if they were added less than two years ago
* If a book you nominate or second is selected, you are expected to post at least one comment about it on the thread about the book.
* On the 22nd I will draw a book randomly, with each second being one raffle ticket for the book. That is, a book with three seconds (so four of us want it) will get three chances in the pool.

It is likely helpful if you know something about a book that has been nominated if you mention it in this thread, whether it is for or against the book.

I'd like to nominate Echoes of Extinction by Sean Robins; its described as "An action-packed military space opera featuring explosive space battles and heroes worth rooting for.

One man must lead the charge in the name of humanity.

When a mysterious bio-weapon devastates Earth, Major Ethan Irons has only one goal: protecting his wife and son. But survival turns into vengeance when the culprits—a vicious reptilian race—drag what's left of humanity into an interstellar war they never saw coming.

Outgunned and outnumbered, Ethan is thrust into the center of a galaxy-spanning conflict, armed with little more than his grit, a sardonic AI sidekick, and a handful of uneasy alien allies. If he’s going to save humanity, he’ll need to outwit warlords, navigate twisted alien politics, and lead a crew of misfits into battle against impossible odds.

Will Ethan spark humanity’s comeback—or witness its final extinction?

Echoes of Extinction will transport you to a richly detailed universe filled with complex alien cultures, advanced technologies, characters so real you'll feel their triumphs and losses as your own, and plot twists you'll never see coming."

Some information about the author, in his own words -

I’m a university/college-level English teacher, and including Canada, I’ve lived and worked in six different countries. I’ve met people from all around the world, which is probably why my characters look like the bridge crew from Star Trek (They are from US, Germany, Canada, Cuba, Mexico, Russia, Japan, and Ukraine, plus a couple of aliens and an AI). One of my female characters even impersonated Uhura once, albeit posthumously.

I’m a huge Marvel (plus Star Trek, Star Wars, Battlestar Galactica, and Stargate) fan, which shows since my novels are loaded with pop culture references. If you are a sci-fi fan (I assume that you are), you’ll enjoy them tremendously. Moreover, while the books aren’t comedies, I can guarantee a few laugh-out-loud moments.

My favorite author is Jim Butcher (The Dresden Files), which is probably how I ended up writing in a first-person POV with the same light-hearted, funny tone as he does.

With apologies if I offend anyone, but many of the nominations and seconds this year have come - with the exception of Caitlin - from more mature group members. Speaking for myself, there is probably a tendency to nominate books/authors in my comfort zone, yet there are some fantastic YA SF books out there - its just that I'm not sufficiently aware of them.

There's a YA thread within the group and I'm hoping that some of our younger members will nominate some YA space opera options for our October read. I promise that if there are any YA nominations for October I will definitely second one of them.

We last read Frontier Incursion in 2019. It should probably go in Limited not Reader. I’ve read that trilogy several times. YA.

I nominate Friends Indeed by David Weber. This is YA but should be suitable for a wider audience, including those of us who are more mature. There is travel between Sphinx and Manticore so I believe it meets our Space Opera criteria.

Audrey wrote: "I nominate Friends Indeed by David Weber. This is YA but should be suitable for a wider audience, including those of us who are more mature. There is travel between ..."

So it looks like we can have YA nominations in both LIMITED and READER categories. I will keep my promise to second a YA nomination, but I'll hold off until nearer the close in case there are further nominations (and in the hope that one of them will be less than the 560 pages of Friends Indeed).

I read Friends Indeed earlier this year. It’s #5 in the series that starts with A Beautiful Friendship which we have discussed before but we haven’t discussed at least some of the other books. I’m not sure how well this book would work as a standalone and I won’t be rereading it this year, but if it is chosen I’ll comment on the thread.

John: the main human character in this book is 16 and 17, so this probably counts as YA.

I read Friends Indeed last month and enjoyed it but I'm not sure I would categorize it as YA. Just because the main characters are teenagers doesn't make it YA. It has a more complex plot and scope than I usually associate with YA. I also don't think it works that well as a standalone. You really need to have read the other books and short stories in the series to understand a lot of the references in this one. And you probably need to have read at least some of the other books in the Honorverse to understand the references to the Alignment. With those limitations, I recommend it. But not seconding.

Betsy wrote: "I read Friends Indeed last month and enjoyed it but I'm not sure I would categorize it as YA. Just because the main characters are teenagers doesn't make it YA. It has a more compl..."

The criteria for YA seems rather flexible. David Weber posted on Facebook on August 2, "I am happy and honored to announce that Friends Indeed is a finalist for the Dragon Award in the YA category." I threw it out there because I started to read it and it looked like it might fit into what the group was trying to accomplish. But I have read the other books in the series, so if our group doesn't think it fits unless the other books were read first, that's fine.

I strongly suspect that a reader new to the series could still enjoy the book, but would likely be asking questions in the thread, if we chose Friends.

Summary so far:
Echoes of Extinction by Sean Robins. Nominated by John. Awaiting seconds.
Friends Indeed by David Weber. Nominated by Audrey. Awaiting seconds.

Please speak up if I missed your second.

I'm hoping that we get another YA nomination in the next couple of days. If Friends Indeed remains the only one by the last day, I will keep my promise, and will second it. (But I have to add that I won't read it nor therefore will I comment in the thread).

Nope. If you nominate or second you are required to post at least one comment about the book. Even if it’s just based on the free preview.

Mmmm.....Would a comment of "I haven't actually read this because its the fifth book in a series (where I havent read any others in the series) and I'm not sure if it's really YA" be acceptable?

My 2 cents: You really shouldn't second a book if you have no intention of reading it. I don't think most people would hold you to your promise.

I nominate Star Wars: Outbound Flight

Summary so far:
Echoes of Extinction by Sean Robins. Nominated by John. Awaiting seconds.
Friends Indeed by David Weber. Nominated by Audrey. Awaiting seconds.
Star Wars: Outbound Flight by Timothy Zahn. Nominated by Joseph. Awaiting seconds.

I will second Star Wars: Outbound Flight by Timothy Zahn, I've always wanted to dip into the Star Wars expanded universe but where to start? So why not here! This novel has some great reviews and Timothy Zahn is well versed in writing Star Wars novels....in a galaxy far, far, away ....

I will second Outbound Flight as well.

Summary so far:
Echoes of Extinction by Sean Robins. Nominated by John. Awaiting seconds.
Friends Indeed by David Weber. Nominated by Audrey. Awaiting seconds.
Star Wars: Outbound Flight by Timothy Zahn. Nominated by Joseph. Seconded by Paul and Brandon.

Nominations will close tomorrow. Barring further seconds our pick will be Star Wars: Outbound Flight.

Nominations are now closed. Our October pick is Star Wars: Outbound Flight