# Itching for a Good Space Opera...



## TiffanyMonroe (Jul 7, 2012)

Does anyone have any space opera suggestions? I'm not looking for anything super scientific, so more science-fantasy. I'd like ships, maybe some combat, but nothing overly heady. I get enough of that from my classes. =-)


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## Chad Winters (Oct 28, 2008)

these are 3 of my favorites light sc-fi available free from the Baen free library (the sequels of course are not free) but I like their system
http://www.baenebooks.com/p-304-on-basilisk-station.aspx
http://www.baenebooks.com/p-595-agent-of-change.aspx
http://www.baenebooks.com/p-469-with-the-lightnings.aspx

Fun action: 

Fantastic but not quite as light: 

military sci-fi that was very good:


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

An excellent but rather old fashioned series is The John Grimes Adventures, by A. Bertram Chandler.  A more contemporary option is the work of Elizabeth Moon, notably the Vatta's War series or The Serrano Legacy series.  All available on Kindle.


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## Chad Winters (Oct 28, 2008)

The Hooded Claw said:


> An excellent but rather old fashioned series is The John Grimes Adventures, by A. Bertram Chandler. A more contemporary option is the work of Elizabeth Moon, notably the Vatta's War series or The Serrano Legacy series. All available on Kindle.


Good call I love Moon


This is a omnibus of the Serrano Trilogy:


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## johnlmonk (Jul 24, 2013)

Woo hoo, you should check out David Feintuch.  Midshipman's Hope.  Wonderful first book in a series.  Was an "international bestseller"   Worth it too.  Very space opera, super story.  Everyone I've ever given it to has read them all.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Try Michael Hicks _In Her Name_ series. Start with the Redemption Trilogy: 

That edition is the full trilogy in 3 books.

Subsequently, he wrote a trilogy about how the Humans and the Kreelan made First contact (The Last War) and then a series set even earlier that explains why the Kreelan culture/society is the way it is (First Empress). Waiting impatiently for the 3rd in that series. 

_The Last War_ trilogy has the most in the way of combat and space ships.

Mr. Hicks is one of the very early members of Kboards and still pops 'round now and then.


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## Tony Rabig (Oct 11, 2010)

And if you'd like old-fashioned, try E. E. 'Doc' Smith's Skylark series and Lensman series. Haven't read much space opera since high school mumble-mumble years ago, but if it helps any, I recall Edmond Hamilton's _Outside the Universe_ and _Crashing Suns_ being a lot of fun; also maybe John Campbell's _The Black Star Passes_ and _Invaders from the Infinite_.


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## MariaESchneider (Aug 1, 2009)

Elizabeth Moon and Bujold for sure (already mentioned above).  The first few Honor Harrington books are quite good.  I also liked John Scalzi's Old Man's War.    Stephen Goldin has some good ones-- Jade Darcy and the Zen Pirates (I think that might be book 2).


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## brianjanuary (Oct 18, 2011)

Another older author is Keith Laumer--a master of the genre and very entertaining!


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## Chad Winters (Oct 28, 2008)

Not available on Kindle but this series defined light space opera for me


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

As far as I'm concerned, the best spaceships are in Iain M. Banks's "Culture" series. A bit of a running gag throughout most of the series are the names of the ships (which are generally self-aware, highly intelligent entities of their own), culminating in the latest (and last, unfortunately) novel, _The Hydrogen Sonata_, with this mouthful: "Mistake Not My Current State Of Joshing Gentle Peevishness For The Awesome And Terrible Majesty Of The Towering Seas Of Ire That Are Themselves The Milquetoast Shallows Fringing My Vast Oceans Of Wrath". (It usually just goes by "Mistake Not...".)

These books probably require a bit more mental investment by the reader than the lighter variety of space opera novels, however. Also, my favorite, _Excession_, is not available for Kindle (at least in the US).


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## Avis Black (Jun 12, 2012)

I recommend Hunter of Worlds by CJ Cherryh. It's my personal favorite among her books, and it's included in this compilation:



Her Chanur series is also good, but it doesn't seem to be out on Kindle at this point.


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## Saffron (May 22, 2013)

I love grand space operas by writers like Kim Stanley Robinson (Galileo's Dream) or tales by A. A. Attanasio, but here I'd like to mention a space opera for YA.

It's Space Orville by Jeff Whelan. I believe it's his first novel and it's on Kindle.

The writing is imaginative and the use of language extremely original, especially the verbs he invents.

It's a wonderful read.


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## MariaESchneider (Aug 1, 2009)

Thought of another author -- Mark Van Name  Good series.


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## kansaskyle (Sep 14, 2010)

I enjoyed the first few books of Lois McMaster Bujold's Vorkosigan Saga.

I also liked Randolph Lalonde's Spinward Fringe series. You can get the first book Origins (Spinward Fringe) for free.


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## jamesmonaghan (Oct 22, 2010)

I second the Honor Harrington series, some of the best military space opera out there. I've recently started reading the Lost Fleet series which is quite good so far. Some great suggestions!


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## kks3321 (Mar 11, 2013)

Try Alastair Reynolds. To me his novel Revelation Space defines the space opera genre.


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## Chad Winters (Oct 28, 2008)

jamesmonaghan said:


> I second the Honor Harrington series, some of the best military space opera out there. I've recently started reading the Lost Fleet series which is quite good so far. Some great suggestions!


Lost Fleet is good, he also wrote a "JAG in Space" series that was really good. 

I enjoyed  which was a slower paced, life in space kind of book. No space battles, but merchanter ships dealing with life in space


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## Chad Winters (Oct 28, 2008)

Huh, I loved Old Man's War, but I don't see any similarity to Avatar at all. 

There isn't even an avatar aspect.


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## Thomas Watson (Mar 8, 2012)

Peter F. Hamilton's _The Night's Dawn Trilogy _ might suit you.


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## Craig Allen (Apr 2, 2011)

I'll second E.E. Doc Smith. Triplanetary is currently free on kindle.


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## O_o (Aug 6, 2013)

Any of the culture novels by Iain M Banks - all are fantastic  

Don't know if it counts as space opera, but the Hyperion books by Dan Simmons are all kinds of awesome


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## Craig Allen (Apr 2, 2011)

KRGriffiths said:


> Don't know if it counts as space opera, but the Hyperion books by Dan Simmons are all kinds of awesome


The Hyperion Cantos is very good. I'd also recommend Ilium and Olympos, also by Dan Simmons.


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## Chris Northern (Jan 20, 2011)

I remember Icerigger by Alan Dean Foster very fondly. I think there were two more in that series, and there are many more set in the same future history world. Some are better than others. Midworld also stands out.


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## Greg McCabe (Sep 9, 2013)

I think Hyperion by Dan Simmons is one of the best sci-fi books out there. It has space ships and combat, but also offers a lot of trippy sci-fi stuff to ponder. Not to mention it features on of the most mind-bending villains of all time: the Shrike!

http://www.amazon.com/Hyperion-Dan-Simmons/dp/0553283685


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## Patty Jansen (Apr 5, 2011)

I'm going to stick to recently-published books. I read a lot of space opera, but find some of the older stuff horribly dated (not to mention implicitly sexist or racist).

I second C.J. Cherryh and Elizabeth Moon.

Also Sean Williams and Alastair Reynolds.


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## NicWilson (Apr 16, 2011)

Love Cherryh. Good recommendation.


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## NanD (May 4, 2011)

I'm currently reading Ryk Brown's Frontiers Saga & enjoying it..have ripped through episodes 1 - 4 pretty fast.

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card

Sent from my Desire HD using Tapatalk 2


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## Saffron (May 22, 2013)

I liked this one too.

www.amazon.co.uk/The-Spiral-Arm-dystopian-ebook/dp/B00CX39E72/

http://www.amazon.com/The-Spiral-Arm-dystopian-ebook/dp/B00CX39E72/


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## Thomas Watson (Mar 8, 2012)

Yep, hard to go wrong with Cherryh's Union/Alliance tales.


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## Garrard Hayes (Aug 30, 2013)

I really loved the Ender Trilogy, but the first book was unforgettable. I starts out being a space training camp for kids and becomes much more. The struggles, tension and action was a blast.

*Ender's Game*: 1 (The Ender Quintet) by Orson Scott Card http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003G4W49C/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_YF5rsb0ZBC90D


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

Elizabeth Moon's "Vatta's War" series was discussed early in this thread. Book One, "Trading in Danger" is now available for 99 cents:


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## Chad Winters (Oct 28, 2008)

The Hooded Claw said:


> Elizabeth Moon's "Vatta's War" series was discussed early in this thread. Book One, "Trading in Danger" is now available for 99 cents:


That is a steal....I wish I didn't already own it!


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## PaulLev (Nov 2, 2012)

Try John Stith's _Redshift Rendezvous_


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## Chad Winters (Oct 28, 2008)

This is released as a Kindle Serial, which means a few chapters at a time, but you only pay once and it auto updates and add chapters. I was a little leary but its a fun light Space Opera that I am enjoying.


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## Gabe (Oct 9, 2013)

The culture series by Iain Banks is pretty good. The first one is called Consider Phlebas. Although I'm not a huge sci-fi fan, I did enjoy that series.


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## dkrauss (Oct 13, 2012)

kks3321 said:


> Try Alastair Reynolds. To me his novel Revelation Space defines the space opera genre.


Hear, hear. But, definitely not a light read. Prepare to invest some time and gray matter.


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## Zackery Arbela (Jan 31, 2011)

Try Margaret Weis's STAR OF THE GUARDIANS series...science fantasy with an emphasis on the "fantasy."


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## Sandra K. Williams (Jun 15, 2013)

Cherryh, Moon, Bujold, Campbell - i agree with these recs. Rusch's Diving Universe. Lee and Miller's Liaden Universe. _Pay Me, Bug!_ was a fun read. Reher's Targon Tales series.

Am i out of the loop, or is there more military sf than space opera being written?


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## Rie142 (Oct 28, 2009)

A Galaxy Unknown Series by Thomas DePrima  Is an interesting series.  It is a fairly new series.  I have only read the first two.  Hopefully I will be able to get another couple of the books after my birthday.


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## stevene9 (Nov 9, 2008)

Rie142 said:


> A Galaxy Unknown Series by Thomas DePrima Is an interesting series. It is a fairly new series. I have only read the first two. Hopefully I will be able to get another couple of the books after my birthday.


I like this series a lot. Very much in the style of Weber's Honor Harrington series.

Steve


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## Rie142 (Oct 28, 2009)

The Catherine Kimbridge Chronicles by Andrew Beery is another good series.  I am currently rereading book two and soon to start book three.


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## Patty Jansen (Apr 5, 2011)

No one has mentioned Lois McMaster Bujold (Miles Vorkosigan series)?


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## Chad Winters (Oct 28, 2008)

Patty Jansen said:


> No one has mentioned Lois McMaster Bujold (Miles Vorkosigan series)?


Post #2 



Chad Winters said:


> these are 3 of my favorites light sc-fi available free from the Baen free library (the sequels of course are not free) but I like their system
> http://www.baenebooks.com/p-304-on-basilisk-station.aspx
> http://www.baenebooks.com/p-595-agent-of-change.aspx
> http://www.baenebooks.com/p-469-with-the-lightnings.aspx
> ...


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## SidneyW (Aug 6, 2010)

My friend, who's a fan of SF in general has mentioned Light by M. John Harrison as an interesting bit of space opera. There's a flashback about a scientist/killer in the opening, but it's ultimately space opera, I believe.


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## Patty Jansen (Apr 5, 2011)

Chad Winters said:


> Post #2


Dang. I read through the thread to check. Didn't pick up that reference because I'm unfamiliar with that cover and also on my screen I can't read what series that is. The image is too small.


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## lorezskyline (Apr 19, 2010)

I enjoyed the Nights Dawn Trilology by Peter F Hamilton lots of combat epic in scope and length (3250 pages in total) the kind of epic space opera I rarely have the time for now days.  Some great swash-buckling space bucaneers with some mind bending space battles etc.  Also I believe the 1st one The Reality Dysfunction is still disconunted on Kindle at Amazon Uk anyway.


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## Chad Winters (Oct 28, 2008)

The newest Longknife book is out!!


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## MatNastos (Aug 4, 2011)

As a kid I really enjoyed "Hour of the Horde" by Gordon Dickson. Fun stuff.


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## Rie142 (Oct 28, 2009)

Chad Winters said:


> The newest Longknife book is out!!


Yes I can't wait to read it. Just have to finish the Kimbridge first.


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## Ergodic Mage (Jan 23, 2012)

EE Doc Smith is the granddaddy of Space Opera and the _Lensman_ series is a great read. Be cautioned that _Lensman_ was written from the late 30s through last 40s and you have to adjust to the time frame a bit.

As mentioned Peter Hamilton's _The Night's Dawn Trilogy_ is a fantastic read, despite what I consider a deus ex machina ending.

David Weber's _Honor Harrington_ series is good but I personally prefer his _Dahak series_ (_Empire from Ashes_ omnibus) and his _Starfire_ series with Steve White (though Starfire is really a military SciFi).

Niven's and Pournelles _Mote in God's Eye_ is one of the best SciFi books, though _The Gripping Hand_ is only mediocre. I did finally get to read Pournelle's _King David's Spaceship_ which was a great read in the same CoDominium setting.


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## Chad Winters (Oct 28, 2008)

Ergodic Mage said:


> I did finally get to read Pournelle's _King David's Spaceship_ which was a great read in the same CoDominium setting.


I have that in Hardcover in my To Read pile


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

I highly recommend the mote in God's Eye. The Gripping hand didn't stick in my memory! which may not be a good sign, but I read it and must have been reasonably pleased with it? I like King David's Spaceship a lot, where a relatively primitive planet "works the rules" to maintain their self-government when faced with becoming serfs in an interstellar empire.


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## TiffanyMonroe (Jul 7, 2012)

Thanks for the thoughts, everyone!


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## Mark E. Cooper (May 29, 2011)

tkkenyon said:


> Also might want to try CJ Cherryh's Foreigner series. Awesome aliens.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I love C j Cherryh, but I prefer all her Chanur books the most. The first one was called The Pride of Chanur.


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## meredithskye (Oct 26, 2013)

Have you read "Ender's Game" by Orson Scott Card? It's a great book and won both the Hugo and Nebula Award the year it came out. And the movie is coming out on Friday.

Also, anything by C.J. Cherryh--best space fiction out there. Might start with "The Pride of Chanur." But I loved the Foreigner series too. 

And I'd agree with the "Doc" Smith suggestions and Lensman.


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## Blerch (Oct 17, 2013)

Or Space Exploration. Or Space Military. Something having to do with starships... in other words, I finally caught Stargate: Universe and so irritated they left it with a cliffhanger to end the series.

Any recommendations?


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Daniel -- I've merged your post with a recent thread on the topic. . . . look back through -- bet you'll find lots of suggestions.


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## Blerch (Oct 17, 2013)

Ann in Arlington said:


> Daniel -- I've merged your post with a recent thread on the topic. . . . look back through -- bet you'll find lots of suggestions.


Thanks Ann. In my fit of blind rage I didn't look that far for this thread. Some good recommendations here


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## Joseph J Bailey (Jun 28, 2013)

Another vote for the Culture series!

The books are fun, exciting, and beautifully done with a richly realized universe with believable future tech (taken to almost magical proportions).  

You could read each book as a stand alone novel but they are all loosely interconnected (and worth reading).

Great fun and great imagining!


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## NicWilson (Apr 16, 2011)

MatNastos said:


> As a kid I really enjoyed "Hour of the Horde" by Gordon Dickson. Fun stuff.


You know, my wife has some Dickson on her shelf, and I've never thought to pick it up. I may have to give it a try, now. Having kind of a scifi hankering. Thanks!


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