Fringe Fiction Unlimited discussion

I'm curious as what you refer as Space Opera vs Science Fiction. Which one you prefer, and why, etc.
Please stay polite! I am genuinely curious because in many cases Space Opera seems to be regarded as crap and I am wondering why.

Thanks for your comments. :)

Mostly I don't pay much attention to every little difference between those, but for me:

- Space opera is a subgenre of science fiction, that is, it has to be kept within the latter's perspective. It has spaceships, aliens, other planets, and generally themes that pertain SF as well.

- While science fiction can deal with many themes, whether or not it is hard SF, Space opera tends to deal more often with 'heroic' ones: the orphan lad who saves the galaxy (Luke Skywalker), the crew who lives through many adventures (Star Trek), and so on.

- Also, basically, the schema of a typical space op story could just as well be used within a purely fantasy setting. A lot of tropes are the same, which wouldn't work so well in 'traditional' SF.

(On those points, if you haven't done so, I advise checking Joseph Campbell's The Power of Myth.)

I read both, and I don't think space op is 'crap' per se, but perhaps it lends itself more often to stories regarded as 'adventures/simplistic', whereas 'sci fi' is seen in a more 'serious/scientific' light?

I've never even heard of Space Opera's lol