Space Opera Fans discussion

This is a continuation of the following thread:

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

which has gotten rather large. Please post below just as you would in that other thread to let us know what space opera book(s) you are currently reading, or just finished. And what did you think of it.

I put In Fury Born by David Weber aside but plan to eventually get back to it. The focus at least where I stopped was on planetary on the ground fighting and the violence in the riots was getting to me.

I’m about 80% through Discovery of the Saiph by P.P. Corcoran. It’s holding my interest but I’m not sure whether I’ll read the rest of the series. Far too many characters and most of them get point of view for a few pages then aren’t heard from again. I prefer books that have main characters.

My copy of the audiobook version of Artemis finally came into the library! Weirdly, it’s in German. I don’t speak German. So I’m not reading that right now.

I got distracted yet again. Noticed that a new book by Mackey Chandler was released a few weeks ago (and WHY didn’t Amazon tell me????). Friends in the Stars by Mackey Chandler. This is book 5 in the Family Law story arc. Family Law starts about 100 years or so after the April series.

Finished it late last night. I particularly liked the scene in the storage lockers that reminded me of some of the absurd coincidences that happen in Peter Sellers Pink Panther movies. While most of the action in this book takes place on Derfhome, there is a space battle, and scenes on Earth, the moon, etc. As usual there are a lot of threads left hanging at the end but it doesn’t feel like a cliffhanger.

Each of these story arcs has a very competent teenage girl as one of the main characters, and also adult POV characters. The Family Law arc includes alien POV characters. Gordon is an extremely competent adult Derf especially talented at space battle strategy and tactics.

Rereading some Leviathan Wakes and a ton from ProjectAtomicRockets at http://projectrho.com/public_html/roc...

Finished Discovery of the Saiph. Readable but I don’t care enough about the characters to buy the sequel.

Still making no headway with In Fury Born but haven’t given up, just set it aside.

Reread Alien Coffee by John H. Carroll which is a silly, short SF tale. Takes place on Earth, although they do use a spaceship to travel from one place to another.

Currently rereading a fantasy book that is #20 in a series, because #21 is due out next month. If Mirabile by Janet Kagan doesn’t get picked for next month’s Themed Pick, I’ll likely be rereading that soon.

I abandoned In Fury Born even though I'm a huge Honorverse fan. I just don't like books that posit that the ancient gods are real.

I've been devouring the Stardoc series. Sure they're mostly ridiculous, but they're fun. Very addictive. Nonstop action. Characters that grow on you. I can't stop.

I'm almost finished with . I thought there was a story in it by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller and there isn't, which is a bit disappointing. The stories that are there are mostly new to me and quite good. I've definitely found some new-to-me authors whose work I'll be following up on!

After reading fantasy (a novel by James Herbert), i am actually reading Endymion by Dan Simmons. I liked very much Hyperion and The fall of Hyperion of the same author.

Started rereading Mirabile by Janet Kagan. Love this book and have reread it every year since it became available as ebook. Not sure what happened to my battered paperback copy. The paperback has some additional material in between the chapters - tis a pity that’s missing in the ebook edition.

As always, Mirabile was delightful.

I tried rereading Catalyst by Anne McCaffrey but gave up. Marking that one down as not worth rereading.

Now I’m rereading The Masterharper of Pern by Anne McCaffrey and enjoying it. Odds are it won’t be one I’ll want to reread every two or three years. This is my first reread in at least ten years.

I’m looking forward to several new books coming out in August and September, but not finding anything interesting that is newish and currently available that I haven’t already read.

I’m on a Nathan Lowell kick now. Finished rereading Suicide Run yesterday, and started rereading Home Run. These two books are the rest of the story arc that starts with Milk Run which was an Indie Pick for us a while back. Odds are good that I’ll reread another of his books set in ToeHold space next.

Recently finished reading 'Barbary Station' by R.E. Sterns. I loved the clever hijacking scene as well as some of the scenes of the pirates huddled between the plates of the hull.

Love Nathan Lowell’s books.... Reread To Fire Called and By Darkness Forged to complete my journey into Toehold space. Soooo good. Can’t wait for the next story arc to start.

If you look around, you can still find the original audio editions of his first six books. (Plus South Coast and the Tanyth Fairport series). Those are his best ones, imo, but he's also such a good narrator.

Chong wrote: "If you look around, you can still find the original audio editions of his first six books. (Plus South Coast and the Tanyth Fairport series). Those are his best ones, imo, but he's also such a good..."
I prefer ebooks to audio books, but I’ve listened to the books he had on Podiobooks before it changed. I’ve reread those first six too recently to do another run at them. I reread most of his books every year, and the rest every two or three years.

I read and liked the first three of the Stardoc series. Though rather violent and unbelievable, they were fun and exciting. The fourth one was a disappointment, but I finished it. The fifth one, I just couldn't get interested in.

So, now I'm rereading On Basilisk Station, one of my favorites, which apparently I haven't read since August 2015. Also a couple of nonfictions. I always like to have several books going.

A long time ago I read the first three??? StarDoc books, then couldn’t get into the next one and gave up on the series.

After my Nathan Lowell binge, I read several fantasies. Now I’m taking another stab at Cold Welcome by Elizabeth Moon. I bought it around the time it came out but just couldn’t get past the first few pages and got distracted by other books. Since I like and reread Vatta’s War I’m hoping that once the action starts I’ll like this book too, even if almost all of it is set on a planet.

Cold Welcome was good enough after it got going. I gave it three stars but wasn’t in the mood to read the sequel yet. Now I’m reading Bob's Saucer Repair by Jerry Boyd. It’s silly and I’m enjoying the silliness.

COLD WELCOME and it’s sequel were my first Elizabeth Moon books and I liked them quite a bit but I don’t think I need to read the VATTA’S WAR books.

A little hard core military sci fi goes a long way for me.

I couldn’t finish the first Marko Kloos book for example and have no interest in reading the rest.

I don't think of Vatta's War as military sci-fi, exactly. Certainly she is not in the military, since she was kicked out in the first book. Yes she ends up fighting a number of battles, but it's using commercial vessels and lots of smarts rather than high tech military gear.

I just finished reading Howling Dark, Christopher Ruocchio's second book in his Sun Eater series.

Bob's Saucer Repair by Jerry Boyd was a lot of fun if you are in the mood for silliness, and so was the sequel Whammo Ranch.

Now while I wait for preordered books to be published I’m rereading The Riss Gamble by C.R. Daems and will likely reread the rest of the series as well.

I'm reading The Reaping of the Black Grimoires by K.C. Hunter. It's been decent but it really needs copy-editing! I'm assuming it was self-published.

It took a around a month, but I have just finished reading ALL all the books and the short stories from G. S. Jennsen's Amaranthe Universe. It currently consists of 4 trilogies and a number of short stories. There are another 6 or so books planned, with the next to be released this winter.

The Amaranthe Universe is quite literally a space opera on a colossal scale with just a tad bit of romance between the main characters. It is very seriously challenging (and if I'm honest with myself... have won the challenge) S. K. Dunstall's Lineman trilogy for claiming the #1 spot in my list of favorite book series (or book if not a series).

These books (from both authors) are of the magnificent caliber where you find it physically impossible to put the book down (well, not excluding passing out from physical exhaustion), where you find yourself sweating during action scenes, where you experience pain/loss when the plot turns in a negative direction you hadn't anticipated, where you experience uncontrollable excitement and find yourself laughing/screaming/shouting because of the superbly good things happening to the characters, and, sadly, at the end when you've finished reading all the books available in the series, the profoundly crushing sense of isolation/loneliness because you have bonded so intimately with the main characters.

I have even found myself wishing we had all these technologies and could go off exploring the universe like the characters in these books do.

I might be sucker for space based sci-fiction with a just a tad bit of romance sprinkled it. ;)

Now to find something else to read or do until the next books (from each of the authors mentioned above) are released this winter.

Since I too like the Linesman trilogy very much, I’ll try the Amaranthe Universe books. I notice that the first one is free.

Thanks! I enjoyed the Lineman trilogy too so I'll give this book a try!

Serenity by Keith R.A. DeCandido. I found it at my local library's book sale and decided to read the book since I liked the old TV series.

Audrey wrote: "Serenity by Keith R.A. DeCandido. I found it at my local library's book sale and decided to read the book since I liked the old TV series."

If that series is old I really feel ancient given what I watched when it first came on, such as the very first episode of Doctor Who.

C. John wrote: "Audrey wrote: "Serenity by Keith R.A. DeCandido. I found it at my local library's book sale and decided to read the book since I liked the old TV series."

If that seri..."

The early 2000's is considered "old" by today's standards. I watched Firefly on TV back in the day, too. Also Doctor Who when Tom Baker was THE Doctor (and IMHO still THE Doctor with David Tennant coming in second). I was a mere twinkle in my parents eyes when the original Doctor Who came on.

Audrey wrote: "C. John wrote: "Audrey wrote: "...Doctor Who when Tom Baker was THE Doctor (and IMHO still THE Doctor with David Tennant coming in second). "

Hadn't given it much thought but some Doctor Who stories are Space Opera.
Thanks to a friend in England, I go back to before Tom Baker but he was the one who made me a fan of the Doctor. I thought Peter Davison Doctor very likable and, of course, David Tennant is brilliant. Davison was new Doctor the year I attended Doctor Who convention. I wonder what it would be like to attend convention now and have Davison, his daughter Georgia Moffet, and son-in-law Tennant all there. Georgia in some ways has the longest list of Doctor Who credits because in addition to playing Jenny she has voiced characters for things like Doctor Who-Dreamland.

I rather liked the Sylvester Pemberton Doctor. They were starting to inject some mystery into the character. Then came that wretched book Lungbarrow.

I finished the Laundry Files starting with The Atrocity Archives by Charles Stross. There are some kind of aliens in the series but I think it's more an urban fantasy series.
I read Space Opera by Catherynne M Valente with difficulties (English is not my native language). I didn't find the future Hugo Award in it.
I finished the League of Peoples by Alan James Gardner, (starting with Expendable) which was fun.
By the same author I read All Those Explosions Were Someone Else's Fault All Those Explosions Were Someone Else's Fault which is fun too but urban fantasy.
Now i'm curently reading Exile by Glynn Stewart , entertainning but the characters are flat.

Just made it to the one-third point in Peter F. Hamilton's The Void Trilogy 3-Book Bundle: The Dreaming Void, The Temporal Void, The Evolutionary Void with the completion of The Dreaming Void .

I am now going to finally try to finish Liu Cixin's Remembrance of Earth's Past trilogy by finishing Death's End . Then it will be back to finish the Void.

I enjoyed my reread of the series that starts with The Riss Gamble by C.R. Daems, all six books. There was supposed to be a 7th book released in 2017 but that hasn’t appeared yet. Glaring mistake in book six: the various star systems from the first five books are said to be within one light year of each other, and some are a few light weeks away. That’s not going to happen.....

Next up is a new book: Space Rodeo by Jenny Schwartz. This is the sequel to Space Deputy which we read earlier this year.

I just finished reading Light by M. John Harrison. I'm not sure of my verdict yet, I'm having a bit mixed feelings...

It's a cyberpunk-ish space opera, told from the POV of three different characters, some in completely different time periods. The book drops you in the middle of the action, doesn't explain anything and lets the reader figure it out. I usually dislike this type of approach, although some books pull it off well. This one... kinda yes and kinda no. It takes a long time, before the reader can have any chances of figuring out what's going on - too long, in my opinion... Because of this, I didn't develop much connection with the characters.

On the other hand, the story is grand. I'm a sucker for ancient aliens and million year old alien artifacts and mysteries... The prose itself is quite beautiful at times, not too flowery but just right. The ending is a bit deus ex machina -esque, but then again it's the first book in the series. Not sure if I'm going to read the rest of the series... maybe?

Space Rodeo by Jenny Schwartz was fun. Worth rereading but not quite as much fun as Space Deputy.

Now I’m reading The Rising Flame: Box Set: Defender of the Flame + Herald of the Flame by Sylvia Engdahl. I’m on page 93 but still not sure whether I like the book. Yes there are spaceships, and going to another planet, but a heckuva lot of it is gory details about developing psi powers. I’m not ready to give up on it yet because I do still care what happens to the main character.

I somehow got sucked into rereading the Honor Harrington series. I haven't read them for five years and of course it's got me totally engrossed so far, to the exclusion of all other books I need to be reading, and all the chores I should be doing. I think I'll stick to the mainline series. Maybe. And I may not reread the later ones which were not as good as the first 8-10. But who knows.

I'm reading On Basilisk Station and Eric Flint's The Course of Empire!

I just finished Fluency (took me 24 hours, darn you work...), the first book in the Confluence series by Jennifer Foehner Wells.

It took a full day to settle on the next book to read, I couldn't seem to find anything agreeable and was felling extra picky.

Took the leap with this book and could not have been more pleasantly surprised. It starts of a bit slow, but then it just grabs you and does not let go. Already moving on to book 2. There are 6 books, with the 6th book releasing this year.

Super excited!!

Hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy!! I know, I am a noob! :)

The Forever War by Joe Haldeman. This is my first time reading this book and can't imagine why I didn't read it years ago.

I read CONFLUENCE and I think also the second one but couldn’t look myself in the mirror afterwards so I don’t think I can read the rest

Melvin wrote: "The Forever War by Joe Haldeman. This is my first time reading this book and can't imagine why I didn't read it years ago."

It’s so good, right? There’s a reason it’s a classic.

Scarily, the part with his mom (view spoiler)[where she is deemed not worthy of medical treatment due to her age and status (hide spoiler)] was actually proposed as part of US health care reform in the 90s.

Currently reading It by Stephen King for the first time and rereading Moving Pictures by Sir Terry Pratchett.

I just started Fluency

Among other things currently reading The Ice Planet by Kurt Maher, part of the Perry Rhodan series.

Finished The Rising Flame: Box Set: Defender of the Flame + Herald of the Flame by Sylvia Engdahl. It held my attention but I’m still not sure I liked it, and I doubt I’ll ever reread it. Spaceships, lots of planets, aliens, but it didn’t feel like space opera. Very heavy on psi.

Next I’ll read one that is bound to be fun: Shady Oaks by Jerry Boyd. This is the third book in the series that starts with Bob's Saucer Repair and just came out a couple of days ago. The books are silly and not to be taken seriously at all.

I finished Fluency, which struck me as a bit of a hot mess. Too many elements borrowed from too many different sources to make me happy.

Hellspark is up next.

Hellspark is great! We read that one already, so we have a discussion thread for it if you are interested.