Space Opera Fans discussion

Hey guys, I need suggestions on Space Opera book/series with technology advancement. And of course these techs should be properly applied throughout the plots.

Not like cheap Sci-Fi story where they just basically shows a new technology at every chapters but then are forgotten.

My fav tech-advancement series so far is Bobiverse. So as quality guideline, just refer to Bobiverse books.

Perhaps less overt than what you want, and certainly much slower paced, but what do you think about David Weber’s Honor Harrington series as a suggestion? Within the constraints of the universe, the technology seems to be applied logically

Perhaps less overt than what you want, and certainly much slower paced, but what do you think about David Weber’s Honor Harrington series as a suggestion? Within the constraints of the universe, the technology seems to be applied logically

Apologies for the repeated comment. Doing this on my phone, and not used to the bloody thing

Alastair Reynolds is a scientist and e.g. House of Suns and the Revelation Space series have extremely advanced tech that makes sense. If you want a story of nearer future tech advancing very rapidly through an event, Pushing Ice might be up you alley. But you won't find very detailed explanations of how the tech works.

I agree that David Weber explains his tech (ship propulsion, how their weapons work, how their defenses work, how that influences battle strategy) in great detail and I enjoy the HH series a lot.

The Martian by Andy Weir is very realistic near-future tech and explained very well.

2001: A Space Odyssey, while older, also explains the tech very well.

The Vorkosigan series by Lois McMaster Bujold doesn't really explain its spaceships as far as I remember, but does go into detail concerning futuristic zoology, biology, medicine and psychology.

You may also enjoy The Three-Body Problem, which has tons of (present day or near future) tech-speak. Not necessarily accurate, but you won't notice that at all if you're not a scientist yourself.

I haven't read him yet, but have heard that nobody does super complicated future science better than Greg Egan, so you might want to check him out.

Question: does it matter if the science explained could actually exist, or is it okay if it's just a cool concept as long as it's explained in a way that makes sense to the reader (a la fake Star Trek science, for example)?

I prefer a story where the science technology is used by the MC or his people. Not just a science theory concept.

In the Bobiverse, all the Bobs always innovate new tech and then used it to solve whatever problem they have. More to that, they keep improving their tech due to the characters own scientific curiosity.

does that answer you question? Sorry, I don't quite understand it.

I do enjoyed reading David Weber's Safehold Series, but haven't yet read the Honorverse books. I think I'm intimidated by the large number books.

And from the synopsis the books dealt more on fantasy and politic then sciency technology stuff.

Ah, now I understand more what you meant: a story *about* scientific discovery and advancement during the story! The Martian definitely qualifies in terms of applying science to solve problems (but not making whole new discoveries). I think it would fit quite well, though, give it a try if you haven't read it yet. I'll try to think of some other good examples.

In terms of my own question: it was concerned with how real the science should be, if it's okay if that future tech would not convince a real scientist working today, or if everything needs to be completely accurate in terms of current scientific understanding (hard SF).

The Honorverse has no fantasy component (unless you consider any form of telepathy/empathy employed by alien species "fantasy"). It's genre is military SF, and each book in the series comes to a satisfying conclusion, so no need to worry about it being a long series. But it's mostly about war and the technological advances are made in the background (in terms of an arms race), you'll follow the military personnel who have to employ them. So maybe not what you're looking for.

The Three-Body Problem series may be better for you: it's not hard SF but it's all about research, scientists, and trying to make quick technological progress.

If you want the science to be plausible to a current year scientist, then it’s not space opera - it’s pure hard SF.

These series starters might fit your request if you don’t need pure hard science.
The Silver Ships by S.H. Jucha
The Cambridge Annex: The Trilogy by Peter Damon
April by Mackey Chandler

I don't often blow my own horn, but one of my novels would fit in here: To Summon The Blackbird Look at the summary to get a concept of the scenario, and you'll find plenty of technology building along the way, primarily in response to war.

It's been out a few years and has no reviews yet, but readers have given it a rating of 4 stars on Goodreads. It's available in ebook on Amazon, free with Kindle Unlimited, or in paperback and hardcover nearly everywhere (I don't recommend the hardcover; too pricey, but the cheapest is Lulu.com). Sorry for sounding like an ad.

Eva wrote: "Ah, now I understand more what you meant: a story *about* scientific discovery and advancement during the story! The Martian definitely qualifies in terms of applying science to solve problems (but..."

I already read The Martian, it's really a superb book which applied science to solve problems,

I don't particularly mind hard-SF or soft-SF, but I want the tech and discoveries being applied. If somehow science can prove and replicate "magic" that seem believable also okay. As long it being applied throughout the plot.

and The Three-Body Problem series, is it the one by Liu Cixin?

Teresa wrote: "If you want the science to be plausible to a current year scientist, then it’s not space opera - it’s pure hard SF.

These series starters might fit your request if you don’t need pure hard science..."

Might try The Cambridge Annex Series next, it does seem fit to my request. The minimalist book Covers are beautiful, would be perfect for a collection. Unfortunately it's unavailable in any big book stores in my country currently.

Some of Larry Niven’s Known Space books feature science/tech innovation, plus repurposing of existing tech for clever solutions to problems. I’d recommend Protector and Ringworld for some of that.

James P. Hogan’s books are kind of clunky but they pretty much all feature this sort of thing. Inherit the Stars (this trilogy is borderline Space Opera), Thrice Upon a Time, and Code of the Lifemaker especially. That last one has a terrific prologue.

All three of my suggestions above are Indie books, so they aren’t likely to be available in brick and mortar stores anywhere. I do verify that all three series do involve scientific breakthroughs and changes to society due to those breakthroughs, with the technology evolving as the series progresses.

One of the Family Law books (which are related to April series) fits your requirements even better, but it’s the fourth or fifth in the series and the earlier books don’t fit your interest. If you want to try jumping into the middle of a series I’ll look up the title of that one.

Finished Book 1 of The Cambridge Annex Series. Can we write review/spoiler here? I'll keep it to a minimum for now.

Less SF more towards espionage story between different sides.

Still enjoyable. 5/5
Books with new tech discoveries usually pretty predictable and formulaic. Because of this book focus mostly more on the outside groups than the Cambridge group I cannot see how the story will play out.

Cambridge Annex series has more space based scenes after book 1. Book 3 is mostly in the asteroid belt. There is still a lot of action on Earth, because that’s the source of most of the conflict. I think it’s book 4 that is almost entirely on Earth again, but then book 5 is almost entirely off Earth (but partly on Mars). That’s going by memory of my last reread of the series.

Thank you for the suggestion of The Silver Ships. Bought it last night and hooked!

FYI: Discussion thread for The Silver Ships
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Isaac wrote: "And from the synopsis the books dealt more on fantasy and politic then sciency technology stuff."

There is a lot of politics in the Safehold series but no fantasy. It's more an accelerated alternative history dealing with the arms race from naval galleys up to ironclads, pike men to heavy artillery etc. Well worth the read but be warned, Weber goes into A LOT of detail.

AndrewP wrote: "be warned, Weber goes into A LOT of detail."

Today I would like to present Andrew with the coveted Understatement Of The Year award! 🏆 😂

Some more independent, more off the mainstream. I don't know if they will fit what you are looking for, but maybe worth checking on the descriptions to find out.

Jucha's Pyreans series is very good, going in a different direction than the Silver Ship series, with discovery of a dome leading to other races/planets. A combination of space ships, tech, and advanced empathy abilities.

I am not sure what you are looking for on the tech/science side. The Wanderer's Odyssey series by Simon Goodson involves an ancient ship which the MC, a slave, finds himself on when it takes off and he has to figure out what the ship can do. The ship is sentient and can build various tech items of use. It is very much a space opera series, with the bad empire, other entities, and evolves over time from simple slave trying to survive and free others to the survival of the universe. Wanderer's Escape There are 6 books in the series and the first one is free on Amazon.

In a fun way, there is the Big Sigma series by Joseph Lallo. The MC, a space pilot racer connects with a crazy engineer/scientist/inventor who has a sentient AI (Mother) that he created. He owns a planet and continues to create whatever he feels like from advanced ship drives to weapons to sentient skunk like pet. It is character driven series, but the character ends up being the one to test much of the crazy inventions. Lighter reading than Jucha and not military sci fi (I need a break from chapter long descriptions of space battles).

Trike wrote: "AndrewP wrote: "be warned, Weber goes into A LOT of detail."

Today I would like to present Andrew with the coveted Understatement Of The Year award! 🏆 😂"

Thank you, thank you. I would like to thank my agent, my manager...........

The Mars Trilogy: Red Mars, Green Mars, Blue Mars has a lot of scientific advancement and problem-solving in multiple disciplines. I'm not sure if it qualifies as space opera as the action is mostly confined to, err... Mars.

Try M.D. Cooper’s Aeon 14 universe! Very tech-filled. Want a colonization story? Start with Outsystem. Want mechs/cyborgs? Start with Rika Outcast. Want terraforming? Start with Carthage (Building New Canaan.) Want AI? Start with Lyssa’s Dream. It will hook you no matter where you start!

Ed wrote: "Try M.D. Cooper’s Aeon 14 universe! Very tech-filled. Want a colonization story? Start with Outsystem. Want mechs/cyborgs? Start with Rika Outcast. Want terraforming? Start with Carthage (Building ..."

I will second Ed's recommendation. Be prepared to blow your book budget because once you start, it's impossible to not keep buying them.

I had read a short story about the ship Sabrina. Another author, Zen Dipietro, had done a 3 book series subtitled Machete System Bounty Hunter that was set in the Aeon 14 universe. I was familiar with her books already so I read them but didn't read any of the main story lines.

Then someone gifted me the first 3 books in the Lyssa storyline, I said thank you and read them one after the other in a weekend. At that point, there went my book budget as I bought all of them to catch up.

Before the gifted books, I had avoided the series because the covers of buxom women in skin suits had turned me off and affected my expectations of the content. Cooper definitely likes creating new tech and does a good job of basing it in reality and solid possibilities of it existing in the future. Aeon 14 also has excellent character and world building throughout.