Space Opera Fans discussion

This thread is for nominations for READER category for April 2024.

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 nominate Alliance of Equals by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller. We discussed this book back in 2019. It is part of the Liaden Universe, and starts a story arc that continues in Trader's Leap and then in Ribbon Dance (26) which is due out this summer. This is the story arc featuring Padi who is Shan’s heir and is a young trader. Whether this book is chosen as our Reader Pick or not, I’ll be rereading it before buying the eARC for Ribbon Dance. I expect that eARC to be available around April, since they are usually a few months before publication.

I would like to nominate Embassytown by China Miéville, a stand-alone novel and winner of the Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel.

To quote from Amazon - "China Miéville doesn’t follow trends, he sets them. Relentlessly pushing his own boundaries as a writer—and in the process expanding the boundaries of the entire field—with Embassytown, Miéville has crafted an extraordinary novel that is not only a moving personal drama but a gripping adventure of alien contact and war."

I second Alliance of Equals

I also support Alliance of Equals. I love to reread the books leading up to a new release and frequently find things I didn’t see before.

Summary so far:
Alliance of Equals by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller. Nominated by Teresa. Seconded by Audrey and Sarah.
Embassytown by China Miéville. Nominated by John. Awaiting seconds.

I’ll second Embassytown. Read it back in 2011 and thought it had some incredible alien worldbuilding.

Nominations will close tomorrow. Current counts are 2 for Alliance of Equals and 1 for Embassytown.

Nominations are now closed. Rolling random numbers.

Our April Reader Pick is Alliance of Equals by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller.