Space Opera Fans discussion

The September 2025 Reader Pick is Columbus Day by Craig Alanson.

Please use this thread to post questions, comments and reviews at any time.

Official description -
Book 1 of 18 books in the Expeditionary Force series, and a Nominee, Audie Awards - Audiobook of the Year, 2018

A space opera describing the events after humanity is thrust into a galactic war following an alien invasion of Earth. The chief protagonists are Joe Bishop, a soldier in the United States Army, and Skippy, an advanced artificial intelligence from an ancient civilization who befriends Joe.
Unlike many military science fiction stories, the Expeditionary Force novels include a considerable amount of comedy, especially (though not entirely limited to) the many comic interactions between long-suffering Joe Bishop and practical joker Skippy.
Intro -

We were fighting on the wrong side, of a war we couldn't win. And that was the good news.

The Ruhar hit us on Columbus Day. There we were, innocently drifting along the cosmos on our little blue marble, like the native Americans in 1492. Over the horizon come ships of a technologically advanced, aggressive culture, and BAM! There go the good old days, when humans only got killed by each other. So, Columbus Day. It fits.

When the morning sky twinkled again, this time with Kristang starships jumping in to hammer the Ruhar, we thought we were saved. The UN Expeditionary Force hitched a ride on Kristang ships to fight the Ruhar, wherever our new allies thought we could be useful. So, I went from fighting with the US Army in Nigeria, to fighting in space. It was lies, all of it. We shouldn't even be fighting the Ruhar, they aren't our enemy, our allies are.

I'd better start at the beginning....

I've now purchased my "copy" of Columbus Day; since I'm still working my way through Red Mars, I decided to opt for an audio book version of Columbus Day. I hope to start listening this week-end.

I've started this, but barely. I'm always a little wary of books written in the first person. I consider it lazy writing. Plus I usually don't like feeling like I'm in someone else's head. But I also usually try to give it more than just a few pages, because I've often been pleasantly surprised. Murderbot, for instance.

I really enjoy the first person approach in this novel, the main character Joe Bishop is a regular guy and through his eyes the scene is set and plot unfolds which for me I find engaging and easy to grasp what's going on. I'm not a huge fan of pages of exposition, here we are thrust into the action, I like that.

I agree with you regarding the Murderbot diaries I really enjoyed that series.

A reminder to everyone that Columbus Day is our READER choice for September, starting tomorrow.

At the moment we have Betsy, Paul and me planning to read it - will anyone else be joining us?

Boy, this is definitely military sci-fi. I'm still not sure how much I like it, but I'm still reading.

I like this one for a "light read", I don't normally read a lot of military SF but at least this one doesn't take itself too seriously. I love Space Opera though and military SF titles often pop up in the genre.

Hi, I'm not a lot around here, but thought I'd give my two cents, since I read this one.

I liked the first half of the book. It was a interesting military sci-fi, liked Joe Bishop as a character and how humans was being used as low soldiers on a grand scale war.

But for me one thing happened in the book that was used to much as a facilitator to help the main character and the development of the story. It took away my enjoyment of the plot.

But I read some reviews that really liked the book and didn't mind that aspect.

I'm eager to read what you guys think of the book after reading it.

Juliana wrote: "Hi, I'm not a lot around here, but thought I'd give my two cents, since I read this one.

I liked the first half of the book. It was a interesting military sci-fi, liked Joe Bishop as a character a..."

I'm currently about halfway through and I suspect I know what plot device you're referring to. And I'm inclined to agree with you. It's too contrived. And unbelievable. But I will keep reading because I do like Joe Bishop so far.

I need to get moving with this one now that I've finished procrastinating by reading other books. I think its the fact that I bought the audio version - a format I use only rarely - that's putting me off. I've started listening to it but the reader's accent - real or otherwise - is really grating on me.

I finished this book, and enjoyed it for the most part. Here is my review.