Sci-Fi Space Opera Novel Suggestions

[Riley]

Tbh I think that it is one of his weaker novels. Slow start,doesn't flow that well and has a very irritating use of written Geordie. I wouldn't introduce yourself to Peter F Hamilton with this title when he has written much,much better books.

Interesting. My wife reads Hamilton a lot and gave me this one as an intro as it was a stand alone novel.
I quite enjoyed it although admit it could do with loosing a few dozen pages just past the middle.
I thought it started well with a murder on the first page and an investigation building from there, a few "pets" didn't irritate, just confirmed the Newcastle setting.
I read Dune last year and preferred this TBH although it has to be said that sci fi isn't my favourite reading genre.

[Broussard]

Light, Nova Swing and Empty Space by M John Harrison are all set in the same universe. I'm not sure it's "space opera", but well worth a read if you like intelligent, challenging and thought-provoking writing.

I went to the Barbican's sci fi exhibition yesterday and thought that there might be a section on space opera. There wasn't really: they had a stab at themes, rather than genres. It's well worth a visit before it closes at the end of the week - especially to see the props, suits and Harryhausen models / sketches.

[Mr.D]

I have read that and TBH I can not recommend to anyone on any level. It is the only book that I wish I'd never even opened.

I'm not wild on these either, then again I'm not that keen on fantasy either.

If you want a good blend of scifi and fantasy then "Neverness" and its sequels are very engrossing and inventive. Timothy Zahn I think from memory.

My mistakes its David Zindell

[chrisb]

A good mini series is


Sos The Rope
Var The Stick
Neq the Sword


by Piers Anthony

[solwisesteve]

A good mini series is


Sos The Rope
Var The Stick
Neq the Sword


by Piers Anthony

Wow now they really ARE a blast from the past. I'm guessing I was 13/14 when I read those. :-)

[apm101]

Great thread, nothing really to add save that I really enjoy Ian M Banks, Peter F Hamilton, Alistair Reynolds and Stephen Corey (in order of preference). I have now just ordered the Mars trilogy, and one of Neal Asher's books though!

[sestrel]

I have read that and TBH I can not recommend to anyone on any level. It is the only book that I wish I'd never even opened.

Really? Oh, it was mentioned further up, and its a struggle to find something decent.
Anyway, it only cost three quid, so no biggy....

[chrisb]

The storyline is fine, it's the embellishments that I found uncomfortable.

[bobbee]

Larry Niven's Ringworld, in fact anything by Larry Niven. Rhe are all set in the same universe.
Bob Shaw - Orbitsville.
Pratchett and Baxter - The Long Earth series.

^^
This.
I have read everything by Niven and Niven/Pournelle, and most of the newer ones with other author interactions.
He is "Hard" SF all the way,

[doctorj]

I read Seveneves and Aurora (KS Robinson) back to back, and Aurora is enough like the first half of Seveneves for me to strongly recommend it. Both were terrific, but the second half of Seveneves was weak (like OP found).

Read one or two Stephen Baxters. Good. But not as good as Iain M Banks. But what is?

A Deepness in the Sky, and a Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge, these were both great. Is there a third book? I vaguely remember there being a third book but I can't find any reference to it.

Galactic Odyssey, of course, but that is 1970s :D

[Dapper]

The Heechee Saga by Frederik Pohl ...

#1 'Gateway'
#2 'Beyond the Blue Event Horizon'
#3 'Heechee Rendezvous'
#4 'The Annals of the Heechee'
#5 'The Boy Who Would Live Forever'

[chrisb]

^^
This.
I have read everything by Niven and Niven/Pournelle, and most of the newer ones with other author interactions.
He is "Hard" SF all the way,

That reminds me, I must read Lucifer's Hammer again.

Another good yarn is Alan Dean Foster's Icerigger.

[Psychomech]

I also have a soft spot for Greg Bear's "Eon". Written in the mid 80s it is very much as product of its time, and in some ways it's also in the alternative future genre, which I also like, and it blew my mind when I read it as a teenager:)

[Mr.D]

The Heechee Saga by Frederik Pohl ...

#1 'Gateway'
#2 'Beyond the Blue Event Horizon'
#3 'Heechee Rendezvous'
#4 'The Annals of the Heechee'
#5 'The Boy Who Would Live Forever'

Yeah these are good , tiny bit dated . I felt it ran out of steam by the third one. 1st one is well worth reading by any scifi fan . Its a classic.

[Andyg]

Any of the Sci-fi Iain M Banks books. Especially the Culture novels.

This. ^^^^^^^

Or be why not take something like madam butterfly and set it in an off world space station (instead of Japan) with a Alien rather than a American, etc.

[julian2002]

I'm late on this thread but I have just read Peter F Hamilton's "Great North Road". He has written a couple of trilogies and series of modern Sci Fi books but this one is a stand alone novel so a good one to dip your toe into.

I thought fallen dragon was a much better stand alone by hamilton. His Commonwealth books are fantastic and i thoroughly enjoyed his greg mandel series too. GNR is ok but drags a bit and his anthology manhattan in reverse is ok. Really did not get on with his confederation books - too close to horror for me.

Lensmen is a classic of it's time and must be read as such, yes it's silly but it's also a ripping yarn (as is his skylark series).

Not stricltly space opera but alfred besters tiger tiger / the stars my destination is a must read if you like sci-fi.

Again space opera only in the loosest sense but Heinleins 'future history' both shorts and novels is an amazing body of work.

Vernor vinge's zones of thought series always comes up in 'great space opera' lists but i didn't get on with it.

John Scalzi's old mans war is damn good too.

[Mr.D]

Wow now they really ARE a blast from the past. I'm guessing I was 13/14 when I read those. :-)

Same here. They kinda reminded me of Michael Moorcock. Very trippy.

[RichUK]

The Grand Tourer series of books by Ben Bova is well worth looking at.

[chrisb]

That reminds me, I must read Lucifer's Hammer again.

Another good yarn is Alan Dean Foster's Icerigger.

Looks like I'm going to have lots of time on my hands, had a massive heart attack on Wednesday:(
Love from UH Stoke CCU ICU.

[solwisesteve]

Looks like I'm going to have lots of time on my hands, had a massive heart attack on Wednesday:(
Love from UH Stoke CCU ICU.

Damn that's a downer :-( Hope you're on the mend.

[sestrel]

H​ope your out soon!

[chrisb]

Damn that's a downer :-( Hope you're on the mend.

Gardening at 3.00pm, cup of coffee and a sandwich at 3.30pm, a blues and twos trip and 3 stents by 7pm

[den77]

Not exactly a space opera but a fascinating story.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wool-Trilog.../dp/0099580489

[robt]

Not exactly a space opera but a fascinating story.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wool-Trilog.../dp/0099580489

Quick read of the first synopsis on Amazon made me think "that sounds like an episode of Stargate SG-1" and now I'm sad because SG-1 isn't on Netflix anymore. I'm going to have to order it on DVD to watch it again. Annoyingly, there's no Blu-ray transfer.

[ach5]

Thanks for all the suggestions!

I plumped for Peter F Hamilton's "Pandora's Star" which I *think* is the first book in the commonwealth saga that has been mentioned here a few times.

It's really good so far (100 pages in).

[Glamdring]

The Commonwealth Saga is a series of science fiction novels by British science fiction writer Peter F. Hamilton. This saga consists of the novels Pandora's Star (2004) and Judas Unchained (2005), preceded by Misspent Youth (2002) which takes place 340 years before Pandora's Star and Judas Unchained.

I thoroughly enjoyed them all.


Has anyone mentioned Dan Simmon's Hyperion Cantos? Very good, really good in fact though there are one or two ideas that irritated me. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperion_Cantos

[ach5]

^ should I stop reading Pandoras Star whilst I'm only 100 pages in and read the 2002 novel first? Or doesn't it matter?

[in_denial]

I am surprised there have not been more mentions of Neal Asher and his Space Opera universe, the prose may not be quite as polished as (say) Iain M. Banks, but the invention and very british black humour are great.

Another (older) series not yet mentioned is the 'Uplift War' series by David Brin, six books starting with 'Startide Rising'

[maccer]

^ should I stop reading Pandoras Star whilst I'm only 100 pages in and read the 2002 novel first? Or doesn't it matter?

Its definitely not vital - continue on would be my advice.

[caye031]

Another (older) series not yet mentioned is the 'Uplift War' series by David Brin, six books starting with 'Startide Rising'

Ah, unfortunately the first one is best by far .. Similarly to Hyperion, excellent first book evolved into sequels explaining every nut and bolt of original which (for me at least .. ) kinda took magic away

[sestrel]

Went to Sci Fi Wales at venue Cymru today, which was a bit of fun!





Some "Alien" film props












The Dalek was very cool indeed! trundling about and chatting in dalek-ees.

A little girl followed him around and made herself a nuisance: she asked said Dalek what his least favourite thing was, to which he answered " CHILDREN"! (all the adults cheered!)







Some storm troopers caught up with R2D2, and turned him into a drinks trolley...







And picked up a new book, signed by the author! ( never heard of him, but always willing to give a new author a try..)

[wildheart]

No lovers of Michael Moorcock here? I read a few of his back in the day, mind you I was high at the time!

[BritishExpat]

Another shout for the Hyperion Cantos from me, truly epic in scope.

I'm also an Ian M Banks fan, his Culture novels are quite special, you could do a lot worse than starting with Consider Phelbas or Excession for example.