LitQueuelitqueue

After

Space Opera

Catherynne M. Valente2018

5 of 6 directions open — nothing to recover from

More like it

Same playful register, still space opera

1 more ↓

  • Galaxy blues

    Allen M. Steele2008

    A disgraced pilot joins a freighter crew to avoid prison. He must navigate alien politics and a mission involving a black hole.

    pace0·prose-1·bleak0

Denser prose

3 more ↓

  • Perhaps the Stars

    Ada Palmer2021

    A global war between ideological factions reaches its conclusion. The story is told through a dense, 18th-century style narrative voice.

    playful → meditative, still space opera

    pace0·prose+1·bleak+2

  • City of Saints and Madmen

    Jeff Vandermeer2001

    A collection of stories, histories, and pamphlets about the city of Ambergris. It uses found documents to build a surreal urban history.

    playful → dreamlike

    pace-1·prose+1·bleak+2

  • The golden age

    John C. Wright2002

    In a far-future utopia, an immortal man discovers he has had his memories erased. He searches for his identity while defying a collective mind.

    playful → meditative, still space opera

    pace-1·prose+1·bleak+1

Faster

3 more ↓

  • The Android's Dream

    John Scalzi2006

    A diplomat must find a specific, genetically engineered sheep to prevent an interstellar war. The story is a fast-paced, irreverent space comedy.

    Same playful register, still space opera

    pace+1·prose-2·bleak0

  • Chilling Effect

    Valerie Valdes2019

    A spaceship captain completes dangerous missions to pay off a ransom for her kidnapped sister. The crew includes a pilot who is a sentient plant.

    Same playful register, still space opera

    pace+1·prose-2·bleak0

  • The Star Kings

    Edmond Hamilton1949

    A 20th-century man swaps bodies with a prince 200,000 years in the future. He must lead a galactic empire against a tyrant's fleet.

    playful → propulsive, still space opera

    pace+1·prose-2·bleak0

Slower

3 more ↓

  • Beelzebub's tales to his grandson

    Georges Ivanovitch Gurdjieff1950

    An extraterrestrial being explains the history and strange behaviors of humanity to his grandson during a long space voyage.

    playful → meditative

    pace-2·prose+1·bleak+1

  • Ancillary Justice

    Ann Leckie2013

    A lone soldier, once the artificial intelligence of a massive starship, seeks revenge in a single human body.

    playful → meditative, still space opera

    pace-1·prose0·bleak+1

  • Children of Dune

    Frank Herbert1976

    The twin heirs of Paul Atreides navigate political conspiracies and their own evolving biology to secure the future of the desert planet.

    playful → meditative, still space opera

    pace-1·prose0·bleak+2

Heavier

3 more ↓

  • The Gap Into Conflict: The Real Story

    Stephen R. Donaldson

    A space pirate, a victim, and a police officer are trapped in a cycle of abuse and betrayal. The narrative shifts perspectives to reveal lies.

    playful → bleak, still space opera

    pace0·prose0·bleak+3

  • Star Wars - Legacy of the Force - Sacrifice

    Karen Traviss2007

    Jacen Solo hunts his own parents during a galactic civil war. He commits increasingly ruthless acts to secure his power as a Sith apprentice.

    playful → bleak, still space opera

    pace0·prose-1·bleak+3

  • Star Wars - The New Jedi Order - Star by Star

    Troy Denning2001

    Jedi strike teams infiltrate enemy space to destroy a biological weapon that tracks Force-users. The plot focuses on a high-stakes mission.

    playful → tense, still space opera

    pace0·prose-1·bleak+3