Looking for some decent space opera

Trojan

I'm looking for some decent space opera.

E.g. Peter F. Hamilton "Commonwealth" style, Charlie Stross "Iron Sunrise", Iain M. Banks, Alistair Reynolds (but perhaps a bit less hard sf - I find his stuff a bit slow moving because of that) etc.

Recommend some options?

greedygoblin

Dan Simmons Hyperion/The fall of Hyperion I found terribly enjoyable. I've yet to read the final two books in the series (Endymion/The rise of Endymion). Classic space opera.

Fox_In_Socks

greedygoblin wrote: »

Dan Simmons Hyperion/The fall of Hyperion I found terribly enjoyable. I've yet to read the final two books in the series (Endymion/The rise of Endymion). Classic space opera.

Just to add onto that, Dan Simmons again for Ilium and the sequel Olympos. Set in the future where the Trojan War is a reconstructed reality on Mars and the remains of post-humans live on earth in a cossetted fashion

seagull

Would C J Cherryh's Merchanter series qualify?

Nody

Why not go for some classics (assuming you've not done them yet); Frank Herbert (Dune series) and Asimov (Foundation series) and of course R. Heinlein (Moon is a harsh mistress, Starship troopers, Stranger in a Strange Land etc.)?

fitz

I'm assuming you've read The Gap Cycle by Stephen Donaldson?
If not, get on that...

Trojan

greedygoblin wrote: »

Dan Simmons Hyperion/The fall of Hyperion I found terribly enjoyable. I've yet to read the final two books in the series (Endymion/The rise of Endymion). Classic space opera.

Fox_In_Socks wrote: »

Just to add onto that, Dan Simmons again for Ilium and the sequel Olympos. Set in the future where the Trojan War is a reconstructed reality on Mars and the remains of post-humans live on earth in a cossetted fashion

Hmmm. I read Hyperion, just about finished it, couldn't handle The Fall of, not keen on his writing style at all.

seagull wrote: »

Would C J Cherryh's Merchanter series qualify?

I have no idea, but I'll find out

Nody wrote: »

Why not go for some classics (assuming you've not done them yet); Frank Herbert (Dune series) and Asimov (Foundation series) and of course R. Heinlein (Moon is a harsh mistress, Starship troopers, Stranger in a Strange Land etc.)?

Good suggestions and all well read (Heinlein nearly got me expelled from school).

fitz wrote: »

I'm assuming you've read The Gap Cycle by Stephen Donaldson?
If not, get on that...

Nope, didn't know he'd done sf. Will check it out, and hope his protagonist(s) are more likeable than Thomas Covenant

fitz

Trojan wrote: »

Nope, didn't know he'd done sf. Will check it out, and hope his protagonist(s) are more likeable than Thomas Covenant

Imo, it's far better than the Covenant stuff.
I've read it a few times. It's visceral and brutal stuff in parts, but a really great read.

First book is really short and the way the story expands out of this small scale character driven novella style book into something galaxy spanning is brilliant. Seriously great characters, it's lean too...five books long, but never feels stretched out or meandering (a problem I had with the Covenant stuff).

Harika

Jack Campbell - The Lost Fleet might be a space opera you will like.

HivemindXX

You could try David Brin's Uplift books, starting with Sundiver. John Scalzi's series which started with Old Man's War. Anne Lecke's Ancillary Justice books. All of these are galactic scale, space faring, high technology series with a strong emphasis on plot.

Vernor Vinge's "A Fire Upon the Deep" and "A Deepness in the Sky" are set in the same somewhat peculiar universe but otherwise unrelated. They are both awesome.

I just finished the Xeelee books by Stephen Baxter which probably have the most epic scale of anything I've read since Star Maker but if you find Alistair Reynolds is too hard-sf for your taste then you probably won't care for them.

DeWinterZero

James A. Corey - Leviathan Wakes, 1st book of their Expanse series (James A Corey is a duo writing under one name)
Neal Asher - Polity universe series.
David Brin - Uplift series. Start with Startide Rising.
Gary Gibson - Stealing Light, 1st volume of The Shoal Sequence

Trojan

HivemindXX wrote: »

You could try David Brin's Uplift books, starting with Sundiver.

Many years since I read the Uplift War series, definitely time for a re-read.

HivemindXX wrote: »

John Scalzi's series which started with Old Man's War.

Yeah this is pretty good, recommended.

HivemindXX wrote: »

Anne Lecke's Ancillary Justice books. All of these are galactic scale, space faring, high technology series with a strong emphasis on plot.

New author to me, awesome!

HivemindXX wrote: »

Vernor Vinge's "A Fire Upon the Deep" and "A Deepness in the Sky" are set in the same somewhat peculiar universe but otherwise unrelated. They are both awesome.

Yep, agree with you on that, fantastic stuff. I love the Tines concept, and the zones.

HivemindXX wrote: »

I just finished the Xeelee books by Stephen Baxter which probably have the most epic scale of anything I've read since Star Maker but if you find Alistair Reynolds is too hard-sf for your taste then you probably won't care for them.

Dead on, I'm not crazy about Baxter's stuff. That said, I might give Xeelee a go.

DeWinterZero wrote: »

James A. Corey - Leviathan Wakes, 1st book of their Expanse series (James A Corey is a duo writing under one name)

Heard of it before but never looked at it, will change that

DeWinterZero wrote: »

Neal Asher - Polity universe series.

On my Kindle right now as a result of posts above.

DeWinterZero wrote: »

David Brin - Uplift series. Start with Startide Rising.

+2

DeWinterZero wrote: »

Gary Gibson - Stealing Light, 1st volume of The Shoal Sequence

Oh, that's interesting. I've read a few of his before... Angel Station? Something like that, can't remember the other.

Harika wrote: »

Jack Campbell - The Lost Fleet might be a space opera you will like.

Hmmm. Ok, I've read about 8 or 9 of these, and there are some things I really like about them - the realistic combat tactics, the in-depth knowledge of military structure, bureaucracy, the aliens, etc. However, it is incredibly repetitive (to the point that I think he actually copied and pasted his Virtual Meeting Room description into each book. He needs a strong editor to get on board.

Keep the suggestions coming, I'm going to put a list of them all in the OP.

seagull

A lot of it is quite dated, but you might like to give A E Van Vogt a try.

kirk buttercup

Im Just about to start Peter f hamiltons Pandoras star is this a good place to start space opera's? or any other suggestions would be welcome

Dades

kirk buttercup wrote: »

Im Just about to start Peter f hamiltons Pandoras star is this a good place to start space opera's? or any other suggestions would be welcome

I'm about 20% in right now (stopped to read something else and came back to it). First one of his I've read.

Finding it a bit Iain M Banks-lite so far, but enjoying it nonetheless.

Trojan

seagull wrote: »

A lot of it is quite dated, but you might like to give A E Van Vogt a try.

Yeah, another great suggestion, although I've read pretty much everything from him, particular favourites being the Weapon Shops and Slan.

Just got reminded of Ringworld, I guess it's kind of in the space opera genre.

BlaasForRafa

David Zindell's "Neverness" and "Requiem for Homo Sapiens" trilogy would probably fit your criteria.

emigrate2012

Not exactly space opera,but try the wool trilogy by Hugh howey,really interesting premise, and excellent pacing with interesting characters,I'd definitelying recommended them although it's a week's reading at best and the third book is a little weak but the first two are absolutely cracking imho.

Thargor

Trojan wrote: »

Just got reminded of Ringworld, I guess it's kind of in the space opera genre.

The Fleet of Worlds series is brilliant Space Opera, I loved the Puppeteer species during Ringworld and when I googled them I found a whole series about them that I missed:

https://www.goodreads.com/series/58169-fleet-of-worlds

Ringworld isnt finished until you've read them as there are pretty major developments for the galaxy in each book.

Pepe LeFrits

DeWinterZero wrote: »

James A. Corey - Leviathan Wakes, 1st book of their Expanse series (James A Corey is a duo writing under one name)

I'm reading Leviathan Wakes at the moment. It's pretty solid. It's nothing spectacular but it's an easy, engrossing read. My mate lent it to me to read while I'm on hols, although I'm a good chunk of the way through it already and I don't fly out until tomorrow

I'm not sure if you'd class it as 'space opera' but The Forever War is a terrific book.

kirk buttercup

kirk buttercup wrote: »

Im Just about to start Peter f hamiltons Pandoras star is this a good place to start space opera's? or any other suggestions would be welcome

I'd start with "the reality dysfunction" as that trilogy is one of my favourites of all time, but yeah anything by him!

edit; ijust saw the date, you've probably long finished it by now lol

eamon234

I read The Circuit: Executor Rising by Rhett C. Bruno a while back and really liked it.