A pivotal and deeply embarrassingly personal moment in your life plays out amongst the stars. More than a few people are present for it–more than a planet, more than a solar system, an empire. A federation. A galactic republic (if you can keep it). Just your luck: You’re in a space opera!
This week, Tor.com and its contributors are taking stock of their favorite space operas. The notion began innocently enough: A few months back we were talking about Emily Tesh’s forthcoming book and we noticed, hey, also Christopher Paolini’s new space opera is coming out, and Maurice Broaddus’, and Saga is back, and…well it sure seems like a resurgent time for space opera, doesn’t it? At which point we slowed down and thought, honestly, it’s been a resurgent time for space opera fiction in these last five years, hasn’t it?
The ideas tumbled forth like errant asteroids from that point on. This week we’ll be publishing a few that made it to the finish line. You can dig into Space Opera Week right here. Here’s James Davis Nicoll on how reliably nutty classic space opera can get. (It’s not ALL cultural imperialism. Just mostly.) Emily Hughes on how space brings fear, no matter how cozy you try to make it. And we’ll be putting up some chapters from some of the aforementioned works, too, because why not?
There is much more to come this week, so check back in on the above link from time to time. (If you get our newsletter, that’s a good way to keep apprised of it all without having to do anything.)
Reading time is now!
Chris Lough is the Director of Tor.com and has, in the past, written a lot about The Wheel of Time and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and…the Super Mario Bros. Movie? Okay, haha, whatever you say, Chris!
