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  • Re: =?UTF-8?Q?=E2=80=9CTop_10_Space_Opera_Books_and_Series=E2=80=9D?=

    From Ted Nolan @21:1/5 to [email protected] on Fri May 31 21:28:47 2024
    In article <v3dc4d$2cmed$[email protected]>,
    Lynn McGuire <[email protected]> wrote:
    “Top 10 Space Opera Books and Series”

    https://discoverscifi.com/the-top-10-space-opera-books-and-series-of-all-time/

    10. Blood on the Stars by Jay Allan - never heard of it
    9. Hyperion by Dan Simmons - yes
    8. Revelation Space by Alastair Reynolds - I have never read the series
    7. Vorkosigan Saga by Lois McMaster Bujold - freaking awesome series
    6. The Culture Series by Iain M. Banks - I have never read the series
    5. The Commonwealth Saga by Peter F. Hamilton - I have never read the series >4. Triplanetary by E.E. "Doc" Smith - this is on my reread list
    3. Old Man's War by John Scalzi - yes
    2. The Expanse Series by James S.A. Corey - awesome series
    1A. The Foundation Series by Issac Asimov - yes
    1B. Honor Harrington Saga by David Weber - yes

    David Weber's Dahak series needs to be a part of this list.

    I would swap The Foundation Series and The Vorkosigan series.

    Lynn

    I would say that Foundation is *not* Space Opera. In fact it makes some
    fun of Space Opera.

    _Triplanetary_ definitely is, but how can you be aware of Doc Smith and
    leave a) the Lensman series proper & b) the Skylark series off of a
    Space Opera list?

    I would add The Exordium.
    --
    columbiaclosings.com
    What's not in Columbia anymore..

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  • From The Horny Goat@21:1/5 to tednolan on Mon Jun 3 03:09:49 2024
    On 31 May 2024 21:28:47 GMT, [email protected] (Ted Nolan
    <tednolan>) wrote:

    I would say that Foundation is *not* Space Opera. In fact it makes some
    fun of Space Opera.

    I'm not sure if it's Space Opera but it's certainly early era science
    fiction with a strong "acquisition" from Gibbon - honestly the Bel
    Riose section in Foundation + Empire was straight out of Gibbon,

    (I'm not sure whether he was based on Aetius or Belisarius but
    certainly a good dose of each)

    I first read the Foundation series when I was 14 and no question I was
    halfway in love with Arkady Darrell (of Second Foundation) and was
    mature enough to know there was something profoundly creepy when the
    Warlord of Kalgan talked about founding a dynasty with her.

    (And made enough of an impact on me that I was able to type this up
    without reference to the web or the book 50+ years later...)

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  • From The Horny Goat@21:1/5 to All on Mon Jun 3 03:11:56 2024
    On Sat, 1 Jun 2024 09:10:58 -0400, Tony Nance <[email protected]>
    wrote:

    For my tastes, the big omission here is the Liaden series. Also, is The >Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series considered space opera?

    I wouldn't put it there - perhaps SF+F where the second F is "farce"

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  • From Scott Dorsey@21:1/5 to [email protected] on Mon Jun 3 22:36:44 2024
    The Horny Goat <[email protected]> wrote:
    On 31 May 2024 21:28:47 GMT, [email protected] (Ted Nolan
    <tednolan>) wrote:

    I would say that Foundation is *not* Space Opera. In fact it makes some >>fun of Space Opera.

    I'm not sure if it's Space Opera but it's certainly early era science
    fiction with a strong "acquisition" from Gibbon - honestly the Bel
    Riose section in Foundation + Empire was straight out of Gibbon,

    "With a little bit of cribbin' from the works of Edward Gibbon,
    And that Greek, Thucydides."


    --
    "C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

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  • From The Horny Goat@21:1/5 to Scott Dorsey on Wed Jun 5 14:12:00 2024
    On 3 Jun 2024 22:36:44 -0000, [email protected] (Scott Dorsey) wrote:

    I'm not sure if it's Space Opera but it's certainly early era science >>fiction with a strong "acquisition" from Gibbon - honestly the Bel
    Riose section in Foundation + Empire was straight out of Gibbon,

    "With a little bit of cribbin' from the works of Edward Gibbon,
    And that Greek, Thucydides."

    Change "a little bit" to "a whole lotta" and we agree completely heh
    heh

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    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Ted Nolan @21:1/5 to [email protected] on Wed Jun 5 21:54:39 2024
    In article <[email protected]>,
    The Horny Goat <[email protected]> wrote:
    On 3 Jun 2024 22:36:44 -0000, [email protected] (Scott Dorsey) wrote:

    I'm not sure if it's Space Opera but it's certainly early era science >>>fiction with a strong "acquisition" from Gibbon - honestly the Bel
    Riose section in Foundation + Empire was straight out of Gibbon,

    "With a little bit of cribbin' from the works of Edward Gibbon,
    And that Greek, Thucydides."

    Change "a little bit" to "a whole lotta" and we agree completely heh
    heh

    Isaac Asimov


    THE FOUNDATION OF S.F. SUCCESS

    (With apologies to W.S.Gilbert)

    If you ask me how to shine in the science-fiction line as a
    pro of luster bright,
    I say, practice up the lingo of the sciences, by jingo (never
    mind if not quite right).
    You may talk of Space and Galaxies and tesseractic fallacies
    in slick and mystic style,
    Though the fans won't understand it, they will all the same
    demand it with a softly hopeful smile.

    And all the fans will say,
    As you walk your spatial way,
    If that young man indulges in fights through all the Galaxy,
    Why, what a most imaginative type of man that type of man must be.

    So success is not a mystery, just brush up on your history, and
    borrow day by day.
    Take the Empire that was Roman and you'll find it is at
    home in all the starry Milky Way.
    With a drive that's hyperspatial, through the parsecs you will
    race, you'll find that plotting is a breeze,
    With a tiny bit of cribbin' from the works of Edward Gibbon
    and that Greek, Thycydides.

    And all the fans will say,
    As you walk your thoughtful way,
    If that young man involves himself in authentic history,
    Why, what a very learned kind of high IQ, his high IQ must be.

    Then eschew all thoughts of passion of a man-and-woman
    fashion from your hero's thoughtful mind.
    He must spend his time on politics, and thinking up his
    shady tricks, and outside that he's blind.
    It's enough he's had a mother, other females are a bother,
    though they're jeveled and glistery,
    They will just distract his dreaming and his nessesary
    scheming with that psychohistory.

    And all the fans will say
    As you walk your narrow way,
    If all his yarns restrict themselves to masculinity,
    Why, what a most particularly pure young man that pure
    young man must be.

    1954
    --
    columbiaclosings.com
    What's not in Columbia anymore..

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  • From Scott Dorsey@21:1/5 to [email protected] on Wed Jun 5 23:17:32 2024
    In article <[email protected]>,
    The Horny Goat <[email protected]> wrote:
    On 3 Jun 2024 22:36:44 -0000, [email protected] (Scott Dorsey) wrote:

    I'm not sure if it's Space Opera but it's certainly early era science >>>fiction with a strong "acquisition" from Gibbon - honestly the Bel
    Riose section in Foundation + Empire was straight out of Gibbon,

    "With a little bit of cribbin' from the works of Edward Gibbon,
    And that Greek, Thucydides."

    Change "a little bit" to "a whole lotta" and we agree completely heh
    heh

    It doesn't scan then. And "a little bit" is what Asimov wrote in the poem. --scott
    --
    "C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

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  • From The Horny Goat@21:1/5 to [email protected] on Wed Jun 19 02:38:42 2024
    On Mon, 10 Jun 2024 20:16:59 +0100, Robert Carnegie
    <[email protected]> wrote:

    As pointed out below, Aldiss did another two volume anthology, and IIRC
    edited both "Penguin Science Fiction" and "More Penguin Science Fiction"
    which I bought as a duology, and that may also have influenced me.

    A curious specific genre. :-)

    Gee I wonder who his publisher was...

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