The New Space Opera

The Amazing: "Muse of Fire" by Dan Simmons - Simmons' two "Hyperion" books blew my mind, but this story is even better. It's just achingly beautiful, refreshingly human, and full of eye-popping space opera wonder, all at the same time. The best science fiction novella I have ever read. Easily. The Good: "Minla's Flowers" by Alastair Reynolds - Cool concept, surprising ending, but, most importantly, one unique, original, complex character. "The Valley of the Gardens" by Tony Daniel - Feels like an excerpt from a really good space opera series...except it's not. Neat. Kind of like an old war drama crossed with a Neal Stephenson book. "Verthandi's Ring" by Ian MacDonald - Far out. "Maelstrom" by Kage Baker - Funny. Not space opera, but who cares. "Glory" by Greg Egan - Very cool. Interstellar math nerds. If you know any math nerds, you'll know that this is exactly what they would be like if they could (sort-of) fly between the stars. The Pretty Good: "Saving Tiamat" by Gwyneth Jones - Imaginative and suspenseful, but should have been longer. "Winning Peace" by Paul J. MacAuley - Same. "Art of War" by Nancy Kress - Neat concept, low on the suspense factor. Not as good as most Kress stories. "Splinters of Glass" by Mary Rosenblum - Also not space opera. The Bad: "Hatch" by Robert Reed - If you haven't read the book series from which this story is derived, you will have no idea what is going on. "Blessed by an Angel" by Peter F. Hamilton - Not as good as most Hamilton stories, for some reason. Pedantic. "Who's Afraid of Wolf 359?" by Ken MacLeod - Reads like the sketch of a story. "Dividing the Sustain" by James Patrick Kelley - Obviously written by and for an older generation that was more weirded out by homosexuality. "Remembrance" by Stephen Baxter - And then THIS galactic menace conquered Earth! And then THIS one did! Yawn. "The Emperor and the Maula" by Robert Silverberg - Scheherazade with rubber-suit aliens. Yawn. "The Worm Turns" by Gregory Benford - Gregory Benford still can't make me care about how his stories turn out. The Ugly: "Send Them Flowers" by Walter Jon Williams - I want to jump into the story and hit every single character with an aluminum bat. Nor is the science interesting. Wow. Well, I know one author whose books I don't have to try.

While this anthology may appear to be aimed at newcomers to the genre (or subgenre), I doubt that newcomers will get as much out of it as fans who have already read a good deal of the material referred to here as "the new space opera." Why? Many of the stories take place in universes already visited by the authors. The degree of integration with earlier work varies; Gwyneth Jones' so-so story "Saving Tiaamat," takes place in the same universe as her WHITE QUEEN novel and its sequels, but does not involve the "Aleutians" or any earlier characters. Peter F. Hamilton's barely-readable "Blessed by an Angel" takes place in the same universe as PANDORA'S STAR and requires some knowledge of that universe but doesn't seem to add much. (It does, however, strengthen my opinion that Hamilton is a dreadful writer.) In contrast, Robert Reed's adventure-packed "Hatch" takes place on the surface of the "Great Ship" introduced in his novel MARROW (which I haven't read) and appears to shed new light on what goes on inside the ship. Although most of the stories stand on their own--I think Hamilton's is the only exception--I think newcomers would still get a better introduction to today's space opera by starting with a novel or two, like Reynolds' REVELATION SPACE (on the heavier side), Stross' SINGULARITY SKY, or Scalzi's OLD MAN'S WAR (on the lighter side). (Note that Stross and Scalzi do not have stories in this volume.) The book has a number of highlights. Walter Jon Williams' yarn "Send Them Flowers," features a couple of not-quite-on-the-level pals who flit around in a space yacht. Williams' irresponsible and irresistible (to women) character Tonio is a humorous wonder. Tony Daniel's "The Valley of the Gardens" is a weird, charming, and melancholy tale about a man and a woman who sacrifice themselves to save the world. Dan Simmons' "Muse of Fire" may overstate the cosmic importance of Shakespeare, but it is nonetheless surprising and engaging. While the book also has low points, none of the stories, aside from Hamilton's contribution, are truly bad. Baker's "Maelstrom" is silly and patronizing to its characters, Rosenblum's "Splinters of Glass," is awkwardly written (but clearly superior to Hamilton in execution if not imagination), and McDonald's "Verthandi's Ring," is artsy but empty. In sum, this collection is not going to blow anybody away, but it's a worthwhile addition to the library of any fan of contemporary space opera.

A really excellent collection of stories. I expected it to be pretty decent, and several people had told me it was really good. Well, they were right. This book has the classic 'Oh wow' moment, in Ian McDonald's Verthandi's ring, where your eyes widen, and afterwards you wander around grinning at the brilliance for a couple of minutes. I had also been looking forward to a new Greg Egan story for some time, and he doesn't disappoint. Not far in, I go 'What!! How the hell did he come up with that?!?' Shake your head at genius of invention, and continue happily along. The only bone I have to pick, which may be me not getting it, is Kage Baker's story, which appears to be a planetary farce, as well as Poe homage. There is a spaceship or two mentioned, but not used in the usual sense you woulud expect. If the point is that this is a joke, because it isn't space, and the actual story is about a production that isn't actually an opera, then ok. Otherwise, I don't get it. James Patrick Kelly's may be a bit borderline for what people will want, too. Nothing subpar to be found in this book, though, may just the odd not the right subgenre. When I started on Dan Simmons story and saw all the Shakespeare stuff, I was thinking, 'oh not, not another Shakespeare story', yet, after maybe a bit of a slow start, that becomes excellent as well. The introduction, pleasingly, has an essay on what is space opera, anyway, that is also well worth a time, and worth points. The stories for me are enough to give a 4.5, but with that, top marks. New Space Opera : Saving Tiamaat - Gwyneth Jones New Space Opera : Verthandi's Ring - Ian McDonald New Space Opera : Hatch - Robert Reed New Space Opera : Winning Peace - Paul J. McAuley New Space Opera : Glory - Greg Egan New Space Opera : Maelstrom - Kage Baker New Space Opera : Blessed by an Angel - Peter F. Hamilton New Space Opera : Who's Afraid of Wolf 359? - Ken MacLeod New Space Opera : The Valley of the Gardens - Tony Daniel New Space Opera : Dividing the Sustain - James Patrick Kelly New Space Opera : Minla's Flowers - Alastair Reynolds New Space Opera : Splinters of Glass - Mary Rosenblum New Space Opera : Remembrance - Stephen Baxter New Space Opera : The Emperor and the Maula - Robert Silverberg New Space Opera : The Worm Turns - Gregory Benford New Space Opera : Send Them Flowers - Walter Jon Williams New Space Opera : Art of War - Nancy Kress New Space Opera : Muse of Fire - Dan Simmons Diaspora warpdrive fine young cannibal political assassination. 4 out of 5 Multiversal war dump survival massacre. 5 out of 5 Immortal evolution ship return desire. 3.5 out of 5 Alien desertion. 3.5 out of 5 Antimatter lightspeed starblast instantiation means mathematical archaeology discovery decision. 4.5 out of 5 Martian Poe production proves popular. 3 out of 5 Twin reproduction insurance. 3.5 out of 5 Empire threat impetus attack gives boomerang inspiration. 4 out of 5 Extrauniversal o

Space opera has been defined as "colorful action-adventure stories of interplanetary or interstellar conflict." These new, never before published stories are tales of aliens and alien cultures, not just interstellar war stories. A pair of human researchers change their species to investigate a scientific anomaly on another planet. A group of traveling Shakespearean actors give the performances of their lives for the aliens who have conquered and enslaved Earth. A human society which has barely conquered the airplane has less than 100 years to live; their sun is in the path of a destructive stellar phenomena. An experienced interstellar traveler urges/pushes them into a crash course in spaceflight. He has to deal with what the society has become. An alien ship the size of Jupiter has been turned into the ultimate cruise ship, on an eons-long trip around the galaxy. After a hijack attempt goes wrong, a number of passengers are trapped outside the ship and are forced to create their own society on the ship's hull. A very rich man on Mars decides to bring Art and Culture to the miners who live there. He spares no expense to build a theatre with imported walnut paneling, and advertises on Earth, for actors who are ready to emigrate to Mars. I really enjoyed these stories. Each of the authors in this collection very much knows what they are doing. This is a formidable group of tales, and is essential reading for all science fiction fans.

In the Introduction to this anthology consisting of eighteen original contributions, the definition of the space opera subplot is discussed with various sources like the Encyclopedia of Science Fiction, the New Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (Jack Williamson contribution), and Locus (Paul McAuley article) defining it. Each has similarities yet differences, but this strong anthology summarizes space operas as "romantic adventure set in space and told on a grand scale". Thus there is plenty of room for a myriad of tales with the vastness of space and the subjective definition of grand. This is exactly what the audience receives in this superb compilation as the authors using their own personal definition of space opera to provide excellent tales differing in locale, scope, and supporting scientific theory. Even the tones are dissimilar as some are life and death struggles to survive a dying system ("Verthandi's Ring" by Ian McDonald) or a war (Greg Egan's "Glory") vs. an amusing Poe play on Mars ("Maelstrom" by Kage Baker). The role of earthlings also varies from the conquered to the conqueror. The bottom line is editors Gardner Dozois and Jonathan Strahan and their eighteen authors provide the grand tour of space with strong characterizations starring in short stories written on a grand scale. Harriet Klausner