Comments on: No new space opera

By: Velcro City Tourist Board » Blog Archive » “Beer-money hard-pulp cyber-opera”, or “Defining the indefinable”

Tue, 03 Oct 2006 20:14:23 +0000

[...] Next up, Jonathan Strahan (in what I assume is an unconnected incident) started wondering about the definition of ‘new space opera’, and how it compared to ‘old space opera’, if indeed there is such a thing as either: “So, what do I mean? Well, if all of that stuff is ’space opera’ and not ‘new space opera’ or ‘old new space opera’ or ‘new old space opera’, then is there something else? Yes. Space opera has always been popular. It has always been science fiction’s dominant form, even when it wasn’t cool or whatever. And throughout space opera’s history there have been writers of ‘retro space opera’: writers who continue to create older forms of space opera for reasons of art or commerce. They effectively pastiche space opera, rather than partake of its continuing evolution. There’s nothing wrong with that, but it creates the impression that there’s space opera (that old stuff) and something new. It’s an error of perspective. There’s actually space opera and that other old stuff. I’m just saying.” [My emphasis.] [...]

By: SF Signal

SF Signal — Tue, 03 Oct 2006 02:23:23 +0000

SF Tidbits for 10/2/06…

There is some cool art over at ConceptArt.org. [via Quantum Storytelling]Need a Halloween costume? Check out How to build a Giant Robot Costume. [via Make]Jonathan Strahan wonders if there’s no such thing as the “new space opera”. He is also……

By: Michael Puttre

Michael Puttre — Mon, 02 Oct 2006 20:06:22 +0000

Jonathan,

Space opera has gotten a bad name because of the fantastical, even nonsensical (if fun) elements that have become associated with it. Elements like fighters turning on a dime and fleets of spaceships arrayed cheek-to-jowl in dense convoys. Then there are the over-the-top villains and scoundrel-with-a-heart-of-gold good guys that run around, as Asimov once wrote about ‘Star Wars’ and ‘Battlestar Galactica,’ firing bazookas at each other with their shirts hanging upon.

As you pointed out, military SF has made an attempt to inject come realism into the proceedings, but much of this genre lacks much appeal beyond connoisseurs of organization tables (like myself, for example).

In order for space opera to thrive outside of the world of franchise novels, writers should try to keep the science and the character development at a high level. Military science and technology should not be divorced from the “S” in SF. Also, motivations should be based on the complex interworking of societies, economics, and philosophies and not boiled down to Good vs. Evil.

I don’t want abuse your good graces, but I have just published a new SF novel that I would say falls into the space opera category. You can have a look at it here:

http://www.lulu.com/content/441712

Thanks for the forum,

–Michael

By: What is space opera? « Torque Control

What is space opera? « Torque Control — Mon, 02 Oct 2006 10:55:48 +0000

[...] What is space opera? Here’s a thought: there’s no such thing as the new space opera. — Jonathan Strahan [...]

By: New Space Opera « The Entropy Pump

New Space Opera « The Entropy Pump — Mon, 02 Oct 2006 10:15:22 +0000

[...] Jonathan Strahan wonders whether there’s actually such a thing as NEW space opera, and what space opera actually is. I think like Science Fiction itself most writers and readers have their own definition and will fight infinite battles over whose definition is the one true thing. Sometimes people just need to waste time until entropy gets to them. And it’s fun. So, my definition of space opera is quite simple: Starfaring civilizations at war with each other. The divide between old and new is that the old stuff just tries to be adventure and entertainment without any pretense of being more, and the NEW space opera tries to combine depth with all the old stuff. It’s simple as that, but look at for example old Battlestar Galactica and NEW Battlestar Galactica. A small thing like a bit of depth can make a world of difference. [...]