Re: “Top 10 Space Opera Books and Series”

On 02/06/2024 10.55, Paul S Person wrote:

On Sat, 1 Jun 2024 14:58:38 -0500, "Michael F. Stemper"
<michael.stemper@gmail.com> wrote:

On 31/05/2024 16.28, Ted Nolan <tednolan> wrote:

In article <v3dc4d$2cmed$1@dont-email.me>,
Lynn McGuire  <lynnmcguire5@gmail.com> wrote:

“Top 10 Space Opera Books and Series”

I would swap The Foundation Series and The Vorkosigan series.

>
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?

>
100% agreed. I'm not too convinced that _Hyperion_ (or the four-novel series
that it kicks off) or the Culture qualify as Space Opera, either. I briefly
perused the page and some of its links, but was unable to find what they
were using as a definition of "space opera".

 I think I've mostly regarded "space opera" as a formation based on
"horse opera". FWIW. YMMV.

I have no doubt about that being the etymology of the term. But, it's hardly
a definition. And I was wondering specifically about the definition used by
the folks setting up the poll; the definition that viewed Hyperion and
Foundation as "space opera".
My guess is that the pollsters had no criteria, and this poll was really
"what science fiction do you like?" With serious sampling issues.
--
Michael F. Stemper
The name of the story is "A Sound of Thunder".
It was written by Ray Bradbury. You're welcome.