Re: “Top 10 Space Opera Books and Series”

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”
>
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.

 
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.
--
"Here lies the Tuscan poet Aretino,
Who evil spoke of everyone but God,
Giving as his excuse, 'I never knew him.'"