Contrary to what some might think, space opera isn’t an interstellar adaptation of the timeless Italian art form.
Though the concept of world-famous opera singers wearing futuristic garb while performing their best vibratos sounds wildly entertaining, the borrowed terminology is solely related to the plot similarities that the literary genre shares with traditional opera.
By far the best adjective which can be employed to describe space opera is “big”. It takes classic, universal themes of love, romance and warfare and puts them on an interplanetary stage. Naturally, the stakes become considerably higher with the fate of the galactic universe is placed in the hands of a chivalric young prince turned supreme leader with the power of a thousand robotic armies behind him.
Perhaps the most iconic example of the space opera genre is Frank Herbert’s Dune, which has enjoyed a new wave of appreciation thanks to its recent Hollywood adaptation. Had Star Wars been a novel, it would’ve likely taken first place, closely followed by Interstellar.
Originally published in 1965, the epic science fiction novel Dune kicks off with the ancient and great House Atreides being granted stewardship of the universe’s most valuable planet, which also happens to be an uninhabitable desert wasteland.
The planet Arrakis is home to the lifeforce of the galaxy and its most essential export, “spice” - and before long a violent attack is launched on the planet’s new guardians by its predecessors, House Harkonnen. What truly makes Dune a space opera, however, is the handsome protagonist Paul Atreides (played on the big screen by heartthrob Timothée Chalamet) and the repercussions of his romance with Arrakis native Chani (Zendaya).
Our sincerest apologies to all those who thought they were simply enjoying uber-cool space fights and intricate, mind-bending descriptions of imagined technology in the distant future, for romance is key to space opera – especially if it has wider political ramifications.
There’s a reason there’s a strange, intrinsic anachronistic feel to space opera novels. The societies which are at the forefront of such unique narratives often appear backwards despite being so technologically advanced because they’ve been crafted with traditional dramatic plotlines in mind, before being transported to outer space. Rather than operating in utopia, intergalactic society is plagued with evil kings and queens, revered knights, crooked religious figures and large-scale holy wars.
We’ve curated a selection of the best space opera novels and series of all time. Keep scrolling to enter another universe entirely.
Dune by Frank Herbert
There’s no better time to cross-off those fiction big hitters than the summer. Whether you’ve been thinking about reading Herbert’s ground-breaking dystopian series since it was first published in 1965 or since the release of the star-studded motion picture in 2021, it’s safe to say that 2024 is the year to dive in.
Widely considered to be one of the most important works of science fiction in the last century, Herbet’s novel centres around the battle for control over the desert planet Arrakis and its priceless resource known as ‘spice’.
Red Rising by Pierce Brown
The first in Brown’s best-selling series of the same name, Red Rising follows low-born protagonist Darrow, a miner on Mars who believes he is helping to make the planet’s surface liveable for future generations. Despite being a member of the colour-coded universe’s lowest caste, the Reds, he works tirelessly just to come home to his beloved family for whom he believes there’s a greater future in store. But when the high-ruling Golds take everything Darrow loves away from him, the only solution is revenge – and he’ll stop at nothing to get it.
Translation State by Ann Leckie
A stand-alone story within Anne Leckie’s Ancillary Justice series and the Imperial Radch universe, you don’t have to have read the space opera trilogy to enjoy this brilliant yarn – though some readers appreciate the context. Translation State follows three protagonists with interwoven stories.
The Presger is a dangerous alien species that nevertheless respects other sentient life forces, which is why they breed translators to communicate with humans. Qven is one such Presger translator who rebels against the machine, which puts them on a collision course with a reluctant diplomat named Enae and an adopted mechanic called Reet who are hunting down a fugitive that went missing over 200 years ago.
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
A global pop-culture phenomenon and the reason why countless individuals believe the meaning of life to be the number 42, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy follows the “galactic (mis)adventures” of Arthur Dent.
The first novel in the highly comedic hexalogy is about a very human Dent who is forced to flee Earth before it’s bulldozed in favour of an intergalactic highway. Having just learned that his best friend is secretly an alien, Arthur and Ford Prefect are plunged into hyperspace with nothing but a strange book entitled ‘DON’T PANIC’.
The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu
Now a Netflix series produced by the creators of Game of Thrones, Cixin Liu’s best-selling The Three-Body Problem takes its name from the scientific query which describes a three-planet system trapped in one another’s gravitational pull. The novel begins with a gruesome history of the Chinese Cultural Revolution before jumping four decades into a timeline which sees the Beijing police ask nanotech engineer Wang Miao to infiltrate a cult-like group of scientists after a wave of suicides.
Wang soon discovers a bizarre virtual reality game which centres around a strange alien civilisation that is near extinction forever due to a series of turbulent, supposedly unpredictable solar events caused by the dangerous gravitational interactions of its three suns. What unfolds is a conspiracy which spans space and time, threatening the destruction of more than one race.
In Ascension by Martin Macinnes
Gifted marine biologist Leigh has always been enchanted by what lies beneath the ocean's murky depths. Raised in Rotterdam, the protagonist travels the globe thanks to her profession, but when a trench is discovered in the Atlantic Ocean, Leigh is tapped to join the prestigious research team.
Hoping to find evidence of Earth’s earliest life forms, Leigh is instead plunged into a universe-shifting, cross-cosmos discovery. Torn between continuing her work and leaving behind her ailing mother and younger sister, Leigh’s compassionate nature is placed directly at odds with diving deeper into the minutiae of human existence on Earth.
Revelation Space by Alastair Reynolds
Human colonists have settled on Resugam, a planet that was home to a now-extinct race known as the Amarantin some nine hundred thousand years ago. To the vast majority of Resugam inhabitants, the existence of the Amarantin is nothing more than ancient history – but not for scientist Dan Sylvester.
After the discovery of an almost perfectly intact Amarantin city with a giant statue of the winged creatures to boot, Sylvester will stop at nothing to uncover the truth behind their destruction.
Hyperion by Dan Simmons
Described by one Goodreads reviewer as “The Canterbury Tales in space”, Simmons’ Hyperion is a classic space opera. The book takes place in the 29th century as the universe of the Human Hegemony is near extinction. With the entire galaxy engaging in deadly battle, seven pilgrims embark on one, final voyage to the Time Tombs on Hyperion to request the help of the Shrike – a lethal demi-god whose powers transcend time and space.
The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradely
You’ve heard of the Ministry of Magic and even the Ministry of Sound, but Kaliane Bradley’s The Ministry of Time is set to take you on a seismic literary journey spanning past, present and future.
A jaded civil servant is offered a lucrative role within a strange new government ministry. The titular institution oversees the bringing-in of ‘expats’ from the furthest corners of history to test the rather novel notion of time travel. Our unnamed protagonist is set to serve as the ‘bridge’ for one expat who has some trouble adjusting. Commander Graham Gore supposedly died on Sir John Franklin’s expedition to the Arctic, yet has found himself very much alive in contemporary England. Think: 2024’s answer to Outlander.
A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine
The newly appointed Ambassador Mahit Dzmare arrives in the esteemed Teixcalaanli Empire’s interstellar capital rearing to begin her new role. Upon arrival, however, her grand plans screech to a halt when she discovers that her predecessor was murdered. While attempting to uncover the mystery behind the fallen ambassador, Mahit harbours her own technological secret which threatens to destroy the capital's political system.