| • Science | • People | • Locations | • Timeline |
Space opera is subgenre of science fiction that emphasizes romantic adventure, interstellar travel, and space battles where the main storyline is interstellar conflict and character drama.
"Space opera" was originally a derogatory term, a variant of " horse opera" and " soap opera". Wilson Tucker suggested the term in 1941. It meant action-oriented tale of space adventure instead of "respectable" science fiction story that concentrated on effects of technological progress and inventions. However there is no sharp dividing line and many authors manage to combine the space adventure and the respectable elements, ensuring that the best written space opera is represented among the best of science fiction generally.
Originators of the first space opera stories were E. E. Smith, with his Skylark and Lensman series; Edmond Hamilton; Jack Williamson; John W. Campbell; and later Leigh Brackett.
In recent years, a resurgence in space opera has resulted in what some consider to be a sub-subgenre often called "new space opera." Typically, new space opera combines the interstellar scale and grandeur of traditional space opera with elements of hard science fiction. New space opera is therefore scientifically rigourous while ambitious in scope.
Among the practitioners of the new space opera are Stephen R. Donaldson, Dan Simmons, John VarleyFor the English watercolour painter and astrologer, see John Varley (painter). John Herbert Varley (born 1947) is a science fiction author. He has written several novels and numerous short stories, many of them in a future history (the Eight Worlds) where, David BrinGlen David Brin (born October 6 1950) is a well known American author of science fiction. He is the winner of both the Hugo and Nebula Awards. He lives in Southern California and has been both a NASA consultant and a physics professor. Biographical timeli, Iain BanksIain Menzies Banks (born on February 16, 1954 in Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland) writes mainstream novels as Iain Banks and science fiction as Iain M. Banks studied English and Philosophy at the University of Stirling. He lives in North Queensferry, a town o, Catherine AsaroCatherine Asaro (born 1955) is an American science fiction author. She is best known for her books about the Ruby Dynasty set in the Skolian Empire. She was born in Oakland, California. She has a B. in chemistry from UCLA and an M. in physics and a Ph., Orson Scott CardOrson Scott Card (born August 24 1951) is a prolific and best-selling author of numerous genres. Overview Card's launch in the publishing industry was with science fiction Hot Sleep and Capitol and later fantasy Songmaster . He remains best known for the, John CluteJohn Clute is a Canadian born author and critic who lives in Britain. His articles on science fiction have appeared in various publications since the 1970s and are erudite and witty, though some readers have complained that they are also rendered incompre, Charles StrossCharles David George Stross (born October 18, 1964) is a science fiction writer based in Edinburgh, Scotland. His first short story, The Boys was published in Interzone in 1987, his first novel, Singularity Sky in 2003 and was nominated for the Hugo Award, Peter F. HamiltonHamilton born 1960 in Rutland, England, is one of the most popular and recognised British science fiction authors of the 1990s. Hamilton first came to prominence in the mid 1990s with his trilogy of novels featuring the psychic detective Greg Mandel., Lois McMaster Bujold, M. John Harrison, Donald M. Kingsbury , David Weber, Ken MacLeod, Alastair Reynolds, Mike Resnick, and C. J. Cherryh.
Anime has now become one of space opera's main contributors. Series such as Cowboy Bebop, Gundam series, Dirty Pair (Original and Flash), Crest of the Stars, Legend of Galactic Heroes and Martian Successor Nadesico increase in popularity and to a certain extent influence the genre ( Farscape is a good example of a live-action series influenced by anime.)