Space opera
Space opera is a science fiction genre that features a story with "operatic" size and scope. The setting itself may be vast, as in a Galaxy!!!. The characters are also likely larger-than-life, as are their adventures.
The term was originally simply a term for cheesy SF set in space, largely adventure fiction and associated with the pulps (1920s-1940s). However the term and the genre have been reclaimed. Typical works include E. E. "Doc" Smith's The Skylark of Space and Lensman series. "Star Wars" is a classic space opera. Modernly, writers of interest include M. John Harrison, C. J. Cherryh (Alliance-Union series and Foreigner series), Iain M. Banks, Catherine Asaro's Skolian Empire series, David Weber (Honor Harrington series), and Lois McMaster Bujold's Vorkosigan Saga. C. S. Friedman's In Conquest Born is a popular modern space opera.
Space opera is related to:
Definitions
- 1941
- Wilson Bob Tucker, 1941 fanzine:
- In these hectic days of phrase-coining, we offer one. Westerns are called "horse operas," the morning housewife tear-jerkers are called "soap operas." For the hacky, grinding, stinking, outworn space-ship yarn, or world-saving for that matter, we offer "space opera."
- 1944
- Fancyclopedia:
- A hack science-fiction story, a dressed-up Western; so called by analogy with "horse opera" for Western bangbangshootemup movies and "sopa opera" for radio and video yellowdrama.
- 1976
- Leigh Brackett, Best of Planet Stories #1, 1976:
- Space opera, as every reader doubtless knows, is a pejorative term often applied to a story that has an element of adventure.
- 2006
- Hartwell & Kramer, "How Shit Became Shinola" (p.17):
- Thus the term "space opera" reentered the serious discourse on contemporary SF in the 1980s with a completely altered meaning: Henceforth, "space opera" meant, and still generally means, colorful, dramatic, large-scale science fiction adventure, competently and sometimes beautifully written, usually focused on a sympathetic, heroic central character and plot action (this bit is what separates it from other literary postmodernisms) and usually set in the relatively distant future and in space or on other worlds, characteristically optimistic in tone. It often deals with war, piracy, military virtues, and very large-scale action, large stakes.
References
- David G. Hartwell and Kathryn Cramer, "How Shit Became Shinola: Definition and Redefinition of Space Opera", introduction to The Space Opera Renaissance, ed. Hartwell & Cramer, 2006.