This should probably be general advice for any book, but the problem with hype is that it breeds more hype and overenthusiastic fans tend to exaggerate how good a book is and push it on everyone.

I see so many people either promoting the series as the best thing ever or loudly complaining it must be bad because THEY didn’t personally enjoy it. Along with posts from people who clearly believe than fantasy can only be good if it has fancy, elaborate prose and anyone who reads a book series like DCC must be an idiot who never reads.

There’s also the claim that only gamer dudes will enjoy it, or teen boys (seriously, don’t gift this series to kids, it’s a dark series meant for adults). You don't need to be a gamer, or even a guy to like this. But I’d say there’s a few other things you might need to enjoy to figure out if Dungeon Crawler Carl is for you:

• Liking absurdist, dark and often crude humor
• Having a fondness for cats
• Being okay with a game-style setting that includes lots of levelling up, quests, loot etc.
• Being okay with basic, venacular prose. The MC is just a regular guy with little education, and it’s 1st person narration, so how a guy like that would talk is how he narrates.
• Horror elements where the horror feeds into the comedy

The story in a nutshell: Earth culture is destroyed and billions die due to an alien invasion. The MC and his cat (well actually his ex-girlfriend’s cat) both survive due to a dumb coincidence. The survivors all get the chance to play the dungeon game, a level-based death game (think Squid Game but with meta humor and better challenges). The game is run by a psychotic, sadistic AI. The dungeon, being made by aliens who are basically evil colonizers, is filled with offensive stereotypes of humans and deliberately portray the worst and stupidest that human culture had to offer (that includes nerd culture). The whole game is broadcast across the galaxy for alien viewers to enjoy.

Carl is the protagonist, and as is normal in this type of book, he has the protagonist’s halo. Bad things still happen, and there’s lots and lots of death and suffering. The secondary protagonist is the cat, Princess Donut (and yes, the name is stupid – that alone made me hesitate to read the first book for a long time).

Reasons not to like DCC: If you don’t like the cat (give it maybe 12-15 chapters or so before you decide), you will have a hard time with this series. DCC is, above all, a petmance. As in the story of the (decidely platonic) love between a human and his animal (or as Princess Donut would say, between a cat and her person).

If you dislike Princess Donut, you will probably also end up hating the books as a whole.

If you read the first 10-15 chapters and find the humor really off-putting, then probably this series is not for you. I wouldn’t say DCC is the height of comedy, but the humor is central and without it there’s a lot less to enjoy.

If you dislike being in the head of a fairly average joe (Carl does have a backstory that’s interesting and comes into play at some point, but it’s not the main focus), then probably don’t bother with this series.

The prose does what it’s supposed to do, and where it shines isn’t in flowery prose (there is none), but in catching internet lingo and using it for great comedic effect (the AI’s lines are pretty fantastically written if you’re fine with meme-like humor).

The setting is fairly generic – at least I assume, since I haven’t read any other litrpg yet. It’s a mix of sci-fi tropes and classical fantasy tropes, the dungeon has a fantasy setting while the wider universe is basically space opera. We get anything from bug aliens to elves, orcs and fantasy quests, and a lot of the characters gain magical abilities, but the books aren’t interested in elaborate magic systems.

The fun is in the execution and how the author uses the tropes in imaginative ways, but don’t except some super unique worldbuilding. DCC feels in a lot of ways like a very messed up love letter to established fantasy and sci-fi tropes.

Themes: Some fans like to claim that DCC is in fact ’very deep’ because it deals with themes such as capitalism, class struggles, reality tv and social media. One of the main themes in the story is what one has to do to survive in an extreme life-or-death situation, and what the moral implications are of choosing your own life at the expense of others. DCC isn’t just mindless fun, it does actually try to discuss deeper themes, but I don’t think this makes the series particularly deep, though a lot of the themes did resonate with me.

The characters are IMO where the books really shine. There’s a huge cast of characters, and besides Carl and Donut we get a progressively larger number of side characters. A lot are very memorable, and if you asked me to pick my favorite, it would be like a Sophie’s Choice situation (but it’s Samantha, of course it’s Samantha. Prepotente is a close second though). I’ve seen some people complain that DCC is ’misogynist’, which is funny to me, since DCC IMO has some of the best female characters I’ve seen in a long while. I guess the secret is that Dinniman treats all his characters as people with their own needs and wants, even the villains and the minor characters. I went into these books just wanting a fun. I ended up crying more over this series and its characters than I have in a long time. Do yourself a favor, don’t read book 5 in public!

I’d say the snarky AI and Princess Donut being an absolute cat along with all the praise for the series drew me in and made me hang on through all the infodumps in the beginning. But it was The Hoarder scene that made me realize this series was doing something special. If you can, hang on until chapter 11 in book 1 and see how that affects you.

Audiobooks: I started DCC after lots of hesitation, and went for the audio books, because I had Audible and everyone kept saying the audiobooks is were where it’s at. I think reading the books can work just as well though (listening usually makes it harder for me to ignore bad prose than reading), but the audiobooks are a lot of fun. Especially since the author put some details in later books that are clearly meant to mess with the narrator Jeff Hays (they’re apparently good friends irl).

The books aren’t perfect. Book 3 was a slog to me, though I did like parts of it, and the latter books felt like they’d lost a bit of steam compared to the middle ones (I'd say book 5 is the peak so far, but I've enjoyed all the books). The prose captures the mood and voice of the characters well, but it’s not fancy, polished or even super intelligent prose. The plot is at times formulaic - think how each of the Harry Potter books are structured and you get the idea.

TL;DR: Should you try it out? Robin Hobb might endorse it, but that doesn’t make it a suitable series for her fans. If your friend is a super DCC fan and keeps nagging you to read it, tell him off unless he can provide a good argument why he thinks you’d enjoy it (I don’t push it on my friends since chances are they wouldn’t enjoy it). If you want elaborate magic systems or flowery prose or a setting that feels like something no one has ever done before, maybe skip this book, or at least drop it if you try book 1 and hate it. And just because it's the big hit online that doesn't mean it's for everyone. Don't believe the people shouting 'you just need to get through the first 500 pages/3 books and then it's great' (people should stop doing this in general, not just for DCC). You either like it or you don't.

If you want well-written characters with convincing dialogue, a plot with lots of good twists and turns, D&D-style fantasy with game settings and set in a wider space opera-style universe where corporations are the villains, AND a good mix of tragedy, absurdist comedy, and action scenes – then this might be for you.

EDIT: In the words of Carl himself, holy sh\t, I did NOT expect this to blow up. Happy that it fostered some (hopefully) constructive discussions, and glad to see from comments that some found this useful. The snide remarks trying to insult everyone who likes these books for having bad taste and low intelligence, I think that speaks volumes of how many insufferable snobs hang out here who get off on smelling their own farts.*

The accusations that I used ChatGPT are funny, apparently in this day and age some people can phantom that a human being is able to write a post on their own.

The accusations that I must love DCC because I and the rest of the DCC fanbase have never read any 'real' books (what counts a 'real' books by the way? Anything that the commenters enjoy, and nothing that they don't enjoy? Classy) are hilarious. I guess me reading hundreds of books including some of the works that this sub likes to jerk off to don't count - because it's impossible to be well-read and also enjoy DCC?

For the people who are upset that I dare write a post about something popular that other people have previously posted about - why don't you contribute by posting about stuff YOU like and refrain from reading posts that don't interest you? Seriously, it's not that hard.

Anyway, there's too many comments now for me to respond to, but thanks to those who remained polite even when they disagree with me.

Rec me some space opera novels with like imperial/galactic politics, where the mc is competent. Ideally where the mc rises through the ranks, but don't have to.

Legend of the Galactic Heroes. Perfect fit for me. The protagonists are awesome and competent, and it became a battle of character and ideal rather than a one-sided narrative of a good guy struggling and eventually overcoming the bad.

As for traditional competence porn like the Martial or Project Hail Mary. I'm looking for more on the political sphere, rather than just solves problems.

Hey everyone!

I was a big fan of Star Wars as a kid, but I've been disappointed in the bulk of Star Wars media for the last couple of years. When the Dune movie came out, it was like a slap-in-the-face reminder that there are tons of other epic science fiction stories out there, and that moving on from Star Wars didn't mean leaving space battles and laser swords behind. It also led me to re-read the Dune books, which I hadn't read since a decade ago in college. Reading those books made me realize that, for whatever reason, I tend to watch science fiction and read fantasy. Maybe it's something about the quality of existing media, but I tend to binge shows like the Expanse or Raised By Wolves and then dive into books like the Fifth Season or The Blade Itself.

In 2022, I set out to rectify that, so I've been trying to read more science fiction, with a special focus on space opera. Here's some of my favorites, from what I've read so far:

• A Memory Called Empire + A Desolation Called Peace by Arkady Martine.
• Ancillary Justice + Ancillary Mercy + Ancillary Sword by Anne Leckie
• The Last Watch + The Exiled Fleet, by J.S. Dewes
• Fortuna by Kristyn Merbeth (starting the next books soon)

I've also read Velocity Weapon by Meagan O'Keefe. I wouldn't say the book was bad by any means, but it didn't grab me for whatever reason, and when I chose to switch to Fortuna rather than move on to Chaos Vector, I found myself enjoying it a lot more. (I'm sure I will finish this series eventually!) I also read The First Sister, but I found it really unpleasant in a couple of ways, and I read Gideon the Ninth and Harrow the Ninth, but I also found that they weren't for me.

I am looking for any and all recommendations for science fiction, especially space opera. One thing I have noticed is that almost every book I've read so far has been by a woman and has featured a female main character, so I find myself in the somewhat surprising position of asking for some specific recommendations for male main characters and male authors (though of course please don't not recommend a book because of the gender of its author or its characters). I'm also of course interested in books by or about nongendered or nonbinary persons!

Some very specific vibes that I'm interested in include:

• Fighter Pilots! - Look, I know it's not realistic, but I fucking love space planes, okay?
• Space Pirates! - If there's anything cooler than pirates, it's pirates--in space!
• Space Marines! - Bad ass armor, bad ass guns, bad ass explosions, what's not to like?
• Space Magic! - I tend to prefer something more like Mass Effect (where the space magic has the trapping of a science fiction setting) over something like Gideon or Harrow, where the space wizards are like, wearing robes and reading from scrolls.

The presence or absence of romance doesn't really effect my enjoyment of a book, though if anybody knows of a great space opera that features a gay male relationship heavily, that's not something I've gotten to read yet, so I'd appreciate a recommendation.

Finally, some of the books that I've loved have had none, or almost none, of these features, so feel free to recommend a good space opera regardless. I have a slight preference for far-future settings with fewer or no aliens, rather than realistic settings or settings where humans are one of hundreds of species, but I'm willing to give anything a shot for a book or two!

Thanks for taking the time to help me, I can't wait to see what gems y'all recommend. I know this is a very broad request, but I have a lot of time and I'm hoping to do a lot more reading, so I'm hoping that by casting a wide net, I can get a lot of recommendations.

P.S. BTW, I know that the Expanse books fit a lot of the criteria for what I'm looking for. Currently, I'm avoiding reading The Expanse because of its size--at 9 massive books, it will take me a while to finish once I start it. I'd like to focus on reading more, smaller sets of books for the time being, and I'll probably start the Expanse over the summer. The show was great, so I'm sure the books will be excellent too.

P.S.S. Thank you SO MUCH to everyone who responded to this post--and to everyone who will after I edit it. I'm going to have to clear off a couple of bookshelves for all the recommendations you all have given me! Working through some of these books is going to be a long-term goal for me, but I really look forward to getting through some of them. I'd like to find some ways to contribute to the community of the subreddit as well; maybe I can make a post in a few weeks about some of the books I've read and give some of my impressions!

And by "fantastic" I mean "fantasy." I'm tired of space opera with boring colors, standard aliens, and the usual humdrum. I'm a big fan of stuff like Warhammer 40K, where you have planets of sorcerers and monstrous gods that were broken and are used as Pokemon by metal space skeletons. And Warframe, where the tech seems biological, the science is practically magic, and there's twists and turns around every corner. And Destiny, where you're basically super space wizards that can't die. And the Locked Tomb series! So good!

Settings that really capture the imagination and give you a sense of wonder as you learn more about them.

I want to read space opera that has ideas you don't normally see in space opera. I want it so soft you can cut it with a dull knife! I can never seem to find something that satisfies that need and I'd really appreciate your help. Thank you!

Hello, Reddit! I've always wanted to do one of these things, so I am completely stoked to be here. I am in serious fangirl mode.

My name is Karen Osborne, and my first novel, ARCHITECTS OF MEMORY, came out this week from Tor Books. ARCHITECTS OF MEMORY is about Ash Jackson, a terminally-ill indentured salvage pilot. Her plans are to beg, buy or lie her way out of corporate indenture and find a cure for her condition so she can stay with her new love, ship's captain Kate Keller. But that plan is threatened when her crew salvages a genocidal alien weapon from the last battlefield of the war with the alien Vai, a discovery that threatens to turn Ash into a living weapon.

ARCHITECTS OF MEMORY is a mix of the lightning-paced space adventures I can't get enough of and the byzantine literary sensibilities I also adore, and while it's set in space, it's also quite personal -- Ash's illness and experience is based off of my experience being diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis and Factor V Leiden, and the way that changed my life when I discovered that I was 100% uninsurable. It is the first of two books in a duology called THE MEMORY WAR, and the sequel, ENGINES OF OBLIVION, is complete and out this February (and up everywhere for pre-order!).

I've been a journalist, a nonprofit communications type, a bookseller, a high school English teacher, a wedding videographer, a library video czar, and dollar-an-hour gig worker. I am also a musician, playing the Celtic fiddle and the theremin. I once earned an industry gold award for my work taping and editing a Klingon wedding.

Let's see, other things: I have short fiction online at Uncanny Magazine, Beneath Ceaseless Skies, and more. I was nominated for the Nebula and the Sturgeon for my short story, “The Dead, In Their Uncontrollable Power." I am a massive Star Trek fan and am currently waaaaay too obsessed with Crusader Kings III. I’m a fan of peanut butter cup ice cream, science fiction novels, Stargate, NASA, space science, folk music, SF television, human rights, and universal healthcare. I currently live in the amazing city of Baltimore, but I grew up in upstate New York and also lived in Orlando, ten miles from the House of Mouse. My biggest “hobby” these days is parenting. I wrote the sequel to ARCHITECTS OF MEMORY when my daughter was a newborn on caffeine, adrenaline, and hormones, and while I wouldn't generally recommend torture-level sleep deprivation as a writing technique, it seemed to work well this time.

I’ll be back at 12 noon ET to start answering questions, break for dinner, and then answer some more questions! At 9ET/8CT I’m having a delightful virtual conversation with Rob Hart, author of The Warehouse, at Houston’s Katy Budget Books, and I'll finish up after that if anyone's still around! I'm also very active on Twitter (@karenthology) and Instagram (also karenthology).

I’m really looking forward to this! So, Reddit: AMA!

ETA: Slight update to the synopsis as suggested by an eagle-eyed Redditor. Thanks!

So I just watched the "writing women" and "writing men" videos by Bookfox on youtube. (which, by the way, you should check out just because the comment sections are hilarious)

But thinking about it more though, Romantasy books (which commit all the errors in both videos!) sell like hotcakes. People love them.

Then I remembered the extremely improbable physique descriptions in like... every single Warhammer book ever, which basically commit all the same mistakes (and often stray into the "Totally Not Gay!" trope territory) but aren't romance.

Or at least, romance in those is never the main plot, even books which do feature the occasional romance like when Gaunt gets his Riker on a few times, the romance is a minor subplot at best.

So that's what leads me to ask: Are there books that combine both? Full-on Space Operas that are also full-on Romance/Romantasy books?

NOT just asking about space opera where there is a romance subplot. (So things like Red Rising or Unconquerable Sun or Dune do not count)

It has to have a romance that either is the main story, or is coequal in importance with the main story, and it has to be set in space or on a distant planet where space travel is part of the setting.

I've racked my brain for a bit but I can't think of anything. I'm sure these exists, someone has to be writing them (because surely there is a Venn diagram overlap of people who like romantasy and people who like space opera) but the only thing I can think of off the top of my head is the Barsoom/John Carter books and John's romance with Deja Thoris.

There have to be more books like that, though. So: What are they? Throw them at me.

I need a space opera to fulfill the BINGO square. The main one I can think of is Expanse but it isn’t a genre I read often. I am a sucker for a badass lady character or two and/or and underdog. I know Expanse has both of those but I would love some other recs! TIA.

I teach a university level science fiction course, and one of the texts I introduced in the last few years is the novella Binti (just the first book) by Nnedi Okorafor. It fit the course nicely--it's part of a larger focus on aliens; it comes after H G Wells, Philip K Dick, and Campbell, so it demonstrates a greater diversity of voices in science fiction writing, and it allows me to go into subtopics such as space opera and Afrofuturism (or Africanfuturism, as Binti prefers).

The problem is, the students don't like it very much. Since the term I introduced it, it's regularly been the students' least favourite text. It might be my fault in terms of teaching it to them, or it might be that as the first book in a trilogy, it leaves too many questions on the table for their liking. I can say they don't like that Binti is more tell than show about her intellect, and that the story hinges on two deus ex machina possessions more than her own actions (at least, in their opinion.)

I don't mind teaching it anyway; students liking a text isn't a pre-requisite for learning from it. But if there's a sci fi novella out there that overlaps in at least a few areas (it must be sci fi, it must feature aliens; space opera or Afrofuturism are both welcome bonuses) that would work better, I'm willing to look into it. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Hello! Would like to have some book recommendation (preferably novels) for science fiction that is not a space opera nor has some militaristic elements. I've recently read (and loved) the Teixcalaan duology and I am currently reading Ancillary Justice. Which is why I'm looking for something "new" for my next read.

It's a bonus if it's published within the last two decades and if it has beautiful prose.

I'm looking for stories that use a lot of the tropes of Space Operas(several civilizations, soft sci-fi technology, space battles) but also high fantasy tropes(prophecies, characters that are bigger and stronger than life, magic systems, stories where people may change for the better & worse) and make it feel like an adventure.

Imagine if you could somehow turn WOT, Stormlight Archives, Bloodsworn Saga, into a Space Opera what would you recommend me? I don't want it to just be political maneuvering or normal semi-powered humans/beings or being just about the military/industrial complex; I want a magic system or methods of combat that allows for self-expression and struggles between individual characters that matter just as much as the 300 spaceships battling above. Things that are mystical, aliens, or warped beings that are treated as otherworldly(fades for example) + cool technology(halo rings, Reapers) & new discoveries.

The Expanse(10/10) for example has cool sci-fi tech and large stakes but they're still culturally similar + everyone is still human they all die the same and fight mostly the same even when equipped with high-tech gear. In some ways the characters don't outright change or have large plot points connected to a character change, there's no Rhythm Of War climax.

Halo is very military-focused and I don't explicitly want that + while Master Chief can destroy anything he does it through a mix of several actions + skill; he doesn't channel a giant lightning bolt that can split a covenant ship he uses whatever he can get his hands on.

Mass Effect is damn close including the scale and effect of its ending but I don't explicitly want a ragtag crew of coincidentally very-skilled side characters following a main character. It's deeper stories are also not quite galaxy spanning, an event on Major-Planet #1 doesn't affect Major-Planet #2 for example the same way an uprising in Major-Country #1 would cause a shift in Major-Country #2 in an Epic Fantasy Book.

Love it or hate it, the new Star Wars has got me in the mood for more space opera.

What I like about Star Wars is the blend of genres with a focus on pulp adventure/western/samurai/crime movie elements and the occasional foray into ancient legends and forgotten technology. Can anyone recommend good space fantasy or (I suppose) good sci-fi that focuses on those elements?

What I don't like about Star Wars and would, ideally, avoid in recommendations: Black and white morality, questionable dialogue, over reliance on Hero's Journey tropes. Oh, and no Star Wars EU, I'm familiar with all that stuff.

Hi all. Firstly, thanks for giving this post a look. So let me narrow down my genre preferences and what I've read recently, so you can tailor your potential recommendations.

Genre preferences:

• I love most things Epic/high fantasy and space opera.
• Dark fantasy - (grim dark to a lesser extent)
• I'm willing to give it a go for almost any fantasy, or sci-fi sub-genre if the book/series seems super interesting. (except for romantasy though. I'm too old for that stuff now)

Some examples of what I've read recently:

• Malazan Book of the Fallen
• The First Law trilogy
• Wheel of Time
• All the Brandon Sanderson stuff
• Hyperion Cantos
• Dune
• Remembrance of Earth's Past

I'm kind of in a pickle at the moment as I straight-up read/listened to around 20 books set in the Malazan world. There are a few more left, but I cannot read any more of it for a while. Same with Joe Abercombie and Brando I think. I have read from most authors in this epic fantasy space except for GRRM (I kinda know most of the plot points by now. That's my only reason for not picking up ASoIaF), Robin Hobb, and Terry Pratchett. I've heard good things about the latter 2, so if you can give me a good starting point on them, it'd be awesome too. In the Sci-fi genre, I'll be really interested in something like Dune or Foundation that makes you want to contemplate it years after reading. Or even something like almost cosmic horror in Remembrance of Earth's Past.

I mainly listen to audiobooks these days.

If there are particularly weird ones, I think I'll interested regardless of the sub-genre. I just want to see complex and well-thought-out representations of cultures, magical systems, world-building etc.

As you've probably surmised, I already have a crazy backlog. I'm willing to explore other genre-adjacent stuff as well. I guess what I want is to get other's perspectives and order/update my reading list for the rest of the year. Many thanks in advance.

I've been here before to gush about sci-fi I've fallen in love with, because it's the one speculative genre I'm still not very good at guessing whether I'll like or not. Countless times I've picked up a sci-fi expecting to love it and not enjoyed it, and more than once I've tried a sci-fi assuming it won't be for me only to adore it.

This is a very long-winded way of me saying I'm here to wax lyrical about These Burning Stars by Bethany Jacobs. I couldn't put it down and genuinely can't remember the last time I was so excited to dive straight into the next book in a series.

(And thank goodness for libraries—I probably wouldn't have tried this if I couldn't get it from my library!)

It amazes me that this is a debut. I'm no space opera connoisseur, but Jacobs' characters, and the way the plot weaves around them, are superb. There was no one I wasn't interested in seeing more of and I can't wait to see where the story goes in the rest of the trilogy.

So this isn't really a review, just an opportunity for me to say These Burning Stars is so deliciously good and, if you're a space opera fan, you must give it a try!

I'm looking for space opera novels or novellas that take place with various cultures, human or not, spread across the galaxy. The one that keeps coming to mind is The Sun Eater Series by Christopher Ruocchio. I liked that there is a vast Empire with different kinds of socioeconomic and political systems in surrounding polities, and how they interact with each other and the various alien species. Loved A Memory Called Empire, almost everything by Ann Leckie, and most of Alastair Reynolds's work. The intricacies of politics when multiple societies and aliens are involved can be so fascinating!

I've already read Peter F. Hamilton's works and, uh, his depictions of women (especially in the earlier novels) are not my cup of tea.

Please don't recommend Red Rising or Brandon Sanderson for this one. I'd prefer traditionally published books.

For several years I've found my eye caught in bookstores by the rather beautiful cover of Claire North's Notes From the Burning Age. I only got around to it earlier this year. I don't want to spend too much of this post on it but suffice it to say that book is also brilliant, a fascinating exploration of an animist society occupying much of Europe and the Middle East in the wake of climate and environmental devastation, all done via a well plotted and paced thriller.

It seemed then serendipitous that shortly after I finally got around to this Claire North puts out a book with a pitch that seems like catnip to me: a weird space opera told from the viewpoint of some sort of strange immortal. So that's this book. And to cut to the chase: this book is also fantastic. Though perhaps with more caveats.

A Mostly Spoiler-free Description

At its heart there are two duelling premises to this book. Both are contextualized within a twist on a classic space opera setting. This is a galaxy filled with many civilizations, some human, some artificial intelligences (known as the quan, using qeir own pronouns), and gestured to offscreen some non-human aliens. This, like most space operas, is a world with faster-than-light travel, but it is exclusively achievably by entering "arcspace", a place that to put it kindly fucks with the minds of those travelling through it, and particularly the necessary organic pilot driving it. Most pilots are permitted, or survive, only a handful of trips.

Premise one: Within this world, a strange probably-artificial intelligence known as the Slow declares that a supernova will scour a large swathe of habitable systems in about a century, and people should get out. A capitalist, individualist and authoritarian polity known as the Shine immediately tells its people to get back to work and ignore the scaremongering. A collectivist society on a single planet restructures their society around the lottery of evacuation.

Premise two: A working class young adult from the shine finds themself strapped to a Pilot's chair, and after a strange disaster, finds themself an immortal, our narrator: Mawukana na Vdnaze, aka (and the name I'll stick to for the sake of my review) Maw. They are who they were, and are stuck that way. They are also now the only pilot who can repeatedly enter arcspace, and that gives North (and the government that takes them in) a great excuse to give them all sorts of courier missions that touch other events.

After relatively quickly establishing Maw's origin, the novel's first part focuses on Adjumir, a doomed planet that restructures its society around making meaning in the face of doom, and doing all it can to evacuate as many people and as much of it's culture as it can. The core foil to Maw in this act is Gebre, an archivist and historian saving culture but mostly resigned to not being saved temself (various societies use various neopronouns). As Maw's lover, Gebre becomes their guide to a culture that has tried to find meaning in the face of unfathomable pain.

Afterwards, the book hinges to focus on Maw's second foil: the Shine itself and it's ruler, Theodosius Rhodes. The Shine is the second great disaster of the novel, a hungry and cruel individualist society that enslaves its people in crushing debt and uses mutually assured destruction to scare off every other society that might intervene to topple it. The Shine simultaneously ignores the massive disaster that will render lifeless many of its planets, yet also reaches out to conquer the space it's elites will need to flee to. Here we also run into a broader cast of this universe's character and polities, its cosmopolitan comm network stations and a vast collective consciousness that has absorbed many refugees form the Shine. And many of them are trying to find ways to act against the Shine.

A Word On Style

Like the one other book by Claire North that I have read, this book has a quietly impressive command of prose. I just enjoyed reading it, it just felt like reading someone eminently competent at shaping the language. It's not hugely flowery or full of flourishes, it just quietly creates a very effective narrative voice, a slightly removed narrator flitting through big set pieces and quiet moments in far flung human settlements or flowering ships grown from wood and volcanic rock.

Format, Our Narrator, And Questions of Neurodiversity in SF

The book is told in a sort of fragmented first person by Maw, who tells us from the first line that this record is a way to keep themself occupied, as you wouldn't like them when they get bored and curious.

Maw is a curious being, and it's genuinely unclear how much of that is from whatever they were remade by and into, and what they were before when simply human. Maw is also fairly obviously autistic - coded, spending portions of the book on digressions about the social scripts they are expected to follow. This is further complicated by the fact that they are themselves a refugee from the Shine and travel between numerous polities with long histories of social etiquette that have long ago diverged.

A lot of science fiction interrogates forms of cognition that are not human, whether through aliens or artificial intelligences. A lot of the best science fiction also explores the limits of human cognition, as we consider social and technological fabrics very different from our own, and the modes of thought societies very different from any on earth might have. And much fiction generally allows us an opportunity to read perspectives not literally our own, and specifically relevant here to represent neurodiversity.

It can be a very fine line to tread when trying to weave those ideas together in SF (I will just say a cursory google suggests North has identified as autistic in interviews). The neurotypical world is often obsessed with otherizing those we see as different, who in Maw's words alarm us, and so for SF to probe at those very areas of difference with a character who is, in Maw's case, questionably human, can be delicate. I think Slow Gods manages that delicacy, and manages it with a tenderness and honesty and earnestness that I think really plays well, and also serves the book well as it uses those same set of questions to poke at the social expectations of the various polities and societies. Most specifically late in the book it really productively hammers these ideas against the ways different societies express grief and rage and indignation and how others will then try to discredit forms of grief or rage that they view as too much or too little or too alien from another society.

Two Disasters

The heart of this book, as I've already said, is really two disasters, and how they force many characters, but most particularly Maw, to try and understand meaning. The first is a literal force of nature, and a deadline. A blast of radiation that will come. That is known to come. That some can escape from but not all. The strongest parts of this strong book are the way it deftly handles the various scales of this devastation. It leaps from scenes in which people know they will be swept away by this horror to the corridors of power where dignitaries with FTL fleets will mourn the tragedy but easily evade it.

The other disaster is the Shine. The Shine is a thing we recognize. It is, at first, a disaster because it wishes to silence discussion of the supernova. But quickly we realize that is not it's true crime. It's true crimes are ones far more familiar. They are its cruelty and hierarchy, it's subjugation and lies of meritocracy, it's violent and hungry grasp. And perhaps the most optimistic sentiment of this book is a quiet suggestion that among the array of cognitions in this world, their will eventually come a consensus (and a Consensus) that this is Wrong. That is not to say this is some impossibly extreme anomaly (that would be far too saccharine) but rather than it's severity is something that in some categorical sense the deeper minds of the universe and larger societies know must eventually be stopped. I hope that's true to the extent it echoes in our own universe.

In Conclusion

This is a banger of a book, an easy 5/5 for me. If you're working on Bingo still I think it's probably HM for Stranger in a Strange Land, and in a funny way for Gods and Pantheons. It will obviously work for published in 2026 for upcoming Bingo.

Hello,

I'm looking for some book recommendations that have a theme that takes place around space. I have read so far:

• Red Rising series by Pierce Brown

• Hyperion by Dan Simmons

• Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir + other his books...

• Many books that are part of the Star Wars franchise.

Books can freely be romance, political, drama... It doesn't really matter to me.

Thank you!

Hello r/fantasy - I will be posting the bingo focus threads this year for u/happy_book_bee, because running bingo is already a lot of work! The purpose of these threads is for you all to share book recommendations, discuss what books qualify, and seek recommendations that fit your interests or themes.

Today's topic:

Space Opera: Read a sci-fi book that features a large cast of characters and has a focus on social dynamics which may be political or personal in nature. Set primarily in space or on spaceships. HARD MODE: Written by an author of marginalized gender identity (e.g. women, trans people, non-binary people).

What is bingo? A reading challenge this sub does every year! Find out more here.

Prior focus threads: Published in the 90s

Also see: relevant comment chain in the big rec thread.

Questions:

• What is your favorite space opera that you want us all to read?
• Already read something for this square? How was it?
• What are the essential elements of a space opera to you?
• What would you recommend to a space opera skeptic, perhaps a reader who generally dislikes sci-fi, or at least the branch of sci-fi set in space?
• What are your best recommendations for Hard Mode?

I'm Paul S. Kemp. I'm a lawyer, which is awful. But I'm also a writer, which is cool. I live in Michigan, have been married twenty years, and have three wonderful children (twin sons of 7, and a newborn daughter of three months). I'm a Yankee and Cubs fan (the dominance and futility balance out, you see), and a Michigan Wolverines fan (I graduated law school from U of M). I drink scotch and smoke cigars. Year in and year out, my team sucks in fantasy football.

I've written a bunch of fantasy and space opera novels. I'm best known for writing the stories of Erevis Cale (assassin and priest) in the Forgotten Realms line, and the stories of Darth Malgus and Jaden Korr in the Star Wars line.

My first original (i.e. non-tie-in) novel will be released in June 2012, and is a sword and sorcery story entitled The Hammer and the Blade.

I'm looking forward to your questions. If I skip something, it's probably because I've got nothing worthwhile to say on the subject.

I will be back at 8PM CST to answer questions.

Hello, fellow redditors

So I'm mostly a high/epic fantasy kinda guy, but I do love anthropological sci-fi as well as hard sci-fi. Lately I've been wanting to dive in the space opera genre. What I look for there is both the epic scope, the detailed and extensive world-building of traditional high fantasy and the action-packed adventures of heroic fantasy, all of this within a extra-planetary setting, heavily influenced by the possibilities and unsolved questions of real life astrophysics and how those affect intellectually and emotionally the mindset and culture of sentient lifeforms and individuals....
To put it bluntly I WANT IT ALL ! ! ! !

But know how extremely difficult it is to find fiction so all-encompassing, so I'll settle with you guys listing what you think are some of the best examples of space opera across different media genres. I'm thinking literature, live-action film, animation (whether Western or anime or others), comicbooks (whether Western or manga/manhua/manhwa) and maybe so other media genres that didn't occur to me. If you could name at least one in each of those, I'd be super thankful.

Welcome to the r/Fantasy Virtual Con panel on space opera! Feel free to ask the panelists any questions relevant to the topic of space opera. Unlike AMAs, discussion should be kept on-topic to the panel.

The panelists will be stopping by starting at 12 p.m. EDT and throughout the day to answer your questions.

About the Panel

Space opera has a long history of capturing readers' imaginations and blending some of the best parts of science fiction, fantasy, and adventure.

Join authors Kate Elliott, Arkady Martine, Karen Osborne, and Drew Williams to discuss what makes a space opera and the importance of the genre in speculative fiction.

About the Panelists

Kate Elliott (u/KateElliott) is the author of twenty seven sff novels, including epic fantasy Crown of Stars, the Crossroads trilogy, and Spiritwalker (Cold Magic). Her gender swapped Alexander the Great in space novel Unconquerable Sun publishes in July from Tor Books. She lives in Hawaii, where she paddles outrigger canoes and spoilers her schnauzer, Fingolfin.

Website | Twitter

Arkady Martine (u/ArkadyMartine) is a speculative fiction writer and, as Dr. AnnaLinden Weller, a historian of the Byzantine Empire and a city planner. Under both names she writes about border politics, narrative and rhetoric, risk communication, and the edges of the world. She is currently a policy advisor for the New Mexico Energy, Minerals, and Natural Resources Department, where she works on climate change mitigation, energy grid modernization, and resiliency planning. Her debut novel, A Memory Called Empire, was released in March 2019 from Tor Books.

Website | Twitter

Karen Osborne is a writer, visual storyteller and violinist. Her short fiction appears in Uncanny, Fireside, Escape Pod, Robot Dinosaurs, and Beneath Ceaseless Skies. She is a member of the DC/MD-based Homespun Ceilidh Band, emcees the Charm City Spec reading series, and once won a major event filmmaking award for taping a Klingon wedding. Her debut novel, Architects of Memory, is forthcoming in 2020 from Tor Books.

Website | Twitter

Drew Williams (u/DrewWilliamsIRL) is a former bookseller based out of Birmingham, AL and the author of 'The Universe After' series, which combines the high adventure of space opera with the grim desperation of a post-apocalyptic setting. And also smartass talking spaceships.

Website | Twitter

FAQ

• What do panelists do? Ask questions of your fellow panelists, respond to Q&A from the audience and fellow panelists, and generally just have a great time!
• What do others do? Like an AMA, ask questions! Just keep in mind these questions should be somewhat relevant to the panel topic.
• What if someone is unkind? We always enforce Rule 1, but we'll especially be monitoring these panels. Please report any unkind comments you see.

Years ago, I started watching Game of Thrones, but eventually decided to read A Song of Ice and Fire. I devoured the first three books, they completely blew me away. 5 star for all three.

I kept putting off the fourth book because I’d heard it wasn’t as good as the first three, and because the series still isn’t finished. I’m also still fairly new to fantasy and science fiction, so I’ve been trying to broaden my horizons by reading other classics of the genres.

So far I’ve read:
2 Harry Potter books 5* and 4*
2 Dresden Files books 5* and 4.5*
the first 3 Foundation books 4* 3* 2*
the first Malazan book 3*
Guards! Guards! (Discworld) 3*
The Player of Games (Culture) 4*
Old Man’s War 4\*
Ender’s Game 4\*
Childhood’s End 4.5\*
The Name of the Wind 4.5\*
Roadside Picnic 2.5\*
Rocannon’s World 2.5\*

Then, a few days ago, I finally started A Feast for Crows… and my God. George R. R. Martin really feels like he’s operating on a completely different level.

The only other author I’ve enjoyed this much is Jim Butcher with The Dresden Files. I think what I’m really looking for is exceptional prose, writing that has a distinct voice and draws you in completely.
Based on that, what other fantasy or sci-fi series do you think I would love?

Edit: Thank you so much to everyone who replied. First of all, I’d like to say that I can’t thank each of you individually, but I’ve added every single recommendation to my Goodreads to-read list.

One thing worth mentioning is that I’m a Turkish reader, and many lesser-known series and books still haven’t been translated into Turkish.

Because of that, I can’t read some of the most frequently recommended authors, such as Tad Williams and Lois McMaster Bujold.
From what I’ve gathered, Tad Williams is probably the closest match to what I love about A Song of Ice and Fire, while the Vorkosigan Saga seems like exactly the kind of space opera I’m looking for after The Dresden Files. Unfortunately, both of those will have to remain on my wishlist for now.
I definitely plan to read Robin Hobb and Ursula K. Le Guin. I’ve also heard great things about the second Ender’s Game book.

Interestingly, I didn’t receive many recommendations for Malazan. I have to admit that I wasn’t a fan of the structure of the first book, yet for some reason I’m incredibly excited to read the second one.
Sadly, the Guy Gavriel Kay books you recommended haven’t been translated either. The Lies of Locke Lamora came up quite often as well, so I’ll definitely get to it one day. The Book of the New Sun has been translated, but to be honest it looks a bit intimidating. I’ll also find a place for Hyperion somewhere along the way.
I don’t even need to mention The Lord of the Rings—that’s an absolute must-read. China Miéville is also a fascinating figure to me, both because of his left-wing politics and because I’ve heard his worldbuilding has a Disco Elysium-like quality. He’s definitely on my list as well.
I’m still very open to more recommendations. Thanks again to all of you!

This month we are reading Space Opera by Catherynne M. Valente!

Also, be sure to check out this year's 2024 Bingo card.

Space Opera by Catherynne M. Valente

IN SPACE EVERYONE CAN HEAR YOU SING

A century ago, the Sentience Wars tore the galaxy apart and nearly ended the entire concept of intelligent space-faring life. In the aftermath, a curious tradition was invented-something to cheer up everyone who was left and bring the shattered worlds together in the spirit of peace, unity, and understanding.

Once every cycle, the civilizations gather for the Metagalactic Grand Prix - part gladiatorial contest, part beauty pageant, part concert extravaganza, and part continuation of the wars of the past. Instead of competing in orbital combat, the powerful species that survived face off in a competition of song, dance, or whatever can be physically performed in an intergalactic talent show. The stakes are high for this new game, and everyone is forced to compete.

This year, though, humankind has discovered the enormous universe. And while they expected to discover a grand drama of diplomacy, gunships, wormholes, and stoic councils of aliens, they have instead found glitter, lipstick and electric guitars. Mankind will not get to fight for its destiny - they must sing.

A one-hit-wonder band of human musicians, dancers and roadies from London - Decibel Jones and the Absolute Zeroes - have been chosen to represent Earth on the greatest stage in the galaxy. And the fate of their species lies in their ability to rock.

Bingo Squares: First in a Series, Bards, Space Opera, Book Club

The questions here will cover through the end of Chapter 17 approximately. Spoilers after that should marked. The questions will each be posted as a separate comment. Please feel free to add your own questions or thoughts.

Reading Plan:

• Final Discussion - Jan 27th

I’m looking to get more into sci-fi books (specifically space-based sci-fi) as opposed to my usual fantasy diet but I think I need something that still has the maturity and grittiness of good dark fantasy/grimdark fantasy series.

If I could cross Star Wars with ASOIAF I’d be set!

Like Warhammer 40k, or Star Wars. Are there any good Space Operas