Guest Blogger: S. Reesa Herberth

Space Opera and Romance

What is space opera?

Ask a few fans, and you're most likely to hear a different answer from each person. Space opera, when the term was first coined in the 40's, was meant as an uncomplimentary jab at bad sci-fi, a comparison to the radio soap operas of the time. By the 60's and 70's, space opera had come to be associated with sci-fi adventure novels, and as time has worn on, the original pejorative sting has faded away almost entirely.

A highly scientific sampling of...