Space Opera Fans discussion
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Introduce Yourself - Part I
Jade wrote: "Greetings! Recently discovered GoodReads and am just having so much fun with the site! Thought I'd join the group since I'm into scifi and space stuff."Welcome Jade! Feel free to jump into any discussion which gets your geek-radar up, or hunt down one of our group reads and start reading :-)
Name: EzeFavorite Books: I'll be honest, I've not read enough in the last 10 years to pick favorites. I'm getting back into reading more often and am really open to suggestions. Cloud Atlas was probably my latest.
Favorite Genres: Space opera, general sci fi, bit of fantasy, paranormal (not romance sort), GLBTQQIA+ related fiction (preferably scifi), and more I'm sure
Favorite TV shows: Firefly, Earth2 (ooooh old school), Stargate SG-1 (up until season 7 I think), Star Trek (TOS, TNG, DS9, Voyager sort of), Hannibal, Sleepy Hallow, Law & Order (CI, SVU), Lost, Torchwood, Doctor Who (though I'm just starting to get into it), Twilight Zone (original), 4400, (plenty more)
Favorite Movies: The Red Violin, GATTACA, Pacific Rim, (my wife scoffs and just says musicals). I always get stuck on this question.
Favorite Food: Pretty much anything that contains the gluten I can no longer eat. Also tacos.
Day Job: Invoice Processing and Project management at publishing company in the ebook division (it doesn't give me any perks except access to a free book shelf that contains mostly cook books, self help, and non fiction- except sometimes access to BEA)
Hobbies: Writing, jewelry making, role playing, reading, attempting to make foods that should contain gluten without it
Other: I'm open for questions or comments.
Earth 2! Someone else remembers that show fondly! Man, I really wish they had gotten at least another season--even one more episode to sort out where they left it (which was a pretty dark place). Good stuff!Old Who or new Who? (I like both, but it's always fun to ask.)
Robert wrote: "Earth 2! Someone else remembers that show fondly! Man, I really wish they had gotten at least another season--even one more episode to sort out where they left it (which was a pretty dark place)...."It's on DVD - I love forcing it on anyone who asks what it is when they see it on my self.
You know, I really wanted to get into old Who. I try to be a completion-ist, but I had difficulty watching it from the start (and finding a reliable source). Once I've run the course of the new Who available at current I'll see if I can't work backwards on the old. At this point, it's new Who, but who knows!
I was a voracious reader in my youth and loved SciFi. In fact it was my fondest wish to be an astronaut. As a kid my Christmas present was a subscription to Analog Magazine. Fast forward a couple of decades and I had barely read 2 books a year. When I hit 40 something I decided to reignite my love of books so I grabbed a set of good reading glasses and set out to read at least 25 books a year. It's working out so far...Name: Monica
Favorite Books: Very tough question. Just going to list the books that have blown me away in the past couple of years (limiting to SciFi): Stories of Your Life and Others, Wool Omnibus, The Sheep Look Up, The Ghost Brigades and McMaster-Bujolds Vorkosigan books
Favorite Genres: I vacillate among many. Lately I'm enjoying nonfiction: history, behavioral, marketing, social sciences, sports, biographies, science. I'm also reading lots of classics (but on my terms). Science Fiction is always home for me
Favorite TV shows: Orphan Black, Farscape, Deep Space 9, Dr Who, Game of Thrones
Favorite Movies: don't have the attention span
Day Job: IT Analyst
Hobbies: Cycling, triathlons, reading
Other:
Eze wrote: "Robert wrote: "Earth 2! Someone else remembers that show fondly! Man, I really wish they had gotten at least another season--even one more episode to sort out where they left it (which was a pret..."I get that about the old Who. I suspect you kind of had to watch it when it was being broadcast to really be able to "get" the appeal. There was nothing like it at the time, and the cheesy effects were good enough (and sometimes even scary--certainly creepy enough) because the effects in other material wasn't really much better back when, especially on TV. Now, they just look pretty bad.
Tom Baker is "my Doctor," though I like them all, and he and his adventures scared the crap out of me a lot when I was a kid. It was amazing to see him on the new Who this past year. Probably, the stuff made after Tom Baker left the show would be the most watchable material for someone who didn't just grow up with the stuff, because I remember the effects getting a little better after that.
If you never can make it through the old stuff--the pacing is soooo slow compared to today's shows (it's like that with everything, not just Who)--it's all good. There's too much Who out there to be a true completion-ist anyway (what with the books, audio dramas, comics, etc.--plus, the BBC LOST a bunch of it). I think Matt Smith did a great job giving everyone the idea of what a lot of old Who was all about anyway. So, Capaldi better really rock, or I'm going to be really put out in August . . . ;)
Monica wrote: "I was a voracious reader in my youth and loved SciFi. In fact it was my fondest wish to be an astronaut. As a kid my Christmas present was a subscription to Analog Magazine. Fast forward a couple..."Orphan Black! Did that show just get a whole lot "bigger" (in scope of story) or what??!!
And to list DS9 and not other Next Gen stuff--awesome. I like it all, but DS9 was where it was at. Now, will they put it through the Blu Ray magic they just did with Next Gen???? Someone please tell me they heard that was happening . . .
Robert wrote: "Eze wrote: "Robert wrote: "Earth 2! Someone else remembers that show fondly! Man, I really wish they had gotten at least another season--even one more episode to sort out where they left it (whic..."I certainly intend to make an effort. I enjoy watching Dark Shadows ever now and then and I know the pacing is pretty similar. I don't think I'll be able to marathon it the way I do with most shows.
David Tennant appealed to my generation but it was more his adventures that I enjoyed, though Christopher Eccleston was fun though I don't feel they got to explore his incarnation as well as they would have liked. I do enjoy the sort of broody/quirky nature with Matt Smith and by far he's had the best companions and most emotional episodes.
All that said, and more on the topic of books, have you found any that might have a similar feel to the show? Quirky and fun with a bit of drama? More serious than the Hitchhiker's series I think.
Eze wrote: "Favorite Movies ... Pacific Rim, (my wife scoffs and just says musicals)..."What's wrong with Pacific Rim. I LOVE Pacific Rim! You've got monsters, an alien invasion, and an underlying hint of romance. It's all good!
Welcome Eze!
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Monica wrote: "Favorite TV shows: Orphan Black, Farscape..."
Welcome Monica! I only recently discovered Orphan Black. Awesome seat-of-your-pants suspense! And I'm a rabid Farscape fan. Have you heard they're contemplating a new Farscape movie about John Crichton & Aeryn Sun's son?
Welcome to Space Opera Fans!
Anna wrote: "Eze wrote: "Favorite Movies ... Pacific Rim, (my wife scoffs and just says musicals)..."What's wrong with Pacific Rim. I LOVE Pacific Rim! You've got monsters, an alien invasion, and an underlyi..."
XD nothing's wrong with Pacific Rim. I love it. The aside was about my wife scoffing when I asked her what my favorite movies were and she said musicals.
Eze wrote: "Name: EzeFavorite Books: I'll be honest, I've not read enough in the last 10 years to pick favorites. I'm getting back into reading more often and am really open to suggestions.
Good grief, Goodreads is screwing up so bad right now! I'll try to fix this post...
Hi Eze,welcome. Based on your preferences, if you're looking to get into a good space opera series, I can recommend Peter F. Hamilton's the Void series (6th book coming out soon). Begin with Pandora's Star.
Welp, there it goes again, mangling my author links... I guess you'll just have to look up these references manually.
If you still like Star Trek then I highly recommend the Vanguard series by David Mack, beginning with Harbinger. His Destiny series is also quite good, focusing around Riker, beginning with Gods of Night.
If you like the free spirit attitude of Firefly and Earth2, then you might enjoy some older stories by Robert A. Heinlein. His views are similar to Gene Roddenberry's in my opinion (like embracing the human spirit, adventure, exploration), with books like The Puppet Masters have that feel to them.
Hi my name is Ray Perreault and my pen name is Name: Ray Jay Perreault
Favorite Books: Books that make me think.
Favorite Genres: Historical, Space Opera, Hard SciFi bios of important people
Favorite TV shows: Anything but reality TV
Favorite Movies: Independence Day
Favorite Food:Beer and Pizza
Day Job:Retired AF Pilot and Aeronautical Engineer
Hobbies: Writing, playing golf
Other: Happily married for 40 years with a fantastic wife, two daughters and recently an amazing grand son.
I am a new Indy Sci-Fi author with one series SIMPOC starting on Amazon and the second Gemini which should start in August.
Life Sci Fi and I'd love to hear from any of you.
Ray wrote: "Favorite Movies: Independence Day..."WHAM! "Welcome to Earth..." :-)
One of my all-time favorite movies. I watch it whenever I'm feeling down.
Welcome to Space Opera Fans! Be sure to read our 'Helpful Tips for Authors' https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Jon wrote: "Eze wrote: "Name: EzeFavorite Books: I'll be honest, I've not read enough in the last 10 years to pick favorites. I'm getting back into reading more often and am really open to suggestions.
Good ..."
I thank you kindly! I've added those to my to read list. :)
Hello! I'm Didem and I'm from Turkey.(My english may be bad,sorry for that) I'm an high school student and I'm 16. I like Science Fiction, Fantasy and criminal books. I'm reading science fiction books for 3 or 4 months so I read only a few books. My favorite books are Old Man's War series and Hitchhiker's Guide To the Galaxy. My favorite films are Forrest Gump and Artificial Intelligence. I also like movies that have superheroes in it.(X-Men movies are the best!) I like How I Met Your Mother, Doctor Who and The Big Bang Theory as Tv shows. I like fruits and pizza. I don't have any interesting hobbies at all: I do puzzles, I play piano, I design 3D objects using Sketch-up and websites using HTML, I learn french and english. And last of all I read about every topic that I'm curious about no matter what hour it is or where I am. I think that's all!
Marvin wrote: "Hello! I'm Didem and I'm from Turkey... I like Science Fiction, Fantasy and criminal books...."Welcome Didem! You sound like you like the same things as we do :-) I'm a superhero fan myself.
welcome fella, if you like historical fiction then you need to check out Bernard Cornwell, in particualr his Arthurian novels (Winter King, Enemy of God and Excaliber) and the Sharp Series covering the Napoleonic war....the ones set in Alfred's time are decent too but I wasn't a fan of his Grail Quest ones
Hi John, you might also enjoy the "Powder Mage" trilogy by Brian McClellan.It's like Sharpe, but with magic. I suppose you could call the books "gunpowder fantasy".
John wrote: "I'm also developing an interest in historical fiction and I have just finished the Winter Palace: Catherine the great and just recently discovered steam punk. ..."Welcome John! Steampunk (as well as dieselpunk) is a good genre if you like a blend of history and quasi-science-fiction ... especially as much of it has that same 'hopeful' feel that some of the older legacy 'pulp' science fiction used to have.
John wrote: "Struggling with Leviathan Wakes - can't work out why..."I've got that one in my car to read piecemeal as I cart the munchkins around to activities. I like it, but it never grabbed me hard enough to sneak into the house, stay up all night, and forsake showering and eating for the weekend until the book is done. :-)
Hello All!Recently I have been reading more and more scifi and can't get enough. thought I would join this group to find out what some great space opera's I can get into. looking for classics as well as contemporary.
Name: Kate
Favorite Books: Lord of the rings, recently I have been reading Ursula K. LeGuin and really enjoying it, Ender's Game, Hyperion cantos, white fang, Slaughter house five, A song of ice and and fire.
Favorite Genres: I read all kinds of stuff but especially Fantasy, SciFi, post apocalyptic, historical fiction, popular science like Jared diamond and Richard dawkins
Favorite TV shows: Simpsons, Battlestar galactica, community, Walking dead.
Favorite Movies: Star wars (4,5,6), indian jones, ghost busters, fight club. Currently I prefer indie films, not so much into the big block busters except Iron man is good and Hunger games.
Favorite Food: Love food, all food, but mainly cheese burgers.
Day Job: Research Chemist
Hobbies:Film and Digital photography, homebrewing, video games like skyrim, final fantasy(7-10), farcry3, uncharted.
Other: I have a 15 year old lab who is the best.
Name:Chase HebbFavorite Books:Forever War, The Gunslinger, Game of Thrones, The Fellowship of the Rings.
Favorite Genres:Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Space Opera, Historical Fiction
Favorite TV shows:The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones, Trailer Park Boys, Dr.Who
Favorite Movies:Saving Private Ryan, Boondock Saints, The Goonies, Cloak and Dagger, Wayne's World
Favorite Food: Sushi, Burgers, Pizza
Day Job:Full time student
Hobbies:cars, video games, reading
Welcome Chase! Another Boondock Saints fan! Yeah, I love the 'boys' in a brutally violent kinda way :-)************
Welcome Kate! Is that the original BSG you like? Or the reboot? Have you heard they're talking about yet another reboot?
I love the BSG reboot. I watched it on Netflix. I dreaded finishing the show because I didn't want it to end.
Chase wrote: "I love the BSG reboot. I watched it on Netflix. I dreaded finishing the show because I didn't want it to end."After the awesomeness of the entire series, I found the end a little bit disappointing. With reboot #2, I hope they don't start over, but maybe go back with some of the other survivors and the now-stranded cylons who have lost their hive-center. And maybe the 'good' cylons? It's too soon to reboot the entire series ... it'll be like the Spiderman reboot ... too soon after the original franchise ... it's just okay because it doesn't really add anything.
Welcome Kate! Is that the original BSG you like? Or the reboot? Have you h..."The reboot, but I might give the original a try as well.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE the BSG reboot. It's my favorite TV show of all time. It's got everything I love in a show: drama, romance, philosophy, politics, science, mystery, action ... I miss it so much.
I loved the BSG reboot... mostly. Hated most of the last season and really hated the ending. Shrug.Just got into Orphan Black. Watched both seasons back to back. Ready to watch it again...
Yes, Orphan Black is great! I've only seen the first season, but eager to see the second. Can't believe Tatiana Maslany didn't get an Emmy nom. That's not right.Um ... I was gonna introduced myself before commenting, but BSG got me all delirious so I jumped the gun. My apologies.
So, about me ...
Name: Alex Wu
Favorite Books: 1Q84, Rules of Civility, Brave New World, Watership Down
Favorite Genres: I'm a literary omnivore, so I don't have a favorite genre. I've liked books in just about every genre.
Favorite TV shows: Battlestar Galactica-Reimagined (my fav of all time), The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones, Homeland, House of Cards, Orange is the New Black, The Newsroom, The Good Wife, The X-Files.
Favorite Movies: The Matrix, Blade Runner, A Room with a View, When Harry Met Sally, Take This Waltz, Star Wars (4-6), Saving Private Ryan, Black Hawk Down, Titanic, Alien, Aliens, The Bourne Identity, The Breakfast Club
Favorite Food: Burgers
Day Job: Aspiring writer. A while back, I wrote my first novel, a travel/love story (unpublished). Now I’m trying to write a scifi/thriller (but having trouble with the “thrilling” part, heh).
Hobbies: Books, movies, TV shows, writing, eating, sleeping
Other: I’m reading more scifi books, focusing on space operas, because I miss BSG so much and need to get my fix. Just finished The Motes in God’s Eye, The Warrior's Apprentice, and Pandora’s Star (enjoyed all). Currently reading Consider Phlebas. If anyone has recommendations for books like BSG (especially something with an interesting philosophical aspect), I’d love to hear from you. Thanks!
Hmm... I could've sworn I posted an introduction message here yesterday. Odd.Anyway, I'm Ronnie, and I'm from Scotland.
I've been a huge sci-fi fan for all of my life. Pretty much the first TV show I ever remember watching was Doctor Who - specifically episode 6 of "Planet of the Spiders" waaaay back in 1974.
I also thought that most of the BSG reboot was great. Particularly the miniseries, razor and the first season. The later seasons felt like the actors were in the writers trailer everyday demanding more speaking parts. Let the distracting melodrama ensue!Enjoyed Orphan Black's first season but the second season took three steps backwards. I stopped watching half way into it, not looking forward to another season.
@Alex: Welcome, I looked at the books you've read and noticed you hadn't tried any Heinlein, Simmons or Asimov yet. Hyperion, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, and The Gods Themselves were all really great reads.
I really liked second season of Orphan Black. The last half really takes off and expands the story.As for stories similar to BSG, have you tries Jack Williamson? The Humanoids and The Humanoid Touch are about wars against androids, albeit with a twist...
@Alex - if you're getting into Robert Heinlein, then leave Farnham's Freehold until last. It's a bit strange, and not in a good way.
Hi fellow space opera fans! I don't know why I waited so long to find a good sci fi group to join!Name: EJ Fisch
Favorite Books: Monster, Skin, Thr3e, The Hunger Games Trilogy Boxset (I actually haven't read that much sci-fi... that needs to change!)
Favorite Genres: thriller/suspense, sci-fi, speculative fiction
Favorite TV shows: The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones, NCIS, BBC Sherlock
Favorite Movies: Star Wars (love all of it but prefer the original trilogy), The Bourne Trilogy, Gladiator, Signs
Favorite Food: If it looks good and smells good, I'll probably eat it, regardless of what it is
Day Job: full-time student (starting 5th year of college in the fall), writer and concept artist
Hobbies: writing and art (obviously), video games, reading when I have time
Other: I've been a hardcore Star Wars nerd since mid-elementary school; it was my first love in terms of sci fi. I loved BSG and Firefly/Serenity too. My favorite video game franchise of all time is Mass Effect. As I mentioned, I've never really read that much sci fi, especially space opera, but as I've worked through the publishing process I've started reading more of that genre. I'm currently in the process of reading Jade Darcy and the Affair of Honor, and I recently finished Starshine by GS Jennsen (brand new author, very well-written book - I'd recommend it). I'm looking forward to reading Michael Bunker's Pennsylvania and Tammy Salyer's Contract of Defiance, Contract of Betrayal, and Contract of War. Now if only I had an unlimited amount of time for all this!
alex wrote: "Um ... I was gonna introduced myself before commenting, but BSG got me all delirious so I jumped the gun. My apologies..."
Welcome Alex! You'll never have to apologize for fan-boy *SQUEE*ing like a girl at a Frank Sinatra concert over BSG in this group :-) Welcome to Space Opera Fans!
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Ronnie wrote: Hmm... I could've sworn I posted an introduction message here yesterday. Odd..."
Welcome Ronnie! Sometimes Goodreads gets over-capacity and does strange stuff (if you ever get Alice in Wonderland, chances are your stuff didn't post). Anyways ... welcome to SOF!
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E.J. said: Hi fellow space opera fans! I don't know why I waited so long to find a good sci fi group to join!
Welcome E.J.! I think sci-fi fans like to be social, but quietly sociable someplace where they can find other sci-fi fans, especially Space Opera which is in that odd place between 'hard' sci-fi and action/adventure.
Getting re-involved in GR after taking a 6-week road trip to Boston and back for my brother's wedding. Luckily my 15-year-old Aussie Shepherd mix has forgiven me for leaving her in a kennel at the vet's for that time. Love this group for getting me re-involved in the genre.
@ Kirsten: Oooh, a six-week roadtrip! I'm envious. I've always wanted to go on a big roadtrip. For, like, three months. It's really the best way to see the US, as there are so many interesting big and small places to visit. Maybe one day...
Alex - Yeah, nice. But try it with your mother! We are SO lucky we didn't kill each other!
@Kirsten: I feel your pain, truly I do. Much as I love my mother, there's times I feel could cheerfully strangle her and be damned to the consequences.
LOL!! I don't think it'd be strangulation for me. Maybe bludgeoning. Depends on the moment.
Heh. But think of it this way, it's a precious chance for quality parent-child bonding in the context of wonderful sightseeing. :)
Road trip with mother? Sounds like a horror movie, not space opera :-) And everybody survived? Do you need to send in a 'clean up' team anyplace to dispose of the evidence? :-)
It baffles me how my mum expects me to know who she's talking about, when I've only met the person in question maybe three times over the course of the last 24 years.
Ronnie wrote: "It baffles me how my mum expects me to know who she's talking about, when I've only met the person in question maybe three times over the course of the last 24 years."Awww! C'mon Ronnie! You remember Great Aunt Bertha, don't you? You used to play with her little dog, Sparky, who's been dead for 40 years, when you were two.
Ohh Good grief! Don't start me on the "When you were two".Mum: "Do you remember being at St. Andrews?"
Me: *Opens mouth to speak*
Mum: "Oh, maybe not. You were only two."
Thanks for having me. Name: Bryn
Favorite Books: in sf/f, Viriconium, Her Smoke Rose Up Forever, Again, Dangerous Visions, The Forest Of Hours.
Favorite Genres: in sf, space opera. In fantasy, heroic but have loved most what's been called New Wave and New Weird. Hard science I have to skip. Historical fiction -- medieval, less mainstream.
Favorite TV shows: Blake's 7, Battlestar (new), Dr Who (9th & 10th), Star Trek original, Xena, Blackadder, Robin Hood (BBC with Jonas Armstrong), Callan.
Favorite Movies: the Aliens four, Othello dir. Trevor Nunn (with Ian McKellan), Revenger's Tragedy with Christopher Eccleston, Mongol dir. Sergei Bodrov, Myn Bala: Warriors of the Steppe.
Favorite Food: chocolate, cheeses, pizza obviously
Hobbies: I read, I write, I walk about. Nothing else.
Other: there is no other
Bryn wrote: "Favorite Genres: in sf, space opera. In fantasy, heroic but have loved most what's been called New Wave and New Weird. Hard science I have to skip. Historical fiction -- medieval, less mainstream...."Welcome Bryn! Yea! Another SF/fantasy crossover fan :-)
Hi guys. Jack here. Some of my fav authors right now: Jack McDevitt, Ben Bova, Asimov, Heinlein, Gregory Benford, Frank Herbert, Brian Herbert, Kevin J. Anderson, David Weber, Eric Flint, Tolkien, Dennis McKiernan...
Prefer sci fi: space opera, military sci fi (think: Battlestar Galactica and Honor Harrington), ...
and epic fantasy.
recently published a short sci fi novel via CreateSpace. It's really the first 18 chapters of a longer novel.
Hobbies: building military models, reading, and pondering life, the universe, and everything.
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Orson Scott Card is a man with something to say, and he says it ... often ... sometimes to the detriment of his stories. If you really want to get insight into Card's inner workings, read his collection of short stories The Folk of the Fringe. It's about a post-apocalyptic America where Mormonism is the only viable surviving society. It was really rather interesting (from a survivalist standpoint) but as for readability I like Brin's The Postman better as a survivalist novel or Niven's Lucifer's Hammer.