Your wrap-up thread

[Szymon]

Thanks Kaa for the info. I thought the Xuya stories were, like, 3 novellas but now I see how large a world it is!

[Seema]

So I have officially finished the challenge on both tracks because why not over achieve when you having fun. The second book by a woman author - Blue Shift by Jane O Reilly. It was not bad but far too much of the the romance and love angle for a scifi book. tge plot was good but I felt that it started to lose focus and become too much about the relationship of the lead pair. also found it to be quite predictable in the end.

[Llyren]

Llyren wrote: "For my "before me" book, I'll definitely go for Cherryh. And Chambers is set for the novella. Should be doable for the rest of the month..."
Finished the novella and decided to go for Cherryh's "Serpent's Reach". Unfortunately I might have to squeeze in another book because most of the action of this one seems to take place on planets so far.
But oh well, I still have ...ahem 1 1/2 days? ;-)

[Donna]

I finished my last read to complete 2a Two space operas by women, The Dark of Light, Starhawke Rising Book One by Audrey Sharpe. This was a great beginning to a series and I gave it 4 stars. I look forward to the next in this series. This concludes my reading for Space Opera September 2019. This was a fun readathon and I look forward to naming my new planet and all those ships! Thanks Thomas for a great reading month.

[Maija]

I have now finished my TBR and all the challenges!

I wanted to stay on the Federation track, so I'm currently a
Fleet Admiral with all the ships and a homeworld!

Here's what I read:
1. Space Opera Novella: On a Red Station, Drifting by Aliette de Bodard
2A. Two Space Operas by Women: see above and below
3. Published Before You Were Born: A Different Light by Elizabeth A. Lynn
4. 500 Pages or Longer: Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

2B. Diverse Author and Protagonist: Hexarchate Stories by Yoon Ha Lee

I got to everything out of my planned TBR. My extra book if I had time was going to be Behind the Throne by K. B. Wagers, but I didn't end up having time to start it. It's the 30th as I'm writing this, so I might try to fit in the SF comic Outer Darkness, Vol. 1: Each Other's Throats, but not sure if I'll finish it today.

One of the more successful readathons for me, since I actually finished my TBR - that doesn't happen often. Now I just need to figure out what I want to name my homeworld!

[Adam]

And, I'm done. Just finished Nova, and I regret not reading it before now. It was excellent in many ways.

This month of reading has been a blast. I finished Revelation Space, Ancillary Justice, Binti, and Nova. I liked all of them, though I did feel Ancillary Justice lacks tension (something Jane Austen was very good at, so I was disappointed having heard the book is Jane Austen in space). Still, it has many other elements I enjoyed. I think Binti and Nova were my favorites from the month, overall.

I hope everyone else found books they could enjoy, as well.

[Anna]

Maija wrote: "Now I just need to figure out what I want to name my homeworld!"

That was by far the hardest part of this readathon! :D

[Llyren]

My "replacement"-book was actually a very positive suprise, I liked it far more than I had expected!
Thank you for giving me the push to finally read something by Cherryh - and now it's not only one but actually two books this month! And they definitely won't be the last ones.

I'll also stay on the federation track in spite of fullfilling the necessary challenges - someone has to keep all the pirates in check ;-)

My final break-down:

1. Space Opera Novella: To Be Taught, If Fortunate by Becky Chambers
2A. See books 1-4 ;-)
2B. The Stars Are Legion by Kameron Hurley
3. Published Before You Were Born: The Pride of Chanur by C.J. Cherryh
4. 500 Pages or Longer: Homo Sapiens 404 Sammelband 1: Die Verlorenen by Claudia Kern

[Eva]

In a mad end-of-the-month scramble, I actually finished all of my TBR and have completed all the rebel track challenges with the (as yet unnamed) homeworld - yay!!

I read first (over 500 pages challenge) and it has catapulted straight into my short "best books I've ever read" list. It manages to inspire deep philosophical and psychological questions while maintaining a fast-moving plot in the vastest world and timeline possible. An incredible achievement - all the stars!!


To Be Taught If Fortunate - lovely prose and characters, but very clumsy info-dumps and a frustrating ending kept me from enjoying this one as much as I'd hoped. Still worth reading if you like alien biology! This was for challenges 2a and 2b.


Hospital Station is space opera written in the 50s but suprisingly hasn't aged a bit! I (re-)read it for the "before you were born" challenge and loved it just as much as I did 15 years ago. It's set aboard a giant space station built by all kinds of alien species and humans to serve as a universal hospital for all species. The protagonist is a doctor whose job it is to diagnose and treat his various exotic, puzzling alien patients. And these aliens are truly ALIEN, not just humans with weird foreheads. There's also much more action than one would expect.

Last but not least:
This was beautifully written, brilliant and (for me) deeply moving. The ending felt a tiny little bit too pat and up-beat, with people suddenly monologuing explanations and confessions at each other after having kept their secrets so well before, but that was its only flaw. I cannot wait to read the rest of the series! If you like figuring things out by yourself through little clues, then you'll like this one. There's a lot of sutlety that can be discovered and interpreted.

Thank you so much for the great idea, and for organizing such a wonderful read-a-thon, it was really a joy to participate! I hope this will be repeated, I feel grateful for having shared this experience with the group. :-)

[Robin]

Here is my wrap up if anyone is interested!
https://youtu.be/xct1xMjmSms

Thanks for the great challenge in September! It was a blast!

[Krista]

Just finished my last book! What an awesome month of reading!

1/2A: All Systems Red by Martha Wells
2A: Beyond the Sentinel Stars by Sherry D. Ramsey
2B: The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
3: Bill, the Galactic Hero by Harry Harrison (the only book of the month that I did not enjoy...)
4: Great North Road by Peter F. Hamilton

[algirlithm]

I just completed my final book earlier tonight! I would like to thank Thomas for hosting a wonderful readathon and would be happy to participate again the the future.

My books with mini (and hopefully spoiler-free) reviews:
1. Artificial Condition:
Murderbot travels in space to discover information about his past and he meets a resourceful transport bot with a penchant for data analysis. The two bond over entertainment feeds, join forces on Murderbot’s quest, and adventures ensue. (4/5)

2b. Ninefox Gambit:
A resplendent story of military and politics in space amidst a stratified society where math skills are paramount. This book spares the details and challenges the reader to figure out a lot, though the result is effortlessly presented. While an enjoyable read, I had to mark this down because I prefer more science to my science fiction and this book had a good deal of science fantasy. Perhaps a re-read is in order and I am already considering it. (3/5)

3. Babel-17:
This could be most succinctly summarized as a thought-provoking linguistics-based sci-fi book. Also, I would add that I was interested and continued on despite the incorrect explanation of cryptography. ;) I think this is the book that I enjoyed the most in this readathon simply because it is so different and it is enjoyable to get a taste of older sci-fi. (3/5)

4. Ancestral Night:
A discovery in space turns into a voyage of self-discovery for Haimey Dz whose salvage operation unexpectedly thrusts her into a galactic-upending mission in which she ends up both physically and ideologically entwined. This story has a lot for a science fiction lover (a “shipmind,” black holes, space pirates, and future tech) though one criticism is that the book felt a bit disjointed from beginning to end. I liked this, though was far from blown away. (3/5)

2b - Not sure if my 1 and 4 books count for 2b as they are space operas by two women authors.

I did not finish as many books as I had expected to, although I admittedly I took a slight detour with the Saga series and I re-read All Systems Red right before I read Artificial Condition.

I really enjoyed reading everyone's wrap-up posts and especially viewpoints different than my own. Love this quality community of book lovers!

Happy future reading, everyone!

[Darlene]

My final progress:

1) Read A Space Opera Novella: All Systems Red by Martha Wells
2) Read 2 space operas by women: All Systems Red by Martha Wells, On a Red Station, Drifting, by Aliette de Bodard
3) Read a space opera published before you were born: Stainless Steel Rat by Harry Harrison (1961, more than a decade before I made my appearance on the planet!)

Started to listen to Vernor Virge's A Fire Upon the Deep, for the 500+ book, but found the narrator exceptionally dull, so no challenge 4 for me.

Also started reading Old Man's War by John Scalzi, and The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester. Should finish them this week. Both are books that have been on my TBR for a dog's age, so thanks, Thomas for the impetus to get going on them! This has bee a great readalong. Are you thinking of doing this again next year, and if so would you do the same theme?

[K]

Here's my wrap up video!

https://youtu.be/wlTHH2zp90E

[Bret]

1) Novella, All Systems Red by Martha Wells
Now I have to read the rest of the Murderbot Diaries

2) Woman Author, Cold Welcome by Elizabeth Moon
Now I have to read the next Vatta's Peace book

3) Before I Was Born, Sargasso Of Space by Andre Norton
Now I have to re-read the rest of the Solar Queen series

4) Over 500 Pages, Finity's End by C.J. Cherryh
Now I have to read Alliance Rising again

Thanks Thomas, this was fun. The only problem is I don't know what to start next

[Loreley]

I had more ambitious plans but September turned out to be really busy at work :(
Still managed to complete one book over 500 pages, and by one of my fav authors ^^
This was my first time into the Xeelee universe and I enjoyed it very much. The book fits Space Opera genre but it's also (very) hard sci-fi

[Doug]

Here's my final tally.

Tiamat's Wrath - James S.A. Corey (C4 - 534 pages)
Binti - Nnedi Okorafor (C1 & C2A/C2B)
Foundation - Isaac Asimov (C3 - 1951, I was born in 1975)
All Systems Red - Martha Wells (replaced ACACO and covers C2A and C2B)
Luna: New Moon - Ian McDonald - (C2B as it has multiple LGBTQ POV)
Wolf Moon - Ian McDonald - (C2B as it has multiple LGBTQ POV)

Loved Tiamat's Wrath but I expected that.
My favorite new series is probably the Luna series by Ian McDonald.
Really liked All Systems Red and plan to read more in this series. Binti was pretty meh.
Foundation absolutely showed it age and was very representative of the 50s which was disappointing. If you're writing Sci-Fi, imagine a future with equality. Very little female representation and only female characters are afterthoughts at best. I doubt I will continue this series.

Thank you Thomas for a great event. I hope you do more!

[Shannon (That's So Poe)]

Here's my wrap-up (done jointly with my husband):
https://youtu.be/thtGNXQiF-w

We finished a bunch of books!

[BookNerdTV]

My Space Opera September wrap-up video is linked below!!!!
youtu.be/VdwhuDHgELY

[Sci Fi Engage]

I just finished All Systems Red, in one sitting. It grabbed a hold and wouldn’t let go. And it gave me ideas for dioramas and paintings.

[Miriam]

I just finished *Walking to Aldebaran*, my novella pick. I liked it!
Here is my review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[°~Amy~°]

My progress thus far:


1. Essex Colony by Lia Cooper

2a. Essex Colony by Lia Cooper
AND All Systems Red by Martha Wells

2b. An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon

3. A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs

4. Leviathan Wakes by James S. A. Corey

[Agnes]

1) The Citadel of Weeping Pearls by Aliette de Bodard: a very enjoyable read. Aliette de Bodard is fast becoming one of my favourite authors.

2a)
The Fated Sky by Mary Robinette Kowal
Network Effect by Martha Wells: 5 star read! What else?

2b) A Spark of White Fire by Sangu Mandanna: the premise seemed really promising, and the story was entertaining enough, but the whole "in space" aspect was rather bungled. I'm good at suspending disbelief when motivated, but not THAT good. It would have worked much better as a steampunk story.

3) Planet of Exile by Ursula K. LeGuin: Great short work

4) Velocity Weapon by Megan E. O'Keefe: That was one awesome book. Not quite favourite, but very close! I definitely liked the characters, Bero in particular. And I NEED the next part! NOW!

Well, not too bad, I managed to finish 5 of the 6 books I planed, and since all the authors I picked are women, any of the books except for Network Effect could double up to finish challenge 2a). :D

I am a confirmed Space Pirate!

[Jordan]

Yay 2020 Wrap-up Thread! This year, I'm going down the Federation track. I'm just going to do some short reviews here.

1. In the Company of Others by Julie E. Czerneda. This one counts as my 500+ page. I wanted to get it done early because last year's entry in this category nearly scuttled the month. This novel, though, was an absolute delight. I found myself shirking other duties and staying up late to finish it. It's a first contact story with a very different kind of life form. Even better, it's a stand-alone novel, so it's completely done!

2. The Citadel of Weeping Pearls by Aliette de Bodard. I liked the concept, the story, and the world. But the pacing and the voice didn't work for me. I had a really hard time getting into the book, and would find myself doing other things rather than picking it up. I'm a huge fan of In the Vanishers’ Palace, so I have to wonder if Citadel would have worked better if it had been given a bit more breathing room.

3. Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C. Clarke. I had originally planned to read The Crucible of Time, but I realized it was released about 4 months after I was born. So, this was a quick substitution. It's definitely a more "classic" exploration centric volume. I think Clarke has a reputation of being a dense read, but I didn't really find that the case. I was very interested how a lot of the conflict from the book comes from the shortsightedness of human factionalism; this seems to be a big theme in older science fiction.

4. Jack Glass by Adam Roberts. I'm running a book club for some friends. It focuses on award winning speculative fiction. By design, this was our September read (it won the 2012 BSFA award for best novel). It was a really interesting book, combining the salaciousness of a murder mystery story with a speculative look at faster-than-light travel and a heavy spice of philosophy. I really liked the structuring of the book, and it was highly readable. I'd recommend it!

--------------------
BONUS: The Stardance Trilogy by Spider Robinson and Jeanne Robinson. I actually finished the last two books in this omnibus, . While I don't mind a bit of action in my books, I often feel concerned that violence is often seen as a path of change. This series celebrates art as a path forward in human development, and I found it rather refreshing.

[Tenille Rae]

Here is my updated and completed wrap-up list:

1) Firewalkers by Adrian Tchaikovsky I felt that this novella didn't fit the space opera theme enough
Killing Gravity by Corey J. White
2a) Driving the Deep by Suzanne Palmer
Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie
2b) Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
3) Solaris by Stanisław Lem
4) Unconquerable Sun by Kate Elliott

I did start the Sparrow by Maria Doria Russell for this challenge but it became apparent like with Firewalkers, I didn't feel that it was space opera-y enough

[Icy-Cobwebs-Crossing-SpaceTime]

Accomplished:
2A, 2B: The Sentient
Fearless: 2b
The Vela Season 1 for 2a#2, 2b
4. Leviathan Wakes
1. Both A Case of Conscience and
The Journey of Atlantis
Hawk: Hellfire
3. Hellhounds of the Cosmos
4. Children of Time, 600 pp.

The Clouds of Venus: Hard Science Fiction
The Enceladus Mission: Hard Science Fiction
The Titan Probe: Hard Science Fiction
The Io Encounter: Hard Science Fiction
Return to Enceladus: Hard Science Fiction
The Enceladus Mission / The Titan Probe / The Io Encounter / Return to Enceladus

Reading: Pushing Ice
Children of Ruin


Read: 20, + 2 in progress

1. THE SENTIENT NG ARC 5 Space Opera
2. FEARLESS NG ARC 5 Space Opera
3. THE BUTCHER OF ANDERSON STATION VIRTUAL 5 SCRIBD S-O SEPTEMBER
4. LEVIATHAN WAKES (THE EXPANSE BOOK 1) Space Opera
5. THE VELA SEASON ONE Space Opera NG ARC 5
6. A CASE OF CONSCIENCE BLISH MOUNT TBR 5 SEPTEMBER SPACE OPERA 5
7. THE JOURNEY OF ATLANTIS NG ARC 5 SPACE OPERA
8. SISTERS OF THE VAST BLACK 5 SPACE OPERA SEPTEMBER
9. HAWK: HELLFIRE HG 5 SPACE OPERA SEPTEMBER
10. HELLHOUNDS OF THE COSMOS 5 SPACE OPERA BEFORE 1952
11. CHILDREN OF TIME 5 MOUNT TBR SPACE OPERA SEPTEMBER . FUNGI
12. GHOST PROBE HG SPACE OPERA SEPTEMBER
13. THE LUNA MISSILE CRISIS NG ARC 5 SPACE OPERA SEPTEMBER
14. CLOUDS OF VENUS KU VIRTUAL 5 SPACE OPERA SEPTEMBER
15. THE ENCELADUS MISSION SPACE OPERA SEPTEMBER 5
16. ALIEN PEOPLE..Review for Shut Up and Read GR 4 SPACE OPERA SEPTEMBER
17. THE TITAN PROBE VIRTUAL KU SPACE OPERA SEPTEMBER
18. THE IO ENCOUNTER VIRTUAL KU SPACE OPERA SEPTEMBER
19. RETURN TO ENCELADUS VIRTUAL KU SPACE OPERA SEPTEMBER
20. ICE MOON COMPLETE BOXED SET VIRTUAL KU SPACE OPERA SEPTEMBER



https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...


https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...


https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Sol]

Did the "Big" book challenge first and finished Unconquered Sun by Kate Elliot. Bit of a mixed bag but over all would say I enjoyed it.

Fuller thoughts here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Krista]

Just finished Binti for 1 and 2b. I enjoyed it! It was a bit of a surreal reading experience because I felt like a lot of details were left to be filled in by your imagination...but I kind of liked it.

[Leticia]

My second year participating Final WRAP UP - 27.9.2020


TBR:

✔️1: Read a space opera novella —
Sisters of the Vast Black
A five stars read for me! This is my review:

This was a bit slow paced the first two thirds of the book, but perhaps this was due to the contemplative nature of nuns who would think all ramifications of their actions towards religion, God and the greater good?

The characters were very interesting and multi-layered and you get to know and relate to each of them closely. I especially liked to read about the Mother Superior.

This Novella also had very important themes which made it to transcend the space opera conventions into a deeper contemplation of politics, freedom and society.

2A: Read two space operas by women —

✔️1)Starfarers - 5 stars!
I really liked the writing style of this book and will surely go on reading this series!

✔️2)Chilling Effect - 5 stars!

I liked that Captain Eva Innocente was unapologetically foul-mouthed when life yet again didn't give her a break. This made me laugh so much and it was so very much relatable.
A very humorous an entertaining space opera by a Latinx author! I'll be reading the next books in this series for sure.

✔️3: Read a space opera published before you were born —
The Ship Who Sang- I think the ideas in this book were probably ground breaking when it was written(?). I could not tough get invested enough in the story. - 3 stars.

✔️4: Read a space opera 500 pages or longer: —
Velocity Weapon
I couldn't get into this book so much, perhaps due to this being the sixth sci-fi/space opera book I read this month. I need a break from the genre even if I love it and later I'll come back to this book again and see if I enjoy it more. - 3 stars

[Stars]

I just finished Gemina for challenge no. 4, my copy has 650 pages!
I liked it possibly more than Illuminae, definitely confusing to pick up after the end of Illuminae but it all makes sense in the end. I'll be posting a series review later in the month!

So my progress so far
1. (Walking to Aldebaran) changed to Sisters of the Vast Black to join the buddy read
2a. The Way to a Small Angry Planet, and my choice for 2b and part of 2a. An Unkindness of Ghosts
3. Life, the Universe and Everything
4. Gemina, second book of the Illuminae Files

[The Joy of Erudition]

My progress:

1 (and 2a). Artificial Condition (Murderbot Diaries #2), by Martha Wells. (finished)

I just finished this, and I loved this one just as much as, if not more than, the first one! Both 5 stars.

2a (and 4). The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet, by Becky Chambers. (finished)

I've been describing this to people as a "road movie" with an ensemble cast based on what I've experienced of it so far. No real overarching plot, but the kind of mini-adventures and social interactions you'd see in one of those kinds of movies.

If I have time, I'll try to read something by Leigh Brackett for challenge 3 (maybe Shadow Over Mars).

Edit: After reading some summaries, it seems Shadow Over Mars is more planetary romance than space opera, so instead I'm going all the way back to 1928 for one of the earliest space operas ever written: The Skylark of Space!

[Eva]

My wrap-up so far:

1) Sisters of the Vast Black - 5 stars!
2) Finder - 4.5 stars!
3) The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas by Ursula K. Le Guin - 2 stars
4) Harrow the Ninth - all the stars, loved it.

[Mustardseeds]

I just finished A Closed and Common Orbit. I think I liked The
Long Way to a Small Angry Planet better, but this was great, too.

Now to decide what to read next :)

It’s the 29th of September. I most likely won’t finish my reread of Dune tomorrow, I’ll probably need a few more days. But, considering my working environment I’m pretty happy with what I’ve managed to read this year.

Thanks, everyone for a great Space Opera September, I’m looking forward to next year :)

[Malena :-)]

challenge 1: novella
Binti by Nnedi Okorafor
it was soo good! I'm planning on reading the rest of her stories when I'm done with the read a thon :-)
there's a longer review on my profile

Challenge 2b: Read a book by a diverse author
The Disasters by M.K. England who is, according to their Twitter bio, non-binary :-)
This one was super super fun to read. It was exactly what I was looking for, very funny and light-hearted. The characters were lovely.

challenge 4: Book longer than 500 pages
Do You Dream of Terra-Two? by Temi Oh
Very enjoyable but different than what I was expecting. Super cool characters who really evolve as people during the story.
There's a longer review on my profile.

[Malena :-)]

Mustardseeds wrote: "I just finished A Closed and Common Orbit. I think I liked The
Long Way to a Small Angry Planet better, but this was great, too.

Now to decide what to read next :)"

I'm also reading this one ! :-) The Long Way... is one of my favorites!

[One]

Hey, this is my first year to partake in this challenge. I will do my best but I also started a new job and I have less time. I never write reviews before Goodreads, because English isn’t my first language so for the novella https://www.goodreads.com/review/3503... and for 2b https://www.goodreads.com/review/2914... but I am struggling with the third book https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1... because I find it very dull and the writing style is difficult to read. I could locate book for the forth challenge so will see how far I will go from here.

[Szymon]

Here are the books I completed for SOS 2020:




1. The Tea Master and the Detective (The Universe of Xuya) by Aliette de Bodard [3.5/5] - Elegant and exotic like attending a tea ceremony. The prose was simultaneously beautiful and obscure, so I'm not 100% sure I understood everything. Imaginative space opera ideas, though!
2. Shards of Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold [4.5/5] - Even though it was composed of well-known elements, the plot and characters managed to grab me and I quickly finished this book. Bujold is a great storyteller! This was my favorite read this month.
3. The Mote in God's Eye by Larry Niven, Jerry Pournelle [3/5] - The world-building is great and the aliens are memorable. The plot has its ups and downs, but I didn't find the characters interesting. Still, a fun adventure with Star Trek vibes.
4. The Witches of Karres by James H. Schmitz [2/5] - The book started off great and reminded me of a Star Wars-style space adventure. However, the latter part of the book became less coherent and I strongly dislike "anything can happen" plots. Overall quite fun if you're looking for an old-school light read.

Thanks for the challenge!

[Eva]

If you liked Shards of Honor you will LOVE the rest of the Vorkosigan saga!! I did, it's one of my favorites.

[Miriam]

Check-in after finishing two of my books today!

1. Walking to Aldebaran
2a. Harrow the Ninth
2a. Once and Future
3. Shards of Honor
4. Nemesis Games

Harrow the Ninth had me very confused most of the book, but very entertained! I really enjoyed it. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I was a bit leery about Shards of Honor cause it's so old, and I wasn't quite sure about chronology in the Vorkosigan saga even after confirming with a friend. But I really loved it! I'm definitely going to keep reading these. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Seema]

Completed the novella Walking to aldebaran by Adrian Tchaikovsky. I like this one. I thought it was quite funny and easy to read.
For the novel written before I was born (also by a women), read Rocannons world by Ursula le Guin. I also really enjoyed this one. I chose it from the list Thomas posted. I like her way of writing.
For a Novel over 500 pages, I read Revelation space by Alastair Reynolds. I went into this book blind. I've never read any of his books before. I really liked it. I will be reading more of his work.

I just started ammonite by Nicola Griffith. It will be my second book by a women and a LGBT option(from list recommended by Thomas)

If I have time, would like to read planet of exile by Ursula le Guin

[Micha]

I finished the challenge for #SpaceOperaSeptember 2020.
1. Killing Gravity - *
2. Merchanter's Luck - ****
3. Star Nomad - **
4. Hospital Station - ***
5. Velocity Weapon - *

The first and last books were the worst for me. Both were boring (even more so as they were supposed to be space opera) and predictable. Velocity Weapon was a real trudge to get through it by the end.

[Ricardo]

I usually don't read a pile of books in the exact same genre, but this was fun. Here's my roundup:

Novella: Sisters of the Vast Black This looks like it was a popular one. I really liked the tone and mood but felt the ending rushed. But will love to read more by the author.
Written by a Woman & written before 1980: The Ship Who Sang Oof. Everything about old SF that I hate. Outdated sexual politics, vague world-building, over-wrought dialogue. Dropped this one like it was hot.
Written by a Woman: Shards of Honor My first dip into Vorkosigan and I will definitely continue. Read like a screenplay but with great characterization between Cordelia and Aral. I get what all the fuss is about.
Written before 1980: Babel-17 Super trippy and more ideas than story, I was still swept by this cyberpunky look at identity and how folks see their place in their respective societies.
Written by a Woman & written by Diverse Author: An Unkindness of Ghosts A brutal but beautiful look at caste systems on a generation ship. Every character is fully realized like they were cut from stone and the internal politics felt authentic to this microcosm.
More than 500 pages: Pushing Ice If Kim Stanley Robinson wrote about first contact, it might read like this. I loved every scrap of this: the science, the wonder, the characters and the aliens. My first Alastair Reynolds, but not the last.

Thanks for letting me play!

[Eric]

I'm all finished (plus a couple extras). I started a new job earlier this month, and it's more mentally draining, so I haven't been able to focus and read as much as I usually like to in the evenings. Yay for audiobooks!

Sisters of the Vast Black [4.5/5] - Novella and Written by a Woman - I enjoyed this one more than I expected.
Dune [5/5] - Before I was Born and Over 500 pages - I loved it.
Children of Time (Audio) [4/5] - Over 500 pages - I really enjoyed the human storyline. I didn't enjoy the other storyline.
Finder (Audio) [3.5/5] - Written by a Woman - It was OK.

I had planned to read Revelation Space this month, but my library hold on The Consuming Fire showed up, so I read that instead [3.5/5]. I'll start Revelation Space tonight, but I doubt I'll be done by the end of the month.

And I started listening to Dogs of War yesterday. It's only about 8 hours long, so it should be done this month.

[Monica]

I am very happy to have participated in the challenge this year and I finished all of the books that I set out to read so that made me happy!

Nightflyers (4/5) The more I think about this novella, the more I enjoyed it! It was a fun time and a fun way to kick off the challenge
Noumenon (4/5) Near the end it got a little blah and I don't THINK I plan to continue with the series but I reeeeally enjoyed this one even if it's got generational jumps which aren't my favorite thing. Hmmm maybe I will read the next book next year!
Six Wakes (3.5/5) I feel this could have been written a bit less... messy? I enjoyed how all the stories were combined and the elements of hacking.
Babel-17 (3/5) this book was WAY TOO SMART FOR ME. I think this is the third book that I read during the month where I was like, this book was written for someone much more intelligent than I am. It was trippy though and it was... just okay. I mean I was lost half the book so...
Children of Time (2/5) I hated it. I didn't care about ANYONE in this book, I didn't care about what happened. I forced myself to finish it because it was just not for me. It gets two stars because I think the spider's evolution was cool to read but the rest omg... boring.

[Miriam]

Check-in: I think I may have technically finished the challenge by counting Shards of Honor for "a as well as 3, but I'd like to count the books for only one prompt, so I think I'll keep going.

1. Walking to Aldebaran
2a. Harrow the Ninth
2a. Once and Future
3. Shards of Honor
4. Nemesis Games

Nemesis Games was wonderful and I super recommend it. I was a bit undecided on continuing with the series after the last one, but I'm glad this readathon gave me the impetus to keep going. I loved the book and will definitely read the next one as well.
Here is my review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Claire]

Finished! Oof. That 500+ is always a beast. I'm much more in the mood for shorter fiction. Loved both novellas.

Binti: Home
The Tea Maker & The Detective
Leviathan Wakes
Killashandra

[Seema]

Done with my challenge. Completed ammonite by Nicola Griffith & decision at doona by Anne Mccaffrey. Didn't enjoy the former but really enjoyed the the latter. So in addition to revelation space, walking to alderbaran & roconnans world, I completed a total of 5 books. The great news is that apart from Ursula le Guin, I have never read novels from the other authors before. The challenge helped me discover some new good authors. Had a lot fun

[Sci Fi Engage]

A modest showing: All Systems Red, and Ancillary Justice.
(what can I say, I’ll be happy to put September in the rear-view mirror.)

[One]

I am not sure that I will manage to finish the 4th book for the challenge, the 3rd one was an one * for me https://www.goodreads.com/review/2926..., also I couldn’t find the big book I wanted so I am reading https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3... 100/515

[Susi]

I cannot believe how much I loved reading these books. I knew before I would like this readathon - it is space opera after all - but September was amazing!

1. All Systems Red
by Martha Wells
Challenge 1 (novella)
This was a fun adventure with a lovely robot. I love robot stories; this is a unique one. Will definitely read the whole series. I like the way the story is told through the point of view of the protagonist. You only can assume what the humans are thinking.

2. Do You Dream of Terra-Two?
by Temi Oh
Challenge 2a (female), 2b (diverse), 4 (over 500p)
Did not expect this kind of story, but I liked it so much anyway, or because of that. It surprised me in a wonderful way. It was like I was on the journey to terra-two as well and felt everything they felt.

3. Tau Zero
by Poul Anderson
Challenge 3 (before born)
I never read a book like this, amazing. It is a story of the universe with a plot of space travelers. It wrapped up all exciting things I love about the universe and colored it out with a story. To be honest I could not warm up for the characters, but I didn't care because the physics in it is so much fun.

4. A Closed and Common Orbit
by Becky Chambers
Challenge 2a (female)
What I missed in Poul Andersons Characters, I got back with Becky Chambers characters. I read this two books at the same time, a perfect choice for me.
I cared so much about all characters in A Closed and Common Orbit, so heartwarming and I felt so much with them.


This was my first readathon and it turned out to be so much fun. Best of all, I got to know so many new space opera books. I liked to follow along with what everybody is reading and how they liked the books. Looking forward to SOS 2021!