Your wrap-up thread

[Lisa]

This month wasn’t a very good reading month for me, so I only finished two books for this readathon: Exit Strategy (novella and by a woman) and The Relentless Moon (500 pages and by a woman). (Does The Relentless Moon even count as space opera? I had thought it would have a bit more space travel when I picked it, I guess.) Not so many books as I would have hoped but they were both very good, and that’s what’s important after all.

[Coleton]

Okay finally done with all the challenges.

Marque and Reprisal: Pretty standard sci-fi, but better than the last one maybe. I don't remember being as annoyed with teenage girl stuff as I was in the first book in the series.
Sisters of the Vast Black: This was a lot better than I expected it to be, and I highly recommend for an afternoon read.
Velocity Weapon: This was the worst book that I read, which of course also means it was the 500+ pages. It was simply too predictable to go on for so long.
Babel-17: This was very good, but a lot of this I don't think aged well. It is very short though, so isn't hard to get past those sections.

As a bonus I read Heaven's River, I had been waiting for it to finally come out.

[Amanda]

I kept forgetting it was specific to Space Opera rather than sci-fi but I did get there in the end. Also was able to complete all the challenges I did with only audiobooks which was nice.

1. Read a space opera novella -> 'On a Red Station, Drifting'
I liked this more than I expected. I'm not one for "owed loyalty to family" as a message but I loved that the two main characters were both females with issues and strengths who clashed but helped one another.

2a. Read two space operas written by women & 2b. Read a space opera by a diverse author featuring diverse characters -> The Stars Are Legion & The Light Brigade
I've been Hurley avoidant in the past because I don't have a stomach for body horror and grim dark can lean that way but I loved both of these and was drawn to her after reading her essay and short story collections.
Of the two my favorite was The Light Brigade. I love the time component and the overall message of the novel.
The Stars Are Legion is truly crazy but I really enjoyed it.

3. Read a space opera published before you were born -> I STRUGGLED with this one. I started The Dispossessed (not true space opera but I couldn't get my hands on The Left Hand of Darkness) and I did not like it at all so I didn't end up completing this challenge.

4. Read a space opera 500 pages or longer -> Leviathan Wakes
I've watched The Expanse and liked it so I was curious what the book series is like. All the broad strokes are similar but I did like the crew of the Rosi much more in the book than in the show overall.

[Eva]

It's so nice to read all of your wrap ups! And I was also really impressed with Sisters of the Vast Black and hope she'll write a nice big novel we can buy soon!

I really, really struggled with the oldie category and very much hope it will no longer be a category next year.

[Malena :-)]

i just finished Home (Binti #2) for challenge 2a, read two novels written by a woman. I definitely didn't like it as much as the first one but it was really cool anyway.
I'm still planning on reading Babbel 17 for challenge 3 and finishing A closed and Common Orbit as the second for challenge a2 as well :-) (yes, I do know I have less than 48 hours)

[Myriel]

Well, this was my first time joining the Space Opera September and I really enjoyed it.

These are the books I've read and I can cover all challenges with them *yay*

1) Lina Rather - Sisters of the Vast Black - finished ****
2a) Kameron Hurley - The Stars are Legion - finished **
plus: Mur Lafferty - Six Wakes - finished ****
3) George R.R. Martin - Tuf Voyaging - finished ****
4) Amie Kaufmann & Jay Kristoff - Illuminae - finished *****

And even if September is soon over, I think I'll stay in space a bit longer ;-)

[Crystal Staley]

So here’s how it all ended for me:
1. The Ship Who Sang For challenges written by a woman and written before I was born—really enjoyed it, 4⭐️
2. All Systems Red for the novella prompt—I enjoyed this one a lot! 4⭐️
3. Fluency for written by a female author challenge-this one was good too, a very fast paced story 4⭐️
4. And sadly a DNF of Children of Time for the over 500 pages challenge—I just could not get into this story, I found it slow and boring and at 60% finally gave up.
Overall I enjoyed everything for SOS and very happy to participate this year.

[Susi]

Myriel wrote: "Well, this was my first time joining the Space Opera September and I really enjoyed it.

These are the books I've read and I can cover all challenges with them *yay*

1) Lina Rather - Sisters of th..."

:) I am going to stay in space too

[Albert]

Not bad, not bad... Could have been better, but...

1) NOVELLA [completed!]: 'The Tea Master and The Detective' by Aliette de Bodard. I LOVED it. And the whole Xuya concept. I need to read more about this author. The edition in Catalan I read offers a great overview on her work and I was just drooling in anticipation of all the stories ahead (in my timeline of reading!).

2) DIVERSE BOOK [completed!]: 'The Stars are Legion' by Kameron Hurley. I liked the worldbuilding but I did not enjoy the writing. I think that the POV is messy and the plot twists are unfair to the reader.

The point is that I already have 'The Light Brigade' from this author and I really want to give her another chance. But, before, I wanted to read the inspirations for this book. So I read:

3) BONUS TRACK [completed!]: 'Starship Troopers' by Robert A. Heinlen. Not what I expected at all. Enjoyable, but not my cup of tea. I am a poor Spaniard with little appreciation for the Army, so I am completely biased here.

4) BOOK FROM BEFORE I WAS BORN [completed!]: 'The Left Hand of Darkness' by Ursula K. Le Guin. There are plenty of ideas here that moved me. I really loved the fact that the background for the story is the cooperation between worlds in terms of pure information, rather than trading or conquest.

5) +500 PAGES [76% :-(]: 'Dune' by Frank Herbert. I will not finish on time, I am afraid, but I think I can offer my impression on the book. For a long time I thought that this was a thick book hard to read and I was pleased to see that it is not the case. Actually... probably is quite the opposite. I cannot believe that Herbert needed to quote each character's thoughts after every dialogue line. Anyway. I am finding the story fascinating.

And that's it! I am not a space opera reader and this challenge was for me a chance to start with some "classics". It makes sense that I am too junior to have my Homeworld. Looking forward to coming back for the next readathon!

[The Joy of Erudition]

Here's the final tally of all of the books I read for this event:

1. A space opera novella:
Artificial Condition (Murderbot Diaries #2), by Martha Wells. ★★★★★

I loved this one just as much as, if not more than, the first one! The introverted, socially-awkward, gender-neutral (preferring "it") Murderbot isn't exactly a robot, as it includes many cloned human parts, and can pass as an augmented human when not wearing its armour. I'd say cyborg, perhaps, or even replicant. The premise of this story is that, having gone rogue, Murderbot hitches a ride to a past disaster site to investigate what exactly happened that caused it to malfunction and kill some people before we met it. Along the way it makes new friends.

2a. Two space operas written by women:
A Memory Called Empire, by Arkady Martine. ★★★★☆

I didn't think I was going to enjoy this very much because I'm not a fan of political intrigue, but this one worked! Perhaps mainly because it wasn't just individual underhanded backstabbing, but in the setting of pervasive unrest leading up to a civil war. Even though the main character was rather bland and undecisive, everyone surrounding her was interesting and often likable, and I especially liked and sympathised with Three Seagrass. The pace was quite brisk, and it didn't leave any loose ends.

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet, by Becky Chambers. ★★★☆☆

I called it a "road movie" with an ensemble cast. No real overarching plot (the plot introduced at the beginning and followed up at the end was a very small part of the book), but the kind of mini-adventures and social interactions you'd see in one of those kinds of movies. A fun book with vibrant characters (though some were a little exaggerated). Recommended for anyone who likes Firefly and Mass Effect.

3. A space opera published before you were born:
For this, I decided to try The Skylark of Space, by E. E. "Doc" Smith. ★★☆☆☆

This is often called the first space opera. I opted for the original 1928 version rather than the later revision, because my only other experience with this author was Triplanetary, where I read the later revision instead, and it was bloated and padded out with unrelated-seeming content. This wasn't any better. The 1928 version was extremely padded and disjointed, as if multiple unrelated short stories were crammed together. And the science was bad all the way through, for instance presenting itself as accurate even as it denigrated relativity as "just a theory". Additionally, the terrible dialogue, superfluous characters, bone-headed character decisions, positive portrayal of eugenics, and a helping of 1920s casual racism and sexism, made me not enjoy this book. Maybe I went too far back.

4. A space opera 500 pages or longer:
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet, by Becky Chambers. ★★★☆☆

This book is serving for two challenges. This edition is just over 500 pages.

It was my first time here, and I had fun participating! I do share the wish of several other participants here that the "before you were born" category will not be repeated in the future. A "before X year" wouldn't be as bad, as everyone would be on equal footing in that case.

[Seajelly]

Finished up today, just in time! Loved All Systems Red and am now reading the 2nd murderbot novella Artificial Condition. I also loved Children of Time, in spite of being an arachnophobe!

Solaris and An Unkindness of Ghosts were also very good. I managed to also fit in The Calculating Stars and liked it, but not as much as the others.

This was only my second readathon and i enjoyed it so much!

1. novella -All Systems Red by Martha Wells

2b space opera by a diverse author featuring diverse characters An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon

3. published before you were born - Solaris by Stanislaw Lem

4. 500 pages or longer - Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky

[Miriam]

I've finished the challenge! I squeaked the last book in just under the deadline, but I actually finished!

1. Novella :

Walking to Aldebaran by Adrian Tchaikovsky.

★★★★☆

This definitely went in a different direction than I expected it to, and that was a good thing. I really liked the protagonist's chatty narration, even as everything slowly (or rather quickly) went to hell. I thought the ending was a bit too abrupt. I liked the worldbuilding, the sheer weirdness of the alien creatures, the way humans immediately pack-bond with anything even vaguely sentient-seeming, and the pop culture references.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

2a. Two space operas writtenby women:

Harrow the Ninth by Tamsin Muir

★★★★☆

Welp. I spent a considerable portion of this book confused, but I was entertained for every page. It was great to dive back into this world and explore this almost entirely new setting, and mostly new characters. It feels spoilery to say anything about them, so I'll just say that I really enjoyed the soap opera aspects of Lyctorhood, as well as the meme potential. This book is hilarious (provided you have a thorough knowledge of the memes of the 2010s) and heartbreaking and moving. The last 100 pages were perhaps my favourite, containing great character bits and momentous revelations and emotional upheavals at a breakneck pace.
I can't wait for the next one.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Once & Future by Amy Rose Capetta and Cory McCarthy

★★☆☆☆

Cool concept, terrible execution. The characters' feelings and relationships flipflop between love, hate, contempt, pity, all within a singly two-page conversation. Nothing feels meaningful because everything that actually happens in glossed over in favour of constantly rehashed relationship drama. The constant emotional whiplash felt so deeply fake, like these are the story beats they have to hit to make the plot move, no matter how little sense it makes emotionally. Everything moves super quickly, without getting the space to develop. Whether that's plot or relationships or character development, it's all either rushed or skipped. And then there's a totally unneccessary cliffhanger, promising more of the same disappointment. Needless to say, I will not continue reading the series.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

3. Space Opera published before I was born:

Shards of Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold

★★★★☆

I enjoyed this book much more than I thought I would. I read it for a challenge, a book published before I was born. But it actually didn't read very antiquated at all. I really enjoyed Cordelia's narration and her way of approaching the many upheavals her life goes through in these pages. Her relationship with Vorkosigan is sudden, and then quite drawn-out while they have other things going on. I appreciated the way the romance was clearly important to them, but not more than their duty or homes or the war going on around them. I'm very curious to find out how they fare in the next book!
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

4. More than 500 pages:

Nemesis Games by James S.A. Corey

★★★★★

I had an absolute blast with this book. Even though the crew gets split up, the found family themes are stronger than ever. I love how complex the political situation in this universe is, and that all the big plot events in the books have permanent consequences that change the status quo of the world. Some bits were really suspenseful, and from the halfway-point I was on the edge of my seat. This book really reinvigorated my interest in the series.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I had a really great time with this readathon. My only miss was Once & Future. Harrow is my favourite desaster-necro, and Nemesis Games reinvigorated my interest in that series. Shards of Honor was an especially big hit because it opens up a new series to me. I'm very happy with my reading for the month.

[Krista]

Another great time with this readathon! Wrapping up the ends of my last two books this evening.

1, 2b - Binti
2a - Aurora Rising, The Warrior’s Apprentice
3 - Gateway
4 - Nemesis Games

Hope everyone has had some great reads this month!

[Bret]

1. novella: Artificial Condition by Martha Wells
Great book, great series. I think ART is my new favorite spaceship.

2A. another by a woman: A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine
Another great book (it only had one or two train rides). I will read more by Martine.

3. published before I was born (barely): Plague Ship by Andre Norton.
I like the Solar Queen series, they might not be as good as when I was twelve but I still want to be a Free Trader.

4. over 500 pages: Unconquerable Sun by Kate Elliott
I only finished it to complete the challenge. I hope it counts as Space Opera it seemed more like Train Opera

[Robin]

I became a Space Pirate today 🏴‍☠️👏🏴‍☠️

1. Novella: Artificial Condition by March Wells

2. Diverse author/ women writer: A Closed and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers

3. Book before I was born: Shards of Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold

4. 500+ : Sky Without Stars by Jessica Brody

Woop woop 🙌🙌🙌

[Robin]

I became a Space Pirate today 👏🏴‍☠️👏

1. Novella: Artificial Condition by Martha Wells

2. Diverse author/ characters: A Closed and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers

3. Before I was born: Shards of Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold

4. 500+: Sky Without Stars by Jessica Brody

All female authors this year too!

🙌🙌🙌

[[deleted user]]

Finished my last book yesterday and became a Space Pirate!
Novella - Rigel 9 by Ursula le Guin
Diverse author/characters - Binti by Nnedi Okorafor
Published before birth - Foundation by Isaac Asimov
Over 500 Pages - Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson

Rigel 9 is in audio only and can be found on Spotify. It's actually quite a wonderfully weird experience. Made me think of a classic Star Trek/Stargate episode.
Binti was amazing and I have the others on my tbr.
I was surprised about how much I enjoyed Foundation. There's not a lot of action but it was very good in all the other ways.
Red Mars is *very* long but everything in it is worth it. There's nothing in there that you aren't glad you learned and all the characters are so wonderful. Added the next book to that to my tbr as well.

[Andrea]

Here are the 5 books I finished to become a space pirate!!
1. Acadie by Dave Hutchinson 3.5⭐️
2B. Babel-17 by Samuel R. Delany 1⭐️
3. Babel -17 by Samuel R. Delany
4. Aurora by Kim Stanley Robinson 5 ⭐️
-Noumenon by Marina J. Lostetter 3 ⭐️
-To Be Taught, If Fortunate by Becky Chambers 3⭐️

Bonus book I just read for the hell of it was the nonfiction book:
-The End of Everything (Astrophysically Speaking) by Kate Mackie 4⭐️

[Amanda]

This was such a fun readathon, & really my first foray into Sci-Fi. I did manage to squeak in all the prompts this month & continue to read other great books recommended here!
Here's what I read:
1. "All Systems Red" by Martha Wells
2a. "Binti" by Nnedi Okorafor
2b. "Powers That Be" by Anne McCaffrey & Elizabeth Ann Scarborough (this was a last minute sub because my library couldn't transfer "The Calculating Stars" in time. Looking forward to that when it comes in.)
3. "The Restaurant at the End of the Universe" by Douglas Adams
4. "Leviathan Wakes" by James S.A. Corey
Happy to have made it to "Fleet Admiral"!

[Ron]

I managed to complete my TBR, reading one book for each challenge. There was enough overlap in challenges here that I could have done it in fewer books, but I wanted to really commit to filling the month with Space Opera.

Links are to my mini reviews:

The Tea Master and the Detective by Aliette de Bodard (Novella)
Sisters of the Vast Black by Lina Rather (Woman authored)
Network Effect by Martha Wells (Woman authored)
Ninefox Gambit by Yoon Ha Lee (Diverse author/Characters)
Little Fuzzy by H. Beam Piper (Before you were born)
Children of Time  by Adrian Tchaikovsky (Over 500 Pages)

[Trinette]

I finished 3 books:
1. All Systems Red by Martha Wells-Novella-4⭐️
2. Dawn byOctavia Butler-Diverse Author-4⭐️
3. Babel-17 by Samuel Delaney-book before I was born-3⭐️

[Rachel]

I finished:
Network Effect by Martha Wells
A Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
The Rolling Stones by Robert Heinlein
To Be Taught, If Fortunate by Becky Chambers

[Llyren]

Unfortunately I didn't really get very much time (and nerves) for reading in September, but I at least managed 3 books that actually hit all challenges:

1.) Novella: Kald, Martina - Ginga+ (1) - Momo
2a): Momo + Do You Dream of Terra-Two?
2b) + 4) Oh, Temi - Do You Dream of Terra-Two?
3) Adams, Douglas - The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (1) - The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy