Science Fiction versus Space Opera, Part 1/5: Opening Remarks

[jade_sabre_301]

So three things.

1) I went to Barnes and Noble today because I have a $35 gift card to spend and left feeling extremely discouraged, in part because they didn’t have the one book I was looking for (WP has requested Catholicism for Dummies because he is a darling dear) and mostly because there’s such a narrow selection of books available there. I

Comments

[rosaleeluann]

I AM ALSO HAVING A HARD TIME PICKING UP NEW BOOKS. Its just so hard to trust new ones. Sometimes its easier to trust an old one. Which is what I did--I just finished re-reading The Curse of Chalion. It was so good--again! You need to read it! It was so awesome! And then I found myself in a LMB mood so I grabbed the only other book by her that I own with is Komarr which isn't exactly what I'm in the mood for but it almost is so I'm continuing with it.

Not that that is important.

And I'm glad you're writing this because I knew I liked some "science fiction-y" type stuff that was sometimes called "space opera" but wasn't sure about what all that meant. And stuff. Actually I think the Miles books are the only science fiction-y (I mean space opera) books that I like that come to mind. So I'm glad you'll be clearing this up for me hopefully? Because I've been wondering about that. And also why Science Fiction and Fantasy are lumped together but are also distinctly different, whats that all about?

I am most definitely rambling.

So I shall just read your thingy that you wrote. Yes.

[jade_sabre_301]

SO HARD because I've been burned by what's popular and people are trying to be edgy or twisty at the expense of telling a good, well-written story. I REALLY need to get my hands on Curse of Chalion--Quark quoted tons of the beginning of it to me and then somehow it never got into my hands. :( The only one of the Vorkosgian books I've read is the bundle of the first two--Cordelia's Honor and another one? And I had serious issues with Cordelia's...I don't remember what all it was, but the whole way in which she chose to have a child. The whole attitude towards it/the way it was treated in the book bothered me (I don't remember what exactly it was, but I remember feeling like it seriously violated my personal morals to the point where I was extremely morally opposed to her actions and didn't really like her because she was being selfish and evil. Or something), so it's been hard for me to go for any of the other books. But maybe the later books avoid this troubling issue!

Also, science fiction or sci-fi vs. fantasy is NOT THE SUBJECT OF THESE POSTS, and I only say that in all caps because you've already got me brainstorming about how to address that issue as well. :-b