New Adventures in space opera

Review by Booklist Review

Editor Strahan's introduction is an invaluable essay tracing the history of space opera as far back as 1890, defining what a space opera is, offering a selection of important authors from the various eras of the genre, and providing a framework for selecting the stories in this collection, which follows Strahan's previous two volumes The New Space Opera (2007) and The New Space Opera 2 (2009), co-edited with the late Gardner Dozois. The 14 short stories here, published since 2011, are written by an international selection of best-selling and award-winning authors. Tobias S. Buckell leads off with "Zen and the Art of Starship Maintenance," exploring an ethical dilemma for a robot (though they do not like that term) who traded free will to wander the galaxy in a bid for immortality and the importance of following one's programming in the aftermath of an epic space battle. The rest of the collection is a sampler for those looking for personal tales set in deep space. An excellent choice for fans of better-known space operas like Dune, Leviathan Wakes, or Guardians of the Galaxy.

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.

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Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

Hugo Award winner Strahan (Twelve Tomorrows) spotlights 15 sophisticated, award-winning science fiction stories from the past decade that epitomize the best of space opera. He defines the genre as "romantic adventure... told on a grand scale," set either in space or on a space station with high-stakes plot--and each of these perceptive and evocative stories perfectly fits the bill. In Tobias S. Buckell's clever revenge tale, "Zen and the Art of Starship Maintenance," after a galactic war, a sentient maintenance robot discusses free will with a cybernetically enhanced human from the fleet that surrendered. Yoon Ha Lee's "Extracurricular Activities" delivers a lively adventure when assassin Jedao infiltrates a space station to rescue a former classmate and their crew, all while fighting pirates and evading a gene-altering substance. Aliette de Bodard's pensive "Immersion" imagines a future in which a device provides wearers with an avatar and guidance on culturally acceptable appearance, language, and gestures, while obfuscating any sense of individuality, ethnicity, and heritage. Other stories feature vindictive clones, a planet-eating blob, outlaws, and space cults. Throughout, plentiful action, enigmatic and complex worldbuilding, sinister technology, and vast space vistas impress. It's a gift for sci-fi lovers. Agent Howard Morhaim, Howard Morhaim Agency. (Aug.)

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