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| The New Space Opera | 
 enlarge | Creators: Gardner Dozois, Jonathan Strahan
Publisher: Eos
Category: Book
List Price: $15.95
Buy New: $2.00
You Save: $13.95 (87%)
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Avg. Customer Rating:  8 reviews
Sales Rank: 230070
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 528
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.2
Dimensions (in): 9 x 5.9 x 1.2
ISBN: 0060846755
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.0876608
EAN: 9780060846756
ASIN: 0060846755
Publication Date: June 1, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
The brightest names in science fiction pen all-new tales of space and wonder: Kage Baker
Stephen Baxter
Gregory Benford
Tony Daniel
Greg Egan
Peter F. Hamilton
Gwyneth Jones
James Patrick Kelly
Nancy Kress
Ken Macleod
Paul J. McAuley
Ian McDonald
Robert Reed
Alastair Reynolds
Mary Rosenblum
Robert Silverberg
Dan Simmons
Walter Jon Williams
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| Customer Reviews: Read 3 more reviews...
 Perhaps just not a sub genre for me September 2, 2007
10 out of 12 found this review helpful
"New" space opera. I have to say I that I kind of liked the old space opera. I found these stories to be somewhat depressing and most seemed unresolved by the end of the story. I'm glad I read it however.
I think my biggest complaint is that the ends of the stories weren't generally satisfying to me. I guess the stories must have been sufficiently good in that I was anxious to see how they would turn out. However that is where I found myself disappointed.
I would recommend this collection, but I wouldn't put it at the top of my list.
The best are the stories from Silverberg and Reynolds September 14, 2007
5 out of 6 found this review helpful
By reading the short stories and novellas in this volume, one quickly realizes that the term "space opera" is used rather broadly. Here's my synopsis of the stories (and some general observations along the way):
"Saving Tiamaat," "Verthandi's Ring" & "Hatch": I don't really know, because I found them so convoluted that I didn't finish them. Some of the authors of these stories introduce the reader to a slew of aliens, alien civilizations, and future technologies in a few pages, where maybe a 50 page introduction to a 300 or so page book would be adequate.
"Winning Peace": Not bad, but could have used a longer treatment. A common theme in this volume seems to be the situation where one group of humans (or aliens) subjugate another group of humans, who find some means of revenge in the end.
"Glory": There are so many things going on in this story, that I'm not sure why the author didn't write a full-fledged novel. I would even read it.
"Maelstrom": This is one of the more memorable stories because it's about a group of rag-tag actors on a recently colonized Mars who put on a play which loosely reflects the lives of colonists. It's surprisingly humorous, but categorizing it as a "space opera" is really a stretch.
"Blessed by an Angel": If I hadn't have read Peter Hamilton's incredible "Pandora's Star" (and the much more mediocre sequal "Judas Unchained"), I would have been completely lost. That's another thing that you find in the volume -- some of the backgrounds of these short stories were already covered in full-blown novels. This particular story is ok, but I would think incomprehensible to one who didn't read "Pandora's Star."
"Who's Afraid of Wolf 359"?: I'm sure I read it, but nothing sticks with me.
"The Valley of the Gardens": A touching Romeo and Juliet type love story set on an alien world. This also cries out for a longer treatment.
"Dividing the Sustain": Utterly bizarre. Don't know what quite to think about it. Another thought I have about alot of these stories is that the authors tend to forget that if real/actual/virtual time is substantially longer than one's perceived time on a space-ship, the technology will change completely once the voyage is finished (think about our technology 20 years ago).
"Minla's Flowers": A superb novella about a space traveller who attempts to advance a civilization before its time to avert disaster. I really liked this one and am interested in reading more by the author (Alastair Reynolds).
"Splinters of Glass": Most of it describes a chase scene on flying skateboards through icy pathways on Europa (and a love story to boot). OK, as far as it goes.
"Rememberance": An interesting tale about an alien race that nearly destroys humanity and makes everyone (save one person) forget about it. Humanity now has the power to destroy them. Also could have been better as a full fledged novel, or a decent Star Trek episode.
"The Emperor and the Maula": Maybe because I'm such a huge Robert Silverberg fan, this was my favorite entry. It tells the story of a far future human race, that had finally found peace and cooperation, only to be subjugated by the Ansaar, who conquer the Earth through a terrifying shock and awe campaign, and then basically treat humans like an insignificant nuisance (part of the "Maula" -- creatures below contempt). A brave young woman named Laylah visits the Ansaar's home planet knowing it means her certain execution. But she manages to get in the presence of the Emperor who doesn't quite know what to make of her. Silverberg's traditional skills, such as describing exotic alien planets, and the arrogance of a supreme leader, shine through here. "The Emperor and the Maula" could probably work just as well as a fable without a scifi/space opera setting. In fact, it reminded me somewhat of the story of Purim, (Laylah reminded me an awful lot of Esther).
"The Worm Turns": Strange and surrealistic. Like some of the other stories, one needs to probably understand something about wormholes in order to appreciate it, which I really don't.
"Send them Flowers": Dull and one of the few entries I thought was too long.
"Art of War": An exo-art historian, who has a hostile relationship with his mother (a four star general in the military), tries to find a pattern in how an enemy alien race arranged art in caves which they had stolen from humans. Huh?
"Muse of Fire": I loved "Hyperion," but I often find Dan Simmon's writing to be extremely dense. Here, he shows off his obviously prodigious knowledge of Shakespeare. The story wasn't bad, but he really shouldn't have tried to cram all this stuff (the performance of Shakespearean plays in front of a serious of increasingly God-like aliens) into 61 pages.
Read "The New Space Opera," if you like short science fiction stories. It may also lead you to an author or two in whom you might become interested.
 grand tour of space June 12, 2007
4 out of 12 found this review helpful
In the Introduction to this anthology consisting of eighteen original contributions, the definition of the space opera subplot is discussed with various sources like the Encyclopedia of Science Fiction, the New Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (Jack Williamson contribution), and Locus (Paul McAuley article) defining it. Each has similarities yet differences, but this strong anthology summarizes space operas as "romantic adventure set in space and told on a grand scale". Thus there is plenty of room for a myriad of tales with the vastness of space and the subjective definition of grand. This is exactly what the audience receives in this superb compilation as the authors using their own personal definition of space opera to provide excellent tales differing in locale, scope, and supporting scientific theory. Even the tones are dissimilar as some are life and death struggles to survive a dying system ("Verthandi's Ring" by Ian McDonald) or a war (Greg Egan's "Glory") vs. an amusing Poe play on Mars ("Maelstrom" by Kage Baker). The role of earthlings also varies from the conquered to the conqueror. The bottom line is editors Gardner Dozois and Jonathan Strahan and their eighteen authors provide the grand tour of space with strong characterizations starring in short stories written on a grand scale.
Harriet Klausner
Not Free SF Reader August 5, 2007
4 out of 8 found this review helpful
A really excellent collection of stories. I expected it to be pretty decent, and several people had told me it was really good. Well, they were right.
This book has the classic 'Oh wow' moment, in Ian McDonald's Verthandi's ring, where your eyes widen, and afterwards you wander around grinning at the brilliance for a couple of minutes.
I had also been looking forward to a new Greg Egan story for some time, and he doesn't disappoint. Not far in, I go 'What!! How the hell did he come up with that?!?' Shake your head at genius of invention, and continue happily along.
The only bone I have to pick, which may be me not getting it, is Kage Baker's story, which appears to be a planetary farce, as well as Poe homage. There is a spaceship or two mentioned, but not used in the usual sense you woulud expect. If the point is that this is a joke, because it isn't space, and the actual story is about a production that isn't actually an opera, then ok. Otherwise, I don't get it.
James Patrick Kelly's may be a bit borderline for what people will want, too. Nothing subpar to be found in this book, though, may just the odd not the right subgenre.
When I started on Dan Simmons story and saw all the Shakespeare stuff, I was thinking, 'oh not, not another Shakespeare story', yet, after maybe a bit of a slow start, that becomes excellent as well.
The introduction, pleasingly, has an essay on what is space opera, anyway, that is also well worth a time, and worth points. The stories for me are enough to give a 4.5, but with that, top marks.
New Space Opera : Saving Tiamaat - Gwyneth Jones
New Space Opera : Verthandi's Ring - Ian McDonald
New Space Opera : Hatch - Robert Reed
New Space Opera : Winning Peace - Paul J. McAuley
New Space Opera : Glory - Greg Egan
New Space Opera : Maelstrom - Kage Baker
New Space Opera : Blessed by an Angel - Peter F. Hamilton
New Space Opera : Who's Afraid of Wolf 359? - Ken MacLeod
New Space Opera : The Valley of the Gardens - Tony Daniel
New Space Opera : Dividing the Sustain - James Patrick Kelly
New Space Opera : Minla's Flowers - Alastair Reynolds
New Space Opera : Splinters of Glass - Mary Rosenblum
New Space Opera : Remembrance - Stephen Baxter
New Space Opera : The Emperor and the Maula - Robert Silverberg
New Space Opera : The Worm Turns - Gregory Benford
New Space Opera : Send Them Flowers - Walter Jon Williams
New Space Opera : Art of War - Nancy Kress
New Space Opera : Muse of Fire - Dan Simmons
Diaspora warpdrive fine young cannibal political assassination.
4 out of 5
Multiversal war dump survival massacre.
5 out of 5
Immortal evolution ship return desire.
3.5 out of 5
Alien desertion.
3.5 out of 5
Antimatter lightspeed starblast instantiation means mathematical archaeology discovery decision.
4.5 out of 5
Martian Poe production proves popular.
3 out of 5
Twin reproduction insurance.
3.5 out of 5
Empire threat impetus attack gives boomerang inspiration.
4 out of 5
Extrauniversal octopus minds are all grabby-blasty-tentacle, but slow to choke.
4 out of 5
Pregnant with your husband will make relations unfriendly.
3 out of 5
Planet evacuation tech boost co-operation is hard.
4 out of 5
Europa moss man's a stayer.
3.5 out of 5
Isolated solo history revelation retaliation.
4 out of 5
Not even close to 1001 nights needed for Imperial planetary wedding present.
4 out of 5
Sometimes, you give yourself the best advice.
3.5 out of 5
In all Probability, that will be trouble.
3.5 out of 5
Strange attractor society.
4 out of 5
Universal Lord Bard marathon trial or death.
4.5 out of 5
Just OK October 10, 2007
2 out of 5 found this review helpful
I wanted to like this much more than I did while reading it. In fact I left it unfinished at my mom's rather than pack it for the return flight. In fairness it is possible I expected too much from the title and my expectation of what the genre should be.
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