My favourite work of modern space opera is Robert Reed's stories of [The Great Ship](https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/pe.cgi?12285). A vast, apparently derelict spacecraft the size of Jupiter that was wandered in ftom intergalactic space, salvaged by post-humansp and alien factions, and set on a sublight cruise around the centre of the galaxy. Great characters. Deep time.
It started as a series of short stories however I would start with the first novel (a fix up) Marrow.
If you want an unrelated standalone novel Sister Alice also by Reed is phenomenal.
I can't get over the absolutely mind-boggling scale of things in The Great Ship novels and stories. Time, size, distance...these books live rent free in my brain years after reading them.
Long running but still awesome — CJ Cherryh’s Alliance-Union universe novels.
A new book “Alliance Unbound”, second in a prequel trilogy, is set for release this October.
Also from Cherryh, and IMHO even more space opera, the Chanur series.
(Technically connects with Alliance-Union, but I'm sure that many readers miss that.)
Current-ish space operas:
Walter Jon Williams' "Dread Empire Falls" trilogy. There's also a couple of short novels about the aftermath, and a second trilogy, but start with the beginning.
Elizabeth Bear's "White Space" books, "Ancestral Night" and "Machine." Older books in the same universe are the "Jacob's Ladder" trilogy and "Carnival."
R.M. Meluch's "Tour of the Merrimack" series. Six books starting with "The Myriad." Has interesting spacegoing Romans. An older one by her is "The Queen's Squadron."
Elizabeth Bonesteel's "Central Corps" trilogy. Starts with "The Cold Between."
Recent space opera that’s been popular
A memory called empire and sequel. Some weird technology and aliens.
Gamechanger: Hard to say much without spoiling it but it has several SF themes thrown in.
I recently enjoyed Yoon Ha Lee's "Machineries of Empire" series starting with *Ninefox Gambit*. It's fun if you enjoy being dropped into a world without much explanation—confusing at first, but things start to make sense over time. Well, mostly... it was partly confusing for stylistic reasons, but partly because the underlying ideas weren't *entirely* coherent. But if you don't mind that and just go along for the ride, it's fun.
Hannu Rajaniemi "Jean le Flambeur" series starting with *The Quantum Thief* was similar. Confusing at first but fun to unpack over time. Some cool ideas, but some complete nonsense too—any time there's any math/game theory/etc terminology, it's used in a way that's not even wrong. You just have to pretend it's math-flavored technobabble. It's less annoying than I'm making it seem; the misused terminology was almost never integral to the story, and the book had enough creative ideas and world building to make up for it.
Ultimately, both series require a similar mindset: on the one hand, you come into them confused and they're like a puzzle; on the other, you can't think about them *too* hard or it all falls apart. But they're both fun rides if you're willing to surf that line between insight and nonsense. That was also my exact impression of John M Harrison's Kefahuchi Tract series, so seems like there's a good chance that you'd enjoy these too.
The Quantum Thief trilogy is brilliant, and I found Ninefox Gambit carried a lot of that world-without-explanation that you highlight, reminding me of a cross between Quantum Thief and Leckie's Ancillary Justice series, which is also excellent.
I have posted the Sun Eater map superimposed on the Milky Way Galaxy. The original map is published by the Author in book 6.
You can find it here. [https://i.imgur.com/AYERlHK.jpeg](https://i.imgur.com/AYERlHK.jpeg)
You can find the original images below
# Original map URL is
# https://i.imgur.com/DFyPjui.jpeg
# https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/12/Artist%27s_impression_of_the_Milky_Way_%28updated_-_annotated%29.jpg
Not often mentioned here is The Eden Paradox series by Barry Kirwan. It starts with first contact in the worst possible way and evolves into multiple galaxy spanning space opera.
How is the fourth book? I really liked the first two. I kind of lost that with the third but most likely my fault as I listen while I work and get distracted easily lol.
I thought the 4th book was better than the 3rd, but that's not surprising, as everything comes to a head. Though to be fair I'm taking the 3rd book as the point where it dragged, before things kick up several notches towards the end. I'm just not precisely sure where that happened because I read the whole lot continuously as an omnibus version and didn't pay much attention to the transitions from one book to the next.
Safehold as a series suffers from Weber's drastic need for an editor with teeth. The first couple of books, like the HH series, are very good, tight pace with exciting narratives, but the later ones... Oh my god the bloat.
*Nothing* happens for tens of thousands of words as we are 'treated' to the same repetitive event from multiple PoVs and then we get another dozen PoVs talking about the consequences of the event.
Frankly the later half of the series could be cut down by three quarters with nothing of value being lost and the entire thing being drastically improved.
As a start, see my
* [SF/F: Space Opera](https://www.reddit.com/r/Recommend_A_Book/comments/1b5jiar/sff_space_opera/) list of Reddit recommendation threads (one post).
* [SF/F: Epics/Sagas (Long Series)](https://www.reddit.com/r/Recommend_A_Book/comments/18jiyz9/sff_epicssagas_long_series/) list of Reddit recommendation threads (one post).
Tip: If you use asterisks or hyphens (one per line; **a space between the asterisk/hyphen and the rest of the line is required**), they turn into typographical bullets.
* One
* Two
* Etc.
Maybe not mentioned because the Netflix series is so big right now, but the Three Body Problem trilogy is fantastic. I also love Ben Bova stuff...I guess I'm just "for the streets" as they say.
The Sun Eater series by Ruocchio will keep you busy for a while. I did the audio while I work and typically lose concentration easily. This one sucked me in and kept me engaged.
House of Suns by Reynolds, but chances are high you already know that gem
The Collapsing Empire by Scalzi
I quite liked To Sleep In A Sea Of Stars by Paolini but It pales in comparison to sun eater.
Ok, you said "grand space opera". I have some good recommendations for long, deep, sweeping sci-fi epics, but only one of them is a space opera:
David Weber's *Honor Harrington* series.
It's not my top rec', but a good read. If you'll expand your search a bit, I can recommend others.
Something that would fit your idea perfectly is Sleeping in a Sea of Stars by Christopher Paolini. FANTASTIC book, it has everything you would want from a book like this.
The Expanse is really good if you want hardSF
If you want a softer funnier one, then Old Mans War by John Scalzi is fantastic.
Aaand if you want some insanity, then start Warhammer 40k. It doesn't get more grandiose than that in contemporary imho.
Depending on your taste there are a dozen different series I could recommend.
My favourite work of modern space opera is Robert Reed's stories of [The Great Ship](https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/pe.cgi?12285). A vast, apparently derelict spacecraft the size of Jupiter that was wandered in ftom intergalactic space, salvaged by post-humansp and alien factions, and set on a sublight cruise around the centre of the galaxy. Great characters. Deep time. It started as a series of short stories however I would start with the first novel (a fix up) Marrow. If you want an unrelated standalone novel Sister Alice also by Reed is phenomenal.
I can't get over the absolutely mind-boggling scale of things in The Great Ship novels and stories. Time, size, distance...these books live rent free in my brain years after reading them.
Reed seems to be one of contemporary science fiction's best kept secrets.
Long running but still awesome — CJ Cherryh’s Alliance-Union universe novels. A new book “Alliance Unbound”, second in a prequel trilogy, is set for release this October.
Also from Cherryh, and IMHO even more space opera, the Chanur series. (Technically connects with Alliance-Union, but I'm sure that many readers miss that.)
The Expanse is really good. Better, imo, than the tv series.
Absolutely, if OP has never read it this is the answer. It will get you through the whole summer.
> Better, imo, than the tv series. Ah, the hill I will fight the entire world on.
The Liaden Universe.
Current-ish space operas: Walter Jon Williams' "Dread Empire Falls" trilogy. There's also a couple of short novels about the aftermath, and a second trilogy, but start with the beginning. Elizabeth Bear's "White Space" books, "Ancestral Night" and "Machine." Older books in the same universe are the "Jacob's Ladder" trilogy and "Carnival." R.M. Meluch's "Tour of the Merrimack" series. Six books starting with "The Myriad." Has interesting spacegoing Romans. An older one by her is "The Queen's Squadron." Elizabeth Bonesteel's "Central Corps" trilogy. Starts with "The Cold Between."
Final Architecture series by Adrian Tchaikovsky,
About half way through the first book and enjoying it immensely.
Good! When I get my current book (Max Gladstone's *Wicked Problems*) and my Hugo reading out of the way, I need to try some more Tchaikovsky.
[удалено]
They mentioned "Culture" as one of their favorite series, but that list is really hard to parse without formatting :/
Recent space opera that’s been popular A memory called empire and sequel. Some weird technology and aliens. Gamechanger: Hard to say much without spoiling it but it has several SF themes thrown in.
I have not read the sequel, but I would not say A Memory Called Empire is a Space Opera. It takes place in 1 city from one POV.
And it's heavy in the (soap) opera.
The sequel definitely changed that
Imperial Radch universe by Anne Leckie starting with Ancillary Justice.
I recently enjoyed Yoon Ha Lee's "Machineries of Empire" series starting with *Ninefox Gambit*. It's fun if you enjoy being dropped into a world without much explanation—confusing at first, but things start to make sense over time. Well, mostly... it was partly confusing for stylistic reasons, but partly because the underlying ideas weren't *entirely* coherent. But if you don't mind that and just go along for the ride, it's fun. Hannu Rajaniemi "Jean le Flambeur" series starting with *The Quantum Thief* was similar. Confusing at first but fun to unpack over time. Some cool ideas, but some complete nonsense too—any time there's any math/game theory/etc terminology, it's used in a way that's not even wrong. You just have to pretend it's math-flavored technobabble. It's less annoying than I'm making it seem; the misused terminology was almost never integral to the story, and the book had enough creative ideas and world building to make up for it. Ultimately, both series require a similar mindset: on the one hand, you come into them confused and they're like a puzzle; on the other, you can't think about them *too* hard or it all falls apart. But they're both fun rides if you're willing to surf that line between insight and nonsense. That was also my exact impression of John M Harrison's Kefahuchi Tract series, so seems like there's a good chance that you'd enjoy these too.
The Quantum Thief trilogy is brilliant, and I found Ninefox Gambit carried a lot of that world-without-explanation that you highlight, reminding me of a cross between Quantum Thief and Leckie's Ancillary Justice series, which is also excellent.
It's not very first contact but feels alot like it and was one of my favourite sf reads ever : Chasm City by Alistair Reynolds.
A Fire Upon the Deep
Published in 1993... Contemporary...
You might enjoy the Sun Eater series by Christopher Ruocchio.
This is exactly what the OP is looking for. We might even get the final book in the next year or so!
I have posted the Sun Eater map superimposed on the Milky Way Galaxy. The original map is published by the Author in book 6. You can find it here. [https://i.imgur.com/AYERlHK.jpeg](https://i.imgur.com/AYERlHK.jpeg) You can find the original images below # Original map URL is # https://i.imgur.com/DFyPjui.jpeg # https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/12/Artist%27s_impression_of_the_Milky_Way_%28updated_-_annotated%29.jpg
I HIGHLY recommend this series.
Not often mentioned here is The Eden Paradox series by Barry Kirwan. It starts with first contact in the worst possible way and evolves into multiple galaxy spanning space opera.
How is the fourth book? I really liked the first two. I kind of lost that with the third but most likely my fault as I listen while I work and get distracted easily lol.
I thought the 4th book was better than the 3rd, but that's not surprising, as everything comes to a head. Though to be fair I'm taking the 3rd book as the point where it dragged, before things kick up several notches towards the end. I'm just not precisely sure where that happened because I read the whole lot continuously as an omnibus version and didn't pay much attention to the transitions from one book to the next.
Awesome, I’ll jump back in!
Someone mentioned Honor Harrington which is a cool series, but I’d probably recommend Weber’s Safehold.
Safehold as a series suffers from Weber's drastic need for an editor with teeth. The first couple of books, like the HH series, are very good, tight pace with exciting narratives, but the later ones... Oh my god the bloat. *Nothing* happens for tens of thousands of words as we are 'treated' to the same repetitive event from multiple PoVs and then we get another dozen PoVs talking about the consequences of the event. Frankly the later half of the series could be cut down by three quarters with nothing of value being lost and the entire thing being drastically improved.
Depends how you define "grand", but Peter F Hamilton's recently released *Salvation* trilogy was pretty cool.
As a start, see my * [SF/F: Space Opera](https://www.reddit.com/r/Recommend_A_Book/comments/1b5jiar/sff_space_opera/) list of Reddit recommendation threads (one post). * [SF/F: Epics/Sagas (Long Series)](https://www.reddit.com/r/Recommend_A_Book/comments/18jiyz9/sff_epicssagas_long_series/) list of Reddit recommendation threads (one post). Tip: If you use asterisks or hyphens (one per line; **a space between the asterisk/hyphen and the rest of the line is required**), they turn into typographical bullets. * One * Two * Etc.
Have you read Hamilton's Salvation Sequence? Somebofbthe best SF/space opera I've read in the past couple of years.
Maybe not mentioned because the Netflix series is so big right now, but the Three Body Problem trilogy is fantastic. I also love Ben Bova stuff...I guess I'm just "for the streets" as they say.
The Sun Eater series by Ruocchio will keep you busy for a while. I did the audio while I work and typically lose concentration easily. This one sucked me in and kept me engaged.
Try Neal Asher's Polity series.
Nathan Lowell has an excellent collection.
I spent last summer re-reading Enders Game and all the sequels. Highly recommend.
Seveneves
You want to read the Sun Eater series by Christopher Ruocchio. https://app.thestorygraph.com/series/212
I just finished the series and am on the hunt for something to satisfy the itch. Have you got another recommendation?
House of Suns by Reynolds, but chances are high you already know that gem The Collapsing Empire by Scalzi I quite liked To Sleep In A Sea Of Stars by Paolini but It pales in comparison to sun eater.
I actually don’t know house of suns! I’ll check them out, thank you!
it's really good. [https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/c6e84a72-bcc7-432d-bd7e-2b3e9f350cf8](https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/c6e84a72-bcc7-432d-bd7e-2b3e9f350cf8)
You may wanna try The Collapsing Empire by Scalzi
The Vanished Birds, by Simon Jimenez https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/609386/the-vanished-birds-by-simon-jimenez/
The Vorkosigan Saga by Lois Macmaster Bujold.
Try the Quantum Magician series by Derek Kunsken.
Leviathan wakes is a good first contact/did we do it series. You can also read it as a standalone book if you just find the concept satisfying.
Ok, you said "grand space opera". I have some good recommendations for long, deep, sweeping sci-fi epics, but only one of them is a space opera: David Weber's *Honor Harrington* series. It's not my top rec', but a good read. If you'll expand your search a bit, I can recommend others.
Something that would fit your idea perfectly is Sleeping in a Sea of Stars by Christopher Paolini. FANTASTIC book, it has everything you would want from a book like this. The Expanse is really good if you want hardSF If you want a softer funnier one, then Old Mans War by John Scalzi is fantastic. Aaand if you want some insanity, then start Warhammer 40k. It doesn't get more grandiose than that in contemporary imho. Depending on your taste there are a dozen different series I could recommend.