Whether it’s the second part of ‘Dune’ or the new ‘Foundation’ series that’s got you excited, you may be a fan of space operas and not yet realize it. The misleading title of this particular science fiction subgenre is more in reference to soap operas than to singing arias in deep space. (Because in space no one can hear you sing.) Originally coined to disparage works of this nature, space opera refers to a subgenre of science fiction that focuses more on adventures, relationships, and warfare in space. It’s heavy on melodrama, but not always as heavy on the scientific details. The earliest examples were published over a hundred years ago in pulp magazines, but some of the most famous include the Star Wars franchise, ‘Starship Troopers,’ and the Dune series. Of course, the subgenre has expanded to include authors from around the world, and this list aims to curate a selection of titles that will get you well on your way to becoming a well-round space opera buff.
You can sign up for a free library card here.
If you are new to our eResources, check out these tutorial videos on how to get started.
If you’re looking for more book suggestions, we’re happy to recommend them to you! Use this Book Recommendation form to send us some information about what you like to read and we’ll curate a list just for you.
If you have any additional questions, you can contact a librarian through Facebook, Instagram or X. You can also call us at 412-622-3114 or email us at info@carnegielibrary.org
In Murderbot’s first adventure it is hired as security for an exploratory team checking out leasable land on an exoplanet. It should be routine, but of course it’s not, and Murderbot has to abandon its many hours of saved media to save the day.
This title is also available for checkout as an eBook and as an eAudio on Libby and as an eAudio and a dramatized audio adaptation on Hoopla.
From prolific South African author Rich Larson comes the first book in The Violet Wars series. When the aliens invade, all seems lost. The world as they know it is destroyed, their friends kidnapped, their families changed. With no adults left to run things, young trans girl Violet and her new friend Bo realize that they are free. Except the invaders won’t leave them alone for long. . .
This title is also available for checkout as an eBook on Hoopla.
Her name is Binti, and she is the first of the Himba people ever to be offered a place at Oomza University, the finest institution of higher learning in the galaxy. But to accept the offer will mean giving up her place in her family to travel between the stars among strangers who do not share her ways or respect her customs. If Binti hopes to survive the legacy of a war not of her making, she will need both the gifts of her people and the wisdom enshrined within the University, itself — but first she has to make it there, alive.
This title is also available for checkout as an eBook and eAudio on Libby and as an eBook and eAudio on Hoopla.
Reformed smuggler and starship captain Eva Innocente leads her unwitting crew on a series of dangerous missions to placate her sister’s mysterious kidnappers in this hilarious, offbeat debut space opera that skewers everything from pop culture to video games.
This title is also available for checkout as an eBook and eAudio on Libby and as an eBook and eAudio on Hoopla.
Yume Kitasei’s ‘The Deep Sky’ is an enthralling sci fi thriller debut about a mission into deep space that begins with a lethal explosion that leaves the survivors questioning the loyalty of the crew. Asuka, the only surviving witness, is an immediate suspect. With the crew turning on each other, Asuka is determined to find the culprit before they all lose faith in the mission—or worse, the bomber strikes again.
This title is also available for checkout as an eBook and eAudio on Libby.
This epic space opera follows a comfort woman as she claims her agency, a soldier questioning his allegiances, and a non-binary hero out to save the solar system.
This title is also available for checkout as an eBook on Libby.
When Captain Kel Cheris is disgraced for her unconventional tactics, she is given a chance to redeem herself. Cheris’s best hope is to ally with the undead tactician Shuos Jedao, who has never lost a battle. Unfortunately, Jedao went mad in his first life and massacred two armies, one of them his own. As the siege wears on, Cheris must decide how far she can trust Jedao – because she might be his next victim.
This title is also available for checkout as an eBook on Libby and as an eAudio on Hoopla.
From beloved Cuban science fiction author Yoss comes a bitingly funny satirical space opera noir starring an android detective chasing intergalactic bad guys.
This title is also available for checkout as an eBook on Hoopla and in eAudio on Hoopla.
Aster has little to offer folks in the way of rebuttal when they call her ogre and freak. She’s used to the names; she only wishes there was more truth to them. Embroiled in a grudge with a brutal overseer, Aster learns there may be a way to improve her lot—if she’s willing to sow the seeds of civil war.
This title is also available for checkout as an eBook and eAudio on Libby and as an eAudio on Hoopla.
A ship captain, unfettered from time. A mute child, burdened with unimaginable power. A millennia-old woman, haunted by lifetimes of mistakes. In this captivating debut of connection across space and time, these outsiders will find in each other the things they lack: a place of love and belonging. A safe haven. A new beginning.
This title is also available for checkout as an eBook and eAudio on Libby.
Prince Kiem, a famously disappointing minor royal, has been commanded to fulfill an obligation of marriage to Count Jainan, the representative of the Empire’s newest and most rebellious vassal planet. Neither wants to be wed, but with a conspiracy unfolding around them and the fate of the empire at stake they will have to navigate the thorns and barbs of court intrigue, the machinations of war, and the long shadows of Jainan’s past, and they’ll have to do it together.
This title is also available for checkout as an eBook and eAudio on Libby and as an eAudio on Hoopla.
