What Is Space Opera, and Why Am I Writing One?

tyunglebower ♦ January 15, 2025 ♦ 1 Comment

The term “space opera” is a misnomer to many who are not aquatinted with fiction genres. It is not a stage production of grand characters singing arias set in a space backdrop. Such an opera may exist, but I am not well read on the topic.

In the case of space opera, we’re talking about a subset of science fiction.

Actually, this too is somewhat misleading, in my opinion. Every thing has to go in one drawer or another I suppose, but space opera is, as I will lay out, almost the opposite of science fiction.

Sci-fi usually deals with the literal science of a story, often relegating character and even plot to secondary consideration. Pure “sci-fi” concerns itself with the impact of technology and scientific advances on civilization. The fictional advances may be far from anything of which we are capable in real life, but on the whole those depicted in sci-fi at least have a theoretically plausible if highly speculative foundation of what we know of true science today.

Though I do not care for it myself, the works of Issac Asimov fall into the purest of science fiction, as described.

Space opera, on the other hand, despite being a sub-genere of sci-fi, doesn’t usually spend much time on the nature of how technologies work. In fact the science of a space opera may not go beyond mere mention of a machine, or device or medicine. In some cases the actions may not even be possible, as far as we know, in our true universe. (Star Trek’s warp speed is an example, as are it’s transporters, the full scientific details of which are rare addressed within the story, and even then contradict one another at times from story to story.)

I space opera, characters (often but not always) dramatic, over the top types are the focus. As are the political machinations, or wars, or general intrigue of the characters and their societies.

In many cases, a Hallmark Channel-esqe romance or two is also part of the mix.

Happy endings are more common than tragic ones, though that has changed and was never a hard and fast rule of the subgenre.

But yes, they do take place almost entirely in space. As often as not, far from earth or human beings. SciFi can, but does not have to be set in space, and usually examines human populations.

space opera’s scope tends to be much larger, with exploration and visitations to many planets and exposure to many words and species a common characteristic. It may or may not be of epic length as a novel, but it trends longer than average as far as I can determined.

On screen, Star Wars, and the previously mentioned Star Trek are two prime example of space opera fiction. To those of a certain generation, so is the tv series Babylon 5 from the late 1990’s.

All by way of saying, I’d be happier if “space opera” were just its own genre, and not under the sci-fi umbrella. I feel the same way about alternate history fiction, but that’s another topic.

My next novel will be a space opera.

At least, it will adhere to the style points of space opera more than it will those of any other subgenre I know of. Being me, of course, I will deviate from those when I choose.

Usually when I announce the start of a novel, I indicate when to expect to finish it and publish it. In this case, I have no such prediction. I have an outline, and that tells me it will quite possibly be my longest novel to date. (Though probably still on the shorter end of the spectrum when it comes to space opera as I have no intention of making a series.) This one will be ready when it is ready, in other words. It’s a new type of project for me.

So why am I taking it on?

In short, the challenge of it. I have never done it before, and while there are plenty of things I would never do just to challenge my writing, my genera enjoyment of Star Trek encouraged me to try something on a grander scale than my usual.

I was also motivated by the ease of describing the project in these early stages. If I say, “I’m working on my first space opera,” those who follow the genre, or those who simply know what that entails (as you now do, readers) will right away get a sense of what I’m up to. That will also help when marketing and promotions come round, at whatever far off date that may be.

My fiction tends to be insular, even when amazing things are happening with the characters. One city, one small group of people. A handful of characters. That’s been my M.O., even when I set a fantasy novel in the afterlife. (Though There Is Pain Here is the novel with the largest scope to date, it isn’t space opera. Afterlife Opera?)

So I will play with more characters, more locations, and probably more than one subplot. I am not in love with subplots as an author. Read the story I give you as a through line. I tinker with smaller diversions in some of my work, but this project almost demands subplots, and it will give me a chance to work on my skill in developing them.

So there are several reasons I am writing this. But the most significant is still probably the first one I mentioned; I’ve never done it before, and want to challenge myself a bit, even if most of my space opera consumption is TV and movies as opposed to novels.

Meanwhile, I will spend more time on short fiction this year, submitting and sharing.

To 2025 in imagination, and beyond.