Aliens, sentient spaceships, and new worlds abound in THE NEW SPACE OPERA. Dan Simmons introduces readers to a world where Shakespeare may be the saving grace for humans everywhere in Muse of Fire while Kage Baker’s Maelstrom shows a wealthy man trying to introduce literature, such as Poe, to the residents of Mars. Greg Egan’s Glory shows two scientists willing to do anything in their quest for knowledge while Nancy Kress delves into the importance of alien art in Art of War. Other stories have themes such as the clashes and peace negotiations between different alien cultures, the survival of the human species as a whole or individual, the land or ship as a sentient being, and worlds or alien creatures being reformed or reshaped.  

THE NEW SPACE OPERA is clearly not for newcomers to the genre. While I have read and loved other science fiction tales, I found myself nodding off during the majority of the stories in this anthology. In fact, it took me almost a year to force myself through the entire book!

The highlights of THE NEW SPACE OPERA are the tales by Dan Simmons and Kage Baker. Both authors incorporate the love of literature into their tales, grounding the stories in the human element. While Dan Simmons is an author I have already read and enjoyed, Kage Baker is one new to me. Both authors create stories that encapsulate the differences between a new space world and our current one, focusing on the aspects of our culture that make us so uniquely human. Another notable story touching on this theme is Art of War by Nancy Kress, a story in which the ending definitely leaves me wanting to read more by Ms. Kress.

Perhaps the biggest problem with THE NEW SPACE OPERA is that most of the stories seem to presume the reader is already familiar with the authors’ worlds. One aspect I generally like about anthologies is the introduction to authors I haven’t previously read but THE NEW SPACE OPERA seemed geared more towards those who are already fans.

Reviewed by Debbie

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Posted June 2008