Years and years ago, I said that my love for space opera was dimming. Space opera has always been one step away from science fantasy, of course, but I was getting bored with how same same all the nanotech-fuelled, AI-high stories seemed to feel. In the last couple of years, something has changed. I don’t know if it is me or the field or both, but I have been loving space opera again! When I opened my eARC of New Adventures in Space Opera, provided by Tachyon Publications in exchange for this review, I was pleasantly surprised by how many of the names I recognized among the contributors.

The book lifts off with Jonathan Strahan’s introduction, which provides escape velocity. He puts into words a lot of what I was feeling, described above, crystallizing how it feels like we are definitely in a new vogue of this subgenre. The military science fiction of the nineties and early 2000s is metamorphosing into a decolonial, or at least postcolonial, attempt at deconstructing the imperialist sides of space opera. I think that is what most fascinates me about the subgenre. Beyond that, however, I think the way authors are exploring how advanced tech and a sprawling, galactic humanity might reshape our understanding of personhood and autonomy has changed for the better. The Big Ideas are becoming more complex, more nuanced, than in decades previous. That isn’t to trash science fiction or space opera from before—but like any genre, science fiction must be responsive to its times. These new adventures feel different in the right way for the world in which we currently live.

The anthology opens with a banger, “Zen and the Art of Starship Maintenance,” by Tobias S. Buckell. It ends with an astrophysical twist which is clever but doesn’t exactly feel all that original, so your mileage may vary. What actually intrigued me more about the story is its handling of the idea of free will. The main character is a maintenance intelligence that is basically a copy of an uploaded human; when they uploaded themself, they signed a contract that removed their free will. At the same time, they seem to have plenty of autonomy, which is an intriguing paradox.

These meditations on personhood continue in “Belladonna Nights,” by Alastair Reynolds; “Metal Like Blood in the Dark,” by T. Kingfisher; and “A Good Heretic,” by Becky Chambers. These stories all variously have either nonhuman or transhuman protagonists and, as such, truly stretch one’s imagination when it comes to understanding how such protagonists navigate and learn concepts—like deceit—we humans take for granted.

Some of the stories are more prosaic. “Extracurricular Activities,” by Yoon Ha Lee, follows a young Shuos Jedao (one of the main characters from Lee’s Machineries of Empire series) on a special op. “A Temporary Embarrassment in Spacetime” by Charlie Jane Anders feels very season 3 Star Trek, if you know what I mean, and I can’t say I loved it, but I understand what she’s going for. “Planetstuck,” by Sam J. Miller, is a little melancholy and haunting.

I bounced off a few of the stories hard. Lavie Tidhar continues to be an author who I think is just not for me, nor did I really follow “Morrigan in the Sunglare,” by Seth Dickinson. I liked Arkady Martine’s “All the Colors You Thought Were Kings”—it was interesting reading this as a contrast to her Teixcalaan duology that I just recently finished. That being said, I think the theme I got from the story—that we are doomed to be assimilated into oppressive, imperalist institutions if we think we can change them from within—isn’t sufficiently explored, even for a short story. Similarly, “The Last Voyage of Skidbladnir,” while rich in pathos and imagination, didn’t intrigue me or excite me that much.

All of this is to say: this is a varied collection. It’s unlikely you will enjoy them all, but you will probably enjoy some (hopefully most) of these stories—maybe the ones I didn’t like as much are the ones you’ll love! That there is probably something for every science-fiction reader in this anthology is a testament not only to Strahan and Tachyon’s curatorial skills but also to the cornucopia of space opera available these days, especially in shorter forms. And as much as I am less enamoured by slower stories like “The Last Voyage of Skidbladnir,” I really want to emphasize that I don’t think those stories are any less worthy of celebration or inclusion—space opera should not just be bang-bang-big-shoot-em-up-in-space! There is room for and value in stories that focus more on inner lives, on relationships, on giant space crabs!

Anthologies are always hit-or-miss for me, yet I had a feeling New Adventures in Space Opera would be more hit than miss. Maybe I just read it at the right time. Whatever the case, I was right. This book is just fuelling the fire stoked by my recent reads in the subgenre and leaving me hungry for more, more, more.

Thank you Netgalley and Tachyon for this arc.

I enjoyed a previous anthology edited by Jonathan Strahan and when I saw that several included authors are among ones I like, it was a no-brainer to request this. Plus sometimes I’m just not up for reading 500+ page SF tomes. As with any anthology, some are gonna be winners while others just don’t thrill me but all-in-all, this is a good mix.

Overall, I found all the stories readable at the very least and incredibly moving at best. Like another whose review I read at GR, I found it mentally exhausting at times to leap into and so quickly out of these very different stories but I enjoyed most of them. B overall.

There are lot of science fiction subgenres – from post-apocalypses to time travel to generation ships to first contact. But probably one of the longest lasting and most malleable is the space opera. In the introduction to this collection New Adventures in Space Opera Jonathan Strachan gives a primer on the development and features of this subgenre from its first appearance in the 1890s (!). Strachan considers a number of definitions of space opera but lands on this one: “romantic adventure set in space and told on a grand scale”.
To give more boundaries, Strachan chooses these rules for the stories that he has chosen for this collection. First, that they should take place on a ship or in space and only occasionally touch down on a planet. Second that the universe should be populated and there should be encounters. And thirdly, that the stakes should be high.
Strachan gives a quick history of space opera and the greats from the 1950s through to the 2000s. But his focus here is on modern space opera, a period he starts at 2011. His view is that these authors changed the nature of space opera in that the characters were becoming more diverse and they began to question the structure of the world around them. In Strachan’s view, this period began with James SA Corey’s Leviathan Wakes (first book of the 9 volume Expanse series) and moved through a range of exciting modern space opera authors like Anne Leckie, Yoon Ha Lee, Arkady Martine and Tade Thompson.
This collection feature stories by many of these names and a few other recent stars of modern science fiction including Becky Chamber, Lacie Tidhar, Charlie Jane Anders and somewhat older timer (who was doing modern space opera well before 2011) Alistair Reynolds. Some of the stories are set within the universes that these authors are famous for – for example Yoon Ha Lee’s “Extracurricular Activities” is set in the universe of his fantastic Machineries of Empire trilogy and Becky Chambers’ “A Good Heretic” which is set in her award winning Wayfarers universe. Others deliver brand new ideas and manage to pack some fascinating characters and huge mind-bending ideas into some small spaces.
New Adventures in Space Opera is a great collection for lovers of this form of science fiction, featuring many of the greats of the modern canon. For others it will provide a good entrée into one of the most vibrant corners of current science fiction and a list of authors that readers cannot go wrong with.

"Ann Leckie / Becky Chambers / Alastair Reynolds / T. Kingfisher / Charlie Jane Anders / Anya Johanna DeNiro / Yoon Ha Lee / Lavie Tidhar / Tobias S. Buckell / Arkady Martine / Aliette de Bodard / Seth Dickinson / Karin Tidbeck

Award-winning Australian science-fiction editor Jonathan Strahan (The Best Science Fiction of the Year series) presents the quintessential guide to the exciting New Space Opera. This skillfully curated, must-read volume gathers fifteen dramatic, newly classic interstellar adventures from some of the most highly acclaimed and popular speculative-fiction authors.

In "Zen and the Art of Starship Maintenance," a cloud-based contractor finds a human war criminal clinging to the hull of the ship. The clones of "All the Colors You Thought Were Kings," about to attend their coming-of-age ceremony, are also plotting treason. During "A Temporary Embarrassment in Spacetime," two outlaws go on the run after stealing a device from a space cult.

Take a faster-than-light trip to the future. Discover where memes rise and fall in moments. Here are the new and adventurous takes on interplanetary battles, sentient starships, and galactic intrigue. This must-read volume gathers fifteen dramatic, newly classic stories from some of the most highly acclaimed speculative authors."

I mean, you have to buy it for the T. Kingfisher story alone.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC!

This anthology is full of rich, creative stories from some heavy-hitting sci-fi/fantasy authors and it was really cool to see so many compiled in one release!

Like many anthologies/collections, stories can be hit or miss. Unfortunately, there were more misses and ‘middle of the road’ stories for me. I was also a little disappointed that while the collection is titled “New Adventures,” all of these stories have been published elsewhere previously. That being said, there were some stories that were stellar and stood out over others.

I would definitely recommend this to folks who love space-centric science fiction and space opera stories!

Favorites include:
“Belladonna Nights” by Alastair Reynolds
“All the Colors You Thought Were Kings” by Arkady Martine
“A Good Heretic” by Becky Chambers
“The Last Voyage of Skidbladnir” by Karin Tidbeck

I read Science Fiction sparingly. If a story is too alien, for example, the characters barely resemble humans or the writing it set in an alien galaxy it leaves me cold. I prefer science fiction with more human and earthly tones. I love the work of John Wyndham and George R. R. Martin wrote some amazing science fiction before Game of Thrones became a thing. This is a mixed bag of stories for me. I enjoyed them for the most but a couple of stories were too ‘out there’ for me. I especially enjoyed All the Colours You Thought Were Kings by Arkady Martine, A Temporary Embarrassment in Space Time by Charlie Jane Anders, A Good Heretic by Becky Chambers and The Justified by Ann Leckie. I’d recommend these stories.

This book was rated as 3.75 stars on Storygraph.

As anthologies go, I very much enjoyed this one, and it had a good range of star ratings for me, as most were 3 stars or above. I think it had a good mix of stories, writing styles, and a diverse group of authors. Many stories were queernormative or featured queer stories. Many stories were written by BIPOC authors. Even though this anthology has some heavy hitting names, I had only read Becky Chambers' books beforehand, and this anthology both encouraged me to read more books by the authors I have heard of, and seek out the other works of the authors I had not previously heard of.

As for each story, here is how I rated them:

1. Zen and the Art of Starship Maintenance by Tobias S. Buckell - 4.5 stars
2. Extracurricular Activities by Yoon Ha Lee - 3.5 stars
3. All the Colors You Thought Were Kings by Arkady Martine - 2 stars
4. Belladonna Nighty by Alastair Reynolds - 5 stars
5. Metal Like Blood in the Dark by T. Kingfisher - 5 stars
6. A Temporary Embarassment in Space Time by Charlie Jane Anders - 2.5
7. Immersion by Aliette de Bodard - 2.75 stars
8. Morrigan in the Sunglare by Seth Dickinson - 2.5 stars
9. The Old Dispensation by Lavie Tidhar - dnf (explanation below)
10. A Good Heretic by Becky Chambers - 5 stars
11. A Voyage to Queensthroat by Anya Johanna DeNiro - 5 stars
12. The Justified by Ann Leckie - 3 stars
13. Planetstuck by Sam J. Miller - 3.5 stars
14. The Last Voyage of Skidbladnir by Karin Tidbeck - 3 stars

Having four out of fourteen short stories in an anthology be five star reads just shows the caliber of these authors, and how good of an anthology the book is.

As for the story by Lavie Tidhar, I decided to not finish this story mainly due to the author being Israeli. I was unable to find any tangible evidence online about Tidhar's views on Zionism, and since his short story centered around Jewish culture and themes, I decided to not read the story. I acknowledge that being Jewish and/or from Israel does not make you automatically Zionist, however, I do not feel as if I know enough on the topic or about this specific author to understand if I am reading anti-Palestinian rhetoric veiled as religious themes.

To get the star rating of 3.75, I added all numbers from the stories I finished, and divided by 13, rounding up to 3.75 stars.

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

New Adventures in Space Opera is an anthology featuring short stories from some of the biggest names in modern sci-fi, including Ann Leckie, Yoon Ha Lee, and T. Kingfisher. Jonathan Strahan, the anthology’s curator, goes into the history of space opera and common tropes and how the subgenre has moved into what it is today. I had a rough idea of space opera built on sci-fi shows from the 80s and pop culture references, so I really enjoyed seeing the evolution of the subgenre laid out.

My favorite story was ‘Immersion’ by Aliette de Bodard, told in both second and third person. Largely dealing with tourism and giving up who you are to blend in, ‘Immersion’ is ultimately about what we lose when we choose assimilation. Quy is a young Rong woman living on the Longevity Spaceport when she meets Agnes, another young Rong woman who is going to get married soon. Agnes has been wearing an immerser, a device that cloaks her in an avatar to make her look more white, for a long time and has retreated so far into herself that she barely speaks and has lost her connection to not only her culture but to everything around her.

Another story I liked was ‘All the Colors You Thought Were Kings’ by Arkady Martine. Told in second person, Elias is an Akhal geneset, either clones or a very limited set of genes that produce people very similar to each other, and would do anything for Tamar, who shares a geneset with the Empress. By right, Tamar can challenge the Empress for the throne if she believes the Empress is not fulfilling her duties. Loyal Elias and Petros, who was also raised with Tamar, will assist her, but it won't be easy.

‘A Good Heretic’ by Becky Chambers is a third person-POV space cozy with a bite to it. Mas is from a species that chooses to be infected so they can become a Paired with Whisperer and looks forward to her future. However, when Mas is infected, something goes wrong and the virus grants her the intelligence promised but not the peace. Mas spends years in hiding, convinced she must be a heretic, for something she cannot even control.

To my surprise, my two favorite short stories in this collection were in the second person, which is a POV I rarely gravitate to. De Bodard and Martine both show great mastery of prose and in injecting themes into a small space while making the story feel incredibly personal. Chambers and T. Kingfisher both have a fairy tale quality to their short stories that expands what space opera can be beyond space battles but also links back to the most famous space opera of all and fairy tale in space, Star Wars.

I would recommend this to fans of space opera, readers looking to dip their toes into the subgenre, and those who are fans of modern sci-fi and fantasy

Since the death of Gardner Dozois, there are few people who can write about or collect stories of Space Opera as authoritatively as Jonathan Strahan. The stories in this collection are all solid stories but at times they feel more like message fiction than the galaxy hopping romps of old space opera. The Reynolds piece is as close to old school space opera as it gets in this solid but perhaps poorly named collection.

You know space opera when you see it, but defining the boundaries is devilishly hard. This anthology tries a bit of both, with some stories in the center of the subgenere and some exploring the edges.

The list of authors is self-recommending, and they don't disappoint. The only story I'd read before was <i>Immersion</i> (Aliette de Godard), which was in her own collection [book:Of Wars, and Memories, and Starlight|45429770]. It is well worth spreading to a larger audience and I was happy to re-read it.

Tachyon Publications was kind enough to provide me with an advanced reading copy via Netgalley for an honest review.

This collections is incredibly varied, by which is mean both that it covers a lot of aspects of the Space Opera niche but also in the quality of stories. Sadly, this one was not for me, within the first half of the book there was only one short story that even remotely drew me in. I ended up DNF’ing at 50%. I was finding it hard to motivate myself to pick this one up, especially considering that all of the stories have previously been published elsewhere which I had not looked into before requesting this title, so that is on me!

I’ve read some brilliant short story collections and anthologies this year but sadly this one did not live up to the high standard. I appreciate this anthology for what it is and would definitely still recommend it for anyone who is already a big fan of the space opera niche as I’m sure the variety could make for an interesting read for hardcore fans of the genre.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-arc. All opinions are my own.

I'm not a fan of short stories. I always end up wanting more. However, this was so fun. I did still have the issue of wanting more, but I'm lucky in that I was able to try authors I've been interested in without having to fully commit to a longer story. A lot of fun, a lot of interesting discussion, and definitely worth it.

I am always struck by the power of short story anthologies to have at least one story that I absolutely adore and at least one story that is just not for me. While all of the stories were expertly crafted, some stood out more than others as the type of story I gravitate towards.

Strahan, the editor of the anthology, chose a really strong story to start off; Zen and the Art of Starshi Maintenance by Tobias S. Buckell is a lovely dive into the life of a "crab-like maintenance form" on the hull of a habitat ring on a space craft.

One of the best parts about Space Opera as a genre is the ability that authors have to explore perspectives that the average reader or author may not consider as an option. Short stories in particular also allow authors to really get deep into a world without having to fully flesh out a universe beyond the speck of what we see in the story. This is a huge benefit to this type of storytelling, and makes these well-edited anthologies enjoyable to readers like myself. Sci-fi and space opera as genres leave so much room for authors to jump into worlds teeming with never heard before nouns, letting the reader catch up to the information as they go through context.

Sometimes, short stories are too short for that catch up to happen. I experienced that a few times in reading this anthology, but nothing that impeded my enjoyment.

By far, my favorite of the collection was Extracurricular Activities, by Yoon Ha Lee, which expertly used flashback to enhance the story and allow the readers to understand more about the universe in which the story takes place without ever making us feel pandered to.

A runner-up for favorite is A Good Heretic by Becky Chambers, a story about identity and community. I have a few of Chambers' books on hold at the library, and this was a great introduction to her writing for me! I'm looking forward to exploring other work by her after this short story.

Thanks to Tachyon Publications and Netgalley for access to an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is a book of short stories by some of my favourite sci-fi authors, including Becky Chambers, Ann Leckie, and Lavie Tidar. There are stories that are deeply serious, funny, touching, adventurous. I'm not going to do a story by story review, because I don't think that would be helpful. My 'problem' was that many of the stories are brilliant, but the effort it takes me to enter a whole new world,work out what's going in and then have it end so quickly is somewhat exhausting. Yes, I understand that I chose to read a book of short stories, and now I'm complaining that the stories are short! Also, I often read in certain circumstances - when having lunch, or in the bath and I don't want to leap from story to story - many of these need thinking over and considering, not just leaping to the next one. For me these rather wonderful stories were most enjoyable when I read them one at a time, with one or more other books between them. They are, on the whole, worth savouring.

I am by no means a die hard fan of space opera. There is no sub-genre of science fiction on which I will stand and die. I like all kinds of science fiction equally.

There were three short stories which stood out to me in this collection and much like any anthology or science-fiction collection, not all of the stories will appeal to you. The three which I enjoyed the most were:

Zen and the Art of Starship Maintenance - Tobias S Buckell
Metal like the BLood in the Dark - T Kingfisdher
A Voyage to Queensthroat - Anya Johanna Deniro

These three stories were thought provoking as well as being entertaining with a good mix of well balanced writing.

Because of this, I give the collection three stars and I hope other people pick this collection up and think about the ideas held within.
The editor shows the potential space opera has in the field of science fiction and demonstrates just how good the sub-genre can be.

I really enjoyed this collection. I always find that Jonathan Strahan does a fantastic job as an editor, and this collection is no different.

Not only is this a collection of A+ sci-fi authors, but the stories are also great. While not every story is 5 stars, everything was at least a 4 star or above. If you love sci-fi, short stories, or any of the authors in this collection I highly recommend this collection. Not only will you find great stories from your favorite authors, but you may also find a new favorite author inside!

A really cool anthology of exciting and fun short sci-fi stories. Quite a curatorial achievements bringing together all these big names of contemporary sci-fi: Chambers, Anders, Martine, Leckie, and many others. Fourteen romps through beautifully created micro and macro universes. To capture the scale and detail of these expansive worlds without losing the individuals that inhabit them is what good sci-fi authors do. A fabulous collection. Highly recommended!

Thank you to Tachyon Publishing and Jonathan Strahan for an advanced copy of New Adventures in Space Opera (Via NetGalley) for an honest review.
This collection of 14 short stories were a varied mix of Universes and Beings tackling a vast array of politics, relationships, cultures and technology.
Whilst I enjoyed all the stories in this collection, these were my highlights:
Belladonna Nights by Alastair Reynolds. I loved the tension and the mystery, culminating in a twist that ends in sacrifice.
Metal Like Blood in the Dark by T. Kingfisher. An incredible story exploring the loss of innocence and protection of a loved one.
A Temporary Embarrassment in Space Time by Charlie Jane Anders. This was really funny, with a Hitchhiker’s Guide or Red Dwarf type humor.
A Good Heretic by Becky Chambers. An exploration of sense of self, isolation in wanting to belong and the courage to be yourself.
The Last Voyage of Skidbaldir By Karin Tidbek. Explores morality in using beasts for our own ends.

Space Opera is a tricky genre to pull off – creating not just new worlds, but entire galaxies and universes. With the limitations of a short story word count, it’s an even greater challenge. How can the grand scales of space opera settings and stories be boiled down into a few thousand words? This anthology, featuring plenty of recognisable genre talent, has stories which succeed in some respects and struggle in others, with some works not quite filling the brief.

I enjoyed Strahan’s introduction to the space opera genre, which gave interesting insight into the history and hallmarks of the genre, including forerunners from the mid-1900s up to modern award winners (plenty of familiar names here – Herbert, Reynolds, Banks, Corey, Martine). I added a few books to my wish list from this!

1. Zen and the Art of Starship Maintenance – Tobias S. Buckell – 5/5
Really loved this story. It filled the brief of space opera perfectly, with world-eating technologies, interesting characters, and a great resolution to the story.

2. Extracurricular Activities – Yoon Ha Lee – 3/5
This one didn’t really do anything new for me. Fairly standard setting and story.

3. All the Colours You thought Were Kings – Arkady Martine - 3/5
Also a fairly standard setting. Interesting use of second person narrative.

4. Belladonna Nights – Alastair Reynolds – 4/5
Reynolds is fantastic at what he does, and this is no exception. Great characters and story, leaving us with bittersweet emotions.

5. Metal Like Blood In The Dark - T. Kingfisher – 4/5
I’ve read this before in Uncanny, so I skimmed it here. An insightful look into AI feelings and what life means for created intelligences.

6. A Temporary Embarrassment in Spacetime – Charlie Jane Ander – 2/5
I can see what Anders is going for here – it’s very tongue in cheek. Just didn’t click for me.

7. Immersion – Aliette de Bodard – 2/5
Found this one a little confusing. The jumping between second and third person made it hard to follow the narrative. Didn’t feel like space opera.

8. Morrigan in the Sunglare – Seth Dickinson – 4/5
Excellent philosophical musings against the backdrop of a galactic war.

9. The Old Dispensation – Lavie Tidhar – 2/5
I didn’t really like the main character, so found it hard to get into.

10. A Good Heretic – Becky Chambers - 4/5
If you’re familiar with Chambers’ work, this is no different. Deals with strange alien races and cultures and the conflict that arise from such.

11. A Voyage to Queensthroat – Anya Johanna DeNiro – 3/5
I liked this but thought it could actually be a little bit longer to flesh out the narrative. Relied a bit too much on flash-back and flash-forward.

12. The Justified – Ann Leckie – 4/5
Leckie has created an interesting society here, and explores the inhuman boundaries that the genre offers.

13. Planetstuck – Sam J. Miller – 5/5
Great characters and narrative. Felt a bit like The Expanse.

14. The Last Voyage of Skidbladnir – Karin Tidbeck – 3/5
This one had some good characters, but the setting and Skidbladnir itself didn’t work for me.

Total: 3.4 rounded down to 3 for Goodreads.

New Adventures in Space Opera is an anthology of stories about, well, space opera. High concept adventures infused with lowbrow fun. Jonathan Strahan has collected stories by a slew of current authors showing the breadth of current space opera.

Like all anthologies, mileage will vary. I found several stories to be quite wonderful. There were a couple I abandoned. And perhaps a but too much thinly-veiled fantasy in sci-fi wrapping. But still, a good collection that shows a wide range of styles and approaches.

Becky Chambers, Alastair Reynolds, Arkady Martine, Tobias Buckell, Ann Leckie, and Charlie Jane Anders were the standouts to me. Reynolds's "Belladonna Nights" was my favorite story in the collection. And I was happy to see a story set in Becky Chambers's Wayfarers universe.

I enjoyed that many of the stories embraced a variety of gender and sexual identities, with "A Voyage to Queensthroat" by Anya Johanna DeNiro being a standout of that subset.

The collection isn't perfect. Like I said, there were a couple of the stories I didn't finish. But, overall, it's a strong collection well worth a look.