What is a Space Opera?

Space Opera, also known as space fantasy, is a subgenre of science fiction that focuses on the exploration and settlement of other worlds. It draws heavily from elements of adventure stories, westerns, sword & sorcery tales, and high-tech military science fiction, with a focus on large scale conflict between human factions in an interstellar setting. The genre is often associated with the 1950’s and 1960’s, but it has been around for much longer than that. In fact, some of the earliest examples of space operas were written by authors who lived during the era when they wrote them.

The term “space opera” was coined by Isaac Asimov to describe his own work. He used the term to distinguish his works from those of Robert Heinlein, which he considered to be more realistic. Asimov preferred the term because he felt it described his style better than did the word “science fiction” (which had been applied to both).

Space Opera in Pop-culture

In recent years, there have been many films, television shows, video games, comic books, novels, and even boardgames based on this type of story. Many people are familiar with Star Wars, Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica, Firefly, Babylon 5, Ender’s Game, and others. However, not everyone knows about these types of stories.

Space Opera Novels

These usually have a larger scope than most shorter form works. They can range anywhere from 100 pages to several hundred thousand. A few notable examples include Dune, Foundation, and Ender’s Game.

Space Opera Board Games

A number of boardgames have been created based on space operas including: Twilight Imperium, BattleTech, Terra Nova, and Warhammer 40K. There are also a number of card games like Magic: The Gathering and Dominion which channel some aspects of space opera.

Space Opera Short Stories

Short stories tend to be very focused, usually taking place within one or two settings.

Space Opera Movies/TV Shows

This is where things get interesting. Many people consider Star Trek and Star Wars to be space opera. However, neither of these films are based on any kind of novel. Instead, they are based off of screenplays written by others. For example, Star Wars is based on George Lucas’ original screenplay for THX 1138. Similarly, Star Trek is based on Gene Roddenberry’s script for Planet Earth. Both of these scripts were later adapted into novels and novellas.

Space Opera Video Games

Video games are another medium that fits into the category of space opera. Examples include Wing Commander, Mass Effect, X-Wing, and Elite Dangerous.

Space Opera and the New Wave

There are many different schools of thought regarding what makes something space opera. Some people feel that it needs to have a lot of action, while others feel that it should be more character driven. Others feel that it should be set in outer space, while still others feel that it should take place on earth. And yet others feel that it should have a strong sense of humor. All of these ideas are valid and all of them exist in space opera.

New wave space opera tends to be more character driven, focusing on characters rather than plot. This is similar to how modern literary sci fi is written.

Other Types of Sci Fi

While space opera is generally associated with sci fi, it isn’t limited to just that. Other genres that fall under the umbrella of sci fi include: cyberpunk, steampunk, post apocalyptic, and urban fantasy.

Check out our list of the best science fiction subgenres.

Space Opera vs Science Fiction

Some people think that space opera is just a subset of science fiction. While this may be true in some cases, it is not always the case. For example, the classic science fiction movie 2001: A Space Odyssey is a space opera. However, it is also a science fiction film.

Space Opera Genre Elements

As mentioned above, there are a variety of elements that go into making a good space opera. Here are some of the main ones:

Action – This is probably the biggest element of space opera. It doesn’t matter if you’re talking about an epic space battle or a simple conversation between two characters, action is important. If nothing happens, then your story is going nowhere.
Character Development – Characters are usually developed through their actions. If a character does something stupid, then he will likely suffer consequences as a result. Conversely, if a character does something smart, then he will often benefit from his actions.
Humor – Space opera has a tendency to be humorous. This is because it takes place in a universe where humans live alongside aliens. The fact that we can interact with alien species means that there is at least one thing that we can do that they cannot. This gives us a chance to poke fun at ourselves.
Technology – In order for a story to work, it must make use of technology. That’s why so many space operas feature spaceships. Without them, none of the other elements would mean anything.
Romance – There are plenty of stories out there that don’t involve romance. However, most space operas contain at least some romantic subplot.
Alternate History – Like alternate history, space opera allows us to explore different possible futures. Unlike alternate history, however, space opera focuses on those possibilities.
Politics – Many space opera stories deal with politics. These stories tend to focus on the political machinations of various factions within a society.
Aliens – As stated earlier, space opera is a genre that deals with interactions between humans and aliens. Therefore, it is no surprise that aliens are a major component of many space opera stories.
Earthbound – One of the things that makes space opera unique is that it takes place in our own galaxy. This means that we can visit places like Mars and Venus without having to travel across the entire Milky Way Galaxy.
Unrealistic Settings – Space opera tends to take place in far away worlds. It is very rare for a space opera story to take place on Earth, although it’s not a strict rule. Star Trek for instance often revisits earth despite major storylines almost always being in space or on other planets than Earth.
Bigger than Life – Space opera stories tend to be bigger than life. This is because they are set in a universe that is larger than ours. This means that everything is more powerful and impressive.
Epic Scale – Space opera stories tend towards being epic in scale. This is because they take place in a universe that is much larger than ours.