Catherynne M. Valente's Epic Space Opera: A Spectacular Journey Through the Stars

Reika: If you're looking for glamour, music and words that dance through your mind and lift up your soul in a Dirty-Dancing-lift, look no further! This book is a glittering disco ball, a bright light in dark times. Enjoy your trip!

Germany on Nov 22, 2020

fcasa: Please download an extract before buying the book.
Fun and unique story but impossible to read. It’s more about they way the story it’s written than what it intends to tell. Long and overly complicated grammar constructions that difficult the understanding of simple situations. The author seems to be more interested in displaying their writing skills than telling us a story.
True, english is not my first language but I couldn’t tell the characters apart, the storyline from the references and the linear events from the complicated explanation of thoughts, feelings and parallelisms.
To this point i’m even unsure if I understood how it ends (??)

Netherlands on Jun 10, 2020

Miss Print: "Life is beautiful and life is stupid. As long as you keep that in mind, and never give more weight to one than the other, the history of the galaxy, the history of the planet, the history of a person is a simple tune with lyrics flashed on-screen and a helpful, friendly bouncing disco ball of glittering, occasionally peaceful light to help you follow along."

When the end of the world arrives, no one expects it to be announced by a giant blue half-flamingo, half-anglerfish creature with the voice of an angel, or the person you love most in the world, or a non-threatening American waitress in Cleveland depending on who you ask.

Humanity is even less prepared to learn that Earth's very last hope is the washed out, broken up, and decidedly no-longer-good former glam rock sensation Decibel Jones and the Absolute Zeroes.

But that's jumping ahead. Really, it all started a hundred years ago when the Sentience Wars almost destroyed the galaxy.

While everyone is always pretty clear on if they, themselves, are sentient it turns out that's a harder decision to make about your neighbors--especially neighbors who may or may not be parasitic zombie maggots, clouds of...

United States on Aug 26, 2019

Isabel Claret Aleu: This book is incredibly funny. It’s also full of lovable characters, incredible worldbuilding and the smartest prose I’ve ever read. It was totally worth the effort of reading it in English even if it’s not my first language.

Spain on Aug 14, 2018

L. Whibley: I've not finished this book yet.. I don't want to finish reading this book. I am eking out tiny bites to make it last. You'll see people talking about Douglas Adams.. and there's lot of that feel about this book and none of it to any detriment.. It has the Hitch Hikers groove all over.. but, and I hesitate to say it, I like this better. Feels like sacrilege of sorts.. Younger me adored those books.. older me adores this book as much, if not more.
It also has a side order of Ian M Banks' humanity and pathos in the midst of the fantastic. The character work is well realised and sharp as a tack in the arch of your foot. There are surprises and sentences that turn on a sixpence.

I have very picky friends that I know are going to find this delightful and I'm pimping it shamelessly to many of them right now. You should read it too.
No really, you should.

United Kingdom on Aug 09, 2018

Trystan: “Space Opera” is a delightful homage to the works of Douglas Adams, David Bowie, and the Eurovision contest. Like Adams’s work, the book goes back and forth between telling the story of two hapless people thrust into a terrifying galactic community, and skewering the political and cultural scene of the day. Like Eurovision and Bowie, the book celebrates the wacky individuality and creative expression of everyone. The struggle of Decibel Jones and the Absolute Zeroes to save the Earth in a bizarre galactic music contest encapsulates the struggle of each of us to be recognized for our lives, but most especially of marginalized people to be granted basic human dignity by a society that isn’t quite sure they count as persons. A timely novel with timeless style. Highly recommended for all, but especially for fans of Adams or Pratchett.

Canada on May 09, 2018

Kenya Starflight: Science fiction has long been overtaken by "serious" stories and concepts, and often heavy morals and messages that tend to overpower the story and characters. With every sci-fi book seeming to strive to be a warning of things to come or a means to deliver a barely-concealed message about our current state of affairs, it seems the genre has forgotten how to have fun. We forget that while sci-fi can be a powerful tool to say things regular fiction can't easily do, it can also be entertaining, dazzling, funny, and even -- dare I say it -- glamorous. Thankfully, Catherynne Valente's "Space Opera" is a huge breath of fresh air in a genre that's taking itself all too seriously anymore, and delivers a fine blend of witty humor in the vein of Douglas Adams, gloriously imaginative alien races and cultures, and a very human element that manages to be touching and deep without being heavy-handed. And all is told with Valente's trademark wordplay, beautiful and delectable.

In "Space Opera," Earth -- described as a "small, watery, excitable planet" -- is introduced to the universe at large by way of the Esca, a race of birdlike aliens who have been chosen to usher humanity into the...

United States on Apr 27, 2018