25 Best Space Opera Science Fiction Books

Battlefield Earth

By L. Ron Hubbard

Battlefield Earth is a landmark work of space opera science fiction by genre heavyweight L Ron Hubbard. The story centers on an Earth which has been occupied by alien forces for over a millennium. The story centers on the surviving humans attempts to fight back and overthrow their oppressors once and for all. A truly action packed science fiction tale for fans of the space opera subgenre.

Falling Free

By Lois McMaster Bujold

Leo Graf was nothing special. He was a highly efficient engineer that did what he was told. Day after day he would mind his own business fixing what was broken and moving on to the next. However this was all changed when he was assigned to the Cay Habitat.

Graf was faced with an immediate challenge as hundreds of helpless children were wrongly treated by a heartless mega-corporation. 

Honor Among Thieves

By Rachel Caine

Honor Among Thieves follows the story of Zara Cole, a criminal with a painful past. Her past is what defines her and is the reason she moved to New Detroit in for the chose a new life.

However like everyone else she is not perfect. After committing a crime that leaves her running Zara Cole might be running herself right into jail.

Blood of a Thousand Stars

By Rhoda Belles

As a revolution is on the table Blood of a Thousand Stars takes you through the life of Rhee and the big choice she is going to be forced to make. The choice being between making a deal with her life long enemy, Nero, or denounce him and put her crown at risk.

Into the Fire

By Elizabeth Moon

As Ky overcomes the struggles of betrayal and sabotage he leads the small group of crash survivors to safety. She also cheats death after the unbelievable discovery of secrets that someone was determined to protect.

However with all of this in her life the biggest struggle of all was when she discovers that her family is in serious danger. 

Chasm City

Alastair Reynolds

Chasm City is based around a security expert, Tanner Mirabel, who came to Chasm City in order to avenge the death of a former client's wife. The man he is after is Argent Reivich a "postmortal". 

Started Rising

By David Brin

Far into the future a Terran spaceship; crewed by 150 dolphins, 7 humans, and 1 chimpanzee, discovers a fleet of 50,000 spaceships as small as small moons in a shallow cluster formation. From first appearance the would seem to belong to the Progenitors, who were the "first race" and uplifted the other species. 

Starship Troopers

By Robert A. Heinlein

Following the story of Johnnie Rico you learn that he never had the intentions to join the infantry. Yet here he is, right in the middle of it all. Trying his best to get through combat training was one of the hardest things he had ever imagined. The hardest part for him and all of his comrades is knowing that if the training doesn't kill you, the Bugs are more than ready to do it instead. 

Gateway

By Fredrick Pohl

The Gateway: A space station built into a hollow asteroid and created by the Heechee. The technology of the starships found inside of the station is way beyond the understanding of most humans and is under the control of The Gateway Corporation administers. 

Yet through trial and error the humans are slowing figuring out how the spaceships work. With the coordinates pre programmed into the ships by the aliens that humans try to figure out where exactly they were trying to go.  

The Forever War

By Joe Haldman

As a reluctant conscript is drafted into an elite Military unit, Private William Mandella gets shipped through space and time in order to stop the thousand year old conflict between Earth and the aliens. His mission is to perform his duties and do whatever he must in order to survive and return home. Yet "home" may never be the same due to the time dilation that was caused by his space travel in the beginning. 

The Paradox Men

By Charles L. Harness

The Paradox Men is a science fiction book written by Charles L. Harness and was his first and most famous novel yet. Set after the Third Great War when North and South America are now one country, The Paradox Men is a thrilling space opera. As North and South America are combined into Imperial America, it has turned into a slave state run by a small group of the wealthy. However working underground is an organization dedicated in overthrowing the government and bring the Imperial America back to freedom. 

Revelation Space

By Alastair Reynolds

Stepping back nine hundred thousand years ago something had annihilated the Amarantin civilization just as they were about to discover space flight. Now scientist, Dan Sylveste, dedicates the rest of his life to solving the Amarantin mystery before history decides to repeat itself again. 

Dune

By Frank Herbert

Dune is set on the desert planet of Arrakis. It follows a boy who goes by the name of Paul Atreides and would later be known as Muad'Dib. The story also follows a family's great ambitions to bring back fruition to humankind's biggest unattainable dream. 

Hyperion

By Dan Simmons

Set in the 27th century humans are dispersed all throughout the galaxy. Traveling on "Hawking drive" ships and then through "farcasters" to unknown planets, result in time dilation effects which in time cause "time debt" accruals. 

Old Man's War 

By John Scalzi

For most people when they turn 75 they don't do much. Maybe a simple party and have family come over. But that is not the case for John Perry. On his 75th birthday he did two things. First was to visit his wife's grave. And the second was joining the army. 

The only good news about this was that humanity had finally made it into interstellar space. However the bad new was that they only planets capable of living there were very scarce. 

Shards of Honor

By Lois McMaster Bujold

As captain of a Betan Astronomical Survey ship, Cordelia Naismith, is discovering a new planet her base camp gets attacked. While Cordelia was investigating she finds herself getting surprised by a soldier and her head being smashed up against a rock. She awakes only to find out her crew had escaped and she was left with an injured Betan ensign and Captain Lord Aral Vorkosigan of Barrayar, also known as "Butcher of Komarr". 

The Stars Are Legion

By Kameron Hurley

Far into the outer rim of the universe a large mass of decaying world-ships was traveling in the and out of the stars. Those ships were known as the Legion. A world that had waged war for control for generations and ended with no clear resolution. 

Yet as worlds die day after day a plan is put into motion out of pure desperation. 

Iron Gold

By Pierce Brown

Ten years later, after their victory over the Golds of the Core Worlds, a new Solar Republic has come in. As the government is in disarray Dancer has risen into power in the Senate. Meanwhile ignoring all orders given to him by the Senate Darrow launches a massive assault on Mercury. 

Memory's Blade

By Spencer Ellsworth

In the heart of the Dark Zone a dual for the universe continues on. As Jaqi faces the new ruler of the Empire, who set flame to all the worlds in his quest to destroy humankind, he swears to stop him at all costs. However the issue is that Jaqi is not a fighter.