List of space opera media

The following is a list of space opera media. Space opera is a subgenre of science fiction that David G. Hartwell and Kathryn Cramer define as "colorful, dramatic, large-scale science fiction adventure, competently and sometimes beautifully written, usually focused on a sympathetic, heroic central character and plot action, and usually set in the relatively distant future, and in space or on other worlds, characteristically optimistic in tone. It often deals with war, piracy, military virtues, and very large-scale action, large stakes."^[1]

The following are works that independent commentators have characterized as space opera.

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

Literature

Novels and series (ordered chronologically by date of first publication)

• The Skylark series^[2] (1928–1965) and the Lensman series^[2] (1934–1948) by E. E. "Doc" Smith
• Arcot, Wade and Morey (1930–32) by John W. Campbell ^[3]
• The Foundation series (1942–1999) by Isaac Asimov et al.^[4]
• Alliance-Union universe (1976–present) and Foreigner universe (1994–present) by C. J. Cherryh^[5][6]
• The Uplift Universe novels (1980–98) by David Brin^[7]
• Legend of the Galactic Heroes (1982–1989) by Yoshiki Tanaka
• The Ender's Game series (1985–present) by Orson Scott Card^[8]
• The Vorkosigan Saga (1987–present) by Lois McMaster Bujold^[7]
• Culture series (1987–2012)^[9] and The Algebraist (2004)^[10] by Iain M. Banks
• The Liaden universe series (1988-present) by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller
• The Hyperion Cantos (1989–1996) by Dan Simmons^[11]
• The Gap Cycle (1990–1996) by Stephen R. Donaldson
• The Xeelee Sequence (1991–present) by Stephen Baxter
• Honorverse series (1992–present) by David Weber^[12]
• Zones of Thought series (1992–present)^[11][13] by Vernor Vinge
• The Seafort Saga (1994-2001) by David Feintuch
• The Skolian Saga (1995-present) by Catherine Asaro
• Crest of the Stars (1996–present) by Hiroyuki Morioka^[14]
• Revelation Space series (2001–2009) by Alastair Reynolds ^[15]
• Dread Empire's Fall (2002–2005) by Walter Jon Williams^[16]
• Saga of Seven Suns (2002–2008) and The Saga of Shadows (2014–present) by Kevin J. Anderson^[17]
• Commonwealth Saga (2004–2005) and The Night's Dawn Trilogy^[18] (1996–1999) by Peter F. Hamilton^[19]
• The Lost Fleet (2006–present) by Jack Campbell^[20]
• Spiral Arm series (2007–) by Michael F. Flynn ^[21]
• The Expanse (2011–present) by James S. A. Corey
• Singularity Sky, Iron Sunrise and Saturn's Children (2003–present) by Charles Stross

Anthologies and collections

• Space Opera, ed. Brian Aldiss (1974)
• The Space Opera Renaissance (2006) ed. David G. Hartwell and Kathryn Cramer
• The New Space Opera by Gardner Dozois and Jonathan Strahan (2007)^[22]
• The New Space Opera 2 by Gardner Dozois and Jonathan Strahan (2009)^[22]

Short fiction

• "Buck Rogers" series (1928–present) by Philip Francis Nowlan and others ^[23]
• "Berserker" series (1967–2005) by Fred Saberhagen^[24]
• "Perry Rhodan" series (1961–present) in German by K. H. Scheer and Clark Darlton.

Manga

• Space Adventure Cobra, created by Buichi Terasawa

Comic books

• Flash Gordon series (1934–present) by Alex Raymond and others
• Valérian and Laureline (1967–present) by Pierre Christin and Jean-Claude Mézières
• Guardians of the Galaxy (1969–present) by Marvel Comics
• Adam Warlock (1975–1977) by Jim Starlin
• Dreadstar (1980–1988) by Jim Starlin
• The Incal (1981–present) by Alejandro Jodorowsky
• Nexus (comics) (1981–present) by Mike Baron & Steve Rude
• Metabarons (1992–2003) by Alejandro Jodorowsky
• The Cyann Cycle (1993–present) by François Bourgeon
• Saga (comic book) (2012–present) by Brian K. Vaughan

Film and television

• Doctor Who (1963–1989, 1996 TV film, 2005–present) created by Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber, Donald Wilson
• Star Trek (1966–present) created by Gene Roddenberry
• Star Wars (1977–present) created by George Lucas
• Blake's 7 (1978–1981) created by Terry Nation
• Battlestar Galactica (1978–1979 and 2004–2009) created by Glen A. Larson & Ronald D. Moore^[25][26][27]
• The Last Starfighter (1984)
• Starchaser: The Legend of Orin (1985) created by Jeffrey Scott
• Red Dwarf (1988–1999, 2009, 2012) created by Grant Naylor, Rob Grant, Doug Naylor
• Babylon 5 (1993–1998) created by J. Michael Straczynski ^[28]
• Stargate (1994–2011^[29]) created by Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin
• Starship Troopers (1997) directed by Paul Verhoeven
• The Fifth Element (1997) created by Luc Besson
• Lexx (1997–2002) created by Paul Donovan, Lex Gigeroff, Jeffrey Hirschfield
• Crusade (1999) created by J. Michael Straczynski
• Farscape (1999–2003) created by Rockne S. O'Bannon^[30]
• Zenon trilogy (1999-2004)
• Andromeda (2000–2005) created by Gene Roddenberry
• Titan A.E. (2000) created by Ben Edlund, John August, and Joss Whedon
• Firefly (2002) created by Joss Whedon
• Duck Dodgers TV series (2003–2006)
• The Chronicles of Riddick, (2004) characters by Ken Wheat and direction and universe by David Twohy.
• Serenity (2005) created by Joss Whedon
• Sunshine (2007) directed by Danny Boyle
• Avatar (2009) created by James Cameron
• Prometheus (2012) directed by Ridley Scott
• John Carter (2012) directed by Andrew Stanton
• Ender's Game (2013) created by Orson Scott Card and directed by Gavin Hood
• Europa Report (2013) directed by Sebastián Cordero
• Gravity (2013) directed by Alfonso Cuarón
• Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) created by Marvel Studios and directed by James Gunn
• Interstellar (2014) created and directed by Christopher Nolan
• Jupiter Ascending (2015) created and directed by The Wachowskis
• Killjoys (2015–present)
• Dark Matter (2015–present)
• The Expanse (2015–present)

Anime

• Cowboy Bebop.
• Crest of the Stars and Banner of the Stars, created by Hiroyuki Morioka^[31]
• Galaxy Express 999, created by Leiji Matsumoto^[32][33]
• Gundam, created by Yoshiyuki Tomino and Hajime Yatate
• Heroic Age.
• Irresponsible Captain Tylor, original light novel by Hitoshi Yoshioka^[34]
• Legend of the Galactic Heroes, original light novel created by Yoshiki Tanaka^[35]
• Macross, created by Kawamori Shoji,^[36] and its U.S. counterpart Robotech, adapted by Carl Macek
• Martian Successor Nadesico, Created by Kia Asamiya
• Odin: Photon Sailer Starlight, created by Yoshinobu Nishizaki
• Outlaw Star, created by Takehiko Itō^[37]
• Space Adventure Cobra, created by Buichi Terasawa
• Space Battleship Yamato, Created by Yoshinobu Nishizaki and Leiji Matsumoto^[38]
• Space Dandy
• Space Pirate Captain Harlock, created by Leiji Matsumoto^[32][33]
• Starship Operators, produced by J.C.Staff, original Manga series by Ryo Mizuno.
• Tenchi Muyo!, created by Masaki Kajishima and Hiroki Hayashi^[39]
• Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, created by Gainax and Kazuki Nakashima
• Time Jam: Valerian & Laureline, based on Valérian and Laureline created by Pierre Christin and Jean-Claude Mézières.
• Toward the Terra, original manga series by Keiko Takemiya
• Tytania, original light novel by Yoshiki Tanaka^[35]
• Vandread, created by Gonzo and Media Factory

Stage

• Space Opera (Opera)^[40]
• Opera Galactica (Opera)^[41]

Tabletop games

• Stellar Conquest (1974)
• BattleTech (1984–present) FASA Corporation
• Renegade Legion (1989–1993) FASA Corporation
• Warhammer 40,000 (1987–present) Games Workshop
• Twilight Imperium (1998–present) Fantasy Flight Games
• Risk: Star Wars: Clone Wars Edition (2005) Hasbro, Winning Moves
• Risk: Star Wars Original Trilogy Edition (2006) Hasbro, Winning Moves
• Race for the Galaxy (2007–present) Rio Grande Games
• Eclipse (2011) Asmodee
• Space Empires: 4X (2011) GMT Games
• Risk: Mass Effect Galaxy at War Edition (2013) Hasbro, Winning Moves
• Forbidden Stars (2015) Fantasy Flight Games

Card games

• Star Trek Customizable Card Game
• Star Wars Customizable Card Game
• WARS Trading Card Game

Role-playing games

• Alternity
• Eclipse Phase
• Empire galactique (French role-playing game)
• Starblazer Adventures
• Traveller
• WARS
• OtherSpace
• Serenity
• Space Opera
• Rifts Phase World
• White Star

Video games

• Star Citizen (2011-present) created by Cloud Imperium Games
• Starflight (1986-1991) created by Binary Systems and Electronic Arts
• Phantasy Star (1987-present) created by Sega.
• Star Control (1990-1996) created by Toys for Bob and Legend Entertainment
• Wing Commander (1990–2007) created by Origin Systems, Inc.
• Master of Orion (1993-2003) created by Simtex
• Star Ocean (1996–2010) created by tri-Ace
• StarCraft (1998–present) created by Blizzard Entertainment
• X (game series) (1999–present) created by Egosoft
• Homeworld (1999–2003) created by Relic Entertainment
• Starlancer (2000) and Freelancer (2003) created by Digital Anvil
• Halo (2001–present) created by Bungie and 343 Industries
• Ratchet & Clank (2002–present) created by Insomniac Games
• EVE Online (2003–present) created by CCP Games
• Galactic Civilizations (2003-present) created by Stardock
• Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (2003–present) created by LucasArts and BioWare
• Xenosaga (2003–2006) created by Monolith Soft
• Star Sonata (2004) developed by Adam Miller
• Advent Rising (2005) created by Majesco
• Sword of the Stars (2006) created by Kerberos Productions
• Mass Effect (2007–present) created by BioWare^[42]
• Sins of a Solar Empire (2008–present) created by Stardock
• Infinite Space (2009) created by Nude Maker
• Darkstar: The Interactive Movie (2010) created by Parallax Studio
• Dead Space (2008–present) created by EA Redwood Shores and Glen Schofield
• Endless Space (2012) created by Amplitude Studios

Social games

• Outernauts (2012–present) created by Insomniac Games
• Pluto Attacks (2011–present) created by StudioEx

Music

• 01011001 by Ayreon
• Into The Electric Castle by Ayreon
• Space Metal by Arjen Anthony Lucassen
• Star One project by Arjen Anthony Lucassen
• Universal Migrator Part 1: The Dream Sequencer by Ayreon
• Universal Migrator Part 2: Flight of the Migrator by Ayreon
• The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars by David Bowie
• Songs from the Black Hole by Weezer
• The Vice Quadrant: A Space Opera by Steam Powered Giraffe

References

1. Hartwell, David G.; Kathryn, Kathryn, eds. (2006). "Introduction". The Space Opera Renaissance. Tor. pp. 10–18. ISBN 0-7653-0617-4.
2. David G. Hartwell, David G. and Cramer, Kathryn, eds. The Space Opera Renaissance (New York: Tor, 2006); pp. 10–11.
3. Ron Grube (2008-11-17). "The Black Star Passes – John W. Campbell". Troynovant.com. Retrieved 4 June 2012.
4. Liukkonen, Petri. "Isaac Asimov". Books and Writers (kirjasto.sci.fi). Finland: Kuusankoski Public Library. Archived from the original on 10 February 2015.
5. "A subversive in hyperspace: C.J. Cherryh's feminist transformation of space opera (Book, 1996)". [WorldCat.org]. Retrieved 4 June 2012.
6. hs-merchanter-novels "Space is wide and good friends are too few: Cherryh’s Merchanter novels" Check |url= value (help). Tor.com. 2008-12-09. Retrieved 4 June 2012.
7. "Review". Sfrevu.com. Retrieved 2009-02-28.
8. M. Keith Booker; Anne-Marie Thomas (12 May 2009). The Science Fiction Handbook. John Wiley & Sons. p. 242. ISBN 978-1-4051-6205-0. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
9. "A Night at the Space Opera," Lev Grossman, Time, Feb. 29, 2008
10. "The Algebraist by Iain M Banks". The Independent (London). 2004-10-22. Retrieved 25 October 2013.
11. The Space Opera Renaissance, page 311
12. Kathryn Cramer; David G. Hartwell (10 July 2007). The Space Opera Renaissance. Macmillan. pp. 415–416. ISBN 978-0-7653-0618-0. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
13. Gevers, Nick (1999-06-24). "A Deepness in the Sky". infinity plus. Retrieved 2011-01-13.
14. "WIR56 – Crest of the Stars". The Alexandrian. 2007-05-30. Retrieved 2012-09-16.
15. Rodger Turner. "SFSite review, Greg Johnson". Sfsite.com. Retrieved 4 June 2012.
16. George R. R. Martin; Gardner Dozois (7 December 2010). Songs of the Dying Earth. Macmillan. p. 133. ISBN 978-0-7653-2086-5. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
17. Carter, Stuart (2003-07-07). "Hidden Empire: Book 1 of The Saga of Seven Suns". infinity plus. Retrieved 2010-04-21.
18. "Prog 464". Prog 464. Retrieved 4 June 2012.
19. Shoul, Simeon (2004-12-05). "Pandora's Star". infinity plus. Retrieved 2009-02-28.
20. Glenn Yeffeth (10 April 2006). The Man from Krypton: A Closer Look at Superman. BenBella Books. p. 135. ISBN 978-1-932100-77-8. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
21. Rodger Turner, Webmaster. "The SF Site Featured Review: The January Dancer". Sfsite.com. Retrieved 4 June 2012.
22. Rodger Turner, Webmaster. "The SF Site Featured Review: The New Space Opera 2". Sfsite.com. Retrieved 2012-09-16.
23. "Amazing Stories (1928)". Buck-Rogers.com. 2007-07-17. Retrieved 2009-02-28.
24. "Berserker (1967)". Berserker.com. 2010-04-15. Retrieved 2010-04-21.
25. Stanley, Alessandra (2008-04-04). "Space Opera Returns: One Last Step for Mankind". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-05-08.
26. Sullivan, John (22 December 2003). "Battlestar Galactica: Re-Imagining the Ragtag Fugitive Fleet". Strangehorizons.com. Retrieved 2009-02-28.
27. Boyle, Alan (2008-04-04). "Robot aliens? TV sci-fi gets it right". MSNBC. Retrieved 28 February 2009.
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29. "SGU continuation, other movies dead—for now". GateWorld. Retrieved 4 June 2012.
30. Jes Battis, Investigating Farscape: uncharted territories of sex and science fiction, I.B.Tauris, 2007, ISBN 1-84511-341-1, Google Print, p.219
31. Banner of the Stars DVD 2: Basroil Unleashed!, review. May 23, 2003.
32. Mary Lynn Kittelson, The soul of popular culture: looking at contemporary heroes, myths, and monsters, Open Court Publishing, 1998, ISBN 0-8126-9363-9, Google Print, p.72
33. "Matsumoto Reiji 松本零士". Users.skynet.be. Retrieved 4 June 2012.
34. Irresponsible Captain Tylor review at THEM Anime Reviews
35. Anime Greenlit for Tanaka's Titania Space Opera Novels, ANN, 2008-03-05
36. 2nd Macross Frontier Album Sells 102,000 in 1st Week, ANN, 2008-10-14
37. "Review: "Outlaw Star - Complete Collection (UK Edition)": Going On The Lam In Nostalgia County". ToonZone. 18 June 2014. Retrieved 22 June 2015.
38. "Absolute Anime • Star Blazers". Absoluteanime.com. Retrieved 4 June 2012.
39. "Review:Tenchi Muyo! OVA Series BD+DVD". Anime News Network. 29 Jan 2013. Retrieved 22 June 2015.
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42. Buchanan, Levi (2007-11-28). ""'Mass Effect' a thrilling, absorbing space opera", Levi Buchanan". MSNBC. Retrieved 4 June 2012.