Space Opera
HUGO AWARD FINALIST FOR BEST NOVEL 2019
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Little, Brown Book Group
Published:4th Jul '19
Should be back in stock very soon
In Space Opera, a washed-up glam-rock band must save Earth through a galactic musical contest, blending humor, creativity, and high stakes.
In Space Opera, bestselling author Catherynne M. Valente combines the whimsical charm of interstellar adventures with the vibrant energy of a galactic musical contest. Set against a backdrop of a universe recovering from the devastating Sentience Wars, this story unfolds during the Metagalactic Grand Prix, a spectacular event designed to unite diverse sentient races through the power of music and performance. As various species showcase their unique talents, the stakes rise dramatically, with the fate of Earth hanging in the balance.
The narrative follows a washed-up glam-rock trio from London, known as Decibel Jones and the Absolute Zeroes, who are unexpectedly chosen to represent humanity in this high-stakes competition. Faced with the challenge of performing in front of a galaxy full of eccentric beings, the band must navigate their insecurities and rediscover their passion for music. With elements of humor and heart, Space Opera captures the essence of what it means to fight for one's place in the universe through creativity and self-expression.
As the competition heats up, the trio learns that success is not merely about winning but about embracing the joy of performance and the connections forged through art. With glitter, lipstick, and electric guitars, they embark on a journey that will redefine their understanding of glory and unity, proving that sometimes the most powerful weapon is a good song.
SPACE OPERA by Cat Valente is the experience of Finding Your Song stretched out over paragraphs and chapters and characters and story arcs, and it is glorious, it is painful and silly and serious and glorious and glitterpunk glamrock glory in multi-syllabic crescendos of idea. * Seanan McGuire *
As if Ziggy Stardust went on a blind date with The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy, then they got smashed and sang karaoke all night long. Cat Valente is mad and brilliant and no one else would have even thought of this, much less pulled it off. * John Scalzi *
SPACE OPERA is a book I really needed in this dour, dire age: Valente's book contains a story and prose that is both electric and breathless, It has the heart of Douglas Adams and the soul of David Bowie. I loved it and it made me happy. * Chuck Wendig *
Cat Valente is the Ray Bradbury of her generation * Lev Grossman, Time Magazine *
Valente has cleverly recreated just the kind of surreal alien anarchy Douglas Adams would be proud of, all of it topped off with a Ziggy Stardust swagger . . . The result is so funny, so quirky and so downright weird that at times you have to remind yourself you're not actually reading Adams... and we can't praise anything more highly than that. Definitely not "nul points". * SFX magazine *
- Short-listed for Hugo Award Best Novel category 2019 (UK)
ISBN: 9781472115089
Dimensions: 196mm x 124mm x 16mm
Weight: 242g
304 pages