What Makes Space Opera So Awesome?

I’ve been a fan of space opera my whole life. I started watching Star Wars as a young kid on VHS tapes. (remember those?). I watched episodes IV, V and VI so many times, I memorized the dialog. I’d then go out into the backyard with my sister and act it out. Our swing set was our spaceship. And we’d always fight over who could be Princess Leia.

I guess you just couldn’t ever have two of them.

Then, in my teen years I moved on to Star Trek- The Next Generation. I watched every episode: weeknights at 7pm. My favorite character was Data, and I wanted him to learn how to be human so badly. My least favorite character was Lieutenant Worf, because he seemed so mean and grumbly, but he had a heart of gold underneath.

So I decided to come up with what makes space opera so awesome and write my own. Paradise 21 is the result, and here’s my list:

Awesomeness of Space Opera includes:

1. Space ships that can do really cool things.
Not only does Paradise 21 have a colony ship, and a pirate ship, it also has an alien ship…(can’t elaborate- it’s a plot spoiler!)

2. Adventure on other planets.
Paradise 21 isn’t all in space. Aries crash lands on a barren desert planet with all sorts of indigenous species. If you stick around for the trilogy, you’ll see an ice planet, and a jungle as well.

3. High stakes melodrama
Aries must choose between her freedom and the man she loves. You’ll have to read to see which one she picks.

4. Aliens that look really weird
Again, I can’t spoil the plot here: but if you read enough of it, you’ll find this as well.

5. Laser fights
There’s one big laser fight at the end of Paradise 21, and someone gets shot! (Again- can’t tell you more than that!)

What do you think makes space opera so awesome? I’d love to hear your comments below. One winner will be drawn on October 13th to receive a signed copy of Paradise 21.

Aubrie Dionne
Romantic Science Fiction and Fantasy
Get Swept Away to Other Worlds...
http://www.authoraubrie.com
http://authoraubrie.blogspot.com

~*~

Aries has lived her entire life aboard mankind’s last hope, the New Dawn, a spaceship traveling toward a planet where humanity can begin anew—a planet that won’t be reached in Aries’ lifetime. As one of the last genetically desirable women in the universe, she must marry her designated genetic match and produce the next generation for this centuries-long voyage.

But Aries has other plans.

When her desperate escape from the New Dawn strands her on a desert planet, Aries discovers the rumors about pirates—humans who escaped Earth before its demise—are true. Handsome, genetically imperfect Striker possesses the freedom Aries envies, and the two connect on a level she never thought possible. But pursued by her match from above and hunted by the planet’s native inhabitants, Aries quickly learns her freedom will come at a hefty price.

The life of the man she loves.