I’m a big fan of Alastair Reynolds who writes Science Fiction Space Opera novels. Inhibitor Phase begins with a small band of humans hiding out in the caverns of a desolate planet, Michaelmas. A deadly alien cybernetic force (aka, wolves) is determined to destroy all human life in the Universe (think Fred Saberhagen’s Berserkers but way more menacing!).
The leader of the Michaelmas colony, Miguel de Ruyter, embarks on a suicide mission to silence a space ship that blunders into their system and threatens to attract the wolves. But when de Ruyter recovers an enigmatic woman who calls herself Glass, he finds himself on a quest to find a weapon that might defeat the wolves.
Inhibitor Phase is the fourth book in The Inhibitor Sequence. I enjoyed the early books, but you can read Inhibitor Phase as a stand-a-lone. If you’re looking for top-flight Space Opera with the future of Humanity in the balance, you’ll find Inhibitor Phase riveting! GRADE: A
| Revelation Space Universe The Inhibitor Sequence: Revelation Space. London: Gollancz, 2000. ISBN 978-0-44-100942-8Redemption Ark. London: Gollancz, 2002. ISBN 0-575-06879-5 Absolution Gap. London: Gollancz, 2003. ISBN 0-575-07434-5 Inhibitor Phase. London: Gollancz, 2021. ISBN 978-0-57-509071-2 |
I’ve read 5 or 6 of his books and enjoyed them I don’t read as much space opera as I used to. One reason I think is that they are getting longer and longer and as my tbr pile gets bigger and bigger I gravitate toward shorter books.
Steve, I agree with you: so many space opera books are lengthy. There are a few space opera writers I follow, like Alastair Reynolds, but I prefer shorter books, too.
The last four decades’ trend toward megabookery has not been stayed…
I’ve enjoyed what I’ve read of his, but like Steve, I think too many of these books are getting longer and longer.
Jeff, I’m assuming the publishers might be lobbying for longer books. Like you and Steve, I find shorter novels more attractive at this time in my Life.
If I had the time, I’d read space opera!
Bob, as Steve pointed out, the size of a space opera novel has increased over the years. It does take more time to read them now.
Look to the sf magazines that still publish space-opera stories! (Most of them.)