Readers who love adventure books, epic stakes, and science fiction can experience it all with a wealth of classics and the best new space opera books. Those looking for something truly exciting will know the answer to the question, ‘What is a space opera?’ by exploring the following list.

Massive starships, galaxy-spanning battles, and plenty of personal conflict fill these must-read novels.

Best Space Opera Books

All Systems Red

by Martha Wells

The first book in the award-winning The Murderbot Diaries series explores AI security androids who discover their own interests and violent tendencies.

A lost mission team requires cooperation from a secretly self-aware killing machine who struggles with its own identity.

Project Hail Mary

by Andy Weir

Andy Weir thrills readers again with this space opera novel. Like ‘The Martian’ it focuses on the adventures of a lone astronaut. Ryland Grace finds himself alone aboard a tiny spaceship with amnesia, which gets in the way of saving the entire planet Earth and humankind.

This interstellar journey blends with a unique mystery and an unforgettable survivor character.

Dune

by Frank Herbert

Is ‘Dune’ a space opera? This classic by Frank Herbert is one of the quintessential examples of the genre.

Paul Atreides and family face adventure, dark politics, mystic forces, and a harsh environment to achieve a virtually unattainable dream.

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy

by Douglas Adams

The most humorous space opera novel on this list follows an ordinary human, Arthur Dent, on a series of intergalactic adventures and mistakes through space, time, and his own confused mind.

This start to the five-book ‘trilogy’ introduces the titular book, an actual guide for explorers across the universe.

The Stars Are Legion

by Kameron Hurley

Struggles to take control of the Legion, a fleet of world-ships at the far reaches of the universe, center on Zan, a prisoner cum savior tasked with a monumental responsibility. Her supposed family of captors insists she’s the only one who can take over a Legion vessel.

With a group of followers and intriguing realizations, she finds a way to bring salvation instead.

Ancillary Justice

by Ann Leckie

Ann Leckie brings science fiction readers a multi-award-winning start to the Imperial Radch series.

Past starship captain soldier, Breq, must complete a difficult quest despite the fact that she was torn away from the hive-mind AI system linking all soldiers in the past. Vengeance drives this story and keeps space opera fans riveted on every page.

Children of Ruin

by Adrian Tchaikovsky

The second book in Adrian Tchaikovsky’s Children of Time series sends adventurous teams of characters back to Nod, a long-forgotten world erased by the memories of Earth.

Something has awoken, however, and their hopeful journey ends up in a struggle no one could have foreseen.

Hyperion

by Dan Simmons

The sometimes worshipped and frequently feared creature Shrike lures seven pilgrims in search of answers to personal questions and curiosity about lifelong secrets.

The galaxy stands at the cusp of an apocalyptic war, but one of this desperate group may hold the answer to saving humankind forever.

Saga Volume 1

by Brian K. Vaughan

Do you enjoy a bit of romance with your space opera novels? This first in a series by Brian K. Vaughan follows a fugitive family across the galaxy in hopes of discovering a future of peace and prosperity.

Rather than a novel, this is a comic book or graphic novel with includes amazing artwork by Fiona Staples.

A Memory Called Empire

by Arkady Martine

Political instability from within and dangerous forces from without threaten the main character and the mining station.

This space opera doubles as a murder mystery and a race against the clock as the intriguing and deadly Teixcalaan expansion moves ever closer. It also features a compelling WLW romance woven into its intricate political intrigue.

Leviathan Wakes

by James S. A. Corey

James S. A. Corey launches The Expanse series with his novel about an ice-miner that comes across a derelict spaceship.

A galaxy-wide conflict stems from a secret discovered, a quest for a very unique girl hidden by powerful parents, and the flux of power between governments, corporations, and revolutionaries.

Caliban’s War

by James S. A. Corey

Book two in the same series keeps readers engaged with the same Earth government drama, battles in the outer reaches of the solar system, and unexpected alien species with plans of their own.

As far as space opera goes, this series has it all.

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet

by Becky Chambers

The first book in a Hugo Award winning series by Becky Chambers offers a lighter adventure with humor mixed in rather than a high-stakes drama like others on this list.

The diverse starship crew keeps readers guessing, and the life-altering conflicts that arise satisfy lovers of the space opera genre in a big way.

The End of Eternity

by Isaac Asimov

Famous sci-fi author Isaac Asimov brings this classic story within the same universe as his other novels. One man becomes a mighty Eternal but then falls in love against their strict rules.

This very human thing threatens everything he knows and necessitates a daring escape attempt, which messes with history, time, and Eternity all at once.

The Mercy of Gods

by James S. A. Corey

James S. A. Covey offers this start to what promises to be another epic space opera series. A hive-minded alien species wages war and enslaves others including humankind.

The main character, Dafyd Alkhor, uses scientific insights and secret knowledge to learn things that will shake up everything the captives think they know about their enemies.

Dawn

by Octavia E. Butler

The final book in this list of space opera examples, written by Octavia E. Butler, follows a brave woman’s attempts to rebuild the world after a horrific war.

Aided by an alien people, the Ooankali, who saved humankind before, she faces amazing conflict and struggles, including ones related to race and gender, to be the leader the new humanity needs.

Butler, a groundbreaking Black writer, explores themes of identity, power, and survival in ways that continue to resonate today. Feel free to check out our article on Books for Black Women, by Black Women.

For even more great book lists, explore Jack Reacher Books, Books Turned Into Movies and Movies Turned Into Books, 17 Best Steampunk Books, Brandon Sanderson Books, and The 100 Book Series.