Space Opera
2019 HUGO AWARD FINALIST, BEST NOVEL The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy meets the joy and glamour of Eurovision in bestselling author Catherynne M. Valente's science fiction spectacle, where sentient races compete for glory in a galactic musical contest...and the stakes are as high as the fate of planet Earth. A century ago, the Sentience Wars tore the galaxy apart and nearly ended the entire concept of intelligent space-faring life. In the aftermath, a curious tradition was invented--something to cheer up everyone who was left and bring the shattered worlds together in the spirit of peace, unity, and understanding. Once every cycle, the great galactic civilizations gather for the Metagalactic Grand Prix--part gladiatorial contest, part beauty pageant, part concert extravaganza, and part continuation of the wars of the past. Species far and wide compete in feats of song, dance and/or whatever facsimile of these can be performed by various creatures who may or may not possess, in the traditional sense, feet, mouths, larynxes, or faces. And if a new species should wish to be counted among the high and the mighty, if a new planet has produced some savage group of animals, machines, or algae that claim to be, against all odds, sentient? Well, then they will have to compete. And if they fail? Sudden extermination for their entire species. This year, though, humankind has discovered the enormous universe. And while they expected to discover a grand drama of diplomacy, gunships, wormholes, and stoic councils of aliens, they have instead found glitter, lipstick, and electric guitars. Mankind will not get to fight for its destiny--they must sing. Decibel Jones and the Absolute Zeroes have been chosen to represent their planet on the greatest stage in the galaxy. And the fate of Earth lies in their ability to rock.
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Community Reviews
Life is beautiful and life is stupid. And like David Bowie himself once said:
"Art was, seriously, the only thing I wanted to own."
What's left for us, at the end of existence, than good music? With just a little bit of something called a lot of glam.
Feel the disco ball. Dance to a good beat. Kiss that person. Fuck and get fucked, by someone of by life itself, it doesn't really matter.
People always say that less is more, but what good that kind of thought does to us? More is more. Be extra.
Maybe there's no intergalactic war to fight for and save our species, but whether you are Yoko Ono, Skrillex, Donna Summer, The Velvet Underground, Taylor Swift (who didn't got invited), Shuki Levy and Haim Saban a.k.a. the guys who wrote the theme song for He-Man (and who did got invited), absolutely not The Beatles or even if you in the slightest way related to Decibel Jones and The Absolute Zeros, always remeber to sing your heart out.
That's Space Opera for you.
"Art was, seriously, the only thing I wanted to own."
What's left for us, at the end of existence, than good music? With just a little bit of something called a lot of glam.
Feel the disco ball. Dance to a good beat. Kiss that person. Fuck and get fucked, by someone of by life itself, it doesn't really matter.
People always say that less is more, but what good that kind of thought does to us? More is more. Be extra.
Maybe there's no intergalactic war to fight for and save our species, but whether you are Yoko Ono, Skrillex, Donna Summer, The Velvet Underground, Taylor Swift (who didn't got invited), Shuki Levy and Haim Saban a.k.a. the guys who wrote the theme song for He-Man (and who did got invited), absolutely not The Beatles or even if you in the slightest way related to Decibel Jones and The Absolute Zeros, always remeber to sing your heart out.
That's Space Opera for you.
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