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Daniel Adams
Professor Notter
UNIV 200 1:00 PM
28 March 2016
Space Opera Essay
If you were to ask someone for an example of science fiction, some fairly common
answers that could be expected from almost anyone that would be asked. Some prominent
examples such as Star Wars or Star Trek are sure to come to mind. These series are ingrained into
pop culture based on their sheer popularity and the fan base that they have accumulated. What
most people do not know, however, is that these two series share a common predecessor: the
space opera. In fact, several of the most popular science fiction series in recent years have all
fallen under the subgenre of space opera, including Firefly and Babylon 5. While very few
people are even aware of the space operas existence, there are multiple avenues in which one
can view its effects, namely in the way its popularity extends throughout much of todays
mainstream audience, as well as the precedents it set for modern science fiction and the effect it
had on science fiction fan culture. Even for individuals who are not a fan of science fiction,
theres no denying the evidence that history has laid out: no matter how one looks at it, the space
opera has had a significant effect on the development of modern science fiction.
As the space opera is not well known, it is important to define exactly what constitutes a
space opera story as opposed to another genre of science fiction. Several labels have been used in
the past to attempt to describe space opera fully, which author Patricia Monk lists in her article
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Not Just Cosmic Skullduggery: A Partial Reconsideration of Space Opera. While extensive,
such labels as romantic, action-oriented, imaginatively circumscribed, optimistic, socially
nave and more are all very much applicable terms in the realm of space opera (16). Gary
Westfahl, scholarly author and reviewer of science fiction, offers a shorter and more succinct
summary of space opera: fast-paced adventures in outer space or on alien worlds (2). While
somewhat general, Westfahls summary captures the essence of the space opera. It should also be
noted that examples of space opera exist along a very lengthy time period. There are even
examples of proto-space operas, which date all the way back to the late 1800s and show signs
of having some of the earliest features of space opera that we now identify the genre by. The
earliest examples of proto-space opera come from little know French authors such as
Charlemagne Ischir Defontenay (or as he was known by his pseudonym, C.I. Defontenay) who
created the work Star ou Psi de Cassiope: Histoire Merveilleuse de lun des Mondes de
lEspace, translated as Star, or Psi of Cassiopeia: The Marvellous History of One of the Worlds
of Space (Roberts 108). When comparing modern series such as Star Wars, Star Trek, Babylon 5,
or Firefly, the similarities between them can be clearly seen, and this is owed largely to the
similar roots in early space opera that they all share.
Ease of accessibility is one of the key factors that has allowed space opera to receive
widespread popularity throughout the population, and is a large contributor to its effect on
modern day science fiction. When discussing early space opera literature, it is also important to
take note that almost all early science fiction stories in general developed from common story
models popularized in late nineteenth century to early twentieth century magazines. One could
argue this is likely responsible for the perceived immaturity of early space opera, as the stories
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that came before it would be geared towards a wide audience of magazine readers, resulting in
more pulpy pieces of literature (6). One key point of early space operas was that they ignored

proleptic continuity, which is to say that not too much attention was paid to the building of the
history of the world, instead opting to thrust the viewer into the action immediately. Additionally,
due to the timeline in which many were set being in the far future, they had the bonus of being
timeless and able to be enjoyed by multiple generations (Monk 15). In a time where the main
source of science fiction media was in literature, this was absolutely a benefit in being able to
spread stories to as many readers as possible.
This idea of being able to easily attract audience members to space opera media also
persisted into the early days of space opera television shows, which were both numerous and
watched by countless individuals as part of their regular programming. In addition to that, early
space opera television shows had a very lighthearted, self-aware feel about them, both traits that
allowed more viewers to more easily be entertained by the show itself (Tellotte 116). However,
there would soon be a shift from the early lighthearted feel to a more grounded and serious space
opera series: Star Trek. Star Trek was notable in that its tone was unlike the shows that came
before it, with the inclusion of not only action-packed sequences but philosophical ideas intended
to make the viewer think as well. It also managed to attract a fan-base so large that the series was
brought back from cancellation after its third season based solely off the efforts of the fans, and
as of today is one of the most notable science fiction franchises. Space opera also extended to
film as well, Star Wars being the most prominent example with the release of A New Hope in
1977. While both Star Wars and Star Trek conveyed their stories in fairly distinct ways, they both
share the common elements that define space opera.
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However, with the advance of technology, science fiction media is no longer limited
solely to books and television. The internet is just as prominent, if not more, of a tool in
spreading science fiction, as well as other types of media, when compared to books and
television. In particular, the ability to create personal webpages, as wells as the existence of

forums and message boards, have allowed the potential for discussion and sharing of science
fiction and space opera to skyrocket. From this, we can see that connectivity is the catalyst for
exposure to new types of media, and as such the further propagation of space opera (Kulovitz
59). Space operas overall accessibility to the public is arguably the key point in why it is so
influential, but it is only one of multiple reasons that contribute to its significance as a whole.
Another key aspect in demonstrating the influence of space opera on modern science
fiction is the precedents it set for modern science fiction, particularly in regard to common
themes, overall narrative structure, and storytelling techniques. For example, a simple but
arguably critical aspect of the space opera is some sort of action taking place between at least
two groups, whether it be on an interplanetary or even interstellar scale. As Monk states in her
essay Not Just Cosmic Skullduggery: A Partial Reconsideration of Space Opera, readers of
early science fiction magazines made a point of mentioning how much they enjoyed action in the
stories and in each storys heroes, with such readers as Walter Boyle saying, I like em big,
tough, and kind to their grandmothers (8). Of course, this by itself is very general, as action
could be said to be necessary for a multitude of genres, not specifically science fiction or space
opera. However, action is only one component of many that make space opera what it is. Another
crucial element is overall story structure. Like the other science fiction stories of its time, early
space opera stories followed a similar model of a beginning catastrophe that ultimately sees itself
resolved at the conclusion of the story. Along with this, internalized conflict was rare, in favor of
focusing more on outward conflicts, real physical battles characters would engage in as opposed
to mental ones. There was a critical difference, however: stories that fell under the label of space
opera also took heavy influence from the detective stories of Conan Doyle in their strong
conclusions, as well as influence from the stories of O. Henry (8). This distinction allowed space
opera stories to stand apart from typical science fiction and further solidify their place as a

legitimate subgenre of typical science fiction. Lastly, there are multiple specific themes from
early space opera that would soon spread to other forms of science fiction and future space
opera. One theme or element that is arguably the most prevalent in space opera stories is the idea
of the existence of other races in space, whether they be humanoid or alien (16). Additionally, its
very typical for there to be some sort of interplanetary or interstellar organization of races, which
in turn allows for stories to have the backdrop of an interstellar war between feuding races or
even cases of political intrigue, though it should be noted that action tends to remain at the
forefront. Between these two themes, one can see how much modern science fiction has taken
from the early space operas, including the modern space operas Star Wars and Star Trek. Both
paint the picture of a universe rich with diverse alien life and coalitions of races that span planets
and star systems, with conflicts able to be magnified to a scale that simply isnt possible when a
story is restricted to the bounds of the Earth.
While theres no denying that the early literary space opera works had a noticeable effect
on future science fiction properties, there is the opinion held by many academics that early space
opera works were lacking in literary value: that is to say, when compared to other science fiction
novels of the time, space opera works fell short in terms of plot depth, character depth, and
overall writing. Even the name space opera was originally a pejorative term coined in a
critique. The term itself derived from the term horse opera, which itself was a pejorative
reference to westerns (Monk 4). Additionally, some felt that space operas, while being under the
classification of science fiction, fell short on the science aspect in their storytelling. Authors such
as Hugo Gernsback and John W. Campbell Jr. felt that many space operas had lapses in
scientific fact and logic, which detracted from the validity of the space opera as a subgenre of
science fiction (Westfahl 5).

It should be acknowledged that these opinions held are not invalid criticisms of early
space operas. Indeed, early space operas were lacking in areas such as scientific validity or
overall quality of writing. However, what was important about these early literary works were
not so much the quality of the individual works, but the overall ideas and themes that were
shared throughout them. One poorly written work could easily be cast aside when referencing the
history of early science fiction or space opera, but the ideas that are present in it, the ideas it uses
to develop its story are inescapable. Therefore, their importance can arguably be said not to be
diminished despite any concerns of quality, as long as the discussion is focused on themes and
storytelling techniques as opposed to individual literary quality.
The last major focus in what makes space opera such a viable subgenre of science fiction
is the sheer size of the fan culture it has created. The very idea that we collectively have of what
science fiction fan culture is like, whether it be Star Wars fans, Trekkies, fans of Firefly or
even more, has only come about because these properties were able to be made in the first place,
and this in itself is due to the advent of the space opera. When discussing early influential space
opera writers, Isaac Asimov is arguably one of the most prominent names in terms of his
contributions to the genre and also in the quality of his work. Unlike the stories that were written
while space opera was still in its infancy (also referred to as the pre-atomic subdivision),
Asimovs works such as the Foundation trilogy painted space operas in a more mature light than
before, offering a much more strict and rigorous approach to devising future technologies and
also constructing a world with significantly more depth (Reynolds 13). Arguably, without the
help of Asimov in moving the space opera forward through his works, the development of space
opera as a whole, as well as its maturity, could have been delayed for far longer. But even with
the acclaim that the Foundation series would come to bring, science fiction fan culture truly
started to make itself known as soon as science fiction (and especially space opera) television

shows began to be aired. As mentioned before, Star Trek is a notable example when discussing
significantly large fan-bases. The fans, who also refer to themselves as Trekkies, were able to
bring the series back from cancellation after its seventy-nine episode run through letter-writing
campaigns and constant calls. This was especially significant when taking into consideration that
studios like NBC would typically not even consider re-syndicating an off-network program
under one hundred episodes (Thomas 11). But the sheer dedication of the fan-base made it
possible, and is only one of many examples of what was accomplished. The culture of science
fiction conventions, at which Trekkies were once barely tolerated, would be affected greatly
following the rise of Star Trek from obscurity into the mainstream (13).