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Humorous Space Opera
It skates on the edge of SF stereotypes with an edge of panache and sparkle of humor. Have fun with tropes! Watch heroes in stretch lycra save the Universe! Squeal at the tentacles of Monsters!
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A book’s total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book.
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The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, #1)
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4.22 avg rating — 1,981,732 ratings
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| 2 |
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Redshirts
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John Scalzi (Goodreads Author)
3.87 avg rating — 115,812 ratings
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| 3 |
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So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish (The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, #4)
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4.08 avg rating — 183,004 ratings
score: 872,
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9 people voted
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| 4 |
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Space Opera (Space Opera, #1)
by
Catherynne M. Valente (Goodreads Author)
3.45 avg rating — 16,907 ratings
score: 589,
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6 people voted
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| 5 |
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The Restaurant at the End of the Universe (Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, #2)
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4.20 avg rating — 311,447 ratings
score: 583,
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6 people voted
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| 6 |
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The Android's Dream
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John Scalzi (Goodreads Author)
3.99 avg rating — 23,784 ratings
score: 379,
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4 people voted
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| 7 |
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Will Save the Galaxy for Food (Jacques McKeown, #1)
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3.91 avg rating — 7,880 ratings
score: 372,
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4 people voted
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| 8 |
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The Consuming Fire (The Interdependency, #2)
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John Scalzi (Goodreads Author)
4.22 avg rating — 36,348 ratings
score: 298,
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3 people voted
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| 9 |
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Chilling Effect (Chilling Effect, #1)
by
Valerie Valdes (Goodreads Author)
3.51 avg rating — 4,232 ratings
score: 297,
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3 people voted
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| 10 |
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The Collapsing Empire (The Interdependency, #1)
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John Scalzi (Goodreads Author)
4.13 avg rating — 58,679 ratings
score: 295,
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3 people voted
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| 11 |
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Terminal Alliance (Janitors of the Post-Apocalypse #1)
by
Jim C. Hines (Goodreads Author)
4.01 avg rating — 3,475 ratings
score: 294,
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3 people voted
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| 12 |
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The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Quandary Phase
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4.33 avg rating — 938 ratings
score: 279,
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3 people voted
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| 13 |
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The Last Hero (Discworld, #27; Rincewind, #7)
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4.18 avg rating — 39,185 ratings
score: 198,
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2 people voted
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| 14 |
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By Bear Bones
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Vasexandros (Goodreads Author)
4.58 avg rating — 12 ratings
score: 197,
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2 people voted
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| 15 |
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Mechanical Failure (Epic Failure, #1)
by
Joe Zieja (Goodreads Author)
3.77 avg rating — 1,970 ratings
score: 196,
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2 people voted
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| 16 |
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Retief of the CDT (Retief, #7)
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3.91 avg rating — 371 ratings
score: 195,
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2 people voted
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| 17 |
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The Stainless Steel Rat for President (Stainless Steel Rat, #8)
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3.87 avg rating — 3,962 ratings
score: 194,
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2 people voted
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| 18 |
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How Much for Just the Planet? (Star Trek: The Original Series #36, Star Trek: Worlds Apart, #2)
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3.59 avg rating — 1,765 ratings
score: 192,
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2 people voted
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| 19 |
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Night of the Living Trekkies
by
Kevin David Anderson (Goodreads Author)
3.92 avg rating — 3,684 ratings
score: 188,
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2 people voted
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| 20 |
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Retief and the Warlords (Retief, #4)
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3.83 avg rating — 263 ratings
score: 185,
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2 people voted
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| 21 |
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The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: The Secondary Phase (Hitchhiker's Guide: Radio Play, #2)
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4.43 avg rating — 1,461 ratings
score: 183,
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2 people voted
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| 22 |
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Willful Child (Willful Child, #1)
by
Steven Erikson (Goodreads Author)
3.49 avg rating — 2,812 ratings
score: 100,
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1 person voted
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| 22 |
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The Reluctant Adventures of Fletcher Connolly on the Interstellar Railroad: Book 1-4
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Felix R. Savage (Goodreads Author)
3.73 avg rating — 211 ratings
score: 100,
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1 person voted
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| 22 |
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Terminal Alliance (Janitors of the Post-Apocalypse, #1)
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Jim C. Hines (Goodreads Author)
4.01 avg rating — 3,475 ratings
score: 100,
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1 person voted
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| 25 |
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Starship Grifters (Rex Nihilo, #1)
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Robert Kroese (Goodreads Author)
3.86 avg rating — 2,220 ratings
score: 99,
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1 person voted
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| 25 |
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Strata
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3.53 avg rating — 11,472 ratings
score: 99,
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1 person voted
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| 25 |
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Terminal Uprising (Janitors of the Post-Apocalypse #2)
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Jim C. Hines (Goodreads Author)
4.20 avg rating — 1,829 ratings
score: 99,
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1 person voted
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| 25 |
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Terminal Uprising (Janitors of the Post-Apocalypse, #2)
by
Jim C. Hines (Goodreads Author)
4.20 avg rating — 1,829 ratings
score: 99,
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1 person voted
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| 29 |
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Space Captain Smith (Chronicles of Isambard Smith, #1)
by
Toby Frost (Goodreads Author)
3.70 avg rating — 1,220 ratings
score: 98,
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1 person voted
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| 29 |
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The Dark Side of the Sun
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3.64 avg rating — 10,464 ratings
score: 98,
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1 person voted
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| 31 |
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Gate Crashers
by
Patrick S. Tomlinson (Goodreads Author)
3.81 avg rating — 949 ratings
score: 97,
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1 person voted
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| 32 |
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The Wrong Stars (Axiom, #1)
by
Tim Pratt (Goodreads Author)
3.76 avg rating — 3,859 ratings
score: 96,
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1 person voted
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| 33 |
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Emperor Mollusk versus The Sinister Brain
by
A. Lee Martinez (Goodreads Author)
3.80 avg rating — 5,428 ratings
score: 95,
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1 person voted
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| 34 |
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Jane Carver of Waar (Jane Carver, #1)
by
Nathan Long (Goodreads Author)
3.61 avg rating — 624 ratings
score: 94,
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1 person voted
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| 35 |
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Wrath of the Lemming Men (Chronicles of Isambard Smith, #3)
by
Toby Frost (Goodreads Author)
3.97 avg rating — 431 ratings
score: 92,
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1 person voted
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| 36 |
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God Emperor of Didcot (Chronicles of Isambard Smith, #2)
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Toby Frost (Goodreads Author)
3.96 avg rating — 576 ratings
score: 91,
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1 person voted
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| 37 |
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A Game of Battleships (Chronicles of Isambard Smith, #4)
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Toby Frost (Goodreads Author)
4.06 avg rating — 292 ratings
score: 90,
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1 person voted
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| 38 |
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The Return of Retief (Retief, #12)
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3.95 avg rating — 237 ratings
score: 89,
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1 person voted
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| 39 |
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The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Tertiary Phase
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4.35 avg rating — 1,113 ratings
score: 86,
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1 person voted
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| 40 |
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Hal Spacejock (Hal Spacejock #1)
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Simon Haynes (Goodreads Author)
3.56 avg rating — 1,432 ratings
score: 79,
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1 person voted
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| 41 |
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Spacial Delivery (Dilbia, #1)
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3.71 avg rating — 219 ratings
score: 78,
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1 person voted
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| 42 |
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The Magnificent Wilf
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3.54 avg rating — 243 ratings
score: 77,
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1 person voted
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| 43 |
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The Pirates of Zan
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3.60 avg rating — 328 ratings
score: 76,
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1 person voted
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| 44 |
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Everett Akasha and the Flatulent Feline: Novella 1
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3.62 avg rating — 8 ratings
score: 74,
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1 person voted
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| 45 |
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A Stainless Steel Rat Is Born (Stainless Steel Rat, #1)
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3.97 avg rating — 9,083 ratings
score: 73,
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1 person voted
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| 46 |
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A Stainless Steel Trio (Stainless Steel Rat, #1-3)
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4.13 avg rating — 767 ratings
score: 72,
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1 person voted
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| 47 |
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The Stainless Steel Rat Gets Drafted (Stainless Steel Rat, #2)
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3.92 avg rating — 5,370 ratings
score: 71,
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1 person voted
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Comments Showing 1-5 of 5 (5 new)
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message 1:
by
Jean
(last edited Aug 20, 2015 02:13PM)
(new)
Jul 20, 2015 06:33PM
For me, the best space opera is full of humor. It is larger than life and should not take itself seriously. I started the list in hopes of others contributing books that I haven't found yet. Please share.
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Is this all there is? 25 books that can find the funny in future tense? How depressing.
How the smeg is "Old Man's War" on a list of humor? Missing is: "Year Zero," "Infinity Welcomes Careful Drivers," and the "Stainless Steel Rat" stories.
I'm so happy to have found this list! It's nice to see Douglas Adam's books on here. I love the genre, and its great to see so many recommendations. I added a book, but I'm going to have a lot of reading to do. :)
The Hoka stories by Anderson and Dickson might fit.Also, some of Christopher Anvil's books, such as Interstellar Patrol and Interstellar Patrol II.
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