Space Opera Fans discussion

Lots of good Space Opera stories involve a rescue, with the main character either doing the rescue or being rescued.

Do you have one you like with this theme? I’ll start us off with The Silver Ships by S.H. Jucha.

The Diving Universe series by Kristine Kathryn Rusch often feature rescues of ships lost in hyperspace and time.

Ambulance Ship by James White would fit the bill I'd say.

Ronnie wrote: "Ambulance Ship by James White would fit the bill I'd say."

The Sector General series by James White is one of my favourites. There is so little SF based on a medical theme (not just a single doctor).

Good suggestions! Perhaps I should start another thread on the theme of medical practice.

Another rescue story is A Galaxy Unknown by Thomas DePrima. Early in the book the main character is rescued from a lifeboat after the ship she was on was destroyed. Later the merchant ship that rescued her rescues a convoy of other merchant ships that are under attack. There’s an even more memorable rescue after that but it’s too much of a spoiler to mention here.

The Sector General stories are fantastic. I've a feeling they might all be out of print though.

Sector General stories are available at least as ebooks. I have some of them.

I thought that might be the case. Good t know. :)

Beginning Operations: A Sector General Omnibus is an omnibus of first three SG books.

Alien Emergencies: A Sector General Omnibus is the next three.

There are others. Seems to be out of print in paper, but alive as ebooks.

Ronnie wrote: "Ambulance Ship by James White would fit the bill I'd say."

Almost as if it were designed to be so. Hmm, coincidence... or conspiracy?! Dun dun duuuunnn!

Teresa wrote: "Beginning Operations: A Sector General Omnibus is an omnibus of first three SG books.

Alien Emergencies: A Sector General Omnibus is the next three.

There are others...."

Twelve novels and five short stories in total. :)

Most of those “novels” (at least the first few of them) are collections of short stories that were originally published in magazines. Back when they were written it was a lot easier to get a story published in a magazine than to get a publisher to buy a novel.

Lots of rescues of various kinds:

The Pride of Chanur, in which a single human in trouble among the other space faring races is rescued by the Chanur.

Would Fluency count? Humans finally achieve the ability to investigate a derelict ship that has been lurking about in the asteroid belt for many years.

How about The Martian? Sure, he mostly rescues himself, but it's still a rescue situation.

In Captain's Share, the rescue is not the primary plot, but it's an important turning point.

How about Theo Waitley and her rescue of Bechimo? Is that Ghost Ship?

In Home Run, the heroines must rescue not a ship or a person, but a mining station which has been destroyed.

Good ones Betsy!

IMO The Witches of Karres by James H. Schmitz fits this theme too. Early in the story, Captain Pausert buys/rescues the three girls, who had been captured by slavers and sold as slaves. Later in the book there are other scenes that could be called rescues as well. It isn’t a typical space opera rescue though.

Sassinak by Anne McCaffrey fits this topic too.

Provenance
Provenance
by Ann Leckie

Rescue is the inciting incident. It happens literally on page 1. And although the story quickly becomes about many other character-driven issues, that Rescue remains the sine qua non for the novel.

First Flight by Chris Claremont. First in the Nicole Shea trilogy.

I'd say it's a two-fer, being both a space rescue and a first contact situation.