# Humorous Space Opera **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** books-writing-myths\ **Created:** [December 8, 2022, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humorous-space-opera/976224 "2022-12-08T18:50:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2022, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humorous-space-opera/976224/21 "2022-12-08T22:32:15Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > Hmm, not exactly space opera but maybe some Kuttner and Moore… I was going to recommend **Robots Have no Tails** , but, as you say, not space opera. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2022, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humorous-space-opera/976224/22 "2022-12-08T22:51:28Z")
> [@Mr.E](#): > > **The Bobiverse series by Dennis E. Taylor** - A guy dies and wakes up centuries later as the AI for a self-replicating space probe. He embraces this new life with humor and pragmatism. That’s what I was going to recommend as well. Really interesting, a lot of humor, and a lot of nerd in-jokes. Plus a new book(“Heaven’s River”) was published last year, making it a total of four books, and more than likely at least one more, based on the ending of _Heaven’s River_. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2022, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humorous-space-opera/976224/23 "2022-12-08T22:54:03Z")
> [@Spice\_Weasel](#): > > (Full disclosure: I have an actual child named after one of the characters. I look forward to the day he asks where his name came from, and I can dump seventeen books on his bed in response.) “Miles Vorkosigan Spiceweasel, for the last time, clean your room!” ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2022, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humorous-space-opera/976224/24 "2022-12-08T22:54:20Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > I was going to recommend **Robots Have no Tails** , but, as you say, not space opera. I found many of the Gallegher stories in a more obscure Kuttner collection, so I’ll use that. What the heck. Anyhow it migrates a few more books from my library to her library… ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2022, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humorous-space-opera/976224/25 "2022-12-08T23:34:58Z")
IMHO, Phule’s Company was trying to hard. It had funny moments, but felt quite formulaic. My and my friend’s complaints at the time it came out was that like the later Myth books, the author kept trying to force it along and it didn’t please anyone. Much like (as another example of a comedy series that was chuckleworthy → stale → tiresome) most of the Xanth books past the first 2-3. As for it’s dated nature, an extremely wealthy protagonist who looks down (benevolently, but still) on everyone and breaks the rules all the time because he knows better … doesn’t feel like such a hot idea anymore. Especially when he’s always Always skirting, manipulating, or breaking the law to do so (always claiming it’s for a good cause). For something completely different, and I would generally recommend 18+ for frequent sexual situations (almost all off camera, but it’s quite clear what’s going on), there’s the Japanese Light Novel “Reborn as a Space Mercenary: I Woke Up Piloting the Strongest Starship!” > **[Amazon.com: Reborn as a Space Mercenary: I Woke Up Piloting the Strongest...](https://www.amazon.com/Reborn-Space-Mercenary-Piloting-Strongest/dp/164827420X)** > > Amazon.com: Reborn as a Space Mercenary: I Woke Up Piloting the Strongest Starship! (Light Novel) Vol. 1: 9781648274206: Ryuto, Nabeshima, Tetsuhiro: Books It’s a light fluffy isekai style story with a male protagonist in a traditional scifi setting with supernaturally bad ‘luck’ and an endless stream of young (mostly) women/girls falling in love with him. Since it’s an isekai, the protagonist is always attempting to understand the world using current gaming / pop-culture references as most of us would. For all that it’s excessively trope-tastic, it is still a lot of fun, and fan translated versions are out there if you want to have a look at the story. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2022, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humorous-space-opera/976224/26 "2022-12-09T00:13:03Z")
The first two Red Dwarf books, the ones credited to Grant Naylor. Alan Dean Foster has some humorous stories. > **[Glory Lane](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glory_Lane)** > > Glory Lane (1987) is a science fiction novel by American writer Alan Dean Foster. The book takes place outside of either of Foster’s two usual universes, Spellsinger and the Humanx Commonwealth. > Teenage punk rock fan and high-school dropout Seeth (née Seth) and his older brother, geeky graduate student Kerwin, rescue a stranger from arrest at a bowling alley in their hometown of Albuquerque, New Mexico, only to discover that the cops are killer aliens and that the bowling ball the stranger carri... ---
**Author:** ![Meurglys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/258eb7/32.png) [@Meurglys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meurglys)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2022, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humorous-space-opera/976224/27 "2022-12-09T00:25:46Z")
You could maybe try Toby Frost: the first is Space Captain Smith from 2008, or going back a bit, Galactic Odyssey by Keith Laumer. A young man shelters from the weather in a barn, but it turns out it’s actually a spaceship, which takes off while he’s sleeping! Or Who Goes Here? by Bob Shaw. People join the Space Legion in order to forget and the Legion co-operate by erasing their umwanted memories, but the hero has had to have his entire memory wiped, which gains him a fearsome reputation! ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2022, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humorous-space-opera/976224/28 "2022-12-09T00:38:49Z")
> **[The Adventures of Terra Tarkington: Webb, Sharon: 9780553248623: Amazon.com:...](https://www.amazon.com/Adventures-Terra-Tarkington-Sharon-Webb/dp/0553248626)** > > The Adventures of Terra Tarkington \[Webb, Sharon\] on Amazon.com. \*FREE\* shipping on qualifying offers. The Adventures of Terra Tarkington A little pricey, but a thoroughly engaging and entertaining story. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2022, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humorous-space-opera/976224/29 "2022-12-09T00:56:27Z")
_Who Goes Here_ by Bob Shaw _The Starcrossed_ by Ben Bova is not only funny, but it’s also one of the few examples of a science fictional _roman a clef_. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2022, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humorous-space-opera/976224/30 "2022-12-09T01:19:11Z")
_[The Sheriff of Yrnameer](https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/6323609-the-sheriff-of-yrnameer)_ is the most Douglas-Adamsy thing I’ve ever read that wasn’t written by Douglas Adams. ---
**Author:** ![Kron](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kron/32/12444_2.png) [@Kron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kron)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2022, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humorous-space-opera/976224/31 "2022-12-09T01:59:20Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > _[The Sheriff of Yrnameer](https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/6323609-the-sheriff-of-yrnameer)_ Somebody recommended this to me here on the boards some time back, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2022, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humorous-space-opera/976224/32 "2022-12-09T02:22:36Z")
I’ve finally made it: [I’m somebody](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-books-that-are-reminiscent-of-the-dirk-gently-novels/824523/6)! ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2022, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humorous-space-opera/976224/33 "2022-12-09T02:26:25Z")
Ok, that’s funny. I’ve heard _A Long Way to a Small Angry Planet_ is very funny, but I’m not sure if it’s space opera. It’s certainly science fiction. ---
**Author:** ![Nyvaak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Nyvaak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nyvaak)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2022, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humorous-space-opera/976224/34 "2022-12-09T02:52:25Z")
Space opera - definitely ! Humorous - pretty much, kinda. _The Witches of Karres._ Although if she grew up in a house with thousands of S.F. titles it’s hard to imagine she hasn’t already read this one. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2022, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humorous-space-opera/976224/35 "2022-12-09T05:44:16Z")
The **Expeditionary Force** books by Craig Alanson may be more corny than humorous but they’re good fun and Alanson seems to turn out a couple new ones per year. > **[Expeditionary Force](https://www.amazon.com/Expeditionary-Force-15-book-series/dp/B07F7T8NPK)** > > Visit Amazon's Expeditionary Force Page and shop for all Expeditionary Force books. Check out pictures, author information, and reviews of Expeditionary Force ---
**Author:** ![Tusculan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecd19e/32.png) [@Tusculan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tusculan)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2022, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humorous-space-opera/976224/36 "2022-12-09T07:17:12Z")
I was going to recommend _Glory Lane_ too. That was a fun read, hopefully it hasn’t become dated for young readers. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2022, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humorous-space-opera/976224/37 "2022-12-09T07:43:30Z")
> [@Skywatcher](#): > > The first two Red Dwarf books, the ones credited to Grant Naylor. I picked up the first at a library sale, right after finally watching Red Dwarf. Not impressed, though the backstory was good. And I loved Red Dwarf. > [@RealityChuck](#): > > _The Starcrossed_ by Ben Bova is not only funny, but it’s also one of the few examples of a science fictional _roman a clef_. Have that, but I think it helps if you saw the series. Someone should run it, then we can measure the seismic waves from Harlan rolling in his grave. > [@Nyvaak](#): > > Space opera - definitely ! Humorous - pretty much, kinda. _The Witches of Karres._ > > Although if she grew up in a house with thousands of S.F. titles it’s hard to imagine she hasn’t already read this one. Hmm. I’ll add that. I have the Ace Science Fiction Special edition. Appropriate in a way. Though Telzey is not in Witches, she’s in a bunch of other books by him that I have. In the MIT Science Fiction Society there was the post of Telzey Amberdon, President’s Mistress. My girlfriend, now my wife, was the first occupant of that post ever. (We were very feeble at MIT in the '60s and early '70s.) I’m not telling this to my daughter! > [@Tusculan](#): > > I was going to recommend _Glory Lane_ too. That was a fun read, hopefully it hasn’t become dated for young readers. No worries. She’s hardly young. I think I’ve got enough. Thanks everyone for the suggestions. I’d read more new books if it wasn’t for this 2,000 book and magazine backlog I have. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2022, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humorous-space-opera/976224/38 "2022-12-09T07:47:03Z")
The Ciaphas Cain novels might be of interest if Blackadder-style British wit is up her alley. > **[HERO OF THE IMPERIUM: Mitchell, Sandy: 9781849702706: Amazon.com: Books](https://www.amazon.com/Imperium-Ciaphas-Sandy-Mitchell-author/dp/1849702705)** > > HERO OF THE IMPERIUM \[Mitchell, Sandy\] on Amazon.com. \*FREE\* shipping on qualifying offers. HERO OF THE IMPERIUM ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2022, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humorous-space-opera/976224/39 "2022-12-09T11:34:08Z")
She might like Alan Moore’s “[Future Shocks](https://onlineshop.oxfam.org.uk/complete-alan-moore-future-shocks/product/HD_300930319?pscid=ps_ggl_OOS+-+Performance+Max+BOOKS+-+2022_&crm_event_code=20REUWWS08&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIhZ_v57fs-wIVx-DtCh2JGQkQEAQYASABEgJjjfD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds)” stories - there’s a lot of comedy in them. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2022, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humorous-space-opera/976224/40 "2022-12-09T17:00:18Z")
> [@Mr.E](#): > > **Space Opera by Catherynne M. Valente** - A human glam rock star is kidnapped from earth to put on a show proving that Earth is worthy of continued existence. Wears its Hitchhiker’s Guide influence on its sleeve. I’ll third this one. Valente isn’t to everyone’s tastes. She loves language and glories in playing with it, and this book is downright rococo in its word-glory. It’s very funny, but not an easy read. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humorous-space-opera/976224.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humorous-space-opera/976224.md?page=3)