Dictionary

space opera en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

Coined by American writer Wilson Tucker in 1941, modelled on horse opera (“western”) and soap opera, see quotations. Originally describing a specific, hackneyed science fiction writing style.

Meanings

1. (countable, qualifier:initially derogatory, uncountable) A subgenre of speculative fiction or science fiction that emphasizes space travel, romantic adventure, and larger-than-life characters often set against vast exotic settings.
   • SUGGESTION DEPT: In these hectic days of phrase-coining, we offer one. Westerns are called "horse operas", the morning housewife tear-jerkers are called "soap operas". For the hacky, grinding, stinking, outworn space-ship yarn, or world-saving for that matter, we offer "space opera" 1941 January, "Bob" Tucker, “Archived copy”, in Le Zombie, number 36, archived from the original on 13 May 2008, page 9:
   • A new Netflix TV series of Star Trek has been rumoured. And Christopher Nolan is sending Matthew McConaughey through a wormhole in his new film, Interstellar. Could the space opera be making a comeback? 2014 June 12, Nicholas Barber, “Out of this world: are space operas making a comeback?”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:
2. (countable, uncountable) A subgenre of speculative fiction or science fiction that uses serialization.
3. (countable) A work or production in this style.

Forms

Descendants

űropera · opera kosmiczna · Weltraumoper · ruimteopera

Relateds

speculative fiction · fantasy

Translations (44)

fi avaruusooppera (subgenre of speculative fiction) · sv rymdsåpa (subgenre of speculative fiction) · nl ruimteopera (a work or production) · hu űropera (subgenre of speculative fiction or science fiction that uses serialisation) · fi avaruusooppera (a work or production) · et kosmoseooper (a work or production) · pl space opera (subgenre of speculative fiction or science fiction that uses serialisation) · cs space opera (subgenre of speculative fiction or science fiction that uses serialisation) · et kosmoseooper (subgenre of speculative fiction) · cs vesmírná opera (a work or production) · ru косми́ческая о́пера (subgenre of speculative fiction) · de Space Opera (subgenre of speculative fiction or science fiction that uses serialisation) · hu űropera (a work or production) · cmn 太空歌劇 /太空歌剧 (subgenre of speculative fiction) · sv rymdsåpa (a work or production) · pl opera kosmiczna (subgenre of speculative fiction or science fiction that uses serialisation) · ru космоо́пера (subgenre of speculative fiction or science fiction that uses serialisation) · it epopea spaziale (subgenre of speculative fiction) · sv rymdsåpa (subgenre of speculative fiction or science fiction that uses serialisation) · sv rymdopera (subgenre of speculative fiction) · hu űropera (subgenre of speculative fiction) · de Space Opera (a work or production) · nl ruimteopera (subgenre of speculative fiction) · pl opera kosmiczna (subgenre of speculative fiction) · de Weltraumoper (a work or production) · de Weltraumoper (subgenre of speculative fiction or science fiction that uses serialisation) · de Weltraumoper (subgenre of speculative fiction) · cs vesmírná opera (subgenre of speculative fiction or science fiction that uses serialisation) · ru косми́ческая о́пера (subgenre of speculative fiction or science fiction that uses serialisation) · sv rymdopera (subgenre of speculative fiction or science fiction that uses serialisation) · pl space opera (subgenre of speculative fiction) · ru космоо́пера (subgenre of speculative fiction) · de Space Opera (subgenre of speculative fiction) · cs vesmírná opera (subgenre of speculative fiction) · ru косми́ческая о́пера (a work or production) · ru космоо́пера (a work or production) · pl opera kosmiczna (a work or production) · cs space opera (subgenre of speculative fiction) · sv rymdopera (a work or production) · cs space opera (a work or production) · nl ruimteopera (subgenre of speculative fiction or science fiction that uses serialisation) · et kosmoseooper (subgenre of speculative fiction or science fiction that uses serialisation) · fi avaruusooppera (subgenre of speculative fiction or science fiction that uses serialisation) · pl space opera (a work or production)