![]() Valente touches on some serious intergalactic themes in her latest sci-fi gem, but it’s the humor in her over-the-top prose that keeps the reader engaged … and chuckling. At the end of the day, Valente’s fiction of a high-stakes, sequined Intergalactic Idol ably addresses what it means to be human and what it means to love someone, while being ever-entertaining and, crucially, being the kind of book that makes you want to dance. It takes confidence, skill and talent to craft a tragic disco ball metaphor, and Valente has all three in spades. Valente’s writing here is as strong as anything taught as 'good prose,' although the rock and whimsy will keep it from finding its way into the traditional literary canon anytime soon. That ability to fluidly tie real-world tragedy together with psychedelic hilarity is perhaps Space Opera’s most impressive attribute. Her prose is always quick and engrossing, but the content ranges from a glitzy, sometimes profane satirization of the music industry and its larger-than-life characters, to dead-serious flashbacks and a genuinely moving finale. Although her comedic talents are reminiscent of Douglas Adams at his best, Valente’s palette is far larger. Valente’s delightful sense of humor is the most constant aspect of her prose, it is not the most memorable. ![]()
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