Collider has published a ranking of five of the greatest science-fiction space opera novels, a subgenre the outlet describes as blending large-scale conflict between empires and civilisations with strong character-driven storytelling. The list spans both "hard" and "soft" sci-fi, reflecting how the genre uses space settings to explore human fears, morality and the unknown, often as entry points into larger book series.

Featured titles include Alastair Reynolds' "Revelation Space", a hard sci-fi debut praised for its scientifically grounded far-future setting and mysterious ancient alien civilisation; Adrian Tchaikovsky's "Children of Time", about humanity's search for a new home on a planet already inhabited by sentient giant spiders, which launched a quartet that won the 2023 Hugo Award for Best Series; and Mary Doria Russell's "The Sparrow", a more reflective, character-focused novel centred on a 21st-century first-contact mission.