Characters are larger than life, and so is the universe they live in. Chapters are full of gags, humorous situations, and the occasional cutting observation. If the synopsis didn’t already tip you off, the book has a very whimsical and quirky tone, not unlike Douglas Adams. Decibel Jones and the Absolute Zero es need to figure out how to get their mojo back, overcome their differences, and write the best song in Earth’s history or it will be curtains for everyone. Unfortunately for us, the humans who will be representing us on the intergalactic stage are two thirds of a washed up one-hit-wonder glam rock band who haven’t talked to each other in quite some time. Should be easy, right? After all, assassinating another species’ candidate is not unheard of. All we need to do is not come in absolute dead last and we are fine. For humanity, this is the year where it’s all on the line. The premise is straightforward: whenever a new species is discovered they must compete in the Metagalactic Grand Prix, a massive musical competition that decides if your species is welcomed into intergalactic society with open arms, or wiped out. Instead of dramatic action set-pieces we get outrageous musical numbers from a cast of eclectic aliens surrounded by a kitchen sink’s worth of references and shoutouts. ‘Life is beautiful, and life is stupid.’ That’s one of the main themes in Space Opera by Catherynne Valente, a glittering tribute to Eurovision that, despite the title, isn’t really a space opera.

Valente space opera