Space Opera (Space Opera, The Book 1)

A century after the Sentience Wars devastated the galaxy, a tradition emerged to unite the surviving civilizations: the Metagalactic Grand Prix. Once every cycle, sentient species gather to compete in a galactic song competition combining elements of gladiatorial contest, beauty pageant, and concert. Competitors perform feats of song, dance, and other artistic expressions suited to their physical forms—or lack thereof. When a new species seeks recognition among galactic civilizations, they must compete in the Grand Prix. Failure means extinction for their entire species. This year, humanity has discovered the wider universe and learned they must participate. Rather than the diplomacy and military conflict they anticipated, Earth finds itself facing glitter, lipstick, and electric guitars. Decibel Jones and the Absolute Zeroes have been selected to represent humanity on the galaxy's greatest stage. The survival of Earth depends on their ability to perform.