Nova, Samuel R. Delany’s 1968 space opera, rejects easy definition. The novel features progressive ideas, mythological undertones, and polished literary prose and unfolds through sensory descriptions of lurid imagery, futuristic technology, and flickering chronology. Its melodramatic conflict, galaxy-wide ramifications, and adherence to the action-adventure genre place it firmly in the space opera category. 

However, Delany’s worldbuilding catered to hard science fiction conventions and created a structured, scientifically plausible process for the space travel and technology that propelled the plot. The main cast, hailing from across the globe and galaxy, were unexpectedly diverse for a novel of the time. For Delany, a young Black man writing in the late 1960s, homogeny was a nonstarter; his characters reflected the New Wave science fiction of the era that viewed the genre as a tool to produce diversity and social change. Indeed, Nova was a novel subversion of the contemporary expectations for science fiction as a developing genre.

The title, Nova, does not simply refer to the astrological phenomenon motivating Lorq Van Ray’s galactic exploits. Novae embody the novel’s thematic flow, representing conflict and destruction and the promise of renewal and rebirth. For a space opera, Nova is a surprisingly literary work, often evoking mythology, as in the Grail quest metaphor, and regularly referencing common literary allusions, as in Lorq’s Melville-inspired obsession with Illyrion—a fill-in for the white whale. In part, Nova is a discussion of literature and novel writing as an art form; as the end implies, Nova is Katin’s book. Though novels are obsolete in the 32nd century, the publication of the book says otherwise and alludes to the progressive rebirth Lorq’s introduction of Illyrion heralded.

Often, the scope of a novel such as this may overburden its author; however, Delany’s unique structure provides an excellent framework to ensure proper pacing and narrative clarity. Several literary devices, such as flashbacks and perspective jumps, recur throughout the novel and add an unconventional dynamism to the unfolding story. The frequent use of flashbacks and time jumps allows the present tense of the main story to intersect with the past tense of its contextual backdrop. In so doing, Delany retains readers’ suspense and curiosity about the main plot’s conclusion while still fleshing out the history and motivations of the characters and events the evolving plot follows. Disrupted chronology allows the story to operate on two levels, at once introducing the necessary exposition while progressing the main plot without the need for rehashed dialogue or out-of-place narration. Additionally, he maintains a constant locator and timestamp on the events of the novel, so that each jump, whether in time or space, will be identifiable to the reader.

In keeping with Nova’s unconventional chronology, the chapters begin and end abruptly, occasionally jumping across time and space in the middle of a sentence or phrase. This hectic structure keeps readers on their toes, perpetually on edge and uncertain of what to expect next. Delany wields suspense masterfully, chaotically illustrating Lorq’s dangerous, often insane antics across time and space. Is it as if the novel’s structure itself validates the claim: "Only a madman, whose speech falters and breaks, would choose to do something so insane as dive into a nova." The universe is unfamiliar, filled with unusual, unexpected twists and turns; Nova, in structure and content, reaffirms this discomfiting reality.