Dust is the space opera/arthurian romance mashup you never knew you needed. Bear takes many of the tropes of the romance and of Paradise Lost and brings them into outer space in a way that makes both genres work seamlessly together and creates a work of science fiction that, in the traditions of Le Guin, leaves you emotionally connected to the characters and philosophically wondering about their choices and their world.
Seriously, can Bear write wonderfully in every genre? It's getting unfair.