Reviews

Startide Rising by David Brin

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johnazoidberg's review against another edition

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adventurous lighthearted slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

alexanderp's review

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adventurous tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

This book was honestly--so much fun. Dated and very much "of its time," I still found it to be so imaginative and full of the stuff that makes science fiction the very best. Cannot wait to get my hands on the next one.

tankard's review

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4.0

7/10

aaronreadabook's review against another edition

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4.0

Space dolphins? Yes please. A space opera with some real depth, the way it looks at language and communication is especially interesting. The concept of 'uplifting' another species is great and I really hope that one day it happens so I can talk to dogs.

justiceofkalr's review against another edition

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3.0

This is such an improvement over Sundiver. I'm just going to pretend that book doesn't exist and that this is actually the first book.

manuphoto's review

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adventurous emotional tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This book has been on my TBR for the longest time. Because of conflicting reviews and other things, I put off reading it for almost two years. I finally took the time to read it and I’m glad I did!

It has a slow start, even a bit confusing at times in the first few chapters. Then, it picks up steam gradually until eventually becoming a page turner about halfway in. It’s sort of a slow burner but with an excellent payoff.

I haven’t read that many books with the concept of uplifting and this on certainly has a unique take on it. At first I was a bit incredulous (dolphins in space, really?) but after a little while, I could suspend disbelief and actually enjoy the story and Brin’s great prose.

It’s a bit of the anti-Heinlein book. Heinlein grabs you with a tremendous start and a great concept, then he gets philosophical for 300 pages. Brin doesn’t do that in this book, he actually throws you into his world and you gradually settle in, getting to know all the players and becoming more and more involved in the story.

You “experience” the different philosophies rather than having them explained to you, which I prefer. That approach combined with Brin’s prose and great cast of characters make this book a winner for me! I thoroughly enjoyed it and wholeheartedly recommend it!

I’m looking forward to reading The Uplift War soon.