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4.07 AVERAGE
4.07 AVERAGE
I absolutely loved this book. Vernor Vinge has long been one of my go-to authors in SF. I read this book some time ago, reread just now leading up to reading the recently released sequel. This book is entertaining, with lots of thematic material asking questions about free-will, mind control, and the ethical implications of providing technological advancement to lesser-developed cultures. This novel features a interesting solution to the problem of FTL travel, positing a link between space and intelligence/sapience that separates the universe into zones of thought. I also enjoyed the story lines involving the world of the tines, an alien race that I found remeniscent of the moties in Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle's novels. Entertaining and well worth the read!
A lot of good things have already been written about this book in previous reviews so I'll just say that I really enjoyed it. How have I gone this long without having read Vernor Vinge's work?
adventurous
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
This book is amazing. So many fascinating ideas pour out of these pages, and it has some good characters to boot. I loved both alien species featured here most of all. I Just wish I read this a little faster, but you can't control life sometimes. I do think after being away from this for a while, that the characters can be clunky and sort of one-note, and the plot is certainly unsurprising. BUT the ideas are so fun
Great stuff!
Great stuff!
I often have a hard time getting into an epic-length scifi novel, but that wasn't the case with this novel. Vinge writes an engaging book with incredibly interesting concepts, ideas and alien races and does so without losing the reader in technical jargon or overly-broad world creation. He creates a massive setting and gives you a glimpse of time and space on an almost inconceivably broad scale, but he balances this expansiveness with a close look at individuals. While I disagree with how "human" all his alien races ultimately are, this is overall an interesting but still fun scifi adventure.
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I would not invite the author of this book to my new years party. In the vast majority of books, this is fine. This is not one of those books. There are so many basic assumptions made about the world in this book that I find unbearably obnoxious. So despite the awesome hivemind wolves, I cannot bear to give this book anything higher than above average.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
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:
Complicated
The greatest Sci-Fi Epic of all time.
adventurous
medium-paced