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3.41 AVERAGE
3.41 AVERAGE
Had not read anything by Brin and I know he's an acknowledged great, so I picked this up in a used book store since it's the first in the series.
It's well written hard SF with a fairly engaging story, though I can't say I was completely wild about it. The science was solid but a bit one dimensional for me, probably because the focus was on this one particular solar exploration mission. The most interesting aspect of the book was probably the character of protagonist Jacob Demwa, but I'm afraid his interactions with the surrounding cast came across a bit flaky to me, especially the romantic interest. And I was a bit thrown off by the fact that Jacob's backstory seemed to be referring to another story - perhaps a book I hadn't read, although I thought this was the first in the series. Researching this, it seems there is no other book, the backstory we get here is all there is. Nevertheless it gave me the impression I had missed something.
The basic concept of the Uplift series is still intriguing, and reviews suggest that subsequent books are stronger than this one, so I could definitely read further if I come across them at some point.
It's well written hard SF with a fairly engaging story, though I can't say I was completely wild about it. The science was solid but a bit one dimensional for me, probably because the focus was on this one particular solar exploration mission. The most interesting aspect of the book was probably the character of protagonist Jacob Demwa, but I'm afraid his interactions with the surrounding cast came across a bit flaky to me, especially the romantic interest. And I was a bit thrown off by the fact that Jacob's backstory seemed to be referring to another story - perhaps a book I hadn't read, although I thought this was the first in the series. Researching this, it seems there is no other book, the backstory we get here is all there is. Nevertheless it gave me the impression I had missed something.
The basic concept of the Uplift series is still intriguing, and reviews suggest that subsequent books are stronger than this one, so I could definitely read further if I come across them at some point.
Sundiver is the first book in the Uplift Saga. Years ago, in highschool or college, i'd read one or two books from this series, near the end. Loved it. I always love Brin's work. It's taken me this long to begin at the beginning & read the whole thing. I was surprised to find out, this book is more of a whodunnit. Although they're on a ship that dives into the sun, looking at new life forms, it's also a closed room parlor murder story, so you've got the integration of a new and old form of story. This book also introduces a bit of earth's real and in the book history, how we came to meet all these other aliens, and the whole uplift theory. But, because it is a mystery and adventure, it isn't one of those boring introductory books where nothing happens and they spend the whole time setting things up for later. I enjoyed it, and can't wait for the next one!
Brin seldom disappoints. This book was written in 1980 about a futuristic world around 2250. Given, that it was written in 1980, some things are missing from the future: smartphones, internet. Some things are still there: fax machines, information spools.
The way females are portrait feels very antiquated, although I did like using "fem" instead of "female".
The way females are portrait feels very antiquated, although I did like using "fem" instead of "female".
I've read this book a few times before. As an introduction to Brin's "Uplift" universe, it's not bad. It gives a general idea about a galaxy where species are brought to sentience through genetic engineering; only humans seem to have come to intelligence without help. It has a decent mystery at its core, and the main character is a bit of a mystery himself.
However, with only a few aliens, and just a glimpse of uplifted chimps and cetaceans, this doesn't hold quite the same fascination as other books in the series.
However, with only a few aliens, and just a glimpse of uplifted chimps and cetaceans, this doesn't hold quite the same fascination as other books in the series.
This was a re-read. All I really remembered from 30ish years ago was enjoying it. It aged pretty well. Yes, the unconscious sexism made me roll my eyes. My favorite example? It costs a lot to bring colonists to settlements outside our solar system, so let's send pregnant women and have them just drop the babies off, thereby diversifying the gene pool! The solution is both ridiculous and elegant in its simplicity. And you can just see that Brin is on the verge of getting it with colonialism.
So, the book itself? I mostly enjoyed it again. Humans are found to be the odd species out in the galactic culture when contact is made. We accept their grudging help to bring us better technology. While we accept that, we don't want to lose our drive to better ourselves, so we keep up with our own discovery. This doesn't sit well with some species. Cue research into our sun with ETs along for the literal ride into the corona. Hijinks ensue. Could have lived without the superhuman one man winning machine as the main character, but that was pretty typical of the 1980s.
So, the book itself? I mostly enjoyed it again. Humans are found to be the odd species out in the galactic culture when contact is made. We accept their grudging help to bring us better technology. While we accept that, we don't want to lose our drive to better ourselves, so we keep up with our own discovery. This doesn't sit well with some species. Cue research into our sun with ETs along for the literal ride into the corona. Hijinks ensue. Could have lived without the superhuman one man winning machine as the main character, but that was pretty typical of the 1980s.
Poooooooooor fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin. Arf, arf, arf. Las fechas no son reales. Empecé este libro hace años y fui incapaz de terminarlo. Lo volví a coger este año y más de lo mismo ¡Pero ya está!
adventurous
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No