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spitzig's review against another edition
3.0
LOVED it. Vinge made alien spiders into people. However, that's not as impressive as making a collectively conscious pack of dogs into people(A Fire upon the Deep, the first book). Also, while it had an interesting way of considering civilizations rise and falling, it wasn't as epic or cosmopolitan as A Fire upon the Deep.
The book had quite a few well done main characters. The plot was good. Basically, espionage.
The book had quite a few well done main characters. The plot was good. Basically, espionage.
sonice's review against another edition
5.0
Hooo boy, 5.0 stars. More of this! More!
This was a masterpiece of plotting and storytelling. We get the main overarching storyline, which builds the tension over the course of the novel and is both fascinating and horrifying, as well as several smaller character focused plot threads that are weaved expertly underneath. Some of these – hell, all of them – are real jaw droppers, especially when you give them some extra thought. Qiwi’s whole situation. The truth about Reynolt. Pham and Sura, Sherk and Victoria. Ezr and Trixia if you feel like some emotional pain and suffering. There is just so much happening in this book and all of it was incredible.
This book has some big, creative ideas as well - space spiders, nanotech, designer viruses - and it does a great job of using them to ask some serious questions. Where is the line (if there is one) between technological advancement and the loss of our humanity? Do the ends always justify the means? How much sacrifice and loss is acceptable in the pursuit of vision and ambition? I love me some philosophy, and that itch is satisfyingly scratched here.
Personally, I liked this even better than A Fire Upon The Deep, which might be something of a hot take. If you’ve read that one and haven’t checked this out, make it a priority.
I guess the third and final book is not all that great? That’s a shame. I’d love another entry of this calibre.
This was a masterpiece of plotting and storytelling. We get the main overarching storyline, which builds the tension over the course of the novel and is both fascinating and horrifying, as well as several smaller character focused plot threads that are weaved expertly underneath. Some of these – hell, all of them – are real jaw droppers, especially when you give them some extra thought. Qiwi’s whole situation. The truth about Reynolt. Pham and Sura, Sherk and Victoria. Ezr and Trixia if you feel like some emotional pain and suffering. There is just so much happening in this book and all of it was incredible.
This book has some big, creative ideas as well - space spiders, nanotech, designer viruses - and it does a great job of using them to ask some serious questions. Where is the line (if there is one) between technological advancement and the loss of our humanity? Do the ends always justify the means? How much sacrifice and loss is acceptable in the pursuit of vision and ambition? I love me some philosophy, and that itch is satisfyingly scratched here.
Personally, I liked this even better than A Fire Upon The Deep, which might be something of a hot take. If you’ve read that one and haven’t checked this out, make it a priority.
I guess the third and final book is not all that great? That’s a shame. I’d love another entry of this calibre.
empoi's review against another edition
4.75
A book so different yet so good in the same way that A fire upon the deep was good. How do you escape brain washing? In space!
star_ansible's review against another edition
4.0
Yeah, this was pretty rad. Loved the slavery, and the spiders.
rincewinds_hat's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
humanignorance's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars. A sweeping work of science fiction with just about everything you could ask for – a great plot making excellent use of very interesting ideas, well-developed characters, and good prose to tie it together. The only downside was that it felt a bit long at times, particularly in the early and middle spider sections. The climax was exciting and the conclusion tied everything together pretty well.
jonathanpalfrey's review against another edition
3.0
This is a very engrossing and cleverly constructed book, a great achievement really, and yet I have mixed feelings about it, because much of it is rather creepy and unpleasant. There is payoff at the end, but not really enough to make up for the rest of it.
It's a first-contact story, between humans and spider-like intelligent aliens on a remote planet, who are actually referred to in the book as the Spiders. The odd thing is that the Spiders seem more familiar and comfortable to read about in some ways than the humans, because the humans have future technology and society, while the Spiders are more 20th-century.
Much of what is creepy and unpleasant in the book is in the human parts of the story: there are two distinct groups of humans involved, one group exploiting the other. The Spiders come over as normal and often likeable people, mentally, although their physical appearance (when described) is rather jarring.
I respect the book and found it compulsively readable, but I don't genuinely like it enough to give it a high rating. I found it a rather strange exercise; I don't think I'd want to write a book like this, even if I could.
My favourite Vinge novels remain [b:The Peace War|1280979|The Peace War|Vernor Vinge|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1182468901s/1280979.jpg|1269997] and [b:Marooned in Realtime|1280978|Marooned in Realtime|Vernor Vinge|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1332038306s/1280978.jpg|448211], which are both impressive, and actually more plausible than his Zones of Thought novels. They rely on an implausible invention (the bobble), but implausible inventions have occurred in the past and can be expected to occur in the future. The Zones of Thought are more than a mere invention: they're an implausible feature of the universe.
Curiously, although this book is a part of the Zones of Thought future history, the Zones don't feature in it: it takes place entirely in the Slow Zone, and the characters never become aware of any other Zone. Although they discover a remnant of ancient technology that may have originated outside the Slow Zone.
It's a first-contact story, between humans and spider-like intelligent aliens on a remote planet, who are actually referred to in the book as the Spiders. The odd thing is that the Spiders seem more familiar and comfortable to read about in some ways than the humans, because the humans have future technology and society, while the Spiders are more 20th-century.
Much of what is creepy and unpleasant in the book is in the human parts of the story: there are two distinct groups of humans involved, one group exploiting the other. The Spiders come over as normal and often likeable people, mentally, although their physical appearance (when described) is rather jarring.
I respect the book and found it compulsively readable, but I don't genuinely like it enough to give it a high rating. I found it a rather strange exercise; I don't think I'd want to write a book like this, even if I could.
My favourite Vinge novels remain [b:The Peace War|1280979|The Peace War|Vernor Vinge|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1182468901s/1280979.jpg|1269997] and [b:Marooned in Realtime|1280978|Marooned in Realtime|Vernor Vinge|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1332038306s/1280978.jpg|448211], which are both impressive, and actually more plausible than his Zones of Thought novels. They rely on an implausible invention (the bobble), but implausible inventions have occurred in the past and can be expected to occur in the future. The Zones of Thought are more than a mere invention: they're an implausible feature of the universe.
Curiously, although this book is a part of the Zones of Thought future history, the Zones don't feature in it: it takes place entirely in the Slow Zone, and the characters never become aware of any other Zone. Although they discover a remnant of ancient technology that may have originated outside the Slow Zone.
brian9teen's review against another edition
challenging
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
3.75
mmenocal01's review against another edition
5.0
A work of classic hard science . . . I recommend it.