Take a photo of a barcode or cover
krisheiney 's review for:
A Fire Upon the Deep
by Vernor Vinge
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
An epic adventure interlaced with themes of sentience and intelligence, self and society. Brilliantly rendered and an impressive balance of introspective and action-packed.
I love the Tines and their dispersed selves. Vinge does a great job of considering the consequences of a distributed intelligence. The societal taboos of closeness, to the point of feeling another is a corpse if their thoughts can’t be heard nearby, the lack of technological development resulting from the necessary distance between individuals. I also love the Riders. What gorgeous slow creatures, so kind and courageous in their alien way.
I balked a bit at the gender essentialism that sometimes came through but it wasn’t enough to dampen my enjoyment.
I balked a bit at the gender essentialism that sometimes came through but it wasn’t enough to dampen my enjoyment.