Divergence [Mass Market Paperback]

Charles Sheffield (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1993

A group of single-minded researchers--among them Darya Lang, Hans Rebka, and Louis Nenda and the Cecropian--follow the trail toward the Builder artifacts released from the Quake during Summertide, the planetary upheaval. Reprint. NYT.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This second book of the Heritage Universe series drops into the low end of space opera. Darya Lang is the galaxy's authority on Builder artifacts, devices made between three and 10 million years ago by a vanished race. Her research has led Darya, and she has led others (both companions and competitors) to the site of a previously unknown artifact, where the group meets The One Who Waits, a robot who offers to send them to the Builders. Ensuing events hinge on a one-in-350,000-chance coincidence, and the creation and destruction of an entire galactic empire is tossed off with the wave of a pseudopod. Individuals and governments both seem naive for a competitive society 4300 years in the future. Motivation and characterization--both reasonably strong in the first book, Summertide --are sacrificed here in favor of banal plot devices. During the novel's climactic battle, Sheffield misplaces one of his humans, leaving him to certain death, then absentmindedly brings him back into the action. The narrative portion of the book is less interesting and less well-written than between-chapter essays on the various sapient species of the galaxy.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

In the aftermath of the "summertide" that nearly destroyed twin planets of Opal and Quake, a few humans and aliens representing various civilized worlds confront the remnants of an ancient technology and discover a threat to life as they know it. Excitement builds rapidly in this fast-paced sequel to Summertide ( LJ 2/15/90). Recommended for large libraries.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback
• Publisher: Del Rey Books (April 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345019989
• ISBN-13: 978-0345019981
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,686,490 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars The Heritage Universe series improves with the second book., November 12, 1997

By 

Randy Stafford (St. Paul, MN USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Divergence: (#2) (The Heritage Universe, Book 2) (Hardcover)

With the second book of the Heritage Universe series, Sheffield kicks things into high gear. All the characters from the first book are back along with the addition of E.C. Tally, a computer brain in a human body. The book gets a fair amount of comedy out of the discrepancy between his Federation supplied databanks and real galactic affairs.

But the main drama comes from further exploration of Builder artifacts and a meeting with artifical constructs of theirs who may or may not be telling the truth about the Builders' origins and the purpose of their artifacts. Also making an appearance are the legendary Zardalu, land-octopi thought long dead after their Empire was overthrown by their underlings.

Sheffield also throws in some inventive entries from the Universal Species Catalog for humans and aliens, major and minor.

2.0 out of 5 stars Simplistic sci-fi., March 19, 2010

By 

J. L. Burbles "Gurpultz" (Gliese 839c) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Divergence (Mass Market Paperback)

All three books from this series feature simplistic and uninteresting plots. The dialogue is wooden and the characters have all the dimension of a sheet of blank paper. If you've already bought these books then read them, everyone else give them a wide berth. They do have beautiful cover artwork and design though. You want to read something good from Sheffield? Read "My Brothers Keeper".

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Alien and Human Relations, September 16, 2005

By 

Vernon L. Brookins (Raleigh, NC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Divergence (The Heritage Universe, Book 2) (Mass Market Paperback)

The engrossing themes of Divergence is alien-human, slave-master, computer entity-human-alien, and extremely. advanced entity-human-alien-computer being relations.