Customer Reviews

Starfish

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

"Starfish" is an outstanding work of dystopian fiction taking place in the not too distant future. As the demand for energy grows exponentially, mankind turns to the thermal energy from deep-sea vents as a solution. Of course, the ocean floor is the least hospitable environment on Earth, and it takes a special breed to man these remote outposts...literally.

People who represent the dregs of society (child abusers, violent criminals, sociopaths) are genetically, psychologically and "mechanically" altered to survive in this harsh climate. However, what no one counts on is what will happen when these same people fulfill their need for danger just by staying alive, and become, if not friends, then certainly allies. Furthermore, no one considers what they might encounter in that ancient habitat, and what it will mean for the rest of the planet.

That's about all I can say about the plot without spoiling it, but this is definitely a book you will want to pick up, for several reasons. First of all, the writing is absolutely breathless; Watts has perfectly translated the mind numbing pressure found at the ocean bottom into a palpable sense of tension that permeates the novel. Secondly, his characters are brilliantly conceived and realized. The reader never exactly feels sympathy for them, but they are incredibly complex and evolve in unexpected, but realistic, ways. Finally, although this novel is classified as "science-fiction" that really does it something of a disservice. It's not that there's anything wrong with SF, but this novel is much more; it's about our insatiable demand for convenience, and what it's doing to our planet (both geo-politically and environmentally) and what it is doing to those who get left behind by the pace of change.

"Starfish" is a great read and a novel that will leave you thinking. With an engaging plot, excellent characters and relentless pacing, it is a superb first novel. In particular, if you are at all in interested in marine biology, or even biology in general, then this is a must read for you.

_Starfish_ is one of the most enjoyable books I've read in sometime. The premise of Peter Watts' debut is that a multinational company is seeking personnel for its deepsea geothermal stations, located near thermal vents. Through trial and error, they find that only psychotic, damaged, abused people can withstand the pressures of working in such an environment, some of them actually growing to like being there.

The lead character, Lenie Clarke, is an adult survivor of abuse and one of the earliest success stories. She's grown to be comfortable with the bioengineering and implants which are necessary for anyone to survive at 3000 feet down. She's become the unacknowledged leader at Beebe station on the Juan de Fuca rift. Also stationed at Beebe are a variety of pedophiles, manic depressives, and those who've volunteered to avoid a prison sentence.

The undersea world is vividly imagined, complete with horrific, overgrown fish-monsters who make periodic appearances and attacks. Some of the crew begin to "native," preferring the cold, dark sea to the oppressive interior of the station. One, pedophile Gerald Fischer, actually begins to devolve into something not entirely human anymore, in a very emotional, tragic development.

About the only flaw the story had was the rushed, hurried ending, with a threat to the existence of life as we know it suddenly thrust into the midst of an otherwise very grim, yet satisfying story. The book might have used another hundred pages or so to adequately contain all the ideas on display. Despite this, I'd still recommend the book very highly.

I admit it. I pulled it off the shelf based on the cover art. What's under the cover is a fantastic read, filled with characters that are twisted, but somehow sympathetic. They are the unwanted of society, doing a job no one else wants. But, what to do with them once the job is over....

This book explores the characters that mind the underwater rift, a big vent in the deep sea. They have all been modified to live and work under the intense pressure of the ocean. With time, some of them feel more comfortable in the cool embrace of the water than with their own kind, with one even "going native."

Lenie Clarke is the main protaganist, and she is likable, despite her many faults. You just feel for her when she's lying on the ocean floor, falling asleep alone in the dark rather than going back to the dismal station environment. No one in the "Company" anticipated the profound impact this environment would have on these outcasts from society.

It's really a fast read with compelling dialogue and motivations. An excellent read. Take it to a beach or poolside. It works well next to water. :)

Not that I wasn't satisfied with it as it was. Believe what the author tells you - this book plays like an underwater Blade Runner. It's glum. There's no hope. Everything's dank and dreary and there's not one character you'd like to have as a close friend. I like that in a book - feels real, like a dysfunctional crew on an off-shore oil platform (at least they're not unionized, that would be worse).

Anyway, the best thing about this book is the science, particularly the author's in-depth speculation on "how to get a human to live several miles under water". Everyone's seen the Abyss. I'm sure the author was chuckling watching Bud Brigman descend the fathoms and still survive, even with that transluscent pink oxygenated flurocarbon swill in his lungs. That scene may have been the author's impetus. Or maybe Deep Star Six.

The pyranosal RNA thing, however....not too keen on that. Seems like the author was looking for an excuse to keep the deep-sea-ers down there, and the author pulled that from his nether regions. Doesn't matter.

Anyway - I wander. Great book. Good writing. Accurate science (I'm a biochemist). Compelling and scary characters. And there will be a sequel. There has to be. I look forward to it.

I confess that, based of the cover description, I was expecting some sort of deep-sea adventure populated by weird creatures and who knows what else. That's not what this is. Instead, it is a two-part tale populated by weird human creatures "modified" to live in a deep-sea environment so they can monitor geothermal power plants built on the San Juan de Fuca Rift. Forget all the documentaries you've seen showing strange, glowing deep-sea creatures. They're here, but they're mentioned only in passing and play almost no role in the story.

The first part of this tale focuses on the "misfit" crew that has been "modified" to live in the depths of the ocean. Lenie Clarke is the de facto crew leader, but she is as troubled as the rest. There is plenty of tension here but not much real action. Psychological tension builds, however. As time goes on, these people become stranger and stranger as they adapt to their environment and each other in unanticipated ways.

The second part of the story exposes what is going on above the surface. Here, the reader discovers the hidden agendas that drive the experiment in human adaptation going on at the ocean floor, as well as the unforeseen threat that has changed everything, making the crew itself a danger that must be either contained or destroyed.

This is an interesting tale, full of novel ideas and off-beat characters. But, despite the different environment, the humans and their creations are the strangest creatures here. And the most dangerous. If you're looking for fast-paced adventure, this isn't it. But if you want scifi with some "depth", something thought-provoking, STARFISH might do the trick for you. It wasn't the most fun I've ever had reading scifi, but it was better than average. Give it a try.

I simply can't say enough good about Peter Watts' debut novel Starfish. It is rare enough when a "hard" science-fiction novel tells a fascinating story rich with ideas in an interesting setting, but Watts goes one better and builds his novel around very compelling characters in a grim and dark "coming-of-age" tale. The plot is first rate--full of plausible ideas with their consequences well thought-out. The science involved is in many fields--we have biology, evolution, geology, and psychology, among others--and all are convincingly done. But what makes the book so vivid is not the story as much as watt's mature characterisations. I can't agree at all with those critics here who have written that the ending is truncated--I think they missed the point. Starfish is a tale of how the main character, Lenie Clarke, "matures" thoughout her travails. What she does next, fodder for a possible sequel, we can easily imagine; as we have learned about her and understand her motivations. Such a sequel will likely be mundane and obvious (although I have enough respect for Watts that I believe if anyone could do such a book well, he could)--a typical "monster" story. Instead, it is Lenie's journey, not her destination, which is of the most interest. At any rate, this is a terrific read--by far the best sci-fi book I have read in years. In fact, I'd go so far as to say it is one of the best books of any sort I've read in years. Starfish has my highest recommendation. I'm looking forward to further Peter Watts' writing with great anticipation.

One of the bleakest views of humanity I've read in a while. Watts compares humanity (not just the pre-adapted rifters) to organic computers and to an ancient biochemistry from the ocean floor, and humanity comes out lacking. All life runs on pure conditioned reflex in Watts' world.

The prose does an excellent job of describing life near a volcanic rift.

The science is well-supported in most places, but sketchy in others, such as the speed-learning that turns a pedophile into a competent deep ocean engineer.

The complete lack of *hope* in this book is what I found most off-putting about this book.

I've searched long and far for a science fiction book with an intrigueing concepts as well as excellent characters and all of the other good stuff, and I've found it. Never before have i read a book with so many fascinating characters. Put a bunch of psychotic people in an enclosed space, each with their own multitude of problems and discrepencies, and get a great book. I read that Peter Watts is working on a sequel called "Hydra" and I can't wait. I think, for a fairly new writer ( at least with fictional novels) Watts has done exceptional job. Bringing to life a fairly unexplored world with a sense of great style, It couldnt have been done better.

Basically if you like science fiction in any way, shape or form, read this book!

Matt

_Starfish_ was a great book! The day my order arrived in the mail, I sat down to start reading and I did not get up until the book was done. Peter Watts does a great job here of setting up a believable group of misfits, biologically enhanced so they can survive underwater and at great depths. Through some trial-and-error, it is discovered that only those who have some sort of mental imbalance can survive in such a hostile atmosphere. Coupled with the marvelous descriptions of the weird and grotesque life forms which thrive in the deep, this novel really creates a grim, believable portrait of the world. About the only drawback I noted was the conclusion, which, ironically, one of the other reviewers holds up as the book's high point. I'm looking forward to more thoughtful science fiction from Mr. Watts.

Two great new science fiction books with marine themes in 1999, both first books by interesting authors. What an embarassment of riches!

"Starfish" is not like "Typhon's Children" the other marine flavored sci-fi book of 1999. It's darker, deeper, and set much closer to home. The protagonists are not likeable or even particulary sane. The villains (mostly off-stage) are human and aren't really villians, just scared and faced with rotten choices, or so inhuman that evil isn't even in the vocabulary. But after all, that's arguably what makes great sci-fi.

Off the west coast of North America is a rich source of hydrothermal energy. To tap it takes people who can adapt and be adapted to the cold, dark, pressure of the deep. You'd have to be crazy to want to be there. So they use crazy people. They adapt too well. Being the first in a new environment, and the first of a new breed of person can be hazardous. Sometimes things just don't work out the way planners plan.

Two books in 1999 that give Clarke's "Deep Range" a run for the best marine sci-fi of all time! Can we get 3 in 2000?