Startide Rising (The Uplift Saga, Book 2) (Mass Market Paperback)

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Key Phrases: derelict fleet, psi bomb, neo dolphin, Takkata Jim, Startide Rising, K'tha Jon (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In its original paperback editon of 1983, this novel won both the Hugo and Nebula awards. Brin's extensive revisions make this first hardcover edition an SF event. What remains most impressive is the complex background of political, cultural, linguistic and many other connections and missed connections among innumerable different species. Against the backdrop of an ancient spacefaring conglomerate, whose shared traditions have not halted their wars, the upstart Earthlingshumans, dolphins, chimpanzeesalso stand divided. Brin raises questions not only of understanding but of ethics, for a "patron" race may genetically uplift another only to indenture them. His depiction of the dolphins' gains and losses now that they've become space pilots is particularly moving. Although Brin's characterization and storytelling are less adept here than in the work he has since written, this is one of the outstanding SF novels of recent years. November 22
Copyright 1985 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"The Uplift books are as compulsive reading as anything ever published in the genre."
--The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 480 pages
• Publisher: Spectra; 12th THUS edition (March 1, 1984)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 055327418X
• ISBN-13: 978-0553274189
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (100 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #146,253 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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• This is item 2 in The Uplift Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Book 2 of a Great Saga, November 18, 2004

By	David A. Lessnau (USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Currently, there are six books in Brin's Uplift saga. It's kind of hard to categorize these books as elements of a series, though. The first three books in the saga, "Sundiver," "Startide Rising," and "The Uplift War," are not really a trilogy or a series in the normal sense. Instead, "Sundiver" relates to the rest of the saga as Tolkien's "The Hobbit" relates to his "Lord of the Rings:" it sets the stage for all the rest of the books in the saga. "Startide Rising" and "The Uplift War" describe completely different plotlines originating from the same event far distant, time wise and space wise, from "Sundiver". In a pinch, you could read these books in any order and not really miss anything. They describe different points in time and space of the same Universe. Of course, the best order is the one listed, above.

Unlike the first three books in the saga, the second three books DO form a series. The first of this trilogy, "Brightness Reef," picks up with yet another totally independent plotline and brand new characters. However, it does contain a central character who ties the first three books into this set. Unfortunately, Brin doesn't say, specifically, who that character is until the very end of the book. Even worse, the last time the character was used was so far back in the saga that it's hard to remember anything about him. The remaining two books, "Infinity's Shore" and "Heaven's Reach," continue sequentially from the first and form a tightly knit trilogy with no breaks in time.

None of these books is "happy" or "light reading." For the most part, they're all intense, heavily detailed and fully characterized books. "Sundiver" is the least "heavy" and most lacking in the realistic feel of the rest of the books. But, for the most part, if you like "Sundiver," you'll definitely want to continue with the rest of the saga. Even if you don't like "Sundiver," I highly recommend you read at least "Startide Rising:" it has an entirely different feel to it and might be more to your liking. This saga is just too important to miss out on. As a whole, it's one of the great works of science fiction and one of the few pieces of science fiction that belong in the class of true literature.

The following are some comments on the individual books:

Sundiver: Somewhat different from the other books in the saga in that it's more of a science fiction mystery than a science fiction drama. This book sets the stage for the rest of the saga as it chronicles events that happen several hundred years before what happens in the other books. About the only thing negative I can come up with is that I wish Brin had written several prequels to it so we could read about the earlier adventures of Jacob Demwa that are referenced in this book.

Startide Rising: This book focuses on the group that starts all the other events noted in the remaining books of the saga. Though the main characters start off in a very bad way, Brin does a good job of moving them forward, and upward, throughout the book.

The Uplift War: The events in this book start from the same event that kicks off "Startide Rising." But, other than that, the two books are totally independent. Like "Startide Rising," Brin produced a gripping plot, great character development, and a good progression towards a positive goal.

Brightness Reef: This is definitely not a happy book. It starts out with many non-pleasant activities and fights its way forward from there. The biggest problem I have with it is that it's very hard to see how anything good or positive is going to happen to the main characters, no matter how much they try.

Infinity's Shore: First, the negative: once this book starts, it's very apparent that a whole lot of relevant stuff has been happening elsewhere that we missed. Essentially, there's at least one entire book that sounds extremely interesting that's missing from the saga. Brin fills in most of this back-story during this book and "Heaven's Reach." But, I'd sure like to have read that missing book. On the positive side, this book re-introduces us to old friends and subtly changes the focus to them. Everything's still happening in the same place with mostly the same characters, but the attitude changes and becomes more can-do.

Heaven's Reach: One difficulty with this book is due to how it continues from the previous book. It's merely a change of venue instead of a new set of adventures. A quote from one of the main characters near the end of this book sort of sums up my feelings about it: "...what will one more worry matter? I've long passed the point where I stopped counting them." Essentially, by the time this book and saga starts winding down (and even at the point of that quotation, it really hasn't started that yet), the reader is totally fatigued by never-ending problems. I really like these works, but the lack of a tie-up between "Infinity's Shore" and this book is grinding.

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars With Brightness Reef out, time to reread this great classic!, June 24, 1996

By A Customer

Let me give you two great reasons to buy and read this book. First, Startide Rising is probably the best space opera ever written. Some of Iain Banks' "Culture" novels come close, but let's not quibble. Second, it will be a great introduction to a series now resuming with the just-out book, Brightness Reef. Startide Rising is sometimes called the second in Brin's first uplift universe trilogy, but that is misleading. The novel Sundiver is Brin's first book in the uplift universe (where the practice of "uplifting" near sentient species to full sentience is considered a rite of passage to full citizenship in a galactic culture, and where only humans appeared to rise to sentience on their own without a "patron" race, giving them a special status). But one does not need to have read Sundiver, a lesser novel, to read Startide Rising. Similarly, the action in the third "uplift" book, The Uplift War, is unrelated to events in either Sundiver or Startide. The "new" uplift trilogy now unfolding (beginning with Brightness Reef), however, will be a true trilogy, with none of the books standing on their own. It is an open secret, furthermore, that events in Startide Rising (and possibly The Uplift War) will eventually come to play in the new uplift trilogy. So get this book, read it, read The Uplift War (heck, read Sundiver, too), and, hopefully, by that time Brin will have come close to finishing the unfolding new uplift trilogy -- some who have recently read Brightness Reef have expressed their frustration that the book leaves them hanging, as if in mid-sentence

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not Just Another Trilogy Segment, August 10, 1996

By A Customer

I'll admit from the start I have an ax to grind. I have been weary for years of the "trilogy" concept in the science fiction and fantasy genres. Ever since Tolkien's classic Lord of the Rings, it seems every successful new author in the field has been forced to shoehorn their works into a trilogy or series format. Each subsequent book becomes dependent, both story-wise and commercially, on the previous books. Sometime this works, but just as often a good novel simply gets stretched into a weak trilogy or series.

With Startide Rising, David Brin completely breaks this mold. Each novel in his fascinating Uplift series stands on its own. No time is wasted connecting the story lines of each book, nor are readers left wondering "what's going on?" because they haven't read the previous books. Brin simply tells his story, and tells it exceedingly well.

Most modern SF/Fantasy series leave the reader thinking, "What a great story, I can't wait to hear the end,"... but the end may never come. Anne McCaffrey's "Pern" series comes to mind. The early books are memorable and excellent, and seem to have been written for their own sake. But the later books seem to be part of a contrived (and seemingly endless) series, and each subsequent book becomes less and less satisfying. And don't even get me started on Frank Herbert's "Dune" series....

On the other hand, Brin leaves the reader thinking, "What a great story. Tell me another!" Startide Rising is Brin's best work, worthy of every award it has received. Read it, and you will be delighted and satisfied. But be warned: you will then want to read everything else he has written.

On a final note: I wouldn't want to leave the impression that I think no trilogy is worth reading, especially since Brin's latest Uplift novel, Brightness Reef, is the first installment of a "true" trilogy. A trilogy is a larger work than a novel, and allows telling a greater story. If any author is capable of meeting the full challenge of the trilogy format, David Brin is, and the Uplift universe contains a story of mighty proportions. Let us hope the eight-year hiatus in the series has been spent preparing a bigger story which can, like the others, stand on its own. But read Startide Rising and the other books of the first "trilogy" first. It will make the new trilogy all the more meaningful, and all the more excruciating to wait out.