Teaser

Carrying vital information that could change the galaxy, a mixed crew of humans and dolphins crashes into an unknown planet. Yet even as they struggle to repair their ship, a battle rages in orbit . . .

Review

I was ambivalent on David Brin’s first Uplift novel, Sundiver, but since I had read a better book by him already, and since the general consensus seems to be that the series improves rapidly as it goes along, I decided to return to the Uplift universe. A good thing I did, as Startide Rising contains just about everything I want some science fiction.

For the uninitiated, ‘uplifting’ is a sci-fi method by which animals can be granted sentience. In Brin’s universe, humanity has uplifted chimpanzees and dolphins, granting them human-level intelligence and working alongside them to explore the universe. Humanity is not alone in this, as Brin’s universe is teeming with life, with dozens of species that go around uplifting other beings. The standard operating procedure for these aliens is to uplift an animal and place them in indentured servitude for a hundred thousand years. Humans are unique in two aspects. First in that we put no such burdens on our client species, and secondly in that there is no evidence that humans were uplifted. This causes a great deal of consternation among the other species of the galaxy, who see humanity as something of a wildcard. Much gossip and suspicion does the rounds as a result. This is all a great concept for a universe, and it’s hardly surprising that Brin has written six novels based on the premise.

The plot hinges on humanity uncovering information that could further upset the balance of power between the more influential species out there, but most of the book is centred on the more immediate struggle to survive on an unknown world. Naturally, this is a struggle that pushes the mixed-species crew to breaking point. There are great parallels between the feuding galactics in orbit and the increasingly untrusting Earth-based species on the surface. Everyone has their own agenda that goes beyond immediate concerns, with partnerships being drawn up and treaties obliterated at an alarming rate. Through the use of short, punchy chapters, often less than a page long, Brin makes sure that the tension never lets up.

All of this does come with a downside, however. The sheer amount of information and technical jargon the reader is bombarded with does get overwhelming at times. It’s a book that engenders a real sense of wonder, but at times I was scratching my head wondering what was happening. the structure of the book doesn’t allow much time for introspection.

I should also say that if you’re a reader who needs characters to relate to, this might not be the book for you. The opening act is a masterclass in how to introduce nonhuman characters, but as the novel goes on, all of the dolphins start to feel very similar. At one point, I even managed to confuse the two human protagonists with one another. Like the best of classic science fiction, this isn’t a book that concerns itself too much with character development, but as with the information overload, the mass of names grows burdensome as the book goes on.

Nevertheless, this is good stuff. The sort of sci fi that gets the mental gears whirring away nicely. The improvement over the previous novel is evident, and if it continues at this rate, readers are in for a real treat.

Book Stats

• Part of the Uplift universe
• Published in 1983 by Orbit
• 459 pages