Teaser

The arrival of humanity on the galactic scene has thrown the established order into chaos. It’s not just the humans, either, but their uplifted allies, the dolphins and the chimpanzees . . .

Review

The third book of David Brin’s Uplift saga is another standalone, and actually seems to take place roughly concurrently with Startide Rising, showing some of the wider implications of the discoveries made in that book. As such, it’s perhaps only natural that it should live in the shadow of the previous book. It doesn’t help that there is a great deal of thematic repetition at work here. Startide Rising (and Sundiver, come to think of it) told readers all about uplifted dolphins. The Uplift War goes into detail about the other uplifted species, the chimpanzees. A good idea in theory, but in practice it makes for a weaker book than its predecessor.

For me, chimpanzees are a bit boring. Sure, they’re amusing when they pull faces in safari parks and nature documentaries, but as protagonists for a science fiction story, not so much. The biggest fault to pick with this book however, is the other shadow it lies in. I refer, of course, to Planet of the Apes. That multi-volume film franchise has truly cornered the market when it comes to sapient chimps, and its impossible not to think about those apes when reading about Brin’s. Especially when the pioneering work of Andy Serkis and company have wrought a far more involving story than Brin manages in this book.

One thing that has become clear across Brin’s work is that he is a man of ideas. Those ideas are still at play here. Any time we spend with alien species is wonderful, and the tantalising glimpses of the galactic civilisations we get to see only make me want more. Frankly, I’d rather spend time with uplifted aliens and their patrons than humans and chimps. The reason for this is quite simple. Every Earth-originating character in this book feels totally flat. I’m not asking for hugely involved characters, but I’d at least be able to remember them a month after reading the book. But I don’t. All I remember is the broader ideas at play.

In that regard, the novel does succeed. I’m still thinking about the idea of uplifting. I’m still thinking about the relationship between humans and aliens, animals and humans, and patrons and clients. If Brin wanted to leave me thinking, he’s done his job admirable. If he wanted to entertain me with his writing, I’m afraid to say he’s fallen a little short of the mark.

Book Stats

• The Uplift Saga (#3)
• Published by Orbit in 1987
• 636 pages