| Product: |
A Fire Upon the Deep - Vernor Vinge |
| Date: |
21.01.02 (41 review reads) |
| Rating: |
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Advantages: Superb concepts, Easy to read
Disadvantages: erm...
If this title is anything to go by, then Mr Vinge surely is the master that his reputation says he is.
This is the first of his books that I've read, and while it is not a tale that grabs you by the throat and does not let you put it down until the end (600+ pages sees to that one!), once finished, it leaves the reader with feeling that they've been part of a worthwhile experience.
In a far-future version of our own galaxy, where the internet's levels of information exchange now span the Milky Way, this tale begins with the birth of an evil, the birth of its nemesis, and of a planetfull of people trying to escape - And that's just the prologue...
*** The characters
There are only a few human players in this story (and one of them has been constructed by a higher intelligence from spare body-parts) but those that we do see are pivotal, and highly developed characters.
The following descriptions are brief so as not to give away plot elements:
- Jefri and Johanna, a young boy and his older sister, crash landed on a strange planet while escaping the new evil, fighting for survival on this sometimes in-hospitable planet; they are unknowingly in posession of the solution to the evil, "the Blight."
- Ravna and Pham, a "librarian" and her constructed companion, his head full of "Godshatter" - Memories put there by the higher intelligence that created him. On a mission to find the children and save the galaxy.
- Blueshell and Greenstalk, two alien "Skroderiders" - Plantlike traders who acompany Ravna and Pham on their journey to save the galaxy. They ride on computerised platforms (Skrodes) to give themselves mobility and speed up their thought process to human levels.
"The tines" - A medieval wolflike race, who operate in small packs, and have telepathic-like abilities allowing the pack to act as a single unit. They capture
Jefri and Johanna when they crash land.
*** The plot
Is deceptively simple, and beautifully executed tale, filled with plenty of classic Science-Fiction action and adventure:
Evil is created, nemesis to evil is created, nemesis is stranded in inhospitable place, humans discover location of nemesis, race to get there before evil, humans win (sort of).
See, simple :-)
*** Sci-Fi score.
Vinge has introduced some wonderful concepts - dividing the galaxy into zones:
- The slow zone, where only earth-level technology operates, and faster than light travel is impossible.
- The beyond, where computers can operate intelligently, and faster than light travel is commonplace.
- The high zone, where transcended species live, and any technology operates at its peak.
- The Skroderiders, a race lifted from a slow plant-speed existence to full awareness with the use of the skrodes, gifted to them by a long forgotten benefactor.
*** Overall.
I will certainly be reading more by Vernor Vinge. I already have "A Deepness in the Sky" ready to go in the near future.
© 2002 Steve Davies
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