lizardking_no1's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
jazzypizzaz's review
3.0
The first part was hard to get into, but luckily it picked up momentum by the second half, with an exciting build up to the climax. Pretty interesting world-building (dolphins in space!) and ideas about humanity/sentience/language. Relatively flat characters (hard to keep track of the aliens especially) and about what I expected from a male scifi author from the 80s, but okay for the most part.
I'm definitely eager to find out more about the broader scientific and political implications of some of their discoveries in the next book!
I'm definitely eager to find out more about the broader scientific and political implications of some of their discoveries in the next book!
leighbarlow's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
3.0
rossbm's review
4.0
The second book in the Uplift Saga and better than the first. Quite long. Would have better if it had been shorter. Full of adventure. Interesting setting. Characters and action fairly simplistic.
stephen_coulon's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
This one follows the first spacecraft crewed almost entirely by “uplifted” dolphins from Earth (there are a few humans and an “uplifted” chimpanzee on board as well). This ship makes a remarkable discovery that triggers the start of an intergalactic war. Most of the book zooms in on the interpersonal intrigue aboard the ship as the crew struggles to survive being hunted by several technologically superior galactic warships. The inherent difficulty the novel faces is the goofy imagery of imagining dolphins walking around in prosthetic robot suits, having a spacecraft filled with water, talking out of their blow-holes, etc. Dolphins just aren’t a naturally anthropomorphizable species without cartoonifying them. Brin gets credit for characterizing them so well you can almost get over the silly imagery, but he really shines in imagining a future dolphin culture conjecturing on what we know about dolphin behavior today. There are several subplots in the novel, and it gets to be a bit much to keep track of, but it does come together satisfyingly in the end just before it gets too tiring. I liked it enough, along with Sundiver, to reserve the third in the series, and I’m hoping to see more uplifted chimps in that one, as only two have appeared in the series so fa
titusfortner's review
5.0
This was one of those books I stayed up all night reading because I couldn't put it down. I enjoyed the characters, the pacing was excellent and the plot twists were believable.
allie_rose's review against another edition
1.25
Characters are flat and 1D, plot is convoluted while still being boring, with sprinkles of white savior colonialism and misogyny. It got somewhat easier to read towards the end, partly because things started happening but mostly because I could see the light at the end of the tunnel and couldn’t wait to NOT be reading this
mjfmjfmjf's review
4.0
Another re-read, this time for powells sf book club. It was especially interesting to re-read this after reading some of my friends negative reviews.
A long time ago I made a list of 10 favorite books of all time in no particular order and this book was on it. It was eventually replaced by [b:The Uplift War|234489|The Uplift War (The Uplift Saga, #3)|David Brin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1375272637l/234489._SY75_.jpg|98235]. I don't recall all the books that were on the list at the time but I know it included [b:Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah|29946|Illusions The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah|Richard Bach|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1353964306l/29946._SY75_.jpg|30365], [b:Jonathan Livingston Seagull|71728|Jonathan Livingston Seagull|Richard Bach|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1432222358l/71728._SX50_.jpg|1743336], [b:The Dosadi Experiment|2011|The Dosadi Experiment (ConSentiency Universe, #2)|Frank Herbert|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1439457921l/2011._SY75_.jpg|6983472], [b:Tactics of Mistake|776477|Tactics of Mistake (Childe Cycle, #4)|Gordon R. Dickson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1375557324l/776477._SY75_.jpg|1120705], [b:Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values|629|Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance An Inquiry Into Values|Robert M. Pirsig|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1410136019l/629._SY75_.jpg|175720] and [b:Ender's Game|375802|Ender's Game (Ender's Saga, #1)|Orson Scott Card|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1408303130l/375802._SY75_.jpg|2422333] - so maybe that says something. And looking at my favorites shelf today I was reminded that it also included [b:Time Enough for Love|353|Time Enough for Love|Robert A. Heinlein|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1218664355l/353._SY75_.jpg|75443] and [b:Dragonsinger|28547|Dragonsinger (Harper Hall, #2)|Anne McCaffrey|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1410942014l/28547._SX50_.jpg|2971170]. And maybe [b:Anthem|667|Anthem|Ayn Rand|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1388190459l/667._SY75_.jpg|287946]. Or perhaps [b:Emergence|2300|Emergence|David R. Palmer|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1297103839l/2300._SY75_.jpg|1145451] or [b:Ariel|6421522|Ariel|Steven R. Boyett|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1390180975l/6421522._SY75_.jpg|74046].
I've read all of Brin's novels, most of them multiple times, a number of them recently. He doesn't write good endings - he mostly writes non-endings and bad endings. This book has one of his non-endings - or as my dad used to say - is he ever going to get back to the dolphins? This books starts in the middle and ends in the middle.
This book starts just after a lot of action which we only get to hear about briefly. Sure it might have made a good book. And yes we do get to watch the crew sitting on the bottom of the ocean doing repairs and slow science for almost the entire book.
But we also get to explore language - with Trinary, Anglic and Primary. And the richest set of aliens I've probably seen anywhere.
Is this book of product of its time - that is the 80s - specifically the acceptance of workplace harassment? Yes but... So what would have been different if it were written today? There is still workplace romance. There are still crappy coworkers - though mostly this book doesn't support them as doing right. There is some vague homosexuality in a somewhat negative light and limited to the dolphins.
In the end this book has a kitchen sink of ideas and ends with a bunch of actual action. For me it holds up to a re-read. And maybe it will be fun to talk about.
A long time ago I made a list of 10 favorite books of all time in no particular order and this book was on it. It was eventually replaced by [b:The Uplift War|234489|The Uplift War (The Uplift Saga, #3)|David Brin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1375272637l/234489._SY75_.jpg|98235]. I don't recall all the books that were on the list at the time but I know it included [b:Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah|29946|Illusions The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah|Richard Bach|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1353964306l/29946._SY75_.jpg|30365], [b:Jonathan Livingston Seagull|71728|Jonathan Livingston Seagull|Richard Bach|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1432222358l/71728._SX50_.jpg|1743336], [b:The Dosadi Experiment|2011|The Dosadi Experiment (ConSentiency Universe, #2)|Frank Herbert|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1439457921l/2011._SY75_.jpg|6983472], [b:Tactics of Mistake|776477|Tactics of Mistake (Childe Cycle, #4)|Gordon R. Dickson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1375557324l/776477._SY75_.jpg|1120705], [b:Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values|629|Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance An Inquiry Into Values|Robert M. Pirsig|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1410136019l/629._SY75_.jpg|175720] and [b:Ender's Game|375802|Ender's Game (Ender's Saga, #1)|Orson Scott Card|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1408303130l/375802._SY75_.jpg|2422333] - so maybe that says something. And looking at my favorites shelf today I was reminded that it also included [b:Time Enough for Love|353|Time Enough for Love|Robert A. Heinlein|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1218664355l/353._SY75_.jpg|75443] and [b:Dragonsinger|28547|Dragonsinger (Harper Hall, #2)|Anne McCaffrey|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1410942014l/28547._SX50_.jpg|2971170]. And maybe [b:Anthem|667|Anthem|Ayn Rand|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1388190459l/667._SY75_.jpg|287946]. Or perhaps [b:Emergence|2300|Emergence|David R. Palmer|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1297103839l/2300._SY75_.jpg|1145451] or [b:Ariel|6421522|Ariel|Steven R. Boyett|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1390180975l/6421522._SY75_.jpg|74046].
I've read all of Brin's novels, most of them multiple times, a number of them recently. He doesn't write good endings - he mostly writes non-endings and bad endings. This book has one of his non-endings - or as my dad used to say - is he ever going to get back to the dolphins? This books starts in the middle and ends in the middle.
This book starts just after a lot of action which we only get to hear about briefly. Sure it might have made a good book. And yes we do get to watch the crew sitting on the bottom of the ocean doing repairs and slow science for almost the entire book.
But we also get to explore language - with Trinary, Anglic and Primary. And the richest set of aliens I've probably seen anywhere.
Is this book of product of its time - that is the 80s - specifically the acceptance of workplace harassment? Yes but... So what would have been different if it were written today? There is still workplace romance. There are still crappy coworkers - though mostly this book doesn't support them as doing right. There is some vague homosexuality in a somewhat negative light and limited to the dolphins.
In the end this book has a kitchen sink of ideas and ends with a bunch of actual action. For me it holds up to a re-read. And maybe it will be fun to talk about.
spinnerroweok's review
3.0
This is the first audiobook that I have listened to on the faster speed setting. I found the beginning kind of boring. This is probably because I don't care much for dolphin stories. I think they are just too cute. The book did grow on my after awhile, and I would like to read more in this series in the future. Maybe it was because of the meaner, more ferral dolphins. I was particulary attracted to the alien species that Brin created, and at first, I was more interested in those.