Who Would Like This Book:
Strap in for a sweeping, thoughtful space opera! "A Deepness in the Sky" is packed with intricate worldbuilding, clever plot twists, and genuinely compelling characters - both human and spider-esque alien. If you love detailed hard sci-fi with intellectually stimulating concepts (hello, mind-altering tech and programmer archeology) and a hefty side of political intrigue, this is your jam. Fans of epic-scale stories, moral quandaries, and unique alien perspectives will find plenty to love. The novel manages to hit the sweet spot between realism and big speculative ideas, wrapped around engaging personal and societal struggles.
Who May Not Like This Book:
If really long books or leisurely-paced narrative isn't your thing, you might find this a slog - it's a doorstopper with plenty of slow build. Readers craving action-packed, fast-moving plotlines may get impatient with the detailed setup and focus on internal conflicts. Some hardcore alien aficionados found the Spiders a bit too human, and the moral lines may feel a tad too sharp toward the end. If you're looking for relentless innovation or can’t get into hard science sprinkled with computer science lingo, it may not be your cup of tea.
About:
A Deepness in the Sky by Vernor Vinge is a science fiction novel set in an interstellar trading culture where two human civilizations, the Qeng Ho traders and the authoritarian Emergents, clash over a planet inhabited by a spider-like alien species. The story weaves between the intricate politics and intrigues of the human groups, particularly the Qeng Ho traders trying to cooperate with the Spiders and undermine the Emergents, all set against the backdrop of a fascinating thought experiment of a setting with layers of politics and compelling characters.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
Content warnings include themes of mind control, authoritarian rule, and possible exploitation, which could be unsettling to some readers.
From The Publisher:
After thousands of years searching, humans stand on the verge of first contact with an alien race. Two human groups: the Qeng Ho, a culture of free traders, and the Emergents, a ruthless society based on the technological enslavement of minds.
The group that opens trade with the aliens will reap unimaginable riches. But first, both groups must wait at the aliens' very doorstep for their strange star to relight and for their planet to reawaken, as it does every two hundred and fifty years....
Then, following terrible treachery, the Qeng Ho must fight for their freedom and for the lives of the unsuspecting innocents on the planet below, while the aliens themselves play a role unsuspected by the Qeng Ho and Emergents alike.
More than just a great science fiction adventure, A Deepness in the Sky is a universal drama of courage, self-discovery, and the redemptive power of love.
A Deepness in the Sky is a 1999 Nebula Award Nominee for Best Novel and the winner of the 2000 Hugo Award for Best Novel.
Ratings (19)
Incredible (5) | |
Loved It (11) | |
Liked It (1) | |
It Was OK (2) |
Reader Stats (32):
Read It (19) | |
Want To Read (12) | |
Not Interested (1) |
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A Deepness in the Sky?
About the Author:
Vernor Vinge has won five Hugo Awards, two of them in the Zones of Thought series: A Fire Upon the Deep and A Deepness in the Sky. Known for his rigorous hard-science approach to his science fiction, he became an iconic figure among cybernetic scientists with the publication in 1981 of his novella "True Names," which is considered a seminal, visionary work of Internet fiction. His many books also include Marooned in Realtime, Rainbows End and The Peace War.
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