Startide Rising

David Brin
Startide Rising Cover

Startide Rising

dustydigger
1/15/2014
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Highly popular sequel to "Sundiver" follows the adventures of the spaceship Streaker (crewed by a mix of seven humans, 150 uplifted dolphins and even an uplifted chimp). The ship is in hiding under the waves of a planet, as it seems that their discovery of certain artifacts and an ancient alien cadaver has galvanised numerous galactic species to want to grab these items, willing even to fight battles for the prize, fighting to the point of extinction of their various fleets, to the bewilderment of the clueless humans.

This is space opera on a grand scale, with fast paced adventure, space battles, skullduggery among the dolphins, vicious aliens and mysterious armadas of moonsized spaceships, unmentioned in tne Library, a supposedly all encompassing compendium of all the knowledge of the Five Galaxies.

The series has the interesting premise of "uplifting". Over millions of years countless species from across the five galaxies have genetically manipulated "client" species, raising their intelligence and skills so they can join the intergaltic community- at a price, often as much as 100, 000 years on indentured service to their patrons, who garner prestige and power for their uplifting work.

Unusually Earth humans dont seem to have a patron, perhaps having evolved in intelligence on their own, or, as the galctics surmise, having been brought part way then abandoned by some obscure long forgotten patron.

Over a mere handful of centuries since developing space flight and genetic engineering, the humans have uplifted dolphins and chimps - and shockingly have not even indentured them! This has displeased almost all the intergalctic species, who despise and hate the Earthlings, and avidly wish to capture them and their discoveries, looking forward to torturing them for information, and then enslaving them.

Fast paced, written from multiple points of view, human, dolphin, chimp and even the galctic enemies fighting in the skies above the hidden ship, there is never a dull moment. This was an excellent read, and a worthy winner of the Hugo, Nebula, and Locus Best Novel awards, and it has stayed in the affections of readers for 30 years, already deemed a classic. Highly recommended.