Startide Rising - Uplift Saga 2 - David Brin Book Review

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Review Summaries

"n the 26th century, A human, neodolphin and neochimps crew of the starship streaker crash land on the beautiful uncharted world of Kithup. They must battle hostile alien armadas while they protect the most important secret of the universe. The secret is a alien mummy which gives evidence of the ancient race which seeded intelligences throughout the galaxies. This novel has scenes of battles in space and on the seas. Startide Rising has also memorable characters both human and alien and excellent speculations about alien intelligences."
Rodney Powell, Resident David Brin Scholar

"Set about a century after Sundiver, Startide Rising details the adventures of the beleagured ship Seeker. Seeker is a dolphin-crewed ship (dolphins have been more or less completely Uplifted at this point) with several humans and an ape on board. The ship was supposed to explore, and happened upon the biggest discovery of the millenium - and now half the alien races of the galaxy are chasing them. Startide Rising is set in Brin's complex world of many, many aliens in a civilization much older than Earth's."
Ivy, Resident David Brin Scholar

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Overall Review

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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot

Composition of Book
Descript. of chases or violence - 20%
planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 40%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 20%
Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 20%

Tone of book - very upbeat
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - science fiction story
Explore/1st contact/ enviro story Yes
Plotlets: - stranded on alien planet, fighting aliens to survive
Tech./$$$/Info hunt Yes
Stealing/recovering/destroying - info about lifeform(s)/society/phenomena
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book

Main Character
Identity: - Male
Profession/status: - farmer
How sensitive is this character? - hard edged
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Average intelligence
Physique - average physique

Main Adversary
Identity: - an entire race
Age: - long-lived adults
Profession/status: - explorer
Has magical powers? Yes
Magical/mental powers of main antagonist: - super strength - is very quick
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a moderate amount - an average amount

Setting
Terrain - Water - Forests - Planet surface, need spacesuit
A substantial portion of this book takes place on a non-Earth planetary body: - humans in a futuristic society - inhabited by friendly aliens - unfriendly aliens - empty, or nearly empty world - big overbuilt futuristic city
Planet outside solar system? Yes

Style
Person? - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - no torture/death - generic/vague references to death/punishment
scientific jargon? (SF only) - none/very little science jargon needed - a moderate amount of scientific explanation
Sex in book? Yes
What kind of sex: - vague references only
How much dialogue? - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog - significantly more descript than dialog

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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).

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