Spinneret - Timothy Zahn Book Review

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Review Summary

The UN (really the US) sets up a colony on a seemingly useless planet (all the useful ones having been taken by alien species). It turns out to have a factory, built by aliens long gone, for producing an extremely strong superconducting cable. This makes the world the center of a multi-sided rivalry between the colony, the UN, the US, various alien races, and liberal groups within the colony.
Ken Norlie, Resident Scholar

In Timothy Zahn's Spinneret, Earth invents a stardrive and sets out to colonize the galaxy. The only problem is..someone else has gotten there first. Lots of someones. And the only planets available are the ones other races dont want. So when the Earth receives a relatively worthless planet with almost no metals in the soil and not much to recommend it, they colonize with somewhat mixed feelings. Overpopulation demands that they expand, but with other races so technologically superior expansion must be slow and discreet.
Lt. Col Meredith has the unenviable task of supervising the new colony..when suddenly it becomes obvious that the planet isn't worthless after all..and that there may be a war over the ancient alien machinery beneath the planets surface.

Timothy Obenshain, Resident Scholar

Detailed literary breakdown of Spinneret

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

Composition of Book
Descript. of chases or violence - 10%
planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 40%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 20%
Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 30%

Tone of book - very upbeat
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - science fiction story
Explore/1st contact/ enviro story Yes
Plotlets: - colonizing/homesteading another planet
Political power play Yes
Political plotlets - preventing/managing clash/war between govts/kingdoms
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book

Main Character
Identity: - Male
Profession/status: - navy soldier - infantry soldier
Age: - 20's-30's - 40's-50's
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events? Yes
How sensitive is this character? - hard edged
Sense of humor - Cynical sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Average intelligence
Physique - very athletic - average physique

Main Adversary
Identity: - natural phenomena - Male
Age: - 40's-50's
Profession/status: - diplomat
Eccentric: Yes - obsessed
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a moderate amount - an average amount
How sensitive is this character? - mean, arrogant
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - average physique

Setting
Terrain - Desert - Mountains
A substantial portion of this book takes place on a non-Earth planetary body: - humans in a futuristic society - humans in a contemporary society - empty, or nearly empty world
Planet outside solar system? Yes

Style
Person? - mostly 3rd - rotating 1st
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment - moderately detailed references to deaths
scientific jargon? (SF only) - none/very little science jargon needed - a fair amount of scientific explanation
Sex in book? Yes
How much dialogue? - significantly more dialog than descript - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog

Most similar books to Spinneret
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The Burning Heart of Night by Ivan Cat
Shadow World - Starbridge 3 by A.C. Crispin

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

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