Rereading Startide Rising in David Brin’s new polished-up Open Road edition, I was struck by what a six-ring circus it is. Chapters seldom run more than five or ten pages, and almost every chapter takes us to a different theater of operations. It is a testament to Brin’s skill at this point in his career that he can give us so many characters and plotlines to follow without ever becoming muddled, as the first novel in the series undoubtedly did.
It is fair to say that he has done more with the idea of uplifting animals to sapience than any other writer. His hold on the concept is just about as firm as Terry Pratchett’s hold on the idea of a Discworld. Each of his dolphins and chimps stands out with their own personal quirks. His speculations on the connection between language and sapience are still worth a thought.
Forty years out, Startide holds up. ( )

Book club choice

First things first: let’s list the good stuff. David Brin’s ideas are cool and interesting, and I enjoyed playing with them in my mind. OMG DOLPHINS IN SPAAAAACE – I can understand why everyone was so impressed when “Startide Rising” was first published. I also liked the dolphin haiku, the final space battle and chase, and the hopeful ending.

Unfortunately, all this was only enough for a 2-star rating. The writing is atrocious. Thankfully, this type of wooden sentences poorly hammered together does not require much brain activity to skim through. So, I finished the book quicker than I would have done otherwise (it still wasn’t quick enough).

The POV’s are too many, all written with the same voice. I couldn’t tell the characters apart and couldn’t care less about any of them. They all ended up being flat and prone to attacks of uncharacteristic stupidity (ha ha) – because plot thingies. The book is very juvenile about sexuality and relationships, and shrugs off sexual harassment. Cringe alert!

My “but why’s’, “but how’s”, “but wait’s” concerning the plot have grown too numerous for me to remember now, and frankly, I can’t be bothered to.

My relief and happiness upon finishing this book can hardly be described. I will now enjoy choosing a book to RE-READ – something I know to be excellent and that will help me get the bad taste out of my mouth.

The book club discussion should be fun ;) ( )

Okay but unrelated to Sundiver. ( )

Meh. Some interesting ideas, but not the rythm I wanted. Didn't get to know any of the characters enough to care about them. ( )

Startide Rising won both the Hugo and Nebula Awards, and after reading it I am inclined to agree that it deserved them. This is a hard science fiction space opera which manages to be action-packed and thought-provoking at the same time. The premise is one of the most original I have encountered in my reading of science fiction literature. There are sentient species scattered across the Galaxy, and some believe that all life originates with the mythical Progenitors. When races reach a certain level of development, they are entitled to 'uplift' other species which are on the verge of sentience through genetic engineering. The survey spaceship Streaker, with a crew of humans and uplifted dolphins, makes an unexpected discovery during its trial mission, and is then pursued by hostile aliens and forced to hide on the ocean world of Kithrup. The tale is about how humans and their dolphin clients work to outwit their foes and make their escape so that they can deliver the details of their discovery to those who will handle it properly.

When I first began to read about dolphins piloting a spaceship, I was doubtful if I would be able to maintain the suspension of belief required past the first few chapters. However, I was quickly convinced by the vivid and believable descriptions of the interactions between humans and their uplifted clients, and by the intriguing plotline. Although it was written in the 1980s, the technologies envisaged do not seem in the least dated. The dolphins have their own culture, logic, and poetry, and these add depth and realism to the story. In short, David Brin was able to take an idea which seems ridiculous on the surface and turn it into a classic of science fiction by creating an immersive world complete with history and philosophies. The only minor flaw might be that since the story is told from the point of view of many different individuals rather than a single narrator, character development seems to have suffered slightly. In addition, if the reader prefers more action-oriented traditional space operas, parts of Startide Rising may seem a little sluggish. For me, though, the tempo was just right, and I found it to contain the perfect blend of action and rumination. ( )