Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
The Witling
by
Vernor Vinge
This second novel by multiple award-winner Vernor Vinge, from 1976, is a fast-paced adventure where galactic policies collide and different cultures clash as two scientists and their faith in technology are pitted against an elusive race of telekinetic beings.
Marooned on a distant world and slowly dying of food poisoning, two anthropologists are caught between warring alie...more
Marooned on a distant world and slowly dying of food poisoning, two anthropologists are caught between warring alie...more
ebook, 224 pages
Published
November 28th 2006
by Tor Books
(first published 1976)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
This book is not yet featured on Listopia.
Add this book to your favorite list »
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
433)
There wasn't really a lot TO this book--it was entertaining enough, but it really suffers in comparison with his later books like A Deepness in the Sky and a Fire Upon the Deep, which I think are some of the most interesting alien books I've read.
I think someone mentioned this one on a mailing list I belong to, and it sounded kind of interesting: basically there's this planet where everyone has psychic powers, so they can teleport themselves and kill people at a distance and so on. People witho...more
I think someone mentioned this one on a mailing list I belong to, and it sounded kind of interesting: basically there's this planet where everyone has psychic powers, so they can teleport themselves and kill people at a distance and so on. People witho...more
So, it turns out that Vernor Vinge once wrote pulp sci-fi! I saw this book with his name on it in a used bookstore and picked it up for $1. I can only imagine that this was how he was learning his craft. The central idea is mildly interesting: a planet where the population (and indigenous creatures) are able to teleport (with varying strength) and only those without this skill ("witlings") resort to things like "science" and "technology." The expected confusion ensues when more advanced but non-...more
Space travelers (from a human space colony) come to a new planet of humans with unusual mental powers.
The best thing about the book is the scientific discussions of the mental teleportation powers of the inhabitants of the planet. This includes even great speculations about the physics of teleportation. (Such as conservation of momentum and angular momentum. Of course this cannot work mathematically, but it still makes for fun speculation.)
The weak thing about the book is the plot which, althoug...more
The best thing about the book is the scientific discussions of the mental teleportation powers of the inhabitants of the planet. This includes even great speculations about the physics of teleportation. (Such as conservation of momentum and angular momentum. Of course this cannot work mathematically, but it still makes for fun speculation.)
The weak thing about the book is the plot which, althoug...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Quite a short story, but entertaining. In typical Vinge style, the aliens' world is believable, although in this early book still a bit simplistic. Still, some entertaining ideas on how a race would develop when given extraordinary powers.
His really excellent later books do a much better job of imagining an alien civiliation that is utterly different from ours, but still make you feel part of it.
His really excellent later books do a much better job of imagining an alien civiliation that is utterly different from ours, but still make you feel part of it.
This is the first book I've read by Vinge, and definitely plan to read others. This book is more about "ingenious people use science to save themselves" (and the strange natural ability of the inhabitants of Gira, and how they navigate), and that was good as far as it went, but I'm expecting more political philosophy from his others.
This isn't bad, but not nearly as good as Vinge's other work.
Not as good as his later works, but still enjoyable.
Not the best Vinge, but a good idea-based sci-fi adventure.
So far it's the usual awesomeness from Vinge. Another fantastic alien culture.
A fun and interesting read, but not as good as Vinge's other books. No surprise there, as this was one of his first. Interesting to see this snapshot of his development as a writer. His skill with character development was very strong, even at this early stage, but the story structure was less polished than, say, A Deepness in the Sky, or A Fire Upon the Deep.
What this book taught me: Vernor Vinge is brilliant when he's writing great SciFi, but boring when he is writing pulp. This book is dated, and if you're hoping for more of what makes Across Realtime or Fire Upon The Deep so great, stay away from The Witling. I gave up in chapter 3, returning this to the friend I borrowed it from.
It is hard to believe that this book was written over 30 years ago. It was well written and a quick read. This is the story of two people stranded for some time on a foreign world, a world where teleportation is a "Talent" that most people have. The story tells of their quest to get back home.
Simple yet kinda subtle. Vinge has been a serious science fictionist for a long time.
spoiler below:
This book is about physics and spherical geometry.
spoiler below:
This book is about physics and spherical geometry.
Good early pulp sci-fi. I enjoyed the character development and story. The hard science was a little much for me, but the concept was well described.
It's a fun combination of fantasy and sci-fi, plus a plot that moves and some entertaining characters.
one of Richard Stallmans favorites
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
Vernor Steffen Vinge is a retired San Diego State University Professor of Mathematics, computer scientist, and science fiction author. He is best known for his Hugo Award-winning novels
A Fire Upon The Deep
(1992),
A Deepness in the Sky
(1999) and
Rainbows End
(2006), his Hugo Award-winning novellas
Fast Times at Fairmont High
(2002) and The Cookie Monster (2004), as well as for his 1993 essay...more
More about Vernor Vinge...
Share This Book
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
