David Brin's Uplift novels--"Sundiver, " Hugo award winner "The Uplift War, " and Hugo and Nebula winner "Startide Rising"--are among the most thri...
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Apr 02, 2011
Ben
rated it: 
You cannot ask for a better premise than Uplift. Of all the science fiction series I've read, David Brin has something special here. Uplift is more than just panspermia, because Brin has taken the idea of aliens genetically engineering pre-sapient life to full sapience and wrapped his own entire mythos around the concept. As a result of Uplift, galactic civilization is a network of intricate social relationships defined and bound by literally millions of years of tradition. Client races are
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Jul 10, 2011
Servius Heiner
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I'm sure Brin has lots of fans... and in a way I might be one of them. His work reminds me of Vernor Vinge, just not as good. The story itself is great, but the writing is awful. There is no time sequencing between character point of views. Even when the the story combines two points of view taking place in the same scene. by the time he gets around to the other point of view you already know what the outcome is. I don't know why he does this, but he does it often. It doesn't bring anything to
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Mar 17, 2011
Dylan
rated it: 
The fundamental theme behind David Brin’s various Uplift series of novels makes me feel uncomfortable. But that’s a good thing; one of the strengths of science fiction is that it can be used to explore uncomfortable themes without the associated cultural baggage.
The Uplift series explores race and racism without obvious reference to the terrible history of the first half of the 20th century. This allows Brin to consider this deeply disturbing subject without the baggage of antisemitism More...
The Uplift series explores race and racism without obvious reference to the terrible history of the first half of the 20th century. This allows Brin to consider this deeply disturbing subject without the baggage of antisemitism More...
Sep 07, 2009
Tatiana
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These are getting better, though the author still has some writing quirks that annoy me. These last three Uplift books are apparently all one long story. The first one, Brightness Reef, introduces us to the planet Jijo, and to the six erstwhile starfaring races that dwell there in exile illegally. Some of the storylines and characters are quite captivating, like that of Rety and of the Stranger. Others like Alvin, Huck and friends, I wish to get through quickly and move on. He has learned t
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Aug 26, 2011
Bria
rated it:
A high four. Some of my favorite things were things that I appreciated in thought more than enjoyed as I read it, but that may be my harshest critique. I sometimes complain that science fiction is so concentrated upon its jawsome ideas that it forgets to also be literature, but the sort of self-aware literary technique in the secondary story line seemed a bit out of place sandwiched between the more conventional sections. Perhaps if the whole book had been written that way it would have worke
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Sep 18, 2011
Mercurybard
rated it:
This was a hard one to muddle through--it wasn't until I realized that this trilogy is contemporary to the events of the Uplift Trilogy that I started to get interested.
Brin is experimenting with perspective--from the alien Asx to the Stranger who has lost all language when introducted to Alvin, the young hoon who tells his story in a first person journal style.
Of course, since it's Brin, the intrigue is thick.
Gone are the weird time passage "burps" More...
Brin is experimenting with perspective--from the alien Asx to the Stranger who has lost all language when introducted to Alvin, the young hoon who tells his story in a first person journal style.
Of course, since it's Brin, the intrigue is thick.
Gone are the weird time passage "burps" More...
Nov 22, 2011
Cjbrew
rated it: 
Couldn't get past the first few chapters, and I'm not one to wuss out on a book. His writing style irritated me immensely, particularly the incessant diversions to describe his ridiculous imaginary creatures -- rather than letting us glean information along the way. I also found his characters rather shallow and difficult to sympathise with.
The change in voice between different species is also a bit annoying -- other authors seem to pull this trick off a lot better. Although some oth More...
The change in voice between different species is also a bit annoying -- other authors seem to pull this trick off a lot better. Although some oth More...
Dec 16, 2010
Amy
rated it:
The new Uplift trilogy continues the adventures of the crew of Streaker, though they don't figure much in the first volume. It takes place on the distant planet Jijo, where members of several different Galactic races (including humans) have colonized illegally. These "sooners" live in constant fear of discovery by Galactic authorities. It's a great story but you keep wondering when the Streaker is going to make an appearance.
Sep 20, 2011
Sffgeek
rated it:
So disappointed with this. I loved Brin's earlier work (Sundiver, Startide Rising, and also The Practice Effect) but then he turned all "Literary" - long-winded, verbose, obscure. I forced my way through The Uplift War, and decided to give him one more chance with this. I didn't manage to finish it...
Jan 06, 2012
Jon
rated it: 
Mr. Brin never fails to reward the careful reader! This first novel in the newest Uplift trilogy is deeply weird, steeped in ideas and unbridled imagination, and best of all - full of wonderfully fallible and heroic characters (very few of them are human!). Brin's favorite trick is to drop a megaton reveal late in his novels and he does so here with jaw-dropping results - the last 100 pages were a complete blur compared to the sometimes plodding first almost-600.
I set this one down and More...
I set this one down and More...
May 29, 2011
Emily
rated it:
I enjoyed this entire trilogy. Interesting pictures of alien races, some suspense and action, and a lot of cross-culture politics and diplomacy. Altogether fun.
I can't remember whether I liked one of the books more than the others, so I'm just giving them all a 4 for being great reads.
I can't remember whether I liked one of the books more than the others, so I'm just giving them all a 4 for being great reads.
Apr 17, 2011
Kelly
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This is a good book.the 6 different species on the planet Jijo are well created and interesting. There was lucklily a picture at the end of the book and after looking at that I understood the shape and parts of the different types of aliens there. There is also an interesting idea of 'Patron' species. In other words a species that takes another fledgling group and begins to uplift them. Genetically changing them slowly as well as teaching them things to make them into the next star-faring specie
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Aug 17, 2011
Martin L.
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Not quite as good as the second two books of the first trilogy, but excellent in comparison with a lot of other science fiction. A little hard to keep up with the different races at first, but it gets easier as you get into it. As for the core mystery -- who The Stranger is -- it's both obvious and surprising at the same time. Not many authors can do that. And there are more mysteries to be discovered as I head off to the next book, Infinity's Shore.
Feb 16, 2011
Rob
rated it:
I loved the first Uplift series. I read it relatively early in my scifi reading career and I was blown away. Brin writes such a great combo of hard sf and space opera. He aims BIG and then he delivers. He's so original.
This book, like his often are, was tough to get into because it is so complicated, and he let's you figure it out on the way; he doesn't hold you by the hand. He pulled it together and I was very impressed. But the real story, drama, and power of this story has ye More...
This book, like his often are, was tough to get into because it is so complicated, and he let's you figure it out on the way; he doesn't hold you by the hand. He pulled it together and I was very impressed. But the real story, drama, and power of this story has ye More...
Apr 10, 2011
Jon
rated it:
Took a long time to get going, engaging a lot of time in setting up Jijoan civilization and hobbled (as is the whole trilogy) by switching between too many points of view. The alien narrators and sheer amount of invented vocabulary hinder early immersion.
Mar 10, 2009
Don
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This is a continuation of the Uplift Series. The first books were worth reading, not so much because they were great writing but because the concept was so interesting. Unfortunately this book is so poorly written that I didn’t get very far.
Dec 15, 2009
Teddie
rated it:
He writes excellent prose, but the pace was infuriating. Some of the sci-fi elements were a bit dubious, but there was a surprising, interesting theory about proto-Indo-European language stuck in the middle that made it all worthwhile.
Jun 07, 2010
Shannon
rated it:
Not one of Brin's best, but still enjoyable. Some really interesting concepts, and some neat use of language. Like in the other Uplift books, Brin has a good time communicating the weirdness of alien languages.
I probably would have enjoyed it more if I hadn't picked it up explicitly looking for some space opera. Instead I got a bunch of low-tech refugees who hadn't seen a starship in thousands of years. How frustrating!
I probably would have enjoyed it more if I hadn't picked it up explicitly looking for some space opera. Instead I got a bunch of low-tech refugees who hadn't seen a starship in thousands of years. How frustrating!
Apr 19, 2010
Taylor
rated it:
I love David Brin, but this was a hard book to get into. In typical Brin fashion, there are tons of characters, twisty plot and an interesting universe. But, for me, this book had pacing problems. The first 2/3 to 3/4 of the book were a slog to get through. The last part picked up nicely and redeemed the book somewhat. Perhaps, being the first of a new (and planned - the first trilogy wasn't exactly planned, IIRC) trilogy, this pacing makes sense. But as a stand-alone work, this didn't work for
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Oct 25, 2011
Jud
rated it:
Couldn't get past 'Alvin's story' - it read like an American teenager's boring life with his girl friend 'Huck', the only difference being throat sacs and eye stalks. I didn't waste my time going any further.
Sep 05, 2011
John
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Aug 04, 2011
The best part of David Brin's books are the endings... and this book doesn't have one. In a change of style he's gone for the trilogy option. Not a bad read though apart from that
Jun 09, 2011
Ginny
rated it:
Son, I am disappoint.
The first line of the acknowledgments:
"For those familiar with my other work, this volume may seem a departure from my normal custom of trying to write novels that stand on their own."
...
Things that could have been brought to my attention YESTERDAY.
The first line of the acknowledgments:
"For those familiar with my other work, this volume may seem a departure from my normal custom of trying to write novels that stand on their own."
...
Things that could have been brought to my attention YESTERDAY.
Apr 03, 2009
Koji
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If the Uplift Trilogy was one book of 800 pages, I would have given it 4 or 5 stars. The plot is good, but not good enough for three great books.
Sep 23, 2011
Kelly Lynn
rated it:
I think I was probably way too young to understand this book when I read it. Oh well.
Dec 12, 2010
Harry
rated it:
Richly imagined and extremely well executed. I recommend the whole series.
Aug 25, 2011
Justin
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Brightness Reef is some of the best science-fiction I've read in a long time. The world is totally new, as are the alien races (I've not read the earlier series). Yet all are approachable. The entire cast of characters is endearing and thought-provoking.
This novel does what the best of science-fiction does, it gets me to think. It triggers new synapses, and I appreciate that. I'd recommend this novel to any science-fiction buff, yet I don't think it's unapproachable for the newbie ei More...
This novel does what the best of science-fiction does, it gets me to think. It triggers new synapses, and I appreciate that. I'd recommend this novel to any science-fiction buff, yet I don't think it's unapproachable for the newbie ei More...
Aug 06, 2011
Kirk
rated it:
Brin is an excellent writer, no matter that his cosmology and worldview is upwhacked. In particular, the Uplift series of books are especially inventive and entertaining.
