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Quintaglio Ascension #1
Occhi nello spazio
Ogni tanto torna di moda l'enigma dei dinosauri, esseri giganteschi dei quali fino a due secoli fa non si conosceva nemmeno l'esistenza (e dove la parte enigmatica riguarda la loro estinzione, avvenuta nel Cretaceo). Ma se non fossero scomparsi e si fossero semplicemente trasferiti su un altro pianeta? Non grazie alla loro limitata intelligenza, certo, ma aiutati e trasportati da una razza più sensibile ed evoluta... Ridotta la massa corporea e potenziata la mente, i tirannosauri avrebbero finito per sviluppare la paziente e sofisticata civiltà descritta in questo stupefacente romanzo. Nel quale un brillante scienziato - quello che potremmo considerare l'equivalente sauro di Galileo - deve convincere i suoi concittadini delle verità contenute negli ultimi sviluppi dell'astronomia. Anche perché ignorarle metterebbe in serio pericolo il mondo dei Quintaglio, rettili pensanti ma non senza pregiudizi.
Copertina di Franco Brambilla
Copertina di Franco Brambilla
339 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1992
119 people are currently reading
1785 people want to read
About the author
Robert J. Sawyer
223 books2,454 followersRobert J. Sawyer is one of Canada's best known and most successful science fiction writers. He is the only Canadian (and one of only 7 writers in the world) to have won all three of the top international awards for science fiction: the 1995 Nebula Award for The Terminal Experiment, the 2003 Hugo Award for Hominids, and the 2006 John W. Campbell Memorial Award for Mindscan.
Robert Sawyer grew up in Toronto, the son of two university professors. He credits two of his favourite shows from the late 1960s and early 1970s, Search and Star Trek, with teaching him some of the fundamentals of the science-fiction craft. Sawyer was obsessed with outer space from a young age, and he vividly remembers watching the televised Apollo missions. He claims to have watched the 1968 classic film 2001: A Space Odyssey 25 times. He began writing science fiction in a high school club, which he co-founded, NASFA (Northview Academy Association of Science Fiction Addicts). Sawyer graduated in 1982 from the Radio and Television Arts Program at Ryerson University, where he later worked as an instructor.
Sawyer's first published book, Golden Fleece (1989), is an adaptation of short stories that had previously appeared in the science-fiction magazine Amazing Stories. This book won the Aurora Award for the best Canadian science-fiction novel in English. In the early 1990s Sawyer went on to publish his inventive Quintaglio Ascension trilogy, about a world of intelligent dinosaurs. His 1995 award winning The Terminal Experiment confirmed his place as a major international science-fiction writer.
A prolific writer, Sawyer has published more than 10 novels, plus two trilogies. Reviewers praise Sawyer for his concise prose, which has been compared to that of the science-fiction master Isaac Asimov. Like many science fiction-writers, Sawyer welcomes the opportunities his chosen genre provides for exploring ideas. The first book of his Neanderthal Parallax trilogy, Hominids (2002), is set in a near-future society, in which a quantum computing experiment brings a Neanderthal scientist from a parallel Earth to ours. His 2006 Mindscan explores the possibility of transferring human consciousness into a mechanical body, and the ensuing ethical, legal, and societal ramifications.
A passionate advocate for science fiction, Sawyer teaches creative writing and appears frequently in the media to discuss his genre. He prefers the label "philosophical fiction," and in no way sees himself as a predictor of the future. His mission statement for his writing is "To combine the intimately human with the grandly cosmic."
http://us.macmillan.com/author/robert...
Robert Sawyer grew up in Toronto, the son of two university professors. He credits two of his favourite shows from the late 1960s and early 1970s, Search and Star Trek, with teaching him some of the fundamentals of the science-fiction craft. Sawyer was obsessed with outer space from a young age, and he vividly remembers watching the televised Apollo missions. He claims to have watched the 1968 classic film 2001: A Space Odyssey 25 times. He began writing science fiction in a high school club, which he co-founded, NASFA (Northview Academy Association of Science Fiction Addicts). Sawyer graduated in 1982 from the Radio and Television Arts Program at Ryerson University, where he later worked as an instructor.
Sawyer's first published book, Golden Fleece (1989), is an adaptation of short stories that had previously appeared in the science-fiction magazine Amazing Stories. This book won the Aurora Award for the best Canadian science-fiction novel in English. In the early 1990s Sawyer went on to publish his inventive Quintaglio Ascension trilogy, about a world of intelligent dinosaurs. His 1995 award winning The Terminal Experiment confirmed his place as a major international science-fiction writer.
A prolific writer, Sawyer has published more than 10 novels, plus two trilogies. Reviewers praise Sawyer for his concise prose, which has been compared to that of the science-fiction master Isaac Asimov. Like many science fiction-writers, Sawyer welcomes the opportunities his chosen genre provides for exploring ideas. The first book of his Neanderthal Parallax trilogy, Hominids (2002), is set in a near-future society, in which a quantum computing experiment brings a Neanderthal scientist from a parallel Earth to ours. His 2006 Mindscan explores the possibility of transferring human consciousness into a mechanical body, and the ensuing ethical, legal, and societal ramifications.
A passionate advocate for science fiction, Sawyer teaches creative writing and appears frequently in the media to discuss his genre. He prefers the label "philosophical fiction," and in no way sees himself as a predictor of the future. His mission statement for his writing is "To combine the intimately human with the grandly cosmic."
http://us.macmillan.com/author/robert...
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March 4, 2025
Originally posted on JournalStone
A planet inhabited by sentient dinosaurs whose society is analogous to Europe during the Renaissance. Afsan, the apprentice astrologer, embarks on an ocean pilgrimage to see the Face of God. But this voyage is different from everyone else’s. Afsan has with him a new invention: a far-seer (a telescope), and he does something with it no other Quintaglio has ever done before. He looks at the Face of God. Then he turns the far-seer to the rest of the sky, and concludes his people are not worshipping God at all. God is a planet.
Originally published in 1992 and finally back in print, the first book of Sawyer’s Quintaglio Ascension Trilogy takes place on an alien world entirely from the point of view of the aliens themselves. These aliens happen to be sentient Tyrannosaurus-rexes.
Sawyer’s skill as a writer comes through perfectly. Everything about this book is superbly executed. Sawyer doesn’t just tell a story, he builds a society. For example, the Quintaglios are fiercely territorial. In their society, merely stepping too close to another person is an act of aggression and can accelerate into a fight to the death (dagamant).
Afsan is an active main character. Sawyer does not fall into the trap of telling the story from a passive, observant perspective. Afsan is active. He goes on a ritual hunt and is the one to make the kill in the most spectacular way possible. Not only is he an intellectual, he’s a fighter, but Afsan is not the exception. He’s not the best at everything simply because he’s the main character. He is actually normal for a Quintaglio. Their entire species lives this way. They are fighters. They are territorial. They are killers. And they believe in God.
That’s the focus of this novel. Their religion. Sawyer builds it up very well, creating religious practices inspired by their environment and their own nature. Sure, at first it’s easy to dismiss it as a disguised Catholic church, but because it makes sense in the context of the society Sawyer creates, it’s easy to accept as their unique religion.
For example, one of their religious practices is called the “culling.” Each Quintaglio female lays a clutch of 8 eggs. Because their landmass is so small and their territorial aggression so extreme, overpopulation is a great concern. So it became a ritual tradition for one Quintaglio called a “bloodpriest” to eat all but one hatchling after the eggs hatch. Generally, the one that is spared is the one that runs away fastest.
It makes sense for a species of dinosaurs, so it is acceptable on their terms. Sawyer presents it so logically and his world-building is so superb I understood this culture it as though I lived it myself.
During Afsan’s pilgrimage to the Face of God, he makes an astonishing discovery. It is not God at all. It is a planet. Specifically, their world orbits a gas giant. The “eyes” that move along God’s face are actually other moons. Afasn deduces this by observing the heavens with the new invention of the far-seer.
But he doesn’t stop there. He sets out to prove that they are living on a planet just like the ones he observed in the heavens by asking the ship’s captain to sail around the world. He’s willing to risk his life to prove he’s right. It’s not easy getting the rest of the ship to go along with it, but he prevails.
After his pilgrimage, Afasn meets the inventor of the far-seer, and they compare notes. Their time together leads them to yet another astonishing revelation. The end of the world is coming. Afsan expects people to listen to him, but to his surprise, his discoveries are met with criticism and anger.
The church does not like what he has to say either. The church thinks it knows everything already, and will do anything to punish the one who speaks blasphemy. Even crippling Afsan. We recognize this story--the book even calls itself an allegory of Galileo.
The church is supposed to stand for truth, and yet it is trying to silence the one person who knows the truth. This puts the reader on Afsan’s side the whole way. We all believe we know the truth, and everyone in the world is trying to keep us quiet because they don’t want to face what it means. Like Galileo, this is literally true for Afsan, so everyone can empathize with him a great deal.
The scope of the story is enormous. It’s about Afsan. It’s about their species. It’s about their whole planet! The world-building is top-notch and well thought out, and the characters are memorable and likeable. It’s easy to slip into this culture of dinosaurs and understand it as if it were your own.
A planet inhabited by sentient dinosaurs whose society is analogous to Europe during the Renaissance. Afsan, the apprentice astrologer, embarks on an ocean pilgrimage to see the Face of God. But this voyage is different from everyone else’s. Afsan has with him a new invention: a far-seer (a telescope), and he does something with it no other Quintaglio has ever done before. He looks at the Face of God. Then he turns the far-seer to the rest of the sky, and concludes his people are not worshipping God at all. God is a planet.
Originally published in 1992 and finally back in print, the first book of Sawyer’s Quintaglio Ascension Trilogy takes place on an alien world entirely from the point of view of the aliens themselves. These aliens happen to be sentient Tyrannosaurus-rexes.
Sawyer’s skill as a writer comes through perfectly. Everything about this book is superbly executed. Sawyer doesn’t just tell a story, he builds a society. For example, the Quintaglios are fiercely territorial. In their society, merely stepping too close to another person is an act of aggression and can accelerate into a fight to the death (dagamant).
Afsan is an active main character. Sawyer does not fall into the trap of telling the story from a passive, observant perspective. Afsan is active. He goes on a ritual hunt and is the one to make the kill in the most spectacular way possible. Not only is he an intellectual, he’s a fighter, but Afsan is not the exception. He’s not the best at everything simply because he’s the main character. He is actually normal for a Quintaglio. Their entire species lives this way. They are fighters. They are territorial. They are killers. And they believe in God.
That’s the focus of this novel. Their religion. Sawyer builds it up very well, creating religious practices inspired by their environment and their own nature. Sure, at first it’s easy to dismiss it as a disguised Catholic church, but because it makes sense in the context of the society Sawyer creates, it’s easy to accept as their unique religion.
For example, one of their religious practices is called the “culling.” Each Quintaglio female lays a clutch of 8 eggs. Because their landmass is so small and their territorial aggression so extreme, overpopulation is a great concern. So it became a ritual tradition for one Quintaglio called a “bloodpriest” to eat all but one hatchling after the eggs hatch. Generally, the one that is spared is the one that runs away fastest.
It makes sense for a species of dinosaurs, so it is acceptable on their terms. Sawyer presents it so logically and his world-building is so superb I understood this culture it as though I lived it myself.
During Afsan’s pilgrimage to the Face of God, he makes an astonishing discovery. It is not God at all. It is a planet. Specifically, their world orbits a gas giant. The “eyes” that move along God’s face are actually other moons. Afasn deduces this by observing the heavens with the new invention of the far-seer.
But he doesn’t stop there. He sets out to prove that they are living on a planet just like the ones he observed in the heavens by asking the ship’s captain to sail around the world. He’s willing to risk his life to prove he’s right. It’s not easy getting the rest of the ship to go along with it, but he prevails.
After his pilgrimage, Afasn meets the inventor of the far-seer, and they compare notes. Their time together leads them to yet another astonishing revelation. The end of the world is coming. Afsan expects people to listen to him, but to his surprise, his discoveries are met with criticism and anger.
The church does not like what he has to say either. The church thinks it knows everything already, and will do anything to punish the one who speaks blasphemy. Even crippling Afsan. We recognize this story--the book even calls itself an allegory of Galileo.
The church is supposed to stand for truth, and yet it is trying to silence the one person who knows the truth. This puts the reader on Afsan’s side the whole way. We all believe we know the truth, and everyone in the world is trying to keep us quiet because they don’t want to face what it means. Like Galileo, this is literally true for Afsan, so everyone can empathize with him a great deal.
The scope of the story is enormous. It’s about Afsan. It’s about their species. It’s about their whole planet! The world-building is top-notch and well thought out, and the characters are memorable and likeable. It’s easy to slip into this culture of dinosaurs and understand it as if it were your own.
October 27, 2020
VALUTAZIONE PERSONALE: 4,0
Primo capitolo della Quintaglio Ascension Trilogy, Occhi nello spazio (titolo originale Far Seer) ci proietta in un mondo popolato da tirannosauridi intelligenti, i Quintaglio, dove, in questo primo volume, assistiamo alle peripezie di Afsan, giovane apprendista astrologo che, incarnando a tutti gli effetti una versione rettiliana di Galileo Galilei, sarà protagonista di sconcertanti rivelazioni circa la struttura dello spazio e del mondo stesso, nonché del moto reciproco dei corpi celesti; rivelazioni e scoperte che mineranno alla base la religione, nonché le credenze e le superstizioni su cui si regge il modello di società faticosamente plasmato attraverso le generazioni da questa specie di rettili ancora fortemente legata agli istinti di territorialità che costantemente mettono a rischio la cooperazione tra i membri della stessa, fossilizzandone le potenzialità di sviluppo scientifico, tecnologico nonché sociale.
Nel complesso il romanzo è appassionante, le idee messe in campo, sebbene non originalissime, sono ben elaborate, grazie ad uno stile di scrittura semplice quanto estremamente efficace, garantendo una solidità di base alla struttura complessiva dell' opera che non può che far piacere al lettore.
Credo sia stucchevole avanzare una qualsiasi pretesa di plausibilità, sebbene moltissime situazioni e dinamiche possano essere benissimo verosimili qualora avessimo la certezza dell'esistenza di una forma di vita del genere, tralasciando, naturalmente, la molto più probabile evenienza che una combinazione simile di intelligenza ed istintività in uno stesso organismo sia biologicamente poco credibile.
Affidandoci, dunque, date le circostanze, alla più consona sospensione dell'incredulità, ritengo che il romanzo sia molto ben riuscito, mixando la giusta speculazione propria della fantascienza alle esigenze di trama.
Insomma, sicuramente non ci troviamo di fronte ad un capolavoro, ma era tempo che non mi capitava di leggere un Urania così ben riuscito, sperando che i prossimi della trilogia ne siano all' altezza.
Caldamente consigliato.
Primo capitolo della Quintaglio Ascension Trilogy, Occhi nello spazio (titolo originale Far Seer) ci proietta in un mondo popolato da tirannosauridi intelligenti, i Quintaglio, dove, in questo primo volume, assistiamo alle peripezie di Afsan, giovane apprendista astrologo che, incarnando a tutti gli effetti una versione rettiliana di Galileo Galilei, sarà protagonista di sconcertanti rivelazioni circa la struttura dello spazio e del mondo stesso, nonché del moto reciproco dei corpi celesti; rivelazioni e scoperte che mineranno alla base la religione, nonché le credenze e le superstizioni su cui si regge il modello di società faticosamente plasmato attraverso le generazioni da questa specie di rettili ancora fortemente legata agli istinti di territorialità che costantemente mettono a rischio la cooperazione tra i membri della stessa, fossilizzandone le potenzialità di sviluppo scientifico, tecnologico nonché sociale.
Nel complesso il romanzo è appassionante, le idee messe in campo, sebbene non originalissime, sono ben elaborate, grazie ad uno stile di scrittura semplice quanto estremamente efficace, garantendo una solidità di base alla struttura complessiva dell' opera che non può che far piacere al lettore.
Credo sia stucchevole avanzare una qualsiasi pretesa di plausibilità, sebbene moltissime situazioni e dinamiche possano essere benissimo verosimili qualora avessimo la certezza dell'esistenza di una forma di vita del genere, tralasciando, naturalmente, la molto più probabile evenienza che una combinazione simile di intelligenza ed istintività in uno stesso organismo sia biologicamente poco credibile.
Affidandoci, dunque, date le circostanze, alla più consona sospensione dell'incredulità, ritengo che il romanzo sia molto ben riuscito, mixando la giusta speculazione propria della fantascienza alle esigenze di trama.
Insomma, sicuramente non ci troviamo di fronte ad un capolavoro, ma era tempo che non mi capitava di leggere un Urania così ben riuscito, sperando che i prossimi della trilogia ne siano all' altezza.
Caldamente consigliato.
July 22, 2020
Interesting, sure. So much reads like fantasy though, what with royalty, and a quest, and rites of passage, and a prophecy, even a chosen One... I prefer my sf to be more sciency. Otoh, this is all about one genius, one Galileo analogue, who discovers the scientific method (observation, not experimentation) while discovering the truth about the nature of their world.
I happen to own this and the sequel and so am reading them, but am not sure whether I'll be recommending them or looking for the third. I guess I do recommend them to teens who have been raised by creationists.... ;)
I do like some of the psychology-building. Carnivorous dinosaurs are intensely territorial. So there are all sorts of codes of conduct, including the knowledge that "civilized beings did not fight."
There's a bit of a language lesson here, in that a pack vs. a Pack is "written in left-facing glyphs instead of right."
The lesson, that science is more useful than faith, is hammered home in a number of ways. I particularly like our hero's declaration, while in prison, "I'm against no one. I'm for the truth."
I happen to own this and the sequel and so am reading them, but am not sure whether I'll be recommending them or looking for the third. I guess I do recommend them to teens who have been raised by creationists.... ;)
I do like some of the psychology-building. Carnivorous dinosaurs are intensely territorial. So there are all sorts of codes of conduct, including the knowledge that "civilized beings did not fight."
There's a bit of a language lesson here, in that a pack vs. a Pack is "written in left-facing glyphs instead of right."
The lesson, that science is more useful than faith, is hammered home in a number of ways. I particularly like our hero's declaration, while in prison, "I'm against no one. I'm for the truth."
June 29, 2018
I've read a lot of dinosaur stuff. I started when I was a kid and just never stopped. I've read hard science. I've read natural history. I've read speculative nonfiction. I've read time travel fiction. I've read short story collections. I've read pop-up books and picture books. I've read just about everything, from Ray Bradbury to Stephen Jay Gould to online articles about contemporary findings. Up until now, the weirdest "dinosaur thing" I'd read was probably this one story about a convicted murderer who is sentenced to have his brain transferred into a T. Rex's consciousness ("Just Like Old Times," a part of the Dinosaurs! II anthology).
That WAS the weirdest dinosaur thing I'd read. Until I read Far-Seer.
Far-Seer begins with just about the most outlandish premise of all time: 65 million years ago, aliens abducted some dinosaurs from Earth to save them from extinction, deposited them on a faraway planet, and they've been evolving over there ever since. Now they have a society of intelligent, talking thunder lizards derived from T. Rex, and at the equivalent of their Renaissance period they're just getting into this whole "science" thing.
It's an analogy for scientific discovery, a parallel to the trial and condemnation of Galileo, and a robust argument against scientific denialism. With dinosaurs. On merchant ships. It sounds bizarre, and it is, but what's more bizarre is the fact that this all works. It's got some pretty cheesy writing (complete with unexpected dino sex!) and some pretty convenient exposition to account for how Afsan the apprentice astrologer discovered that their world is round and that the planets orbit the sun, et cetera, but on the whole it's surprisingly exciting and stimulating.
3 stars out of 5.
That WAS the weirdest dinosaur thing I'd read. Until I read Far-Seer.
Far-Seer begins with just about the most outlandish premise of all time: 65 million years ago, aliens abducted some dinosaurs from Earth to save them from extinction, deposited them on a faraway planet, and they've been evolving over there ever since. Now they have a society of intelligent, talking thunder lizards derived from T. Rex, and at the equivalent of their Renaissance period they're just getting into this whole "science" thing.
It's an analogy for scientific discovery, a parallel to the trial and condemnation of Galileo, and a robust argument against scientific denialism. With dinosaurs. On merchant ships. It sounds bizarre, and it is, but what's more bizarre is the fact that this all works. It's got some pretty cheesy writing (complete with unexpected dino sex!) and some pretty convenient exposition to account for how Afsan the apprentice astrologer discovered that their world is round and that the planets orbit the sun, et cetera, but on the whole it's surprisingly exciting and stimulating.
3 stars out of 5.
October 20, 2024
Far-Seer follows the life of young Sal-Afsan on the journey of a lifetime. He is a Quintaglio, a race of sentient t-rexes living on a distant planet and enjoying a unique culture and religion centered on the ritual of the hunt and a seafaring pilgrimage. During his coming-of-age adventures, Afsan makes several discoveries whose repercussions threaten to destroy his society in this re-telling of the lives of Galileo and Copernicus in one.
This novel is best described as charming. The prose is simple yet effective, and tightly written. Clocking in at just over 300 pages it’s a short read despite a few lulls in the pace. Being a planet of carnivorous dinosaurs, there is plenty of violence. The action is well-written and striking. Brevity is a strong point for this author; this is no Martin or Tolkien getting distracted describing food or clothing for 3 pages at a time.
Characters are a little simple but have enough unique traits to avoid being caricatures. There are some inconsistencies in personality. Afsan is described as naïve but comes off more as strangely ignorant for a genius; he can do calculations in his head and is one of the few Quintaglios that can read, yet doesn’t know anything about basic reproduction. Dybo is typically placid but has moments of viciousness that ebb and flow. Protagonists are strong, taking direct action for their interests.
The worldbuilding is solid but could stand for more alien-ness. Quintaglio culture has some fascinating facets: dagamant, or the violent territorial madness that can be triggered by too-close proximity to others, cutting off body parts for punishment (they regenerate), the inability to lie openly (their muzzles turn blue when they fib), hunting rituals. Other aspects are entirely too human without providing the rationale for the unlikely behavior/concepts. The Quintalios are similar enough that one can empathize but different enough to be interesting. Clunky exposition is minimal, for both Afsan’s past as well as the general society; it would just be nice if Afsan had a reason to be as ignorant as he was.
As with his other novels, Sawyer’s boner for science is painfully obvious. While not as strictly anti-religion as his other trilogy, the Neanderthal Parallax, Sawyer comes down extremely hard on the faith. For example, This doesn’t offend me, per se, but it is rather graceless. One thing that I did like was that this is a sci-fi/fantasy novel where religion is not homogeneous: there are different religions followed at different levels of fanaticism, which made it feel much more real.
The book contains a lot of explanations of astrological movement. It takes several repetitions before Sawyer realizes he can summarize Afsan’s observations and arguments without having to re-iterate them again and again. This did not occur enough to annoy me. However, with Sawyer’s unmitigated lust for the scientific method, you’d think that he’d get the facts correct. Which he does not. To be specific, I could write this off as Afsan being incorrect in some of his theory (mistakes drive science just as much as successes do), but the later books play it completely straight and correct without any revisions. It irked me to no end and I find myself mentally editing the book to something more accurate.
TL;DR: The story of Galieo vs. the Church, told on a distant moon with a cast composed of sentient tyrannosaurs. Poor science can be overlooked with action-filled prose and intriguing society.
Final Verdict: Worth a read. The worst part of the novel is being a grown adult carrying around a book with a dinosaur holding a telescope on the cover.
This novel is best described as charming. The prose is simple yet effective, and tightly written. Clocking in at just over 300 pages it’s a short read despite a few lulls in the pace. Being a planet of carnivorous dinosaurs, there is plenty of violence. The action is well-written and striking. Brevity is a strong point for this author; this is no Martin or Tolkien getting distracted describing food or clothing for 3 pages at a time.
Characters are a little simple but have enough unique traits to avoid being caricatures. There are some inconsistencies in personality. Afsan is described as naïve but comes off more as strangely ignorant for a genius; he can do calculations in his head and is one of the few Quintaglios that can read, yet doesn’t know anything about basic reproduction. Dybo is typically placid but has moments of viciousness that ebb and flow. Protagonists are strong, taking direct action for their interests.
The worldbuilding is solid but could stand for more alien-ness. Quintaglio culture has some fascinating facets: dagamant, or the violent territorial madness that can be triggered by too-close proximity to others, cutting off body parts for punishment (they regenerate), the inability to lie openly (their muzzles turn blue when they fib), hunting rituals. Other aspects are entirely too human without providing the rationale for the unlikely behavior/concepts. The Quintalios are similar enough that one can empathize but different enough to be interesting. Clunky exposition is minimal, for both Afsan’s past as well as the general society; it would just be nice if Afsan had a reason to be as ignorant as he was.
As with his other novels, Sawyer’s boner for science is painfully obvious. While not as strictly anti-religion as his other trilogy, the Neanderthal Parallax, Sawyer comes down extremely hard on the faith. For example, This doesn’t offend me, per se, but it is rather graceless. One thing that I did like was that this is a sci-fi/fantasy novel where religion is not homogeneous: there are different religions followed at different levels of fanaticism, which made it feel much more real.
The book contains a lot of explanations of astrological movement. It takes several repetitions before Sawyer realizes he can summarize Afsan’s observations and arguments without having to re-iterate them again and again. This did not occur enough to annoy me. However, with Sawyer’s unmitigated lust for the scientific method, you’d think that he’d get the facts correct. Which he does not. To be specific, I could write this off as Afsan being incorrect in some of his theory (mistakes drive science just as much as successes do), but the later books play it completely straight and correct without any revisions. It irked me to no end and I find myself mentally editing the book to something more accurate.
TL;DR: The story of Galieo vs. the Church, told on a distant moon with a cast composed of sentient tyrannosaurs. Poor science can be overlooked with action-filled prose and intriguing society.
Final Verdict: Worth a read. The worst part of the novel is being a grown adult carrying around a book with a dinosaur holding a telescope on the cover.
February 20, 2025
One of the reasons I love these stories featuring the Quintaglios, the intelligent dinosaurs of this trilogy, is the really fun worldbuilding--there are no humans anywhere here. So Robert J. Sawyer envisions a place where the biology of these Quintaglios determines their societal structure. They're carnivores who hunt, so hunting is a major sociopolitical factor (they even use "Vegetables!" as an occasional swear). Sawyer also develops a great history and set of religions for these dinos.
But that's all background stuff! The main character, Afsan, is a young apprentice astrologer who at the start of the novel goes on his pilgrimage to see the Face of God. But he's a smart guy, and with the help of a new tool called a far-seer, he's going to figure out some interesting things. I thought Afsan was really great, and I loved some of the side characters like Dybo, the crown prince. There's also some great seeds for the sequels, Fossil Hunter and Foreigner, which I will get to soon.
If you want a completely non-human SF setting with some really cool worldbuilding and a fun character to root for, I can recommend this book.
But that's all background stuff! The main character, Afsan, is a young apprentice astrologer who at the start of the novel goes on his pilgrimage to see the Face of God. But he's a smart guy, and with the help of a new tool called a far-seer, he's going to figure out some interesting things. I thought Afsan was really great, and I loved some of the side characters like Dybo, the crown prince. There's also some great seeds for the sequels, Fossil Hunter and Foreigner, which I will get to soon.
If you want a completely non-human SF setting with some really cool worldbuilding and a fun character to root for, I can recommend this book.
July 9, 2020
Far-Seer is the first volume in Sawyer's first trilogy, known as The Quintaglio Ascension. It's a good self-contained story about scientific methods and investigations, while also being a thoughtful evaluation of Galileo and religion. Oh, and all of the main characters are dinosaurs, did I mention that? He constructs a very detailed and richly-developed world, and the book is a real pleasure.
December 19, 2014
I'm a bit of a sucker for interesting alien races, and the Quintaglios are a most interesting people, being descended (or perhaps Uplifted?) from tyrannosaurs as humans are from primates. The Quintaglios have traded in the massive size and tiny arms of their ancestors for longer, tool-using limbs with fine digits, and have reached a roughly Middle Ages level of technology. Explorers on their world, which has a single, Pangaea-like landmass, discovered generations ago a massive sphere in the sky they call the Face of God, and a religion based upon the worship of this sphere has supplanted the older religion of the hunt. A young astrologer Quintaglio named Afsan discovers a newly invented tool called a far-seer, ie a telescope. On his rite of passage to the Face, he turns the Far-Seer upon the great sphere and discovers not God, but a massive gas giant that has tidally locked their world, so that the side with Land always faces away from it.
The book is rich with hard science concepts, from evolution to sociology to archeology to astrophysics, and the science is well explained and researched. Far-seer is definitely leaning more upon the 'science' of science-fiction, which is fine with me. Everyone loves some space fantasy, but hard sci-fi can definitely be enjoyable as well.
Be warned, it is the first part of a trilogy and while it serves alright as a stand alone, to get the rest of the story, you must continue on to Fossil Hunter and Foreigner.
The book is rich with hard science concepts, from evolution to sociology to archeology to astrophysics, and the science is well explained and researched. Far-seer is definitely leaning more upon the 'science' of science-fiction, which is fine with me. Everyone loves some space fantasy, but hard sci-fi can definitely be enjoyable as well.
Be warned, it is the first part of a trilogy and while it serves alright as a stand alone, to get the rest of the story, you must continue on to Fossil Hunter and Foreigner.
October 29, 2018
Un mix tra Keplero e Colombo all'epoca dei dinosauri. Per quanto i protagonisti siano dei rettiliani, quindi non propriamente facile immaginarsi nei loro panni, il romanzo risulta piacevole e di facile lettura.
September 3, 2010
Oh my...where to start. This book was so well done...that I actually wanted to make a fan-made comic on it. I mean it was well done is so many ways. First off the beginning starts off different. The main character has already been on his journey arriving at "Land's" Capital city. I liked that, you didn't need his background right away, it explains to as you read the novel. Afsan is the main character, a part of the intelligent species of Tyrannosaurs living on a moon orbiting a gas giant. He is a intern working for the head Astronomer. The book takes you on an epic journey with numerous characters and also takes you into the politics of the species. The only thing that bothered me was the fact on how human these dinosaurs were, however you can easily disregard that fact because you get so hooked into the book. The scenes made you emotional for the characters, they made you feel for them in ways other books couldn't. However that's just me. The book was well thought out, making many connections to various problems and solutions in the series. The novel makes you feel like your there, experiencing the situation yourself. A MUST READ for anyone 15-over.
June 27, 2017
“I cast a shadow in your presence.”
A great premise: What if Galileo was a sentient theropod on a Jovian moon? Good development of raptor culture and metaphors. Good unraveling of the astronomical puzzle. Okay storytelling.
“Your heroism saved my life.” “It was nothing.” “My life? Or your deed?” “I’d like to think that in either case, that’s not true.”
Got the dynamics of planetary body movement and observation correct enough to make it fun for science nerds, while enough social, language and philosophy filters through to please right-brain-dominant readers.
“No God meant no meaning to it all, no higher standards by which everything was measured.”
The protagonist is certainly The One. Everything is too easy: hunt, astronomy, love, and politics. He swims in secret allies. One pops up whenever he needs. People conveniently die on cue too. (Cover quibble: saurian looks too like a T. Rex.)
“The world might be coming to an end. But they’d worry about that tomorrow.”
A great premise: What if Galileo was a sentient theropod on a Jovian moon? Good development of raptor culture and metaphors. Good unraveling of the astronomical puzzle. Okay storytelling.
“Your heroism saved my life.” “It was nothing.” “My life? Or your deed?” “I’d like to think that in either case, that’s not true.”
Got the dynamics of planetary body movement and observation correct enough to make it fun for science nerds, while enough social, language and philosophy filters through to please right-brain-dominant readers.
“No God meant no meaning to it all, no higher standards by which everything was measured.”
The protagonist is certainly The One. Everything is too easy: hunt, astronomy, love, and politics. He swims in secret allies. One pops up whenever he needs. People conveniently die on cue too. (Cover quibble: saurian looks too like a T. Rex.)
“The world might be coming to an end. But they’d worry about that tomorrow.”
July 4, 2014
Sawyer's world-building (species creation) is brilliant here. You can see the seeds of his Neanderthal Parallax work in this world of dinosaurs, but they're also wholly themselves.
Unfortunately, the plotting and characterization don't hold up to this standard. The plotting in particular is very rudimentary, largely following the story of Galileo, and pushing the characters around as required by the plot. There's not a lot of conflict and there's not a lot of reason for the characters making the decisions that they do, particularly when they change their minds. It all feels very much like a first novel (though it was actually a second).
I'm frankly shocked the book has gotten as good of ratings as it has, and have to presume that's mainly on the coolness of the dinosaur peoples, not on the actual storytelling.
Unfortunately, the plotting and characterization don't hold up to this standard. The plotting in particular is very rudimentary, largely following the story of Galileo, and pushing the characters around as required by the plot. There's not a lot of conflict and there's not a lot of reason for the characters making the decisions that they do, particularly when they change their minds. It all feels very much like a first novel (though it was actually a second).
I'm frankly shocked the book has gotten as good of ratings as it has, and have to presume that's mainly on the coolness of the dinosaur peoples, not on the actual storytelling.
August 13, 2017
I'd like to preface this review by stating that Robert J. Sawyer is one of my favourite writers. His science fiction is thoughtful, insightful, and grounded in current theories and speculations. He writes wildly entertaining stories with great characters and fantastic plot twists.
This book, however, just did not live up to my expectations from this author. It is a neat idea (written from the perspective of a dinosaur-like sentient race) with a very interesting main character (a bright young fellow who doesn't shy away from questioning authority), but ends up being a mildly interesting adventure.
If you enjoy discussions of astronomy, theology, animal behaviour, ecology, and psychology mixed in with your science fiction then you may really like this book. It just felt like the plot was used to forward the philosophy as opposed to the other way around.
This book, however, just did not live up to my expectations from this author. It is a neat idea (written from the perspective of a dinosaur-like sentient race) with a very interesting main character (a bright young fellow who doesn't shy away from questioning authority), but ends up being a mildly interesting adventure.
If you enjoy discussions of astronomy, theology, animal behaviour, ecology, and psychology mixed in with your science fiction then you may really like this book. It just felt like the plot was used to forward the philosophy as opposed to the other way around.
November 13, 2021
I'm not gonna lie: I read this thinking it was the first instalment in the oft-recommended Farseer trilogy. It turns out, it is not. For a book that I had, it turns out, picked simply because its title was similar to that of another book, it was pretty good.
At points, the scientific discussions and religious debates of the book are a little too similar to actual ones when science and religion clashed around the time of the renaissance and the enlightenment. In these chapters, the book feels like a history/science lesson more than a novel. At other points, the story moves forward at a good pace, driven by action-packed scenes, a well-built world, and complex characters.
At points, the scientific discussions and religious debates of the book are a little too similar to actual ones when science and religion clashed around the time of the renaissance and the enlightenment. In these chapters, the book feels like a history/science lesson more than a novel. At other points, the story moves forward at a good pace, driven by action-packed scenes, a well-built world, and complex characters.
November 2, 2024
Fresh out of reading "Treasure island" I dove into this book after it's been on my list for a while.
I found interesting how they coincidentally share a bit at the beginning, but nothing too important.
This story was quite enjoyable, fun setting and world, where everything you need to know is wisely told and easy to understand and the more you travel with Afsan, the protagonist, the more you discover.
I really really enjoyed the setting and the enveiling of what the world actually is. Also very bold move to have science and religion shown in such a uncensored way, a rare thing I've seen in my readings, it was very appreciated.
Although being a incredible good read, there have been a few little things that personally bothered me.
The writing style felt a bit stiff, rare interactions among characters were a bit dry (especially at the end), the whole narration felt episodic, not bad but a bit distracting (gotta love the random Moby Dick plesiosaurus moment), and from the beginning you can sense some tropes and clichès incoming. The "chosen one" is my least favorite, but in a way it was more digestible as you see how Afsan got to be, although, but it got cringey by the end.
The pacing goes on a nice cruise speed with good bumps of adventure, with character growth and fun moments... then goes ultraspeed in the last 50 pages it took me off-guard, in a good way.
It got brutal for Afsan and to see how he had adapted was fascinating, also by the end he got more sassy, I liked that, but it annoyed me how fixated he was on the end of the world, very pushy.
The religion side showed a perverted side that was still expected but interesting to see in the story.
The end was somewhat sweet, prompting a good connection for the sequel.
I want to share a little funny story I have about this trilogy.
I live in Italy and to find the English books I want to hunt I travel abroad. I randomly found Book #3 (New English Library cover) in Edinburgh a few years ago and noticed it was signed. I found the author on this site and wondered if I could get a confirmation it was his signature. I wasn't really expecting to get a reply, but I was very surprised and pleased to get an email back from the author and confirming it. Thank you again!
Last year I finally find this book with the cover I want in Toronto and I set it aside for a short while.
This year I returned to Canada to visit my bestie and I got extra lucky that not only I found book #2 and #3 with the same covers of #1 but both are signed.
All 4 now are well treasured in my collection.
I found interesting how they coincidentally share a bit at the beginning, but nothing too important.
This story was quite enjoyable, fun setting and world, where everything you need to know is wisely told and easy to understand and the more you travel with Afsan, the protagonist, the more you discover.
I really really enjoyed the setting and the enveiling of what the world actually is. Also very bold move to have science and religion shown in such a uncensored way, a rare thing I've seen in my readings, it was very appreciated.
Although being a incredible good read, there have been a few little things that personally bothered me.
The writing style felt a bit stiff, rare interactions among characters were a bit dry (especially at the end), the whole narration felt episodic, not bad but a bit distracting (gotta love the random Moby Dick plesiosaurus moment), and from the beginning you can sense some tropes and clichès incoming. The "chosen one" is my least favorite, but in a way it was more digestible as you see how Afsan got to be, although, but it got cringey by the end.
The pacing goes on a nice cruise speed with good bumps of adventure, with character growth and fun moments... then goes ultraspeed in the last 50 pages it took me off-guard, in a good way.
It got brutal for Afsan and to see how he had adapted was fascinating, also by the end he got more sassy, I liked that, but it annoyed me how fixated he was on the end of the world, very pushy.
The religion side showed a perverted side that was still expected but interesting to see in the story.
The end was somewhat sweet, prompting a good connection for the sequel.
I want to share a little funny story I have about this trilogy.
I live in Italy and to find the English books I want to hunt I travel abroad. I randomly found Book #3 (New English Library cover) in Edinburgh a few years ago and noticed it was signed. I found the author on this site and wondered if I could get a confirmation it was his signature. I wasn't really expecting to get a reply, but I was very surprised and pleased to get an email back from the author and confirming it. Thank you again!
Last year I finally find this book with the cover I want in Toronto and I set it aside for a short while.
This year I returned to Canada to visit my bestie and I got extra lucky that not only I found book #2 and #3 with the same covers of #1 but both are signed.
All 4 now are well treasured in my collection.
January 22, 2022
An amalgam of Galileo, Darwin, Kepler and Eratosthenes our main character Afsan is attempting to bring reason to a very religious dino-culture. It's a good story but I'm a bit tired of this type of plot. I fully endorse the sentiment and recognise that it is likely to always be an important message in our own society.
“That proves only that what we call the Face is not really God. There may still be a God.” -Afsan
The story also depicts the Quintaglios struggling against their wild instincts in order to preserve a civility in their social interactions, which is also an ever important lesson.
The highlights in this story were the dino-quirks which is no surprise, that is after all why we picked up the book in the first place. I loved the formal greeting, "I cast a shadow in your presence" and I like that the story is set on a moon.
I considered the story as a good set up for the trilogy and I'm looking forward to continuing.
“That proves only that what we call the Face is not really God. There may still be a God.” -Afsan
The story also depicts the Quintaglios struggling against their wild instincts in order to preserve a civility in their social interactions, which is also an ever important lesson.
The highlights in this story were the dino-quirks which is no surprise, that is after all why we picked up the book in the first place. I loved the formal greeting, "I cast a shadow in your presence" and I like that the story is set on a moon.
I considered the story as a good set up for the trilogy and I'm looking forward to continuing.
January 11, 2018
Far-Seer is an interesting read. Humanity’s history repackaged as an alien culture. Interesting stuff. The book is an older piece by Sawyer, and thinking of Sawyer’s current works it was cool to see how this writer has grown since the early 90’s when Far-Seer was published. Not that Far-Seer is badly written. On the contrary, however it does provide a marker for Sawyer’s early work. I will be continuing on with the series at some point, but not right away. Recommended, as are all of Sawyer’s books. FYI – the word dinosaurs is never mentioned, which is appropriate, but the Quintaglios are very dinosaur-like, and I wonder if the series will explore any connections to Earth in future volumes. We’ll see.
April 7, 2020
I found this to be an interesting read. It was a bit slow going at first, till I got used to some of the made-up terminology. This is the first in a three volume series. It depicts the rise of a civilization of dinosaurs that was transplanted on one of the moons of the large planets. It chronicles their discovery of that fact and the fact that their world is doomed. Now they have to decide what to do about it. The rest of the adventure is in the next two volumes I expect. It is a wonderful exploration of this idea.
August 23, 2021
Beautiful. This is everything I could ask for in a novel. T-Rex Galileo is the kind of thing I would never have thought of in a million years but is somehow perfect. The worldbuilding was extremely thorough, but thankfully the story was allowed to make room for it instead of coming to a grinding halt every time Sawyer wanted to show off. (The Dinosaur Sex was totally in service to the plot, you guys.) I thoroughly enjoyed this, and I will probably read the sequels too.
October 7, 2023
I think this is a really very good SF book. It's set on an alien world, with alien, dinosaur-like people, and it tells an absorbing story. Afsan, the protagonist, has come to Capital City as a trainee astrologer, (deliberately not 'astronomer') and his discoveries have the potential to change his world. The worldbuilding is great - quite convincing - and the scale from individual to many works very well. It's a story of a society about to enter a difficult time of transition, continued in the subsequent two books.
I liked how Sawyer used the work of both Galileo and Darwin to build his story, they are well worked in.
I liked how Sawyer used the work of both Galileo and Darwin to build his story, they are well worked in.
June 19, 2022
A fascinating and episodic epic that never truly acknowledges its absurdity - dinosaur sex follows individual narratives of animalistic hunts and high-seas murder, and that's before our lead becomes a religious deity. The final act is far too conventional for such a tale, but Sawyer juggles so much that it's a wonder he doesn't drop more.
August 14, 2022
Shockingly well-written and engaging for how campy the premise is! The characters are compelling and enjoyable to read about, the world-building is fun and internally consistent. Rest assured that the plot is more than "just Galileo but he's a dinosaur," with plenty of original concepts, fun action, and emotional moments. I would give it 4 stars instead of 3 were it not for the lowbrow, unfunny fat jokes that plague this book from start to finish. (Which fat person hurt you, Mr. Sawyer?) Refreshingly free of that tropey science fiction/fantasy sexism though -- I genuinely loved the female characters and the quintagaglio civilization's casual gender equality. Would definitely recommend this book/series for adults interested in stories with casts of inhuman characters.
February 26, 2017
Going in, I wondered how absorbing a read this would be without any people to balance it out. The people in the Neanderthal Parallax, though very different, had interaction with people to breed familiarity. I was pleasantly engrossed, of course - the vast majority of Sawyer's writing can do that to a body. I'm very interested to see where this goes now, of course, and so I do have to persist.
July 3, 2012
I have enjoyed several of Robert J. Sawyer’s science fiction novels, but “Far-Seer” is the first fantasy sci-fi I’ve read of this author.
The back of the book of this particular paperback has spoilers, information on the characters of the book that are not revealed (apparently) until the later books in the trilogy, and I was disappointed by that. Of course I won’t reveal that!
Plots:
This is Book One of the Quintaglio Ascension. A “Quintaglio” is a species of intelligent dinosaur, genetically related to Tyrannosaurus Rex, that are on a moon orbiting a gas giant.
The gas giant has religious significance on this moon. The people there believe the world is flat, going down a river and that the gas giant is The Face of God. Asfan, apprentice astrologer, makes discoveries of his universe that fly in the face (sorry for the pun) of the scholars and religionists of the day.
Asfan realizes that if he claims there is no God, that the Face of God is just a planet, that he will crash and burn the religion which has kept his kind civilized for many hundreds of years. On the other hand, he needs to if he wants to have an honest heart and tell the truth.
He discovers the truth with the “Far-Seer” (a telescope), notes the movements of the planets and makes his discoveries. Asfan is also a very skilled killer and some of the more gory aspects of the book make for some intense reading.
The truth has costs, however. A faction that considers him “The One” (holy Matrix!) wants to believe Asfan has been prophesized for the final coming of the world. Asfan on the other hand just wants to help people get off the planet!
Bottom Line: We get to know the Quintaglio society, its language, swear words and even partake of some dinosaur sex. The parallels to our own Galileo is purposeful and enjoyable to say the least. The author really blasts adherence to dogma rather than having an open mind, which should open the door to discussion of these topics, especially with young adult readers.
Not sure if I will continue with this trilogy, but this book is a great start. Just don’t read the back of the book! Recommended.
.
The back of the book of this particular paperback has spoilers, information on the characters of the book that are not revealed (apparently) until the later books in the trilogy, and I was disappointed by that. Of course I won’t reveal that!
Plots:
This is Book One of the Quintaglio Ascension. A “Quintaglio” is a species of intelligent dinosaur, genetically related to Tyrannosaurus Rex, that are on a moon orbiting a gas giant.
The gas giant has religious significance on this moon. The people there believe the world is flat, going down a river and that the gas giant is The Face of God. Asfan, apprentice astrologer, makes discoveries of his universe that fly in the face (sorry for the pun) of the scholars and religionists of the day.
Asfan realizes that if he claims there is no God, that the Face of God is just a planet, that he will crash and burn the religion which has kept his kind civilized for many hundreds of years. On the other hand, he needs to if he wants to have an honest heart and tell the truth.
He discovers the truth with the “Far-Seer” (a telescope), notes the movements of the planets and makes his discoveries. Asfan is also a very skilled killer and some of the more gory aspects of the book make for some intense reading.
The truth has costs, however. A faction that considers him “The One” (holy Matrix!) wants to believe Asfan has been prophesized for the final coming of the world. Asfan on the other hand just wants to help people get off the planet!
Bottom Line: We get to know the Quintaglio society, its language, swear words and even partake of some dinosaur sex. The parallels to our own Galileo is purposeful and enjoyable to say the least. The author really blasts adherence to dogma rather than having an open mind, which should open the door to discussion of these topics, especially with young adult readers.
Not sure if I will continue with this trilogy, but this book is a great start. Just don’t read the back of the book! Recommended.
.
February 9, 2025
I ended up reading this whole series and it is now in my top three favorite series of ALL TIME. Thank you so much, Robert J. Sawyer, for your writing.
Read
March 10, 2009I was really into Robert J. Sawyer for a while back in Junior High, before he won a bunch of awards for later books and became Canada's hottest science fiction star. All of which I just found out via Goodreads, after forgetting him for the last 15 years, and unexpectedly remembering how much I loved this trilogy in the shower this morning. Also for some reason, suddenly fully understanding the cleverness of the Gallileo->Darwin->Freud progression the three novels follow: a progressive dissolution of a culture's illusions about its identity and origins. What made these books awesome, and instant favorites to 12-or-so-year-old me, was the fact that this progression, here, played out in a society formed entirely by intelligent dinosaurs. I think I might still have been planning to be a paleontologist at that point.
I have no idea how relatively terrible or amazing these might seem now, but seeing as I'm reading Phillip K. Dick at the moment, it seems like a good time for sci-fi nostalgia.
I have no idea how relatively terrible or amazing these might seem now, but seeing as I'm reading Phillip K. Dick at the moment, it seems like a good time for sci-fi nostalgia.
April 27, 2019
Short read, but WELL worth it!
What a unique concept for a book. I think I can see where this is going...
5 stars on content and on writing style, but it did seem to be missing a bit of depth. I'm so used to stories bouncing between 2 storylines (that eventually intersect at the end) that this book following just one character, one storyline, seems a bit empty somehow. That said, the idea of the book is really fantastic and just fun to read.
A species of essentially dinosaurs is living upon a seismically active world, and has enough technology to ride boats and build a civilization, think humans during the European expansion in the 12-1600s. On a pilgrimage to see the holy Face of God, Afsan, the apprentice to the Palace Astronomer realizes something that will shake this civilization to its foundation.
Questions of religion, of existence, and of common knowledge emerge and not everyone is happy about young Afsan's predictions for the future.
Read this book. It's fun, it's short, it's good.
What a unique concept for a book. I think I can see where this is going...
5 stars on content and on writing style, but it did seem to be missing a bit of depth. I'm so used to stories bouncing between 2 storylines (that eventually intersect at the end) that this book following just one character, one storyline, seems a bit empty somehow. That said, the idea of the book is really fantastic and just fun to read.
A species of essentially dinosaurs is living upon a seismically active world, and has enough technology to ride boats and build a civilization, think humans during the European expansion in the 12-1600s. On a pilgrimage to see the holy Face of God, Afsan, the apprentice to the Palace Astronomer realizes something that will shake this civilization to its foundation.
Questions of religion, of existence, and of common knowledge emerge and not everyone is happy about young Afsan's predictions for the future.
Read this book. It's fun, it's short, it's good.
April 15, 2019
I quite enjoyed this one, even if it wasn't really what I expected. This was less of an adventure and more of a coming of age story. For most of the book the plot mostly consists of the main character learning about himself, his society and the universe itself, and for such a vastly different world it worked really well.
The ending felt a bit rushed though, and I really think it could've done without the sudden chosen one narrative.
Small detail, but I also feel I should mention how happy I was at the many female characters. There were women scientist and workers, heroes and villains, gods and rulers, all equal to the men. This shouldn't be such a rare thing in sf but it often is, and so I'm giving Far-seeran extra gold star for it.
The ending felt a bit rushed though, and I really think it could've done without the sudden chosen one narrative.
Small detail, but I also feel I should mention how happy I was at the many female characters. There were women scientist and workers, heroes and villains, gods and rulers, all equal to the men. This shouldn't be such a rare thing in sf but it often is, and so I'm giving Far-seeran extra gold star for it.
January 31, 2008
At the risk of appearing to be a dinosaur geek ala Ross Geller of Friends, I had been seen reading a novel with a dinosaur holding a telescope on the cover. Not something I'm keen on, being 40 years of age at the time, but Far-Seer is worth it.
This is the story of a planet inhabited by intelligent dinosaurs, our hero being an astrologer seeking the truth about their world. Be warned that this is part of a trilogy, and they may be hard to find. Although
I did enjoy it, I will not be moving on to the rest. Rather, I will move on to Sawyer's later stuff which,
I'm told, gets better and better.
This is the story of a planet inhabited by intelligent dinosaurs, our hero being an astrologer seeking the truth about their world. Be warned that this is part of a trilogy, and they may be hard to find. Although
I did enjoy it, I will not be moving on to the rest. Rather, I will move on to Sawyer's later stuff which,
I'm told, gets better and better.
August 12, 2017
Bello, mi è veramente piaciuto questo romanzo, credo il primo, di Sawyer. Ho atteso per anni che venisse pubblicato in Italia e spero che i due seguiti arrivino presto. Ovviamente se l'autore dovesse riscriverlo oggi, sarebbe diverso specialmente per la parte della biologia e dell'antropologia dei Quintaglio. Ma resta una storia godibile e nel complesso palusibile. Con diversi misteri ancora da risolvere.
Tre stelle e mezza.
Tre stelle e mezza.
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