Startide Rising

Read this one 24 years ago. Smart dolphins! Aliens bent on destruction! I remember reading the last 70 pages all in a rush. I see this one listed as no. 2 of the Uplift Saga, but I thought it was a stand alone tale when I read it. It's been a while though.

Good Lord. Why did I hate this so much? Even I don't know. Talking dolphins; space opera; strange planets and a cool intergalactic hierarchy of “master” races “uplifting” their lessers. Ostensibly these are all good ideas. I guess I just hated that every character seemed to have one voice, and that voice was Obnoxious.

My Hugo-Nebula mission meets its first major challenge. But then, life's too short for asshole dolphins. I put the book down about 2/3 into it. If I want underwater spec fic, that one TV show with Roy Schneider will just have to do.

Took along time to do not a lot. Slow slog, then a sprint to the end.

I love this book SO much!! It's the 2nd book in Brin's Uplift series and I enjoyed it even more than the 1st, and I loved that one too! This story is set centuries later with an entirely different cast of characters. A spaceship with a crew of humans, dolphins and a chimp, stumbles upon a history altering find out in space. Now it finds itself the focus of countless dangerous galactic enemies. An epic science fiction adventure follows that had me turning page after page. The multiple POVs is done really well, especially with the different species. I look forward to the next in this trilogy.

Get ready to dive (pun intended) into the captivating world of David Brin's Startide Rising, a sci-fi adventure that stands the test of time! Even after a couple of decades, this book still manages to deliver a thrilling and thought-provoking experience. Brin's writing style is as straightforward as it gets, cutting through the fluff and getting right to the heart of the story.

In this series, Earth has become a member of the Galactic Civilization, but it's far from a peaceful coexistence. The story unfolds primarily on the spaceship Streaker, crewed by a diverse mix of humans and uplifted dolphins, as they find themselves in possession of a secret that could shift the balance of power among the galaxy's many races. You discover early in the novel that the crew has landed on a water world with some compatibility for the Terran crew, especially the dolphins. This was necessary due to the crew's discovery of a previously unknown race, with implication that they may be related to the mythical “progenitors.” Many predatory galactic races chase the single mostly-dolphin-crewed ship to forcibly take the prize of this discovery before the information can be claimed by the human-coalition.

The characters in Startide Rising are just as direct as Brin's prose, but don't let that fool you. There's plenty of intrigue to be found, especially when it comes to the villains. And here's the kicker: not all of them are alien! Brin keeps you guessing, wondering who's friend and who's foe in this interstellar tale.

But what really makes this series shine is the fascinating exploration of the relationships between humans and other species, both those from Earth and those from distant galaxies. Brin's anthropology background is on full display here, and it's impossible not to get caught up in the complex dynamics between the various races. The interactions are so well-crafted that you'll find yourself pondering the implications long after you've turned the final page.

So, if you're in the mood for a fun, thought-provoking read that will keep you entertained from start to finish, give Startide Rising a go. It was definitely as good as I remember it being.

7/10

IMHO, this is David Brin's best book.
Great story, even better on a re-read. It hasn't aged.
Required reading for SF aficionados.

My main complaint about this book is that it's an ordeal from start to finish. The human and dolphin characters are stuck on a toxic planet that's killing them slowly, while alien spacefleets fight each other nearby for the opportunity to capture and probably kill them. They also have to contend with discord and treachery amongst themselves. It's a deeply unpleasant situation to be in, and continues through the whole rather long novel, relieved only by a mostly happy though rather improbable ending.

I found at least the first half of the story rather tough to get through, and put-downable: two-star material. Later on, the story becomes exciting and gripping, so I've generously given it three stars. But I reckon to reread three-star books now and then; I've reread this one in the past, but will I ever read it again in future? I'm not sure.

Brin's universe fails to convince me: I don't believe in all these diverse alien species remaining permanently obsessed with uplift over vast spans of time. I don't believe in the Discworld, either, but the Discworld is openly fantastic; I expect science fiction to be more plausible.