- Paperback: 592 pages
- Publisher: Gollancz; New Ed edition (2 Oct 1995)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 1857981278
- ISBN-13: 978-1857981278
- Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 3.7 x 17.8 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 184,931 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
In this Hugo-winning 1991 SF novel, Vernor Vinge gives us a wild new cosmology, a galaxy-spanning "Net of a Million Lies", some finely imagined aliens, and much nail-biting suspense.
Faster-than-light travel remains impossible near Earth, deep in the galaxy's Slow Zone--but physical laws relax in the surrounding Beyond. Outside that again is the Transcend, full of unpredictable, godlike "Powers". When human meddling wakes an old Power, the Blight, this spreads like a wildfire mind virus that turns whole civilisations into its unthinking tools. And the half-mythical Countermeasure, if it exists, is lost with two human children on primitive Tines World.
Serious complications follow. One paranoid alien alliance blames humanity for the Blight and launches a genocidal strike. Pham Nuwen, the man who knows about Countermeasure, escapes this ruin in the spacecraft Out of Band--heading for more violence and treachery, with 500 warships soon in hot pursuit. On his destination world, the fascinating Tines are intelligent only in combination: named "individuals" are small packs of the dog-like aliens. Primitive doesn't mean stupid, and opposed Tine leaders wheedle the young castaways for information about guns and radios. Low-tech war looms, with elaborately nested betrayals and schemes to seize Out of Band if it ever arrives. The tension becomes extreme... while half the Beyond debates the issues on galactic Usenet.
Vinge's climax is suitably mind-boggling. This epic combines the flash and dazzle of old-style space opera with modern, polished thoughtfulness. Pham Nuwen also appears in the nifty prequel set 30,000 years earlier, A Deepness in the Sky. Both recommended. --David Langford
Review
"Fleeing a menace of galactic proportions, a spaceship crashes on an unfamiliar world, leaving the survivors--a pair of children--to the not-so-tender mercies of a medieval, lupine race. Responding to the crippled ship's distress signal, a rescue mission races against time to retrieve the children and recover the weapon they need to prevent the universe from being changed forever. Against a background depicting a space-time continuum stratified into 'zones of thought, ' the author has created a rarity--a unique blend of hard science, high drama, and superb storytelling."
--"Library Journal"
"A tale that burns with the brazen energy of the best space operas of the golden age. Vinge has created a galaxy for the readers of the '90s to believe in...immense, ancient, athrum with data webs, dotted with wonders."
--John Clute, "Interzone"
"Vernor Vinge's best novel yet."
--Greg Bear, author of "Moving Mars"
"Vast, riveting, far-future saga...The overall concept astonishes; the aliens are developed with memorable skill and insight, the plot twists and turns with unputdownable tension. A masterpiece of universe building."
--"Kirkus Reviews"
"The first grand SF I've read in ages...Vinge is one of the best visionary writers of SF today." --David Brin, author of "Earth"
"Fiercely original...Compelling ideas in the book include problems and advantages of group mind, galactic communications turbidity, and the prospect of civilizations aspiring to godhood." -
-Stewart Brand, founder of the "Whole Earth Catalog"
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
--"Library Journal"
"A tale that burns with the brazen energy of the best space operas of the golden age. Vinge has created a galaxy for the readers of the '90s to believe in...immense, ancient, athrum with data webs, dotted with wonders."
--John Clute, "Interzone"
"Vernor Vinge's best novel yet."
--Greg Bear, author of "Moving Mars"
"Vast, riveting, far-future saga...The overall concept astonishes; the aliens are developed with memorable skill and insight, the plot twists and turns with unputdownable tension. A masterpiece of universe building."
--"Kirkus Reviews"
"The first grand SF I've read in ages...Vinge is one of the best visionary writers of SF today." --David Brin, author of "Earth"
"Fiercely original...Compelling ideas in the book include problems and advantages of group mind, galactic communications turbidity, and the prospect of civilizations aspiring to godhood." -
-Stewart Brand, founder of the "Whole Earth Catalog"
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I've read a lot of over-rated books recently - but this grabbed my imagination and attention. Can't put it down! A story across galaxies with brilliant extrapolation regarding the alieness of other living beings and inter-action between them.
Not a science fantasy book; but a science fiction masterpiece with the imagaination of the great Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle. Someone reccomend me more like these!
Not a science fantasy book; but a science fiction masterpiece with the imagaination of the great Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle. Someone reccomend me more like these!
Marvellous- worth waiting for the re-print to come out. Thats a good hint in itself is it not!
CjW BSc.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This book was full of fascinating ideas from start to finish. The author brings in new ideas about the different cultures and tech's in true sci-fi style (imho) by letting you realise just before the full (and interesting) explanation is given what the core content is going to be. The ideas contained are both small and global and are still very strong in my mind at least 5 books and a couple of months later.
I could not recommend this book highly enough. Go and read it.
I could not recommend this book highly enough. Go and read it.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Dr Vinge is, in my opinion, one of the best sci fi authors alive. This is the first book I read of his, and I was hooked. The worlds Dr Vinge creates stay with you - a rare achievement. Highly recommended.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Blight-mey, what a read!
I have not read something like this in a long time (something a student of mine recommended). The style is truly compelling, and the story fascinating, if a little confusing in... Read more
Published 5 months ago by Emmanuel Power
Galaxy Full of Big Ideas to Play With
The plot reads like standard space opera. A spaceship crashes on a pre-technological planet and the survivors encounter the natives, with their unique culture and physiology. Read more
Published 12 months ago by John M. Ford
so good you would like to have more
Complex galactic hard sci-fi, they way you wanted it!
In an era of trilogies, tetra and pentalogies... is this left alone? Read more
In an era of trilogies, tetra and pentalogies... is this left alone? Read more
Published 17 months ago by Andrés
Should have come with more of a fantasy label
Anything that wins a Hugo is worth considering and a winner doubly so. I just wish someone had told me how 'soft' this novel was. Read more
Published on 20 Feb 2010 by Daniel Shoop
Technobabble
Good ideas, very interesting storyline and attractive protagonists.
However, so much convoluted technobabble, it made the book next to impossible to read. Pity.
However, so much convoluted technobabble, it made the book next to impossible to read. Pity.
Published on 4 Dec 2009 by _astra_
turgid, terrible, total claptrap
Vinge may well have some wonderful ideas up his sleeve and I suppose one can see how ahead of its time this book was when it was first written. Read more
Published on 24 Nov 2008 by legslikeaspider
In the best tradition of SF
A very satisfying book, combining grand themes, a strong narrative, and excellent and thoroughly well thought-out ideas for alien races, societies and technologies. Read more
Published on 20 May 2008 by C. McDonnell
Real SF
A genuinely new idea - so rare now, together with a gripping and unpredictable story line. One of the most entertaining books I have ever read.
Published on 8 May 2004 by P. Callaghan
Good read, slow start, good end
Takes a while to get into the book, good read though.
Decent theme with some new technology ideas bandied about (my favorites)and some imaginative syory telling to boot. Read more
Published on 27 Oct 2003 by CjW
Staggering tales of superscience
Vinge has often stated his problems with science fiction- the prospect of an impending Singularity, when human society becomes incomprehensible and unimaginable to us, and... Read more
Published on 13 Dec 2002
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