Sundiver by David Brin

[Colonel Worf]

The ideas presented in this book are so very interesting, but I think the characters are so bland, and I'm really getting lost in all this technical stuff. I started reading it a few days ago, and I read I got 150 pages into it, but now I'm tempted to give it up because I'm getting a headache trying to keep up with the plot. Is it worth finishing?

[BeardofPants]

Yes, absolutely. The first book is a bit ... naff... at times, I'll grant you that, but the series really picks up in the next 2 books. I've only read the first part of this series though, not the books that come after numbers 2 & 3, but I found them highly enjoyable. (they were lent to me, and I haven't had much luck tracking down the next in the series, which is kinda split into two)

[Colonel Worf]

I'll try and finish it. I just hate how he builds suspense and then inserts a chapter about some boring scientific device.

[FicusFan]

I thought it was ok. I only read it because 1.) I already own it, and 2.) it is part of the first Uplift trilogy. I wanted to read Startide Rising for the book group, and didn't want to have to go backwards later.

I was interested in the way he set up and described the political and economic situation on earth that led up to meeting the aliens. I like the description of the meeting, his family, and the aliens and how they felt about humans.

I thought he did a poor job in describing some things. I am still not sure about the alien zones and what that means for the humans there. I didn't like his flash backs about his wife dying. And his hinting about having another 'evil' personality.

I also thought the stuff on the sun was so-so. I liked the characters and the story, but I hated the way it was set up. They wouldn't tell him what was going on unless he did certain things and then the man who knew was prevented from explaining and then incappacitated. I felt cheated and used. I never felt the reason that they thought the things in the sun were alive was explained. Why didn't they see them as just patterns, or energy - why did they think there was intelligence there I never understood. I also didn't like the 1960's drug-induced psychedelic descriptions. Once was enough, but he kept doing it over and over.

I really never got to know or understand the characters, or why the whole project was such a big deal. I felt the reporter and the debate about origins wasn't done well enough to support the plot.

It wasn't terrible, but it wasn't something I would want to read more of. I was glad it was short. The next books were better.

[Mugwump]

David Brin is one of those authors I've always meant to read but never really got round to. The only book I've managed is Kiln People which I forced into by those horrible, nasty book club people in the top forum.

I'll never forgive you lot! <grin>

[Kamakhya]

LOL Mugwump! I am a big Brin fan, but Kiln People had to be his worst.

I can't really remember Sundiver, but I remember enjoying it so much that I immediately went on to the rest of the series. I liked re-reading Startide Rising so much recently, that I decided to re-read The Uplift War as well.

[Archren]

Mugwump: I'd hate to think that we ruined you on Brin forever by steering you wrong towards "Kiln People" first. Please read either "Uplift War" or "Earth" (the latter being a totally different near-future SF book that I found hugely brilliant) before completely giving up on him!

[ezchaos]

I read this series a few years back and really enjoyed it. Sundiver was OK, but The Uplift War was my favorite overall. Sundiver was much different than the rest of the series with it being kind of a murder mystery, but it was a good 'primer' for things to come. I hope Brin continues writting about this universe in the future.

On another note, if you really like this series, I'd recommend Contacting Aliens: An Illustrated Guid to David Brin's Uplift Universe.

[FicusFan]

He also did a collection of stories set in the Uplift Series I think. It is called Otherness.

[BeardofPants]

Originally Posted by Kamakhya

LOL Mugwump! I am a big Brin fan, but Kiln People had to be his worst.

Thanks for the warning. Was eyeing this up in the bookstores a few days ago...

*adds to avoid-like-the-plague list*

[Kamakhya]

====
Thanks for the warning. Was eyeing this up in the bookstores a few days ago...
====

For some reason, I can't quote or use italics. But, let me say that I still enjoyed Kiln People, even though it was Brin's worst. It is worth a couple of bucks, euros, or pounds as a used paperback. It is not worth full hardback price.

[nicba]

LOL Mugwump! I am a big Brin fan, but Kiln People had to be his worst.

I quite liked Kiln People. It had some great homour in places.

Sundiver was the worst of the lot for me. Perhaps it was because I only read it after Startide Rising and The Uplift War (couldn't track it down before that) and thus had been conditioned to expect more. But the whole crime mystery on a space-station thing didn't have the same appeal as his later books at all. As far as I know Sundiver was Brin's first book and as such not bad, but the only real reason to read it is still that it's part of the Uplift series.

Earth and Glory Season are two other books of his worth a read. Glory Season is his least science-intense book, as far as I remember. It had a more narrow focus on the characters than his more sweeping space operas.

Oh yeah, The Postman wasn't anything special either. Perhaps it was partly because I couldn't get Kevin Costner out of my head while reading it, but it's a contender for the 'worst book' label along with Sundiver. Still, the worst of David Brin is still fairly good.