|
|
| Infinity's Shore Volume Two of The Uplift Trilogy | ||||||||||||
| David Brin | ||||||||||||
| Bantam Spectra, 704 pages | ||||||||||||
|
A review by Catherine Asaro
Six bands of fugitives have come to live on Jijo over a period of two thousand years. Although their respective species
are enemies in the general scheme of the Five Galaxies, the fugitives form an unusual alliance on Jijo that allows
them to live together in relative peace.
The book opens as the Earth Survey Ship Streaker comes on the scene.
Soon other starships are arriving, to the dismay and peril of Jijo's reclusive settlers. What develops is an imaginative
drama of excitement and wonder.
The story is told through many characters, including humans, neo-dolphins, and aliens. Brin uses innovative changes
in prose to convey their qualities. Alvin, a Hoon adolescent, tells his story in first person singular; the compound
mind Asx uses first person plural; more familiar type humans narrate in more familiar third person voices; and so
on. It is a sophisticated technique that effectively relates differences among species as well as individuals.
Although the many diverse viewpoints may make the story harder to get into at first, it is worth the extra
effort. Brin aides the reader in this endeavor with lists of characters, species, and a glossary. In addition,
"texts" written by various characters appear throughout the book, giving additional details on the universe and
its eclectic inhabitants. With their elegant italicized font, the texts also add a flourish of visual artistry
that enhances the literary presentation.
Throughout it all, the prose shines. I could extol the writing, but the words
speak for themselves better than anything I could say.
Witness the introduction of Emerson, the amnesic Stranger. Rather than just making a prosaic statement,
such as, "Emerson had trouble with his memory," Brin writes:
Clever touches of humor add to the story. At one point, an ominous star cruiser is about to discover the
inhabitants of Jijo have wreaked havoc on a station it left on the planet. The vulnerable Asx compound mind,
from one of the fugitive species on Jijo, ponders the prospect of said cruiser's reaction to the havoc and
decides: "As an Earthling writer might put it -- we found ourselves in fetid mulch. Very ripe and very deep."
By using so many different voices to relate events, Brin layers on the story rather than telling it in a more
conventional linear fashion.
From a less talented writer, this technique could have been a confusing disaster; here it works like a
dream. I've read none of the books that proceed this novel, neither the first Uplift Trilogy nor the
first book in this trilogy. Despite that, and despite the complex story line, I was able to follow the
plot and appreciate the artistry that went into creating it.
However, I suspect I missed some richness in the story, due to my lack of familiarity with the
universe. Infinity's Shore can be enjoyed as a stand-alone novel, but it probably works better
after reading Brightness Reef, perhaps even more so if a person is familiar with the first
trilogy -- which promises a new Brin reader many thoughtful hours of entertainment.
Catherine Asaro is a physicist at Molecudyne Research. She earned her Phd in chemical physics from Harvard and a BS from UCLA. She also writes science fiction, a blend of hard SF with space adventure. Her debut novel Primary Inversion is in its second printing, Catch the Lightning won the 1997 Sapphire Award, The Last Hawk is on the Nebula Preliminary ballot, and The Radiant Seas (the sequel to Primary Inversion) comes out in November 1998. The books are stand alone novels, but take place in the same universe. Her husband John Cannizzo is the proverbial NASA rocket scientist, an excellent resource for a writer of romantic space adventure! |
|||||||||||
If you find any errors, typos or other stuff worth mentioning,
please send it to editor@sfsite.com.
Copyright © 1996-2013 SF Site All Rights Reserved Worldwide
