This character is old, and grew up in a very patriarchal society. I suspect the character of Pham Trinli is based on the author. I appreciate an author who knows where his boundary is. The premise of the odd world On/Off, and the strange spider-like creatures who live there is very well done. The comparison between the trade society Queng Ho, and the Emergents, a totalitarian society bent on domination.

And the story is good, really really good. It's more of a prequel, than a sequel, set hundreds or thousands years in the past (its been awhile since I read the first book). Its been awhile since I read straight science fiction- and this book is a sequel to 'A Fire Upon the Deep', which I enjoyed. More than just a great science fiction adventure, A Deepness in the Sky is a universal drama of courage, self-discovery, and the redemptive power of love.Īt the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

But first, both groups must wait at the aliens' very doorstep for their strange star to relight and for their planet to reawaken, as it does every two hundred and fifty years. The group that opens trade with the aliens will reap unimaginable riches. Two human groups: the Qeng Ho, a culture of free traders, and the Emergents, a ruthless society based on the technological enslavement of minds. Thirty-Thousand years before A Fire Upon the Deep, humans stand on the verge of first contact with an alien race. “Vinge is one of the best visionary writers of SF today.” - David Brin

A deepness in the sky by vernor vinge