Vernor Vinge

[Coragem]

Okay, okay, I have too many books in my "to read" pile already ...

But, I saw Vernor Vinge mentioned in another thread, and I'm interested. Zones of Thought then caught my eye, when I had a glance on Amazon.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0575093692/?tag=brite-21

I'd never heard of Vinge before now, but I believe he's not well known where I am, in the UK.

I do like sci-fi, although I tend to struggle to find sci-fi I like. I find it easier with fantasy, but my problem with sci-fi comes where the science takes precedence over the fiction; or more specifically, where characters aren't given enough priority.

For me having strong characters (ideally some I can "like", and/or some who get into some heroism and romance) is more important than anything.

Shall I give Vinge a try?

Coragem.

 

[blacknorth]

I have a volume of collected stories from Tor books, and a serialised The Peace War, which is the book I was advised to start with if I wanted to try VV. Unfortunately, shallow chump that I am, I can't get past his name to the first page. It's like Bud Sparhawk, or China Mieville, it makes me want to laugh and puke, simultaneously.

 

[J-Sun]

I'd never heard of Vinge before now, but I believe he's not well known where I am, in the UK.

Not that the Hugos are an endorsement these days but his last three consecutive novels have all won the Hugo award which is possibly unprecedented and should make him pretty well known. His novella "True Names" is generally widely known, too. -- Oh and he's also widely associated with "the Singularity" theorizing which also makes him famous and that alone makes him hugely influential in modern SF.

I do like sci-fi, although I tend to struggle to find sci-fi I like. I find it easier with fantasy, but my problem with sci-fi comes where the science takes precedence over the fiction; or more specifically, where characters aren't given enough priority.

For me having strong characters (ideally some I can "like", and/or some who get into some heroism and romance) is more important than anything.

While he can be very hard SF, things like Taja Grimm's World could appeal to fantasy folks and he sort of has his cake and eats it too in the Zones books which are quite fantastic as well as science fictional. I don't know if his characterization would suit you because it's probably not on the level of, say, Charlie, in "Flowers for Algernon" but I think I know where your concern comes from and he's not likely to trigger those problems. IOW, his characters may or may not be a big plus for you but shouldn't be a significant minus. They don't serve to just vocalize equations.

Shall I give Vinge a try?

I'd say so, but I'm biased.

 

[Bugg]

I read 'A Fire Upon the Deep' many, many years ago and remember enjoying it, although I couldn't for the life of me tell you much about it now. I re-bought the Kindle version a while back so shall be giving it another go at some point.

You could read this review and see if it appeals (handily, the reviewer tells you when to skip spoilers):

http://www.fantasybookcafe.com/2011/01/review-of-a-fire-upon-the-deep-by-vernor-vinge/

 

[HareBrain]

I'd definitely recommend Fire Upon the Deep -- the Tines are a brilliant and well-realised creation, and there are several other good things too, the chilling vision of the Blight's "help" among them.

 

[williamjm]

I do like sci-fi, although I tend to struggle to find sci-fi I like. I find it easier with fantasy, but my problem with sci-fi comes where the science takes precedence over the fiction; or more specifically, where characters aren't given enough priority.

For me having strong characters (ideally some I can "like", and/or some who get into some heroism and romance) is more important than anything.

Shall I give Vinge a try?

He does have quite a few strong characters in his books, there is often a fair bit of science in his books but I don't think it overwhelms the characterisation. His alien characters tend to be particularly interesting.

I think "A Fire Upon The Deep" and "A Deepness in the Sky" are two of the best Science Fiction novels I've read, and I'm very curious about "Children of the Sky", set in the same world, which is released later this year. If you're look for an Epic Fantasy comparison then a significant portion of both novels takes place on primitive alien worlds without high technology and some bits of A Fire Upon The Deep wouldn't be out of place in an Epic Fantasy series.

I have a volume of collected stories from Tor books, and a serialised The Peace War, which is the book I was advised to start with if I wanted to try VV.

I think it's a slightly odd recommendation to start with, I thought "The Peace War" was mediocre and nowhere near the brilliance of his later novels, although its semi-sequel "Marooned in Realtime" is much better. His short stories in that collection tend to be fairly good, but I think he is better in novel form.

 

[Montero]

In terms of story chronology, I was under the impression that the Peace War was the earliest book in story. Could be wrong.

I wouldn't rate it as highly as his later books, but I'd rate it above mediocre. Certainly re-read it a couple of times. It is shorter and simpler than anything else of his.

 

[Pyan]

I'd agree with earlier comments and praise for A Fire Upon the Deep and A Deepness in the Sky, and I'd be inclined to read AFUtD first rather than The Peace War, which I didn't particularly like.

 

[williamjm]

In terms of story chronology, I was under the impression that the Peace War was the earliest book in story. Could be wrong.

Yes it is, that's why I said Marooned In Realtime was the sequel to it (there's also a short story, "The Ungoverned", set in between the two novels).

I wouldn't rate it as highly as his later books, but I'd rate it above mediocre. Certainly re-read it a couple of times. It is shorter and simpler than anything else of his.

His earliest novel, "The Witling" is even shorter and it's a pretty straightforward story about an alien planet whose inhabitants have one special ability.

 

[Brian G Turner]

Yes it is, that's why I said Marooned In Realtime was the sequel to it

Ah - I've just started Across Realtime. I'd thought it was a standalone novel - but it's part of a series?

EDIT: Hang on, just checked on Amazon - apparently Across Realtime is The Peace War and Marooned In Realtime published as a single volume.

 

[Bugg]

^^ Yes, it is, Brian. Both good stories. I think some editions of Across Realtime also include the novella, The Ungoverned - but that is also pretty easy to find online if your copy doesn't have it.

After my post up-thread I went back and re-read A Fire Upon the Deep and then read, for the first time, A Deepness in the Sky. I think they're both fabulous. I also read the belated sequel, The Children of the Sky, which I thought was decent but nowhere near as good as its predecessors. It felt kind of unnecessary, to me.

After those, I went on to read The Witling, Tatja Grimm's World, The Peace War and Marooned in Realtime. I enjoyed them all, to one degree or another, but not as much as A Fire . . . or A Deepness . . .

I bought Rainbows End last week, so I'm looking forward to reading that one.

 

[Brian G Turner]

I have to admit, I'm getting a little frustrated with The Peace War.

There are references in the first chapters to "double sunlight" and "triple moonlight". I took this to presume there must be two suns and three moons, which suggested that we were on another planet somewhere.

However, a few more chapters in and it just happens to be mentioned that these are references to a giant glass dome - whose reflection provides the double sunlight/moonlight effect. The third moonlight comes from its reflection from the sea.

That kind of feels a bit like cheating to me - if there is one sun and one moon then there is one sunlight and one moonlight, and anything else are reflections which should be noted as reflections. Not implied as additional bodies in their own right. I live by the sea and have never considered the moon's reflection as being a "second moonlight". It's as if Vinge put the terms there just to try and give more a sense of a SF setting, even though it confused the context.

I've also just read a chapter where someone crash lands, looks up to see an unfamiliar building, and wonders if they must have somehow ended up in a parallel world or - the future. I struggle to believe that these are going to be the first things a military pilot will start to wonder about after crashing.

Both are minor complaints, really. The prose is competent. But I am 20% of the way through the story, and I don't get a feeling of much going on.

Maybe I'm being unfair on it, because I've been reading the chapters in a piecemeal manner, with long breaks in between. However, maybe the fact that Vinge has won five Hugos set my expectations a little higher than I should have - perhaps I should have reserved those for Fire Upon the Deep.

 

[Bugg]

I seem to remember some of those things were kind of explained later on, but don't quote me on that. I find Vinge is one of those authors who usually shows rather than tells, so he's not big on info dumps - he tends to let things filter through. I'd say The Peace War was his sixth best novel. I enjoyed it but I didn't love it the way I do some of his others.