A Deepness in the Sky (5-minute review)

A Deepness in the Sky is one of the best science fiction novels I've read in years. It's an epic first contact story in which Vernor Vinge brings an alien world and its intelligent inhabitants to life in an innovative and engaging way, while at the same time telling the story of a devastating sociological clash between the two space-faring human cultures that arrive to exploit the system.

I found Vinge's universe and characterization somewhat lacking in realism, but the book makes up for that with intriguing concepts and imagination. A Deepness in the Sky won a Hugo award in 2000 and is well worth a read for the discriminating SF aficionado. This is actually a prequel to A Fire Upon the Deep, which I haven't yet read – but I'm very much looking forward to doing so.

16 June, 2005