Vernor Vinge - Zones of Thought Series

In December 2014, I finished listening to A Fire Upon the Deep, the first of 3 sci-fi books written by American write Vernor Vinge. Together, the 3 books in the series form the Zones of Thought series. In June 2016, I got around to listening to the second book in the series, namely A Deepness in the Sky and in July 2016 I listened to the third and final book, namely The Children of the Sky.

Now firstly, how do the 3 books fit together

A Deepness in the Sky (1999), is a prequel to A Fire Upon the Deep (1992), and is set 20,000 years earlier but features the same character Pham Nuwen. Vinge's The Children of the Sky (2011) is set ten years after the book A Fire Upon the Deep.

Vernor Vinge - A Fire Upon the Deep (1992)



Christmas Day 2014 - I have just finished reading this via audiobook when I am either out and about on longer drives in the car or out for long fitness walks.

A Fire Upon the Deep is a science fiction novel by American writer Vernor Vinge, a space opera involving superhuman intelligences, aliens, variable physics, space battles, love, betrayal, genocide, and a conversation medium resembling Usenet. A Fire Upon the Deep won the Hugo Award in 1993 and is a complex listen (rather than a complex read, in my case!).

Its two main characters are Pham Nuwen and Ravna Bergsndot and the book follows their attempt to defeat the superintelligent Blight which is intent on ruling the universe.

A fantastic book and a wonderful imagining. It took me mid book to really understand the nature of their universe and the true scope of the story. Strongly recommended for any serious SciFi reader.


Vernor Vinge - A Deepness in the Sky (1999)

For the second story in the trilogy, we jump back 20,000 years and meet the real and original Pham Nuwen, rather then the artificially reconstructed Pham Nuwen of the first book. Wow, it's all a bit mind blowing.

First to the blurb:

After thousands of years searching, humans stand on the verge of first contact with an alien race. Two human groups: the Qeng Ho, a culture of free traders, and the Emergents, a ruthless society based on the technological enslavement of minds. The group that opens trade with the aliens will reap unimaginable riches. 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.... Then, following terrible treachery, the Qeng Ho must fight for their freedom and for the lives of the unsuspecting innocents on the planet below, while the aliens themselves play a role unsuspected by the Qeng Ho and Emergents alike.

The cast of characters is wonderful, whether human or arachnid. From the ultimate baddie sociopath Tomas Nau to the heroic Pham Nuwen to the brilliant Sherkaner Underhill, the story unfolds at a roller coaster rate, with twists and turns everywhere. Yet it fills some 500 pages, with no fillers or irrelevances. It was a sheer and utter joy to listen to.

There are similarities between the two books in that, in both, the book plots the interaction between human and non-human races.

This is a MUST READ! Vernor Vinge is an author of great insight, imagination and talent.

Vernor Vinger - The Children of the Sky (2011)

It did not take me long to listen to the audiobook of the third story in the trilogy. Here's the blurb:

Ten years have passed on Tines World, where Ravna Bergnsdot and a number of human children ended up after a disaster that nearly obliterated humankind throughout the galaxy. Ravna and the pack animals for which the planet is named have survived a war, and Ravna has saved more than one hundred children who were in cold-sleep aboard the vessel that brought them.

While there is peace among the Tines, there are those among them—and among the humans—who seek power… and no matter the cost, these malcontents are determined to overturn the fledgling civilization that has taken root since the humans landed.

On a world of fascinating wonders and terrifying dangers, Vernor Vinge has created a powerful novel of adventure and discovery that will entrance the many readers of A Fire Upon the Deep. Filled with the inventiveness, excitement, and human drama that have become hallmarks of his work, this new novel is sure to become another great milestone in Vinge’s already stellar career. 

With a hardcover book of 444 pages, it is a long book but riveting. Continuing the story started in book one, the pace continues relentlessly. This was just as good as the first two books in my opinion and that is saying a lot as the others were great. My only gripe is that Ravna Bergsndot, one of the heroes from the first book, comes across as a very different and less capable person. But that's a small comment.