A Fire Upon the Deep is a science fiction novel or Space Opera set in the far distant future in the Milky Way Galaxy. There are humans and occasional references to “Old Earth.” And, as the previous statement may imply, there are other sentient beings, some advanced, some primitive.
This was unlike any other Sci-Fi I’ve read or watched. While the Sci-Fi megatext allows for a myriad of cosmos building, Vinge’s novel describes a galaxy that takes some extra concentration to comprehend. The galaxy is divided into four “Zones of Thought”: The Unthinking Depths at the center, then working outward the Slow Zone, The Beyond, and The Transcend. The Unthinking Depths contains only elementary intelligence. The Slow Zone contains some higher intelligent life but almost no artificial intelligence. The Beyond is where most of the novel takes place and contains both highly intelligent life and artificial intelligence approaching sentience. Finally, The Transcend contains the highest intelligences, natural and artificial, known as “Powers”.
The boundaries between zones are shifting and the characteristics within each zone change as one approaches the bordering zone. For instance, there are higher intelligence levels in the High Beyond, while at the bottom of The Beyond, intelligence is only slightly greater than in the High Slow Zone. If a ship using artificial intelligence for propulsion and navigation passes into the slow zone, the artificial intelligence will not function properly, speed of light travel is impossible, and the ship and crew may be stranded in the slow zone.
That’s a gross over-simplification, but it should give some idea.
Similarly, Vinge’s creatures are abstract ideas that also require some deep thinking to imagine. The three main life forms in the story are humans, which are easy enough; Skroderiders, plant-like creatures capable of intelligent thought and speech, rendered mobile by coupling with wheeled vehicles; and Tines.
Tines! How to describe them? Doglike, but longer necks, which exist in packs of 4 to 8 creatures forming a single, group-thinking identity. They can survive losing a member or two, but “Singletons” are nearly invalid unless they can join another pack.
And I haven’t even hinted at the plot: Pandora’s Box. A group of Human Explorers in the High Beyond discovers a data treasure in the low transcend, and they unleash…I’ll spare the spoiler. Lousy humans; they’re always the villains. There’s a desperate escape attempt that is more than an escape; it’s an attempt to save free-thinking beings. There’s a space chase and an internet-like communications network nicknamed “the net of a million lies”. VERY internet-like.
And the ending? Anything but predictable.
This was a fascinating but difficult read. Certain aspects were so abstract that they were challenging to comprehend, but the story kept me engaged. I give Vinge high marks for such an unusual setting and narrative. I’d like to see the movie but don’t envy the director or screenwriter.
My rating: 3 ½ out of 5 stars
This novel satisfies the “Natural Disaster” category (title must contain a word or words that denote a natural disaster, in this case, “fire”) in the What’s in a Name 2024 challenge.
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