A Deepness in the Sky

By: Vernor Vinge

Narrated by: Peter Larkin

Length: 28 hrs and 19 mins

Publisher's summary

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 250 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.

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.

Vernor Vinge's A Deepness in the Sky, the second installment of the Zones of Thought series, is a 1999 Nebula Award nominee for Best Novel and the winner of the 2000 Hugo Award for Best Novel.

©1999 Vernor Vinge (P)2009 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

• Hugo Award, Best Novel, 2000

"This prequel to A Fire Upon the Deep demonstrates Vinge's capacity for meticulously detailed culture-building and grand-scale sf drama." ( Library Journal)
"Major revelations, ironies, and payoffs.... A powerful story in the grandest SF tradition." (Amazon.com review)

Great Story if you like a lot of politicking

What made the experience of listening to A Deepness in the Sky the most enjoyable?

I enjoyed the place the story eventually took me to.

What did you like best about this story?

The ending and learning about the aliens

What does Peter Larkin bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Felt as though I was there.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

NA

Any additional comments?

I love the Peter F Hamilton books this was not like that, however it had similarities.It would be nice if there was more to keep my interest up, as it's a long book.The book did drag on in places, and I had trouble remembering who was who.It did win a HUGO award, so maybe its just not my style of book so I did not enjoy it as much as I thought I would. Judge for yourself.
ps It's also a bit like Brian Aldis's Helliconia trilogy, but sadly not as good, as I was riveted by that.

Great story and performance IMHO.

I applaud this book. It took me a while to get started with it, however I thoroughly enjoyed it at the end. The story was engrossing; simple yet complex. I loved it.

loved this book. thorough, satisfying.

I'm sure some people thought it had show points - but I really appreciated the thoroughness of the storytelling. didn't just good over details. all the thoughts were completed, no hanging thoughts. great book.

Hugo?

Far too long, dialogue stilted, and Orson Scott Card did spider aliens a lot better!

A hidden gem of sci-fi. I'm hooked!

For anyone enjoying the themes of the works of Alastair Reynolds or Peter F. Hamilton I highly recommend this book. Exploration, xenogeneic settings, intrigue, and enthralling world building all hail from this story, framed by a fascinating take on exposition.

Solid sci-fi/space drama

solid distinct characters
mostly believable motivations
Things go a bit too neatly but still enjoyable

Fantastic Sci-Fi, Surpasses FotD

Props to Vinge for crafting a meticulously detailed “hard sci-fi” world AND memorable characters AND an engaging plot. Surpasses “Fire Upon the Deep” in my opinion, which had scope and characters that were harder to connect with. “A Deepness in the Sky” hits a sweet spot, showing us a strange far future experience that is still compellingly human—even (especially?) the aliens.

A Must Read

Great book

About half-way through, I downgraded the rating of many of the books in my library.

I hope I get to hear book two soon.

Epic Space opera

Again Vinge weaved multiple converging cultures and stories to build an epic story.
Larking did a good job giving the different characters identifiability, but this solo performance could have been a true opera with a fuller cast of male & female voices.

Awesome prequel to The Fire in the Deep

I found both his books difficult in the first few chapters as we're introduced to such imaginatively different characters and technology. But, once I understand the strangeness of this new universe, I'm totally enthralled with the story. It is a must read for anyone who enjoys strongly character driven sci-fi.