• Startide Rising

  • The Uplift Saga, Book 2
  • By: David Brin
  • Narrated by: George Wilson
  • Length: 17 hrs and 25 mins
  • 4.3 out of 5 stars (879 ratings)

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Startide Rising  By  cover art

Startide Rising

By: David Brin
Narrated by: George Wilson
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Publisher's summary

When Streaker - the first starship designed and crewed by dolphins - discovers a derelict ancient armada with evidence of the first sentient species ever, she sets off a war between dozens of galactic races eager to use the information for their own advancement.

New York Times best-selling author David Brin's novels stretch the imagination while providing action and thrills galore. Packed with exotic aliens and ancient mysteries, Startide Rising delivers breath-taking adventure in the grandest tradition of space opera.

©1983 David Brin (P)2003 Recorded Books

Critic reviews

  • Hugo Award, Best Novel, 1984
  • Nebula Award, Best Novel, 1983

"This is one of the outstanding SF novels of recent years." (Publishers Weekly)
"As the plot thickens and the relationships between the characters become more complex, Wilson's narration is a calm and steady beacon." (AudioFile)

What listeners say about Startide Rising

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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Performance
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Getting Better

The light plot that hampered SUNDIVER, the first in the trilogy is more than made up for here. 250 years later we are in a more sharply defined reality, better writting, complex plot, more defined and refined concepts and a narrator in full stride. Great stuff, looking forward to the next installment

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

dolphin safe

i read this in college and loved it. this time around, i didn't enjoy it quite as much. the characters are a little flat, and they aren't really developed, but they are likeable (except for the bad ones!). having said that, startide rising is a lot better than most sci fi. the premise is very creative, and david brin makes a deep statement about taking care of our fellow mammals. i could have lived without him ACTUALLY STATING IT at the end of the book, but maybe he was afraid some of us missed it.

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

Not good

I listened to the first of this trilogy and was disappointed, but I thought it would be worth it to get to this book because it had won awards. I was disappointed enough with this book that I will not complete the trilogy. The character were poorly developed and I just didn't care about them or the story.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

engrossing Sci-Fi

This imaginative book blends hardcore science with creative speculation. As with Sundiver (which should be read first) the storyline draws you in and becomes completely believable. It is written with thoughtfulness, humor and a deep understanding of human behavior. Not to mention the psychology of clients and ETs. I wish more of this author’s novels were available on audiobooks

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

this delightful tale holds up well...

For those just discovering the Uplift series welcome. I have listened to it every few years. The storyline and issues at the core remain socially relevant and the story telling reminds us all how award winning stories unfold.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

loved it

loved the universe. loved the dalphin's speech. loved the concept of uplift. some space battles...everything we need. highly recommended

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Totally Average SciFi

Better than it's predecessor, but no better or worse than your average pre-2000s "Star Trek" novel. I don't understand why the Uplift series is put on such a high pedistal. Maybe Brin got there first in terms of the subject matter? In any case, it would have been better with a different narrator. He also improved since "Stardiver," but given how poorly that one was read, it would be hard not to.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great hard-sci-fi story

The story is great, and has aged surprisingly well for a sci-fi book written in the early 80s. The narration is good but if you have the volume turned up you can periodically hear the narrator clearing spit out of his mouth, something the producer should have cut out of the recording.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Trying to survive in a tough neighborhood

Startide Rising is David Brin's 2nd installment in his Uplift Trilogy. This tale takes place several centuries after Sundiver (book 1). On a routine mission to evaluate a dolphin crew for 'dolphinning' a space ship, they make a discovery of an ancient, abandoned fleet. Although not appreciating the significance, they are pursued once word get out with other alien races after their find believing evidence of the progenitors (the original sentient race, long gone) has been found. The Earth ship crash lands on a planet and struggles to survive as a space battle rages overhead. On the planet, the small band of humans, along wit their dolphin crew and a single science officer chimp, explore their surrounding and gerry-rig an escape. The planet itself has a strange history with a bizarre lifeform as well as a pre-sentient species. The dolphin crew experiences a mutiny, but eventually, they manage to trick their pursuers and narrowly leave the area without giving up their treasure.

While multiple perspectives are offered, the galactic view provides additional insight to the galactic order. There is a heavy emphasis on propriety and protocol, while everyone still seems to bend the rules. Humans are viewed suspiciously as the notion that they could have uplifted themselves is never entertained by the rest of the universe, At the same time, their work with uplifting dolphins and chimps is viewed as premature and in opposition to normal galactic protocol even though had no idea about the way the rest of the universe operated. Fortunately, the planet is mainly water, giving the dolphins plenty of maneuvering room.

The narration is quite well done with a good range of voices. Pacing is a bit on the slow side, but well aligned with the pace of the story.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

love the complexity

first read this book when I was a kid, 20 years later, it has held up very well!

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1 person found this helpful