The Ophiuchi Hotline

By: John Varley

Narrated by: Gabra Zackman

Length: 7 hrs and 50 mins

Publisher's summary

The invaders came in 2050...they did not kill anyone outright. They said they came on behalf of the intelligent species of Earth - dolphins and whales. The invaders quietly destroyed every evidence of technology, then peacefully departed, leaving behind plowed ground and sprouting seeds. In the next two years, 10 billion humans starved to death.

The remnants of humanity that survived relocated to the moon and other planets. But they are not alone in their struggle - someone or something, somewhere deep in space, is sending them advanced scientific data via the Ophiuchi Hotline. And by the 25th century, the technological gifts from the hotline - especially its biological and medical solutions - have created a world unlike any ever known or imagined.

©1977 John Varley (P)2008 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Varley's tight, clean writing, full of wit and good humor, evokes despair, joy, anger, and delight. His Luna is packed with wild inventions, intriguing characters, and stunning scenery." (Publishers Weekly)
"It is fast and complex, and it glitters most impressively." (Science Fiction: The 100 Best Novels)
"This is a novel rich in societies, settings, and technological wizardry. It's a tough-minded, yet a playful book." (Ian Watson)

really enjoyed this

There world of this novel is rich and plausible; I wish there were more stories set in this place. The mysteries of the hotline, the invaders, interesting exploration of culture, cloning (a wonderful twist on this theme), gender, biomechanics, ethics and more, made this a fun read. I'd definitely recommend this one.

What a romp of a story!

I have read this book over and over for about the last 20 years, and have enjoyed it each and every time. So imagine my delight when I discovered that Audible had it in an unabridged version. And what a version! I found the narrator's version of the story as delightful as my own silent reading of it. As to the story itself, I loved the believability of the characters and the descriptions of the various planetary environments. I felt myself living in each of these environments as the story about it was told. I really hated to have the story end. This book is for those who don't mind reading a novel in which all sorts of "improbable" things such as memory recordings, living on airless asteroids, searching for small black holes to sell, etc. seem quite achievable and believable. In other words, for those who are not literal-minded and want to stretch their minds and imaginations by reading something that is just plain FUN.

An odd one.

I have a really hard time explaining this book without giving things away. Let's just say it's a wild, crazy, and often confusing ride into the future, with accidental time travel. Also, whales are smarter than us.

But not in the satirical, Douglas Adams' dolphins' thanks-for-all-the-fish kind of way, but in a "I decided to do LCD, peote, bath salts, and a bottle of moonshine" kind of way.

It's just. Odd. Hence, I'm giving it a middle-ground rating. It had really good parts, and really makes one think about certain aspects of life and futility of society, but also...really really weird. Sort of in an Asminov, Bladerunner kind of way...except...not as approachable? I dunno. Like I said, this ones hard to pin down without spoiling a lot.

Also, lots of sex scenes. But involving people who have...experimented with their own anatomies. Not mutants though. Or at least, not mutants the way we usually think of them?

All I can say is if you don't have any other books you're excited over or pressing matters to attend to, this could be an interesting experimental listening. Otherwise, save it for when the mood for something completely unexpected but NOT the Spanish Inquisition strikes you.

Not one for the kids

Interesting story, but seems rushed at the end. Characters developed nicely, then it just ends.

Lots of sex in the story. So not one for listening to in the car with younger kids.

Humanity as refugees within the solar system

John Varley's The Ophiuchi Hotline offers a novel perspective on humanity being forced off Earth. Invaders from gas giants have arrived and determined that humans are far down the scale of intelligence such that whales and dolphins can exist on Earth, while humans can eek out survival on the other worlds (except for Jupiter). Their survival is assisted by messages broadcast from the direction of the Ophiuchi constellation. This has led to biological modifications with cloning and memory transfer, but DNA modification remains strictly taboo. A convicted genetic engineer is saved from execution by the leader of a group dedicated to overthrowing the invaders and taking back Earth. She has multiple adventures through multiple clones, eventually learning the secret of the hotline and orchestrates the overthrow of the slave-like conditions of the insurgency.

Varley offers a unique perspective on alien lifeforms as well as the distinct views on what constitutes intelligence. Humanity has seemingly adjusted to its 3rd class status in their own solar system, but with lingering resentment. At the same time, there are hints at a larger universe of intelligences with galactic conflict that humanity is barely able to discern. Oddly, while humanity seems to have accepted cloning (including sex change) and memory transfer easily, the taboo against DNA modification seems arbitrary.

The narration is solidly performed with excellent character distinction. Pacing is brisk.

marginal

You woul think the narrator woukd at least have learned how to pronounce ophiuchi, right?

the usual Varley imaginative material, though.

I loved it

This was as good as the Titian series. It continues with the post invasion world line.

still pretty good after all these years

I remember liking this book when I read it as a new paperback. Forty years later it doesn't seem dated. However, I remembered the ending, which maybe took something away from it this time around. I felt the ending was deus ex invader and therefore a letdown. I could have done without the sex scenes too, which maybe in 1977 were edgy, but now were something I wanted to skip. Zackman did a fine job as the narrator.

Very good Sci-Fi

This book flowed really well and was easy to follow for something with such a complex plot that follows a single character in multiple settings and times. It isn't about the invasion of Earth by aliens, but what happens long after that invasion from the perspective of a woman who has several possible roles in the salvation of various parts of humanity. Most of the book takes place on various planets in our solar system and outer space, and it is very imaginatively described without too much detail or invention of unneeded new words that some authors have a tendency towards in this genre. It was fun to listen to, though the narrator is not my favorite. She often speaks statements with an inflection that makes them sound like questions and tries too hard on male voices, but I got used to it after a while and was glad I'd chosen to listen.

Engrossing and complex

Though the publisher's summary suggests that this book is about aliens, the true focus is on humans—specifically, the trans-humans who have cloned themselves and altered DNA for their own purposes, some of which are nefarious. (possible spoilers ahead) The main character, Lilo, is cloned repeatedly and against her will, so that she is forced to exist in many places at once. Time travel is also involved, so things do get very complex. But I found myself rooting for Lilo, and caring about what what happened to her.