A starship crew of humans and dolphins skirts the brink of
interstellar war in this epic adventure by the New York
Times-bestselling author of The Postman.
We are not alone. Humanity's explorations have revealed galaxies
inhabited by millions of intelligent species interacting under ancient
traditions. Foremost among said traditions is uplift, which requires
all spacefaring races to welcome newcomers into Galactic culture by
breeding and genetically guiding each client species to full
sapience--but at a price. Patron races demand centuries of indentured
servitude from each uplifted client. But is upstart humanity a patron or
a client?
The Earthship Streaker--crewed by humans and uplifted dolphins and
chimpanzees--discovers a derelict armada, perhaps left by the very first
patrons, the fabled Progenitors. Suddenly the Five Galaxies teeter on
the brink of all-out war as fanatics hunt Streaker for the secret.
With a damaged ship and hostile aliens in pursuit, the crew must band
together if they hope to survive . . .
This book features a new introduction by the author.
Winner of the Hugo and Nebula Awards
"An extraordinary achievement." --Poul Anderson, award-winning author of
Tau Zero
"What a wonderful ride . . . Startide Rising is one of the books that
I remember most fondly, out of all I have read, and rereading it thirty
years later proved just as enjoyable as the first time. I remain amazed
at how many different characters and subplots Brin juggles without a
misstep, and the way he keeps the tension and suspense high throughout."
--Tor.com
"This is one of the outstanding SF novels of recent years."
--Publishers Weekly
"One of maybe twenty science fiction novels that deserve the label
classic." --Time
