A Fire Upon the Deep

Vernor Vinge

1992

This is one of those books that receive instant classic status - in this case quite deservedly.

In Vinge's Universe, the Galaxy is split into a number of Zones (See here for a definition for the Zones).

Even in the Beyond, contact between Civilisations is very limited - this is a really huge volume of space and the major currency of trade is Information. A major clearing house for information and a major node on the Galactic Communications Net is Relay, a system in the mid Beyond and a minor employee is Ravna Bergsndot from the mixed species civilisation of Sjandra Kei.

Out in the High Beyond a research group from a daughter civilisation find an ancient data archive and thinking of the riches involved activate it, trying to take as many precautions as possible. But their quarantine procedures were inadequate, letting loose what was thought to be a minor Perversion - fatal for the civilisation of Straumli Realm of course, but only a temporary blot on the Galaxy.

A Power out in the Transcend isn't quite so certain and sent a probe to Relay to study both Humans and the history of the Perversion. But it had left it's actions too late and in a series of strikes, the Perversion hit both Relay and the centre of the Power out in the Transcend revealing itself to be more than the average Perversion.

Relay had arranged for a ship to be sent out to a world that claimed to be the last resting place of a ship fleeing from the Blight. It is thought that the people crewing this vessel have a method of defeating the Blight. Relay's ship was not quite ready to go when Relay was destroyed round it but still those crewing it - two Skrode-riders, Ravna Bergnsdot, and the final 'gift' from the dead Power, a resurrected Human by the name of Pham Nuwem set out in search of this Final Defence.

What they are chasing are a couple of scared Straumli Realm children, a hundred and fifty of their friends in cold storage. Oh, yes, and the counter to the Blight that is running rampant in the Transcend and High Beyond. The Out of Bounds II, incompletely refitted and damaged by the Fall of Relay, is being chased by two fleets - one who hates humans and had destroyed Ravna's homeworld, and a far quieter fleet from the High Beyond that is proved to be Blight controlled.

Read all about the adventures of the Out of Bounds II as it struggles to reach it's destination! (And did I mention the Tines? An unusual native intelligence whose own politics come to have a bearing on Galactic policies.)

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