Why is David Brin popular?

[DrWeird]

I'm 3/4 of the way through Startide Rising and it's got nothing going for it. It sort of reminds me of Vinge's Fire Upon the Deep. Only not good.

Am I missing something?

[phantom power]

1. I remember liking it. It must have been nearly 20 years ago now.

I thought the dolphin characters were cool. I still remember one of the dolphins feeling a bit claustrophobic on the ship, and setting up a resonance with his sonar that faked a sort of infinite sea-scape.

I liked the ending scene too, but I won't spoil it.

And, in general I like all of his Uplift creatures. He has a lot of fun imagining different body-plans, and oddball evolutionary paths to intelligence.

[phantom power]

2. Come to think of it, "Startide Rising" was the only Uplift novel

that I would say wasn't much of a page-turner. I remember working a little bit to get throught it. His other uplift stories struck me as a bit faster paced.

[Forkboy]

3. His book "Earth" is fantastic

Kiln People is interesting in a futuristic noir type of way.

The other stuff of his I've read leaves me feeling like you do now :)

[Spock_is_Skeptical]

4. I lost interest in the book about halfway through.

Well, to be honest I'd lost interest much earlier, but was determined to keep plodding along to see it through. I just couldn't be bothered to finish it, really.

[Ravenseye]

5. Didn't He Write The Postman?

I liked that book, the movie was....well I liked it because I liked the book, but Costner butchered it. Really butchered it.

[phantom power]

6. yes, that was Brin

[CrownPrinceBandar]

7. I can't figure it out either..................

I thought "Sundiver" and "Startide Rising" were very underwhelming, and I absolutely, positively hated "The Postman" movie (but maybe that was just Costner - he has that effect on me)!

[semillama]

8. It's probably just how you prefer books to be paced

I personally found it fascinating, but I'm a detail person. I couldn't get enough of it. I can't get enough of the whole Uplift universe, actually. It totally sucks me in.

He needs to return to that series - my pet peeve was he left way too many loose ends. What the hell happens??

Brin is one of my favorites for sure.

[phantom power]

9. I'm getting the feeling that he doesn't intend to resolve certain

mysteries, chiefly the identity of the Progenitors. He as much as said that the Uplift universe is his personal vehicle for indulging in "space opera". Closing too many plot lines might crash the atmosphere.