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
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