A Deepness In the Sky is the story of Pham Nuwen, a small cog in the interstellar trading fleet of the Queng Ho. Both they and the Emergents are orbiting Arachna, a dormant planet which will shortly wake up when it’s On/Off star relights after decades of darkness. Both groups hope to exploit the coming age of technology and commerce on Arachna. But while the Queng Ho seek only to trade aggressively, the Emergents plans are far more sinister, amounting to little short of genocide . . .
This hefty novel returns to the Universe of Vernor Vinge’s 1993 Hugo winner A Fire Upon the Deep–but 30,000 years earlier. It has the same sense of epic vastness despite happening mostly in one isolated solar system. Here there’s a world of intelligent spider- creatures who traditionally hibernate through the “Deepest Darkness” of their strange variable sun’s long “off” periods, when even the atmosphere freezes. Now science offers them an alternative. Meanwhile, attracted by spider radio transmissions, two human starfleets come exploring: merchants hoping for customers, and tyrants who want slaves. Their inevitable clash leaves only crippled remnants of both fleets, with power in the wrong hands, leading to a long wait in space until the spiders develop exploitable technology. Over the years Vinge builds compelling tension through multiple story lines and characters. In the sky, hopes of rebellion against tyranny continue despite soothing lies, brutal repression and a mental bondage that can convert people into literal tools. Down below, the engagingly sympathetic spiders have their own problems. In flashback, we see the grandiose ideals and ultimate betrayal of the merchant culture’s founder, now among the human contingent and pretending to be a senile buffoon while plotting, plotting. Major revelations, ironies and payoffs follow. A powerful story in the grandest SF tradition.
— David Langford
A Deepness in the Sky is included in the collection Zones of Thought which also includes the sequel novel A Fire Upon the Deep.
Awards for A Deepness In The Sky
A Deepness In The Sky is generally regarded as one of the most awarded Science Fiction novels of all time.
Nebula Award (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nebula_Award): nominated for Best Novel (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nebula_Award_for_Best_Novel)
1999 Hugo Award (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugo_Award): winner of Best Novel (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugo_Award_for_Best_Novel)
2000 Prometheus Award (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prometheus_Award): winner of best libertarian science fiction (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libertarian_science_fiction)
2000 John W. Campbell Memorial Award (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_W._Campbell_Memorial_Award), winner
2000 Arthur C. Clarke Award (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_C._Clarke_Award): nominee
2000 Locus Award (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Locus_Award): nominee
2000 http://www.londonin2014.org/sites/default/files/logosmallalpha2.png (http://www.londonin2014.org)
Places to this will be £3, which will help pay for our full supporters membership of London’s bid for the 72nd World Science Fiction Convention in 2014.