David Brin: Mystery/SuspenseUnlike the other Science Fiction authors listed here, David Brin writes novels that are full of optimism. The pervasive darkness that is fashionable these days is not found in his books. One of David Brin's first books was called The Postman, and it was adapted into the Kevin Costner movie flop of the same name. But Brin really hit his stride with a series normally called the Uplift Trilogy.
Startide RisingThis is my favorite book of the original uplift trilogy. The premise in this universe is that when man ventures into the cosmos he finds it crowded with other races. But all the other races have been "Uplifted" by sponsor races, that is they have been transformed from reasonably intelligent animals into sentient races. Mankind is the only race that appears not to have been uplifted by anybody, but some think that they were originally uplifted by a mythical original race. In the mean time mankind has been genetically modifying dolphins and chimpanzees to uplift them. Lots of politics and manuvering among the predominant races to wrestle an advantage out of the appearance of humans.Paperback ISBN: 0-553-27418-X
The other books in the original uplift trilogy are:
David Brin has written a second uplift trilogy as well. I have only read
the first of the series, Brightness Reef, but it was also good. The
books in the new series are:
OthernessThis book is a better way to get to know how David Brin really thinks. It contains short stories and essays that provide a good look at Brin himself and his outlook on life, the universe and everything. Not as great a read as the novels, but more thought provoking.Paperback ISBN: 0-553-29528-4
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