Not as good as Bear's effort in this series but light years ahead of Benford's attrocious book, Brin actually does too neat a job trying to tie everything together. At the same time, he deliberately throws out a few loose ends on the outside chance someone wants to use them later on in the series.

What really makes this book not so good is the fact that the reader must engage in a huge amount of "willing sense of disbelief" when it comes to an 80 year old scientist trapsing around the galaxy one last time. And there are simply too many pat plot devices to get around this plain fact. Plus, we're now expected to believe that mankind's 12K years of lassitude was once again brought about by massive behind the scenes efforts of robots.

At the same time, Brin does an excellent job of exploring the entire "robot sect" theory--that in itself makes the book a worthwhile read.

Like many of the other reviewers, I hope that we've now explored Hari Seldon's life for the absolute last time. The whole Foundation Universe would have been better off with less detail about Seldon's "adventures" and more work on other interesting aspects of the story.

Is this book worth purchasing? Not in hard copy it isn't. Go to your library. If you want all the Foundation/Robot books on one shelf, wait for the paperback version.

First, I believe that the Foundation novels by Isaac Asimov are one of the best novel series in all of modern SF.

Second, I liked the later Foundation novels by Asimov almost as much as I liked the orginal three novels.

Third, I didn't like Gregory Benford's first novel expanding into Foundation terrotory. I did like Greg Bears second novel of this newer Foundation series. And I like this treatment by Brin the best of the new series of Foundation material.

Now... It really isn't the good Doctor's writing style. But then, the Good Doctor had that styleless style that never gets in the way of the Story. But, Brin has one of the better writing styles in modern SF/F. Which makes this very much worth reading. It is pretty much required that you have read both Benford's and Bear's books in the series first. But then, that is why it is called a "series".

Back in 1942 Isaac Asimov started the foundations series - and the future took shape. In 1999 we got book number 10. The third in the second foundation Foundation trilogy. - and it is as great as ever !

Hugo and Nebula award winner David Brin seems to be the man to continue the saga !

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According to psychohistory a tiny colony of mathematicians and psychologists, the Foundation, should take over when the old empire crumples and dies.

Unfortunately, pertubations will nudge the psychohistorical parameters - knocking the Seldon plan off course. For that purpose a shadowy elite of "demigods" is set up to protect the plan. And beyond all that yet another layer for the future of humanity.

The plan set up by R. Daneel Olivaw. A plan that uses the other plans to buy time before this master plan can come into effect. In the Olivaw master plan humanity is changed into a GAIA like structure called the Galaxia superorganism - Every human soul in contact with every other one. All knowledge shared instantly. All misunderstandings erased. All unified into the vast unified web.

But there are snakes in paradise : "..... that is the essential horror of the Zeroth law, serve abstract humnity while allowing trillions of real people to die...", said R. Lodovic.

The real reason the empire is falling is because you, Daneel, wants to get rid of the Galactic bureaucracy. - the grey class. No small meddlers to interfere with Olivaw's masterplan that turns humanity into Galaxia.

And in the end Brin even tells us what it all ends with. Simply, this book couldn't have been any better !

Murasaki star system contains a duo of inhabitable planets that orbit each other: Genji - a high-gravity world with a dense, soupy atmosphere; and Chujo - an arid, wintry world of canyons and wind-swept plains. Neither is perfect for humans - on Genji they must wear pressure suits in addition to getting used to gravity levels half-again as high as on Earth; Chujo is more forgiving, though it can be intensely cold. Both planets serve home to sapient races: the Ihrdizu of Genji - low-tech amphibians that congregate in small villages; and the humanoids of Chujo - aloof, mysterious beings that ignore the humans entirely. It is here that the first manned interstellar expeditions will arrive, bearing humans of all frames of mind - Earthlings and off-worlders, atheists and philosophers, mystics and iconoclasts...

Instead of being a collaborative novel, "Murasaki" is a mixed bag of science fiction stories that share a setting, each written by a different award-winning author. Mind the fact that the only interesting part is the fairly in-depth world-creation notes (included as appendices), and that the stories are pathetically shallow and lead virtually nowhere...

...That is precisely what I though about this "science fiction novel in six parts" prior to reading the last two parts, which are so refreshingly, profoundly excellent that I almost wept with awe. A mystery of interplanetary proportions is suddenly built up and then revealed in flying colors.

It's really a pity that the rest of Murasaki doesn't follow suit.

I became interested in this book after reading Otherness by David Brin. One of the short stories in Otherness is actually a chapter in Murasaki. The book itself is has a very intruiging storyline and I enjoyed reading much of it. The only problam I had was the mental transition I had to make with each chapter of the book, as they are all written by different authors.

All in all, I would definitely recommend this book for anyone who likes the work of Brin, Bear, Anderson, Pohl, Kress etc etc etc.. They all wrote parts of it.

A good read.

An expedition composed of humans and aliens travels to the Sun to solve the mystery of the enigmatic beings who live there. The concept of Uplift, in which races achieve sentience via genetic manipulation by more advanced species, is very interesting, but it is pushed too far into the background here. I was also disappointed by the resolution of the mystery, which made the scope of the story much more narrow and trivial than it could have been. There were also some plot elements, such as the main characters schizophrenia and the trauma in his past, that really didn't amount to much. Although I was not so impressed with this book, I went on to read "Startide Rising," which is much superior, so I intend to continue with this series.

These days, science-fiction is being filled with cliches and reused plots. Luckily, however, it's good to know that there are authors who can come up with original and brilliant ideas. David Brin has done just that with "Sundiver", the first book in both the "Uplift" series and first "Uplift" trilogy.

The "Uplift" novels are centered around the idea of "uplifting," which is one of the most original ideas I've come across in science-fiction. I won't go into detail about uplifting, but I will say it sets the stage for some interesting ideas that can be(and, for the most part, were) used in the novel.

However, this is probably where the only gripe I had with the book comes into play. Instead of concentrating on the idea of uplifting, "Sundiver" focuses more on a mystery being played out and how the various aliens in the story are involved. Uplifting takes a backseat in the story and is usually used as reasoning behind why events occur.

But that really doesn't matter, because I feel that "Sundiver" is a book used to introduce the reader to the "Uplift" universe and set the stage for the next few novels to follow. If "Sundiver" had been a lone book, it would've been a major disappointment. Luckily, that's not the case.

The story itself in "Sundiver" is beautifully played out and very well-constructed, although it does tend to move a little fast at times, particularly in the beginning. The aliens in Brin's world are alone worth getting the book, because Brin, who knows his stuff, makes them interesting yet believable at the same time. Of course, it's not the best story in the world, but it's definately worth any science-fiction fan's time to look into it.

All in all, "Sundiver" acts as a good starting point to the rest of the "Uplift" series, which will most likely play upon the idea of uplifting a great deal more. Combined with a pretty good story and a terrific, original environment, "Sundiver" demands to be given a chance.

Sundiver is a good starting point into the Uplift world that Brin has created. This is the weakest of the six books in the series but is still a worthwhile read. The book is a very easy read, the later Uplift books (actually 2 books plus a trilogy) are much denser and much more rewarding.

Brin's physicist training really shines through in his descriptions of the Sun and its various phenomena. If you like your Science Fiction sprinkled with actual plausible science, then you should enjoy this book as well as the rest of Brin's writings.

(Note: Additional stars may be applicable. See below!)

How did human cultures and mores arise? _Tribes_, a specialized sort of roleplaying game, attempts to answer it through play and experimentation.

_Tribes_ was created by SF author David Brin, and game designing legend Steve Jackson. It's a physically minimal game, with paper components. If you're interested in PLAY of game, and don't mind the lack of slick or commercial production, add a half-star!

The players -- I'd say you need at least six, while twelve is too many -- represent members of a tribe of early humans. The winners (one male, one female) are the ones who end the game with the most surviving children. (An early version of the game was called "Darwinopoly.")

The game is played on a very simple board with four regions (plains, hills, swamp, forest) each of which has a different variety of plants and animals to hunt or gather. Much of the playing surface is occupied by charts and tables, e.g., a timeline to determine how far along your kids are toward maturity.

In each round, players decide whether they're going to spend their time hunting, gathering, guarding children (there are hyeanas about), and making craft items (baskets or spear points). Also, they decide who they're going to sleep with! Successful mating means the female character gets pregnant, of course.

This is a VERY social game. Lots of arguing and bargaining occur. The games I've played (I was a playtester) were all VERY enjoyable. The game is successfull in that, from a simple set of game rules, _social_ rules emerge.

_Tribes_ isn't something you'll play super-often. It's something to have fun with once in a while. The good news is it's easy to learn, so you can spring it on friends and acquaintances who might not normally be into a role-playing game. Add another half-star if this doesn't bother you.

This is a game by David Brin and Steve Jackson. It's fairly cheaply made - consisting of a thin black & white rulebook and a cardstock sheet of counters which you have to cut out yourself. But they weren't expecting to sell the game to the masses anyway. In short, it's a simple simulation of tribal life during the stone age. You hunt, gather, procreate and try to survive. If you're interested in anthropology or fairly quick and simple but interesting games, give it a try.

Interesting documentary style storyline. Definitely worth a read if you like Brin style racconts...

If this book is an example of what "Young Adult" readers think is good (see the high marks by Rebecca), I would be insulted. I think young readers of science fiction are more likely to have limitations of attention span than a need to identify with shallow characters and weak plots. I could (and have!) re-read classic "youth" fiction from Heinlein like Podykane of Mars, Starman Jones, and Citizen of the Galaxy as an adult and they still entertain. For other readers to review it poorly, then say it would be great for youthful readers, is unfair to our youth.

As a teacher and writer of young adult novels, I have to say that I was very excited by the idea that one of the most brilliant authors of speculative fiction, Nancy Kress, was going to try her hand at a young adult novel. Using David Brin's setup (and when will he get around to writing one, hmmm?), Kress unfortunately populates her story with overly simplistic characters, motivations, and plot events. The novel reads as if she's slumming, and completely oblivious of the revolution in young adult fiction that has taken place in the last twenty years. Anybody who has read Cynthia Voigt's "The Runner" or any of Chris Crutcher's books would know that you don't write down to kids -- you write up to them. What makes it even worse is that within the origins of science fiction YA novels, Robert Heinlein set an example of complexity that makes them classic reads for young and old even today -- and, one suspects, for decades to come. What makes all this still worse is that Nancy Kress is married to one of the masters of today's science-fiction YA form, Charles Sheffield, whose Jupiter novels are absolutely first-rate reading. Having said all that, I do think there are some worthwhile moments in the novel: the rescue scene of the baby is done well, as is the overall tricking of the aliens. The main female protagonist rings a little truer than the male protagonist, although both are thoroughly cliched. The supporting cast is a bit less stereotyped, although not by much. Essentially, I would guess Kress got the novel past an editor who had no clue what YA novels are like these days (which her complaint about the marketing would seem to support). Hopefully, she will either give them up or bring her formidable talent into full play next time.

Yanked! tells an exciting story about teenagers from our time confronted with difficult challenges. Not only do they have to deal with a otherworldly situation (literally), but they also have to cope with people from the past and future who have very different views on life: a boy from the past who is a violent, dishonest fellow who is willing to trade people for property, and a robot from the future that can't deal with anything outside its normal experience. How the heroes from our time manage to achieve their goals in spite of these obstacles makes a fine tale.

...Brin's uplift novels are overloaded with wonderful details that lets the reader's mind co-create aliens and alien landscapes. He provides just enough information to evoke a sense of weirdness with his aliens that they become full fledged beings all on their own. His aliens are, for the most part, shockingly original and often disturbing in just how un-human they can be. In Contacting Aliens imagination and originally have been surgically removed leaving us with aliens as two dimensional as the artwork that accompanies their brief description. What a disappointment. The book neither fills in holes left by the series nor adds new ground or information to these characters.

The drawings appear rather juvenile and provide no depth or interest. They contribute nothing to the image of the exotics that populate Brin's novels...

For someone who loves the Uplift universe and the books this is some fun, a mind-teaser but also an annoyance because of the pictures. Having read all of the Uplift novels I have a distinct mental picture of the relevant alien races and I guess that is true for most of the fans.

For someone who doesn't know the novels this book must be quite bewildering - especially because of the pictures. So the only use I foresee for this book is if there is a "Trivial Pursuit - Uplift Universe Edition", then it will be essential. Other than that I agree with others reviewers (and quote the Stones): I can't get no satisfaction either.

If you're like me and sometimes you have trouble keeping track of which species is which in David Brin's Uplift Saga, then this book will prove to be a valuable resource. All of the major players are listed (including those so prominently featured in the "Heaven's Reach" trilogy), along with their patrons and clients, which is very helpful in sorting out the various allegiances and alliances. Most of the entries are quite short, just giving a brief description of the physical appearances of the races, how they were uplifted and what unique gifts were cultivated, and their role or fate in galactic society. Many patrons that have retired or are being urged in that direction by their juniors are included here, along with some races that are now extinct.

The artwork is not phenomenal like you might get from, say, Jim Burns or some of today's prominent artists from graphic novels, but it's got a sly and impudent sense of humor in my opinion. This fits well with the overall tone of the book, which purports to be a field guide for agents of the Terran Clan, i.e. good ol' Mother Earth. So the text often offers up tips on which races are friendly to humans, which want to destroy us, and which are indifferent, and provides hints on how to deal with some of these. (Of a particularly violent and prosletyzing race of religious zealots, the book notes that an agent's only two options are to flee or "to convert [them] to some less noxious creed".)

Also, there are some interesting "real world" web resources listed at the back of the book.

As a general refesher for the fan of Brin's work, this works well, but it's not likely to succeed in attracting new readers to the saga. Really, it's a solid supplement to the accumulated material of the novels and can be of some use, but it's not critical to own.

This is one of the most interesting and unusual of Burroughs' stories. Written shortly after World War I, "Beyond Thirty" follows the assumption that the war in Europe ultimately results in the destruction of European civilization and the complete isolation of the American continents for nearly two hundred years following. Everything between 172 degrees and 30 degrees West longitude is American territory; everything outside these lines is no-man's land. The story begins when an aerial patrol boat is sabotaged and its captain forces a landing near the forbidden 30th longitude line and takes the survivors across into Europe and no-man's land. On the whole, "Beyond Thirty" is a very good adventure story, but could have greatly benefitted from more thorough treatment of its subject. The first few chapters are marvelously detailed in their description of the post-war history, and the adventures toward the middle of the story are typically Burroughsian, with beautiful heroines, strong heroes and low villains. Unfortunately, the latter third seems rushed and most of the plot resolutions appear contrived as a result. "Beyond Thirty" is a good read, and can be rather amusing to the modern reader.

"Dr. Pak's Preschool" is a fascinating short story that raises interesting questions about the relationship between technology and humanity, but it's doubtful that many readers will consider this tiny book a good value. The story focuses on a young Japanese couple: Reiko and her husband Tetsuo. Tetsuo is smart, ambitious, and believes in the synthesis of Eastern traditions and modern Western methods. This has gained him some small reputation as a rebel, for which he sometimes overcompensates by being ultra-conservative. Reiko herself is a very modern Japanese woman, and longs for the respect and independence that Western girls have, but mainly she just wants to be included in Tetsuo's life, even as he seems to grow ever more distant. This changes only superficially with Reiko's pregnancy. In an effort to give his child the best possible start in life, Tetsuo involves Reiko in a high-tech experiment in pre-natal instruction, with astounding results. Reiko overcomes her own misgivings for her husband's sake, until she discovers the terrible price her son may have to pay for his intellect. The conflict focuses on modernism vs. tradition, technology vs. spirituality, and the needs of the individual vs. the pressures of society. Brin cleverly sets his story in Japan, even at the risk of alienating his Western readers, in order to heighten these conflicts. There's a good deal of suspense as Reiko tries to understand exactly what's happening to the women who participate in this experiment, but it's a shame that the answers Brin gives us are so outrageous. Believable as the first half of the book is, the second half seems pretty ridiculous, and badly undercuts any serious message this story might have hoped to convey. While this really isn't a bad story, the method of publication is very poorly thought out. The story is published all by itself as Short Story Paperback #45, running just over 40 pages and selling for $1.95, which is quite reasonable for a book, but pretty steep for just a single story. Readers might be better advised to spend their hard-earned dollars on a paperback version of one of Brin's many fine novels, any of which can be counted on to provide many hours of entertainment for perhaps three times the price.

The story is very interesting and quite good. I don't have much to add to what the previous reviewer has said, except that the story is included in the collection "Otherness" which would be much better value for the money.