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From: berry@zinfandel.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers
Subject: Re: Startide Rising (semi-spoiler) - (nf)
Message-ID: <1202@zehntel.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 9-Sep-83 04:31:46 EDT
Article-I.D.: zehntel.1202
Posted: Fri Sep  9 04:31:46 1983
Date-Received: Sat, 10-Sep-83 23:22:47 EDT
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#R:pur-phy:-86900:zinfandel:10800017:000:1125
zinfandel!berry    Aug 30 11:04:00 1983

I second the positive review for David Brin's "Startide Rising".  He
should have a new story in next month's Analog, by the way.

I would just like to add a few points about "Startide Rising":

	1) I got the impression that it is not certain whether 
	   humans eveolved intelligence on their own, or their
	   patrons abandonded them (or were wiped out, or forgot...)

	2) The humans and dolphins have a colony world called "Calafia".
	   Calafia is an ancient name for the "Island" off the west coast
	   of North America more commonly called "California" (17th-18th
	   century).  It is also the name of the San Diego "chapter" of
	   the Society for Creative Anachronism.  David Brin teaches at
	   Cal State San Diego.  Get it?

	3) The common term for a dolphin is "fin", as in "I need a fin
	   to volunteer...".  The plural is (I'm serious, so help me!)
	   "fen".

These types of humorous incidentals in no way detract from this excellent
book.  It is not cutesy like "Another FIne Myth" or "The flying sorcerers".
It is just GOOD.

Berry Kercheval		Zehntel Inc.	(decvax!sytek!zehntel!zinfandel!berry)
(415)932-6900