Sundiver

infobox Book |
name = Sundiver
title_orig =
translator =


image_caption = Cover of 1980 Bantam Books
paperback edition
author = David Brin
illustrator =
cover_artist =
country = United States
language = English
series = Uplift Universe
genre = Science fiction novel
publisher = Bantam Books
release_date = 1980
english_release_date =
media_type = Print (Paperback)
pages =
isbn = ISBN 0-553-13312-8
preceded_by =
followed_by = Startide Rising

"Sundiver" is a 1980 science fiction novel by David Brin. It is the first book of his Uplift trilogy, and was followed by the Hugo and Nebula award winning novel "Startide Rising" in 1983.

Plot summary

The novel begins with the main character, Jacob Demwa, recovering from the tragedy at the Vanilla Space Needle where he lost his love but saved the space needle from destruction. An alien friend of Demwa's, Fagin (a Kanten), contacts Demwa and offers him a job. Initially reluctant to return to his previous life as a scientific investigator, Demwa agrees to attend a secret meeting. At the meeting, Demwa learns that there are “ghosts” appearing in the Sun's Chromosphere. The ghosts are without precedence in the galactic library.

Demwa agrees to join the mission to discover the origin and purpose of the sun-ghosts. The mission, called Sundiver, is based on Mercury from which the sun ships depart and return. On Mercury, Demwa meets the attractive station commander, Helene deSilva. Demwa, deSilva, Fagin, a Pil named Bubbacub, his assistant Culla (a Pring), Dr. Dwayne Kepler (the head of the Sundiver expedition), Dr. Mildred Martine (a psychiatrist), and the exuberant journalist Peter LaRoque.

Once in the Sun, Demwa observes the sun-ghosts and their erratic behavior. When the humans begin behaving erratically, the crew begins to believe the sun-ghosts are powers unseen and have a dangerous agenda. When a neo-chimpanzee scientist, Dr. Jeffrey, is killed on a solo mission to the sun, it seems to confirm the sun-ghosts hostile intent. But an investigation seems to indicate the reporter, LaRoque, is responsible. LaRoque flees, but is caught by Demwa and subjected to a test to see if he could have killed Dr. Jeffrey. The test results indicate LaRoque has violent tendencies and could have killed Dr. Jeffrey, and LaRouque is incarcerated.

Although set in the same universe as the rest of the other Uplift books, it is set a considerable amount of time before the other books, and shares none of the same characters, apart from Jacob Demwa, who is mentioned as the mentor of Tom Orley and Gillian Baskin, and Helene Alvarez (née deSilva), who is mentioned in "Startide Rising" as Credeiki's former captain aboard the "James Cook" and who appears in "The Uplift War" to sign a treaty with the Thennanin.

Awards and nominations

Sundiver was a nominee for the 1981 Locus Award in the First Novel category. [cite web |url= http://www.locusmag.com/SFAwards/Db/Locus1981.html|title= 1981 Locus Awards|accessdate=2008-04-28]

Publication history

*1980, USA, Bantam Book ISBN 978-0553133127, Pub date 1980, Paperback
*1985, USA, Spectra ISBN 978-0553269826, Pub date 1 January 1985, Paperback
*2001, USA, Recorded Books ISBN 978-0788753305, Pub Date 2001, Cassette

Translations

*French: "Jusqu'au coeur du soleil" ("To the heart of the sun"), 1980
*German: "Sonnentaucher" ("Sun diver"), 2001
*Italian: "Spedizione Sundiver" ("Sundiver expedition"), 1980
*Polish: "Słoneczny nurek" ("Solar diver"), 1995
*Russian: " _ru. Прыжок в Солнце" ("The Jump into the Sun"), 1995, 2002
*Spanish: "Navegante solar" ("Solar navigator"), 1993, 1994

Notes