Infinity's Shore (David Brin)

[ray gower]

Second book of the second Uplift Trilogy.
The blurb:

For two thousand years. Jijo's six exiled races have lived together. There greatest wish: to be left alone. Thei greatest fear: an inevitable Judgement Day, when godlike Galactic authorities will punish their illegal colony.

Now they have been found and starships darken the skies. Prey to criminals and fanatics, the inhabitants of Jijo face disaster. It is a time of turmoil and heroic choices and, for the dolphin crew of an Earth Survey Ship, it is a time when the discovery of long-hidden secrets may unlock the destiny of all Five Galaxies

Two thousand years is a very long time to hold a grudge!

A lot of this is probably my fault for entering the series halfway through. But bearing in mind current discussions in General about where modern Sci/Fi is going wrong. I think I would hold this out as case in point.

It is a damned hard book to start to read.

If you can manage to plough your way through the first 200 or so pages of disjointed and confusing introductions, then it does perk up somewhat. But never really seems to get rolling.

Overall I'd say an interesting book for the very different aliens, but not an exceptional book to spend four days reading. Unless you are a fan and have read them all, preferably from the beginning?

[Shaun]

Definitly not an easy series to start near the end or even at the start for that matter. I've read them all and its one of my favourite series, but its pretty heavy and easy to get bogged down.

[ray gower]

Just out of idle curiosity.

Who are the faceless Galactic Authority?

It never came out in the book.

[Shaun]

Sorry can't help you with that. My memory on the details is very fuzzy. If you explain it a bit I might be able to help.

[ray gower]

Quite!

They were, I assume, the ones that said Jijo was not to be settled upon in the first place. And therefore the ones that the inhabitants were in mortal fear of originally?

[Shaun]

Oh thats just a department of the galactic empire (and galactic library), in which all oxygen breathing races are a member. They have very, very strict rules regarding the colonisation of planets and would have no problems exterminating a rogue colony. Its a cruel galaxy.