Drowning World

Last updated
Drowning World
Drowning world cover.png
Author Alan Dean Foster
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Genre Science fiction
Publisher Del Rey Books
Publication date
2003
Media typePrint (Paperback)
Pages336
ISBN 0-345-45036-1
OCLC 53378699

Drowning World (2003) is a science fiction novel by American writer Alan Dean Foster.

Contents

Plot summary

On the distant planet Fluva, torrential rains that leave it barely habitable also make it a treasure trove of rare botanical specimens. When the human bio-prospector Shadrach Hasselemoga crashes in the remote and deadliest place on Fluva; the Viisiiviisii. The only crew available to search for him is the warrior Jemunu-jah, one of the native Sakuntala, and the immigrant Deyzara trader and experienced pilot, Masurathoo. This culturally different and physically repulsive to each other couple promptly crash also. While the rescuers and the rescued are all slogging it out of the ultimate rain forest, the reptilian AAnn empire is fomenting bloody trouble between the Sakuntula and the Deyzara. This leaves Commonwealth administrator Lauren Matthias in the hot seat, with refugees swarming in to her limited facilities and the bodies of the innocent piling up, with few resources to help. But it's the survivors of the rain forest who bring new knowledge that helps save Fluva, along with quick work by Matthias.

Literary significance and reception

Regina Schroeder in her review for Booklist said "Driven by political intrigue and wilderness adventure, this is SF of noble vintage." [1] Kirkus Reviews summarized this novel as "a Cold War-style superpower confrontation-by-proxy, tricked out in weird-alien garb: no prizes for style, but satisfyingly substantial." [2] Peter Cannon gave this book a mixed review in Publishers Weekly saying "the human characters are notably less developed than the aliens, and the AAn Empire is something of a straw foe these days, but the author's mastery of his exotic setting cannot be denied." [3]

Related Research Articles

<i>Evolution</i> (Baxter novel) 2002 anthology by Stephen Baxter

Evolution is a collection of short stories that work together to form an episodic science fiction novel by author Stephen Baxter. It follows 565 million years of human evolution, from shrewlike mammals 65 million years in the past to the ultimate fate of humanity 500 million years in the future.

<i>Chasm City</i> 2001 novel by Alastair Reynolds

Chasm City is a 2001 science fiction novel by British writer Alastair Reynolds, set in the Revelation Space universe. It deals with themes of identity, memory, and immortality, and many of its scenes are concerned primarily with describing the unusual societal and physical structure of the titular city, a major nexus of Reynolds's universe. It won the 2002 British Science Fiction Association award.

<i>Eastern Standard Tribe</i>

Eastern Standard Tribe is a 2004 science fiction novel by Canadian writer Cory Doctorow. Like Doctorow's first two books, the entire text was released under a Creative Commons license on Doctorow's website, allowing the whole text of the book to be read for free and distributed without the publisher's permission.

<i>The Mount</i> (novel)

The Mount is a 2002 science fantasy novel by Carol Emshwiller. It won the Philip K. Dick Award in 2002, and was also nominated for the Nebula Award for Best Novel in 2003.

The Damned Trilogy is a set of three science fiction novels by American writer Alan Dean Foster, detailing human involvement in an interstellar war.

<i>Evenings Empire</i> 2002 novel by David Herter

Evening's Empire is a science fiction novel by American writer David Herter, published in 2002. It is the author's second novel after 2000's Ceres Storm.

<i>Lazarus Rising</i> (novel) 2003 novel by David Sherman and Dan Cragg

Lazarus Rising is the ninth novel of the military science fiction StarFist Saga, written by David Sherman and Dan Cragg.

<i>Diuturnitys Dawn</i> 2002 novel by Alan Dean Foster

Diuturnity's Dawn (2002) is a science fiction novel by American writer Alan Dean Foster. The full title is sometimes shown as Diuturnity's Dawn: Book Three of The Founding of the Commonwealth.

<i>Learning the World</i> 2005 novel by Ken MacLeod

Learning the World is a science fiction novel by British writer Ken MacLeod, published in 2005. It won the 2006 Prometheus Award, was nominated for the Hugo, Locus, Clarke, and Campbell Awards that same year, and received a BSFA nomination in 2005. Since the book's publication MacLeod has written two short stories set in the same universe, "Lighting Out" and "Who's Afraid of Wolf 359?".

<i>Brass Man</i> 2005 science fiction novel by Neal Asher

Brass Man is a 2005 science fiction novel by Neal Asher. It is the third novel in the Gridlinked sequence.

<i>The Ethos Effect</i> 2003 novel by L E. Modesitt, Jr

The Ethos Effect (2003) is a science fiction novel by American writer L. E. Modesitt, Jr., a sequel to The Parafaith War. It is set in a future where humanity has spread to the stars and divided into several factions. Many factions including the Eco-Tech Coalition, the Revenants of the Prophet ("revs") and the Taran Empire are engaged in escalating conflict over territory and their competing social philosophies. Against this background, former Taran Empire officer Van C. Albert is recruited by the mysterious Trystin Desoll to work for the equally mysterious Integrated Information Systems.

<i>Light</i> (novel) 2002 novel by M. John Harrison

Light is a science fiction novel by M. John Harrison published in 2002. It received the James Tiptree, Jr. Award and a BSFA nomination in 2002, and was shortlisted for the Arthur C. Clarke Award in 2003. The Guardian ranked Light #91 in its list of 100 Best Books of the 21st Century.

<i>Eifelheim</i> 2006 science fiction novel by Michael Flynn

Eifelheim is a science fiction novel by American author Michael Flynn, published in 2006. The story first appeared as a novella in 1986, which was a nominee for the Hugo Award for Best Novella in 1987. The full novel was similarly nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Novel in 2007.

<i>Axis</i> (novel) 2007 novel by Robert Charles Wilson

Axis is a science fiction novel by American-Canadian writer Robert Charles Wilson, published in 2007. It is a direct sequel to Wilson's Hugo Award-winning Spin, published two years earlier. The novel was a finalist for the 2008 John W. Campbell Award.

<i>Nova Swing</i> 2006 novel by M. John Harrison

Nova Swing is a science fiction novel by M. John Harrison published in 2006. It takes place in the same universe as Light. The novel won the Arthur C. Clarke and Philip K. Dick Awards in 2007.

<i>Gunpowder Empire</i> 2003 novel by Harry Turtledove

Gunpowder Empire is an alternate history novel by Harry Turtledove. It is the first part of the Crosstime Traffic series.

<i>Permanence</i> (novel) 2002 novel by Karl Schroeder

Permanence is a 2002 science fiction novel by Canadian writer Karl Schroeder.

<i>Archform: Beauty</i> 2002 novel by L. E. Modesitt, Jr.

Archform: Beauty is a science fiction novel by American writer L. E. Modesitt, published in 2002. It is set in 24th century Earth.

<i>The Twelve-Fingered Boy</i> Paranormal novel

The Twelve-Fingered Boy is a 2013 young adult novel by John Hornor Jacobs. It is about teenagers, Shreve Cannon, and Jack Graves, who have psychic abilities.

<i>X</i> (young adult novel) 2015 novel by Ilyasah Shabazz and Kekla Magoon

X: A Novel is a young adult novel by Ilyasah Shabazz and Kekla Magoon, published January 6, 2015 by Candlewick Press.

References

  1. Schroeder, Regina (December 1, 2002). "Drowning World (Book)". Booklist. 99 (7): 651.
  2. "DROWNING WORLD (Book)". Kirkus Reviews. 70 (21): 1577. November 1, 2002. ISSN   0042-6598.
  3. Cannon, Peter (December 9, 2002). "DROWNING WORLD (Book)". Publishers Weekly. 249 (49): 67. ISSN   0000-0019.