Play Audiobook Sample
The Children of the Sky Audiobook
Play Audiobook Sample
(3.00) - 1,392 listener ratings
Quick Stats About this Audiobook
Total Audiobook Chapters:
Longest Chapter Length:
Shortest Chapter Length:
Average Chapter Length:
Audiobooks by this Author:
Publisher Description
After nearly twenty years, Vernor Vinge has produced an enthralling sequel to his memorable bestselling novel A Fire Upon the Deep, the third in the Zones of Thought series. Ten years have passed on Tines World, where Ravna Bergnsdot and a number of human children ended up after a disaster that nearly obliterated humankind throughout the galaxy. Ravna and the pack animals for which the planet is named have survived a war, and Ravna has saved more than one hundred children who were in cold-sleep aboard the vessel that brought them. While there is peace among the Tines, there are those among them—and among the humans—who seek power…and no matter the cost, these malcontents are determined to overturn the fledgling civilization that has taken root since the humans landed. On a world of fascinating wonders and terrifying dangers, Vernor Vinge has created a powerful novel of adventure and discovery that will entrance the many readers of A Fire Upon the Deep. Filled with the inventiveness, excitement, and human drama that have become hallmarks of his work, this new novel is sure to become another great milestone in Vinge's already stellar career. Children of the Sky is one of Library Journal's Best SF/Fantasy Books of 2011
Download and start listening now!
"Fascinating. The group mind Tines are great but absurdly doggish. The story is good, but there is a much-too-long section where we just have the oncoming train, waiting for catastrophe to realize itself. And the ending is considerably overbaked."
— Chris (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
-
“Imagine bootstrapping a fallen civilization into transcendence using nothing but a collection of hive-mind Machiavellis, a crippled hyperadvanced spaceship, and a pack of surly, scheming orphaned adolescents. Oh, and then there's the vengeful god ramscooping itself to relativistic speeds a mere thirty light years away. Vinge's explosive imagination and deft storytelling make epics sail past like hummingbirds--you'll steal daytime moments to read more, and lie awake at night contemplating what you've read.
— Cory Doctorow, bestselling and award-winning author of Little Brother -
Vernor Vinge's stories and novels have always surprised and entertained me, and The Children of the Sky carries on that grand tradition!
— Greg Bear, bestselling author of Hull Zero Three -
No one has ever crafted a more complex, fascinating, and strangely realistic alien race than Vernor Vinge's marvelous Tines.
— David Brin, bestselling author of The Postman and Startide Rising -
This is big-scale science fiction at its best.
— The Denver Post on A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge -
With uninterrupted pacing, suspense without contrivance, and deftly drawn aliens who can be pleasantly comical without becoming cute, Vinge offers heart-pounding, mind-expanding science fiction at its best.
— Publishers Weekly, Starred Review on A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge -
There are not too many novels that leave this reader screaming violently for more. Vernor Vinge's has done so.
— Locus on A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge -
When I was young and had to write my address in a school notebook, I would begin with my street and apartment number and then go on through city, county, state, country and continent in a litany of ever more grandiose place names that did not end until I reached 'Earth, Solar System, Milky Way Galaxy, The Universe.' In those days, it thrilled me that my small corner of the Bronx was just one part of the vastness I could see in the sky at night. This is the feeling I got from reading A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge.
— New York Times Book Review on A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge -
No summary can do justice to the depth and conviction of Vinge's ideas. The overall concept astonishes; the aliens are developed with memorable skill and insight; the plot twists and turns with unputdownable tension. A masterpiece of universe-building.
— Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review on A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge -
Though Vinge's galaxy is huger than one can begin to grasp, it is, at the same time, entirely seeable in the mind's eye. To find out how he does this trick, how he has managed to create a setting intimate enough to hold a single tale and big enough to tell a thousand, just read the book.
— John Clute, Interzone on A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge
Awards
-
Nominated for Locus Awards - Nominee, 2012
-
Nominated for Prometheus Award Nominee, 2012
The Children of the Sky Listener Reviews
-
—
Bruce Jondle, 8/20/2022
-
" A fun yarn and sequel but nothing ground breaking "
— Dan, 2/12/2014 -
" Conforming is definitely not my way, but in this case I must agree with the majority of my fellow readers: the book is not bad on its own, but compared to the other works in the series it feels a bit like a letdown. Let's hope the whole thing doesn't degrade like another "Safehold"! "
— Veliander, 2/11/2014 -
" Good, but not as good as the others. "
— The3rdwall, 2/7/2014 -
" I'm happy to get any new Zones of Thought book from Vinge, but this was a bit of a letdown. It's an enjoyable book, but feels unfinished. "
— Adam, 2/1/2014 -
" I loved Fire Upon the Deep and really enjoyed getting re-acquainted with these characters. I hope Vinge writes a follow-up book. At the same time, I can't rate this book any higher than three stars. For all that I enjoyed the rambling nature of the book it always felt on the verge of losing focus. More troublingly, one of the major antagonists comes off as little more than sneeringly evil (and that word, evil, gets tossed around just a bit too much in the book) and drags down other elements of the book. Positive overall and I was glad for the focus on characters, but I look for a tighter, punchier sequel. "
— Lisa, 1/27/2014 -
" A nice return to the Tines World. Maybe it's not as good as the first book but how often does an author write one of the great SF books OF ALL TIME? "
— Ed, 1/22/2014 -
" A huge disappointment. A series with a cosmic scale goes small and fails to captivate. The "pack mind" concept was captivating the first time around, but it gets tired fast during the encore. It doesn't help that the personalities range from cartoonish to inscrutable. There isn't a single one to really root for. Finishing the book was unrewarding, as the conclusion was little more than a setup for another boring sequel. Read the first two great books of this series, and then move along. "
— Toby, 1/21/2014 -
" I can't get enough of those Tines. Please, Mr. Vinge - may we have some more? But really, I'll take anything you care to write. Just don't make us wait so long this time! "
— Eva, 1/19/2014 -
" Disappointing. I could go on, but that's my overwhelming review. "
— Pol, 1/11/2014 -
" Decent sequel, though I had a hard time remembering much from the first one and the subsequent prequel. Leaves the door open for many more sequels if Vinge continues at this pace. "
— Neal, 1/6/2014 -
" I need another one. "
— Gena, 10/3/2013 -
" Extremely disappointing and aimless "
— Bj, 4/5/2013 -
" Interesting story about how the children and trines work together, but not as much space opera as I was looking for. "
— Alfred, 2/9/2013 -
" A book I have been waiting for for years. Sadly, not the masterwork the previous two were. I will have to reevaluate once the obvious sequel(s) are published "
— Jeff, 1/26/2013 -
" A wonderful continuation of the series marred by too much setup for what comes next. "
— Daniel, 11/14/2012 -
" interesting addition to the Zones of thought and the Tines world. I love this universe. This book didn't move the plot along as much as I'd hoped. Waiting for another sequel now. "
— Mcgyver5, 9/27/2012 -
" Maybe you had to read the first book to understand this one. I tried 4 times to read it and I just couldn't follow all the characters and their multiples. I can't recommend this book because I couldn't get into it. "
— Penny, 2/13/2012 -
" Too much time on Tines World to be as grand in scope as the first book. I liked the weird science from the first, which is not as important in the second. Good story, though, and still a very weird alien. Clearly a third is planned. "
— Curt, 10/29/2011 -
" If you liked "A Fire Upon the Deep" you won't like the continued GRRM-esque adventure story of the children and the dog-pack-tines. Where's the sweeping space Opera? "
— Elliott, 10/27/2011 -
" This engaging science-fantasy adventure story, set more-or-less exclusively on Tines' World, will disappoint some fans of A Fire Upon the Deep (to which it is the official sequel), but will please those who enjoyed Vinge's early planetary adventure novels, like The Witling. "
— David, 8/18/2011
About Vernor Vinge
Vernor Vinge has won five Hugo Awards, including three for Best Novel, for A Fire Upon the Deep, A Deepness in the Sky, and Rainbows End. For many years a professor of computer science, he is a highly regarded, visionary authority on the subject of the technological Singularity. He lives in San Diego, California.
About Oliver Wyman
Oliver Wyman is an actor and award-winning audiobook narrator. He has won five Audie Awards from the Audio Publisher’s Association, fourteen Earphone Awards, and two Listen Up Awards from Publisher’s Weekly. He was named a 2008 Best Voice in Nonfiction & Culture by AudioFile magazine. He has appeared on stage as well as in film and television, and he is a veteran voice actor who can be heard in numerous cartoons and video games. He is one of the founders of New York City’s Collective Unconscious theater, and his performances include the award-winning “reality play” Charlie Victor Romeo and A. R. McElhinney’s cult classic film A Chronicle of Corpses.