Specify Epithetical Books The Ship Who Sang (Brainship #1)
| Title | : | The Ship Who Sang (Brainship #1) |
| Author | : | Anne McCaffrey |
| Book Format | : | Paperback |
| Book Edition | : | First Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 248 pages |
| Published | : | December 12th 1985 by Del Rey Books (first published 1969) |
| Categories | : | Science Fiction. Fantasy. Fiction. Science Fiction Fantasy. Space. Space Opera. Romance |
Anne McCaffrey
Paperback | Pages: 248 pages Rating: 4.02 | 21937 Users | 446 Reviews
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It was Thanksgiving, I was out of town, had just gotten ready to head out for dinner when I heard that Anne McCaffrey had passed. It hit me like a punch in the gut. I couldn't quite shake it all evening. What was going on? Sure, I've read her books but she has never been on a list of favorite authors, why was I so affected? I knew L'Engle would be a tough one for me. Butler was just so unexpected. Le Guin is going to turn me into a wreck. But McCaffrey? I've never listed her as an influence or put her on a list of people I want to meet or authors I want to write like (L'Engle, Le Guin & Borges, if you are curious). Yet I was mourning her passing like she was a dear friend. Turns out, I've spent a lot more time with Anne McCaffrey than I would have guessed. There is the Crystal Singer series, and the PTB, I never got into Acorna, of course Pern, the Freedom series, The Rowan (which I recently reread) and its sequels, the Pirate books (including Sassinak - not only a personal favorite but introduced me to Elizabeth Moon for which I am grateful). And then there is The Ship Who Sang. Who doesn't remember reading this book for the first time. Did you cry? If you say no then you don't have a heart. I enjoyed the other Brain books but Helva stole my heart. When I got back from vacation I looked for my copy of The Ship Who Sang but couldn't find it. Not surprising since I tend to give my favorite books away. I started looking in bookstores, new and used, but no one seemed to have a copy. So last week I gave in and ordered it online. Doubt I'll have this copy long as I already have a list in my head of people I need to give it to. Do I need to review this book? It is a classic, if you haven't read it, you should. I don't feel the need to "sell" it. However, I do have a few observations from this latest rereading. Perhaps the most superficial but obvious is how well the book stands the test of time. The Ship Who Sang is 50 years old. FIFTY YEARS! Think about how technology has changed in that amount of time. Yet there are very few startlingly out of date references. "Gay" is used to mean fun & festive. And if that is the biggest tell that this book is half a century old, how impressive is that? The rest still works well enough that it doesn't jerk you out of the story like many (most) older works. The story is still as strong, the technology as impressive, the characters as real, and the hope as powerful as ever. This is what science ficiton is supposed to do - it shows us the very best of who we are and who we might become. Not perfection (boring) but something to strive towards. So what is it about Anne McCaffrey that makes me read her books (lots and lots of her books) but not mention her when people ask who I read? I recently had a discussion online about the difference between the books we say we read and the books we actually read. I don't have answers yet, but it is a question I am pondering. If you ask me for my top ten favorite science fiction books I would be able to come up with a reputable list off the top of my head. And they would be books I really do adore, books that changed my perspective, changed my mind, changed my life. But you know what science fiction book I have reread the most? Sassinak. True story.Details Books As The Ship Who Sang (Brainship #1)
| Original Title: | The Ship Who Sang |
| ISBN: | 0345334310 (ISBN13: 9780345334312) |
| Edition Language: | English |
| Series: | Brainship #1 |
| Characters: | Helva |
Rating Epithetical Books The Ship Who Sang (Brainship #1)
Ratings: 4.02 From 21937 Users | 446 ReviewsRate Epithetical Books The Ship Who Sang (Brainship #1)
It was Thanksgiving, I was out of town, had just gotten ready to head out for dinner when I heard that Anne McCaffrey had passed. It hit me like a punch in the gut. I couldn't quite shake it all evening. What was going on? Sure, I've read her books but she has never been on a list of favorite authors, why was I so affected? I knew L'Engle would be a tough one for me. Butler was just so unexpected. Le Guin is going to turn me into a wreck. But McCaffrey? I've never listed her as an influence orYou could structure an entire college course around the ethical questions raised in this book. Is it ethically justified to take children with sound minds but no control of their bodies and then hook them up to galaxy class spaceships to work off the medical expense through government contracts? What ethics are involved for such a ship in making choices about their missions and their destiny? Would other humans want to compete for such an honor, or would it still be a secondary existence to
I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this. I've read the first short story/ chapter a few times, and it always moved me but didn't make me feel the need to read further. But now I found a group discussing it... you can find that discussion in The Lady Vaults, Oct. 2019Anyway, to address just three complaints of negative reviewers:The plot is 'fragmented' because it's stitched-together short stories. Think of it as episodic and it's fine.The love story at the end is *not* just about lust. Yes,
Helva was born horribly misshapen, but that doesn't mean she has to be a burden on society. Instead, she is hooked up to a computer and taught how to pilot a spaceship. Now that she's actually assumed a ship to pilot, she must deal with the matter of finding a human partner and surviving the harsh galaxy.Quite simply, this book is typical of McCaffery: Brilliant concept, horrible execution. I've actually put a great deal of thought into the idea of connection paralyzed babies to computers to
If I was reading this for the first time I'd only give it 2 stars but it gets 3 from me for sentimental reasons as I loved it when I first read it as a teenager.It was an interesting experience reading it again after so long. It would be considered wildly political incorrect if it was written today. It opens with parents of the severely physically disabled baby, Helva, given the choice of euthanasia or having her become a shell-person/cyborg. This didn't bother me the first time I read it, and
It was Thanksgiving, I was out of town, had just gotten ready to head out for dinner when I heard that Anne McCaffrey had passed. It hit me like a punch in the gut. I couldn't quite shake it all evening. What was going on? Sure, I've read her books but she has never been on a list of favorite authors, why was I so affected? I knew L'Engle would be a tough one for me. Butler was just so unexpected. Le Guin is going to turn me into a wreck. But McCaffrey? I've never listed her as an influence or
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