The Witling - Softcover

Vinge, Vernor

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0600394026 ISBN 13: 9780600394020

Publisher: Littlehampton Book Services Ltd, 1978

Synopsis

SCIENCE FICTION-BY THE STANDARDS OF THE PLANET GIRI THE TRAVELLERS FROM OUTER SPACE WERE WITLINGS.FOR A PECULIARITY OF EVOLUTION ON GIRI HAD GIVEN TO ALL ITS LIVING THINGS A SPECIAL TALENT-ONE WHICH MADE UNECESSARY MOST OF THE INVENTIONS OF INTELLIGENT BEINGS ELSEWHERE.ROADS,AIRCRAFT,ENGINES,DOORS-THESE WERE THE PRODUCTS OF WITLINGS,NOT OF NORMAL PEOPLE.SO WHEN THE EXPLORATION TEAM FROM EARTH FELL INTO GIRI HANDS,THEIR PROBLEM WAS UNIQUE.HOW COULD THEY DEMONSTRATE THAT SCIENCE IS WORTHWHILE AND YET KEEP THE MEDIEVAL MASTERS OF GIRI FROM REALISING THEIR OWN POTENTIAL FOR COSMIC MISCHIEF?

About this title

Review

"Vernor Vinge has long been one of the best writers of innovative, thought-provoking, character-as-well-as-science-driven SF."
--"Amazing Stories" on Vernor Vinge
"Vernor Vinge is one of our most notable writers."
--Analog on "True Names"
"Vinge . . . is among the very best of the current crop of hard SF writers, producing work that is not only fast-paced and intellectually challenging, but also stylishly written and centered on carefully drawn characters."
--Publishers Weekly on "A Deepness in the Sky"

Vernor Vinge has long been one of the best writers of innovative, thought-provoking, character-as-well-as-science-driven SF.

Vernor Vinge is one of our most notable writers.

Vinge . . . is among the very best of the current crop of hard SF writers, producing work that is not only fast-paced and intellectually challenging, but also stylishly written and centered on carefully drawn characters.

Vernor Vinge has long been one of the best writers of innovative, thought-provoking, character-as-well-as-science-driven SF. "Amazing Stories on Vernor Vinge"

Vernor Vinge is one of our most notable writers. "Analog on True Names"

Vinge . . . is among the very best of the current crop of hard SF writers, producing work that is not only fast-paced and intellectually challenging, but also stylishly written and centered on carefully drawn characters. "Publishers Weekly on A Deepness in the Sky""

"Vernor Vinge has long been one of the best writers of innovative, thought-provoking, character-as-well-as-science-driven SF." --Amazing Stories on Vernor Vinge

"Vernor Vinge is one of our most notable writers." --Analog on True Names

"Vinge . . . is among the very best of the current crop of hard SF writers, producing work that is not only fast-paced and intellectually challenging, but also stylishly written and centered on carefully drawn characters." --Publishers Weekly on A Deepness in the Sky

About the Author

Vernor Vinge has won five Hugo Awards, including one for each of his last three novels, A Fire Upon the Deep (1992), A Deepness in the Sky (1999), and Rainbow's End (2006). Known for his rigorous hard-science approach to his science fiction, he became an iconic figure among cybernetic scientists with the publication in 1981 of his novella "True Names," which is considered a seminal, visionary work of Internet fiction. His many books also include Marooned in Realtime and The Peace War.

Born in Waukesha, Wisconsin and raised in Central Michigan, Vinge is the son of geographers. Fascinated by science and particularly computers from an early age, he has a Ph.D. in computer science, and taught mathematics and computer science at San Diego State University for thirty years. He has gained a great deal of attention both here and abroad for his theory of the coming machine intelligence Singularity. Sought widely as a speaker to both business and scientific groups, he lives in San Diego, California.

Edition details

• Publisher: Littlehampton Book Services Ltd
• Publication date: 1978
• ISBN 10: 0600394026
• ISBN 13: 9780600394020
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 176