Brightness Reef

The Uplift Trilogy, Book 1

By: David Brin

Narrated by: George Wilson

Length: 25 hrs and 48 mins

Publisher's summary

David Brin, the Hugo and Nebula Award-winning author of Sundiver, crafts Brightness Reef, a luminous gem of science-fiction literature.

Persecuted refugees from six separate alien races have migrated to the idyllic planet Jijo. And despite their incredible diversity, the inhabitants live together in blissful harmony. However, settlement on Jijo is illegal - and it's only a matter of time before the residents of this forbidden paradise are discovered by the galactic powers-that-be.

©1995 David Brin (P)2009 Recorded Books, LLC

Critic reviews

"Immensely appealing, leaving readers hungry for more." ( Publishers Weekly)

I am sorry to say I did not give this book a fair chance.

I am sorry to say that I did not give this book a fair chance. I could not continue to listen to it, it was driving me insane and I couldn't take that chance!

Worthy Voice Acting

This story is a masterpiece, plain and simple. It is epic in scope and deeply entertaining in its combined storylines. But best of all is the voices used for the various characters involved, and I cannot give enough credit to George Wilson for his work here. Excellently done!

Director/Sound Engineer is a real job

Most people like certain NARRATORS and certain AUTHORS but they never think about the Directors or Sound Engineers. This audiobook is an example of a GREAT AUTHOR with fantastic characters, a TERRIFIC NARRATOR who can distinquish alien creature voices and make them so believable and a crappy Director and/or Sound Engineer. Apparently she thought her job was just to press the record button and go home. I have a recording studio and I was saddened by the lack of professionalism. You can hear Mr. Wilson gulping after readng difficult passages as an alien voice and even getting some words incorrect "Revered Mother" and "windy road". This is not his fault but should have been caught by the Director, Abigal McCue and the sound engineer. Despite that, it is a WONDERFUL story and amazingly told. GEORGE K. WILSON NEEDS AN OSCAR for these cast of characters he is able to bring to life. It definately left me with a desire to read the rest of the trilogy and to read some of the prequel books.

Not for the novice sci-fi reader

This is a great story that takes time to develop. The patient reader is rewarded.

great story, slow reveal of larger purpose

great story, set in a backwoods planet.. felt incredibly slow on its overall purpose and place in brins larger universe till nearly the end

Slow can be good...

TL;DR: don't read this book before Startide Rising.

There's nothing wrong with slow fiction; the issue comes when there is very little to pull the reader through the slowness.

I think the primary sin of this book is that it doesn't generate a sense of anticipation. A slow story is tolerable (welcome, even) when it takes its time to increase anticipation and delicately unravel each moment in a journey.

Having read Startide Rising and The Uplift War, I was able to generate my own expectations and predictions about *why* any of the goings-on in Brightness Reef were remotely dramatic. The book sure didn't do it for me.

The lack of intense climax at the end is forgiven since it is the first in a trilogy.

The narration is ok, the alien accents are consistent but come at the expense of emotive intonation.

Not really a fan of the narration

Non-terran voices = slow, slurred, singsong and surprisingly similar to one another. I'm being nitpicky, but the characters just don't sound right. They all sound like Goofy on quaaludes.

Brightness Reef

Sifi at it's best. Love Brin's treatment of the human condition. Aliens are are humanity from a different perspective. This is a review of Brin's whole Earth Clan series. Start with "Sun Tide" and go to the end of this universe. Well worth the ride.

Not the best

Any additional comments?

**** SPOILERS ****

OK. Maybe I just don't get "adult" sci-fi. But this book kinds just drug on with no read direction. There were so many mini stories in the book that I had a hard time keeping up with all of them.

There is so lottle to go off of for the first few chapters that I had no clue that we were talking about so many different races and trying to keep up with which race was which was a pain.

Then to get to the end and find out that we were not going to get ANY resolution was a massive letdown. No resolution on anything. What is going on under water? Who is this mystery man and what's up with his head? Who are the visitors and then the newer visitors?

The story got more interesting about half way through the book, but I doubt the series is worth getting the next two just to find some form of closure.

Great Narration

The narrator of this book is excellent. He manages to make several alien species each sound distinctly alien, while also conveying their personality and emotion.