A DEEPNESS IN THE SKY

Humans have long known about the strange star they dubbed the OnOff star. So called because it cycles through periods of normality and dormancy. For about 250 years it lies cold, coming to life for 35-50 years before once again dimming. Certainly an oddity, but not one worth investigating since life would be impossible around such a sun, and in this age, everything is about commerce as the trading empire of the Qeng Ho reaches across light-years and centuries of known space. But now a radio signal from the OnOff star's system is detected and two expeditions are launched.

The Qeng Ho intend to exploit this new civilization in the name of commerce, while a little known human settlement called the Emergents have come for conquest. They arrive at about the same time and an uneasy co-existence is struck. Exploring the dead world, it is discovered that the hibernating inhabitants are spider-like, prompting the obvious naming of the race as Spiders. The two sides seem content to await the awakening of the star and thus the creatures of the lone planet. But treachery is afoot.

The Emergents had come to rule three worlds through the use of a mind altering disease. Using this weapon, they attack the Qeng Ho and a short but fierce battle ensues. The Qeng Ho quickly succumb but not before inflicting heavy damage upon the Emergents. In the aftermath, the survivors of both sides must join together to survive, with the victorious Emergent leader in charge. It is not long before the power of the Emergent way of life is revealed. Many of those inflicted with the disease do not recover, but instead become "Focused", intent upon only their specialty, ignoring everything not related to their job. Intellectual zombies.

As time passes, the evil of the Emergents becomes more and more clear as they repress and manipulate the surviving Qeng Ho. And they of course have plans for the Spiders. Luckily for everyone, the infamous Pham Nuwen is secretly present among the free traders and he has his own long-term plans.

Perhaps my favorite aspect is the deft handling of the spider society. The "people" of Arachna come to life and are as real as any human character. In fact, my favorite character of the book isn't human at all. Many of the best passages take place on the planet among the locals while the more annoying parts (there are not many) happen amongst the humans in space. While the spiders can at times seem very human, the author does a fantastic job of making them alien and yet familiar. A beautiful blending.

There are just too many story-lines here for me to do an in-depth summary of this book. You have the Emergents plans for the Qeng Ho and Arachna, you have Pham's intrigue to wrest control back for his people, and of course himself, then there is the political conflict between the spiders themselves. Plus there are things going on that we don't see until the final confrontations between the three factions.

This is a wonderful novel that I highly recommend to any sf fan, regardless of which sf niche you prefer. It's easy to see why this one won the Hugo Award. I just hope it doesn't take another 7 years for Vinge to publish his next novel.

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