List Epithetical Books The Ship Who Sang (Brainship #1)
| Title | : | The Ship Who Sang (Brainship #1) |
| Author | : | Anne McCaffrey |
| Book Format | : | Paperback |
| Book Edition | : | Deluxe 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
Narrative To 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 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.
Particularize Books Toward 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 ReviewsCommentary Epithetical Books The Ship Who Sang (Brainship #1)
At first I was a little disappointed because I felt I needed more evidence of the four years or so that Helva spent with her love to deserve such a grieving process. However, I found that I eventually, felt there was no need. The relationships throughout the novel are quite compelling and speak to the many types of relationships I see in my life. The novel seems to be an expansion of the idea that everyone you know, was put into your life for a reason. You know them for the time it was importantI found the ideas in this book fascinating but the structure made it less enjoyable than it couldve been. The story is told in the format of a series of short, mostly self-contained stories but this means that we really dont ever get to know any of the characters in more than a cursory way. Even Helva, the ship who sings of the title, didnt ever become really three-dimensional for me. But I enjoyed the action sequences and the idea of the brainships is definitely intriguing. Im hoping to get a
First off, I'm late to the Anne McCaffrey oeuvre. Someone gave me a stack of her books, and I thought I'd start with Dragonflight, for which she's best known. Bad idea, as that is a novel of extremely unlikeable people who do cruel things to one another (also, the "romance" was entirely forced and grossed me out.)The Ship Who Sang has characters that it's much easier to root for, and the scientific ideas are progressive and unique. But. Helva is exceedingly naive for someone of her experience.
This book was mentioned in connection with Ann Leckie's Ancillary Justice series, as an example of earlier SF with sentient ships - so when I found it for super cheap at Worldcon75's used books stall, I grabbed the copy. The Ship Who Sang was published in 1969, originally as short stories / novelettes, and then revised into a novel. The short story feel definitely affected the novel's structure, as there wasn't a bigger overarching plot, but shorter adventures. The character development was
It was alright. I have a memory of reading somewhere that Anne McCaffrey couldn't read the story without crying, but I didn't feel much emotion from it myself. The whole middle part about actors and taking on an alien "envelope" body so that they could perform Shakespeare...what? It's just too weird for no real reason. The whole book reads as sexist as basically every woman exists for this or that man and if they don't...isn't that AWFUL? Don't they want a COMPANION?
Worth reading in that the influence on subsequent works by many authors is clear. But be prepared for clanging, off key, obsolete cultural artifacts and references which in some ways make it feel more alien, almost exotic than it may have felt a half century ago, even if it was a newer set of ideas then. Lots of misogyny and obsolete notions of male and female roles. There is also at a glancing but surprisingly electric sexuality which for me really is the best part of the work, even if at times
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
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