Starfish

Rifters Trilogy Series, Book 1

By: Peter Watts

Narrated by: Gabriel Vaughan

A huge international corporation has developed a facility along the Juan de Fuca Ridge at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean to exploit geothermal power. They send a bio-engineered crew - people who have been altered to withstand the pressure and breathe the seawater - down to live and work in this weird, fertile undersea darkness.

Unfortunately, the only people suitable for longterm employment in these experimental power stations are crazy, some of them in unpleasant ways. How many of them can survive, or will be allowed to survive, while worldwide disaster approaches from below?

©1999 Peter Watts (P)2019 Tantor

Didn’t care about anyone

The was DNF for me. I think there was supposed to be some psychological tension? But it just wasn’t working. There was also some domestic violence and discussion of childhood harm and it really was not expected and became to much a theme.

slow-building, well-crafted hard sci-fi

exceptionally well-researched, the author scientific background comes through. By embracing the most alien landscapes that are on our own planet and near-term technologies that will be realities in The xext century, an alien horrorscape that is far too real emerges. Through world-building and character development we come to sympathize with the radical weirdos and the criminals and see unchecked technological development as the enemy even though radial technological change is necessary for science-fiction to exist as a genre.

Very Unique!

One of the most unique and interesting sci fi books I’ve ever read, the undersea vibe is totally different from anything else out there. The book also takes you places you never saw coming, I highly recommend it?

Deep sea adventure with modified humans

Peter Watts’ Starfish is the first book in his Rifters series. In order to explore the deepest regions of the oceans, humans are modified to live and work at great depths, essentially turning them into sub-mariners. Exploration is mostly concerned with a deep sea vent near an underwater volcano. Beyond the individuals and the scientific aspects of ocean depths, there is clearly and undertone of the topside project managers holding things back as well as the discovery of unique lifeforms.

Watts crafts an eclectic band of explorers chosen primarily for the misfit and outcast nature in society as the criteria for being willing to undergo the bioengineering necessary. The technical aspects fall squarely in the realm of hard science fiction.

The narration is good with reasonable character distinction. Pacing is smooth.

When near future sci-fi is prescient

I was introduced to a friend's old favorites sci-fi story and absolutely see why the cast of antisocial outcasts resonated so well with them. The message of technology gone awry or harnessed without consideration of the consequences is more relevant in 2025 than ever before.