Starts off a little slow, but by the end I thought this is one of the best SciFi books I have read so far. Humans expand thru the universe and have found life on other planets, but no intelligent life until now. Daring young captain Rod Blaine is sent on a mission to investigate a probe entering the Empire's space that must have been launched from an intelligent species somewhere. The star that the probe came from appears as a small speck of light alone in the "eye" of a constellation that is thought of as a face of a "god".
After investigating the probe, they are sent to investigate the mote. Once they meet the "Moties" they need to find out if they will be friend or foe.
This is the first book by Jerry that I have read. I did read Ringworld by Larry, and I think I see Jerry's influence here. My guess is that Larry wrote the science / space stuff and Jerry wrote the character development and the intriguing plot. I found the characters thin and the plot simple in Ringworld, but the science was super cool. They seem to compliment each other well.
One criticism that I have is that they chose not to write a future where humanity has progressed to men and women being more equal. Sally is a very important and influential character. She is a scientist and an aristocrat. She is very powerful and independent, but she is the only female on the ship. No women sail in the Galactic Navy. When the main conflict is over she is expected to take her place as Rod's wife and have no further ambition following that.
They can predict space travel, but not equality?? Come on, boys..
P 444
"You are so cold! Can you not rejoice with me? We are saved!"
"Study Renner."
"Yes... I know that look. He wears it playing poker, when his down card is an unexpected one. It does not help us. But her has no power, Charlie! A wanderer with no sense of responsibility!"
"Perhaps. We juggle priceless eggs in variable gravity. I am afraid. I will taste fear until I die."
p 454
"No use." said Charlie. "Taste the irony. For millions of years we have been in a bottle. Its shape has shaped our species to our detriment. Now we have found the opening, and now the Navy pours thru to burn our worlds."
P 457
They stood for a long time on the balcony outside Rod's suite. Faint sounds of a city after dark floated up to them. The Hooded Man rose high in the sky, his baleful red eye watching them with indifference: two human lovers who would send squadrons of ships into the Eye itself and keep them there, until they too passed away...
It took most of the book, but i finally found some things worth quoting. The first two are from Moties.
