SUNDIVER

by DAVID BRIN

a journey into the boiling inferno of the sun

now revised, and with a new introduction by the author


"David Brin writes science fiction the way it should be written — with imagination, heroic characters, and the triumph of all that is good in the human spirit. Sundiver is a prime example of how good Brin's books can be." — Amazon.com customer review

DAVID BRIN's Sundiver cover for revised edition

revised, and with a new introduction

© David Brin, 2019; Bantam, 1980

Read the first 5 chapters online, or scroll down to purchase SUNDIVER.


film & media queries

Vince Gerardis
Created-By Agency
email: rightsqueries@gmail.com (with cc: to DAVID BRIN at books@davidbrin.com)

what does it mean to be uplifted?

... it is reasonable to hope
that in the not too distant future
we shall be competent to understand
so simple a thing as a star.

A. S. Eddington, 1926

In all the universe, no species has ever reached for the stars without the guidance of a patron — except perhaps mankind. Did some mysterious race begin the uplift of humanity aeons ago? And if so, why did they abandon us?

Under the caverns of Mercury, Expedition Sundiver prepares for the most momentous voyage in our history, a journey into the boiling inferno of the sun... to seek our destiny in the cosmic order of life.

Sundiver (The Uplift Saga, Book 1), is the first book in the Uplift series — and also David Brin's first published novel.

about the uplift series

The uplift series of novels and short stories is set in a future universe in which no species can reach sentience without being "uplifted" (genetically brought to sapience) by a patron race, which then "owns" the uplifted species for 100,000 years. But the greatest mystery of all remains unsolved: who uplifted humankind? Earth has no known link to the Progenitors — and that terrifies client and patron species alike. Should its inhabitants be allowed to exist?


book sales

purchase Sundiver

Amazon.com

Amazon.com US: paperback and Kindle ebook and audiobook

Amazon.ca Canada: paperback and Kindle ebook and audiobook

Amazon.co.uk UK: paperback and Kindle ebook and audiobook

#AmazonCommissionsEarned

Apple books

Apple Books US: iBook and audiobook (unabridged)


Barnes and Noble

Barnes and Noble US: NOOK Book


indie bound

available (in original form):

indiebound.org US: audiobook


Kobo.com

available (in original form):

Kobo.com US: ebook and audiobook


Smashwords

Smashwords US: ebook


more about the series

other uplifting novels

The stirring saga that begins with Sundiver continues in Startide Rising and climaxes in The Uplift War.

A second uplift series begins with Brightness Reef, continues with Infinity's Shore, and concludes with Heaven's Reach.

Is Existence: an uplift "prequel"? In many ways, yes. David Brin's bold newest novel explores the ultimate question: Billions of planets may be ripe for life, even intelligence. So where is Everybody?

An illustrated companion to the series, Contacting Aliens: An Illustrated Guide To David Brin's Uplift Universe, is a fun tour of the many alien races in the Uplift Universe.

Learn more about all of Brin's novels and books here.

uplifted short stories

These three stories are set in the uplift universe. Learn more about all of Brin's shorter fiction here.

  • In "Aficionado" (an excerpt from Existence), Hacker Sander is spoiled, temperamental and a champion rock-jock ... till a crash lands him in lethal peril. His sole hope? A tribe of strangely savvy sea creatures, with a secret need of their own.
  • In "Temptation" (included in the newest story collection, Insistence of Vision), a female dolphin on Jijo — on the run from two predatory males — stumbles into a deeply dangerous ancient secret.
  • In "Gorilla, My Dreams," chimpanzees and dolphins are helping humans choose the next species for uplift when powerful alien starships arrive to wipe out all life on Earth. This story is sold on Apple's iBook, Amazon's kindle (#AmazonCommissionsEarned), and Smashwords.)

  • foreign-language editions

    Sundiver has been translated into Bulgarian, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Polish, Romanian, Russian, and Spanish. Here are some of the covers of the foreign and foreign-language publications.

    Sundiver's foreign editions

    a brief intro to science fiction author DAVID BRIN

    To learn more, visit his books page, or see his "about me" page or detailed biography.

    DAVID BRIN author

    novels

    David Brin's science fiction novels have been New York Times Bestsellers, winning multiple Hugo, Nebula and other awards. At least a dozen have been translated into more than twenty languages. They range from bold and prophetic explorations of our near-future to Brin's Uplift series, envisioning galactic issues of sapience and destiny (and star-faring dolphins!). Learn More


    shorter fiction

    Short stories and novellas have different rhythms and artistic flavor, and Brin's short stories and novellas, several of which earned Hugo and other awards, exploit that difference to explore a wider range of real and vividly speculative ideas. Many have been selected for anthologies and reprints, and most have been published in anthology form. Learn More


    Contrary Brin blog

    Since 2004, David Brin has maintained a blog about science, technology, science fiction, books, and the future — themes his science fiction and nonfiction writings continue to explore. Learn More


    social media influencer

    Who could've predicted that social media — indeed, all of our online society — would play such an important role in the 21st Century — restoring the voices of advisors and influencers! Lively and intelligent comments spill over onto Brin's social media pages. Learn More

    DAVID BRIN scientist

    scientist

    David Brin's Ph.D in Physics from the University of California at San Diego (the lab of nobelist Hannes Alfven) followed a masters in optics and an undergraduate degree in astrophysics from Caltech. Every science show that depicts a comet now portrays the model developed in Brin's PhD research. Learn More


    transparency expert

    Brin's non-fiction book, The Transparent Society: Will Technology Force Us to Choose Between Freedom and Privacy?, continues to receive acclaim for its accuracy in predicting 21st Century concerns about online security, secrecy, accountability and privacy. Learn More


    speaker & consultant

    Brin speaks plausibly and entertainingly about trends in technology and society to audiences willing to confront the challenges that our rambunctious civilization will face in the decades ahead. He also talks about the field of science fiction, especially in relation to his own novels and stories. To date he has presented at more than 200 meetings, conferences, corporate retreats and other gatherings.Learn More


    future/tech advisor

    Brin advises corporations and governmental and private defense- and security-related agencies about information-age issues, scientific trends, future social and political trends, and education. Urban Developer Magazine named him one of four World's Best Futurists, and he was appraised as "#1 influencer" in Onalytica's Top 100 report of Artificial Intelligence influencers, brands & publications. Past consultations include Google, Microsoft, Procter & Gamble, and many others. Learn More

    Contacting BRIN

    All the Ways in the World to Reach David Brin

    an ornery, contrary BLOG, and other insightful wormholes!

    Do not enter if you want a standard "Party" line! Contrary Brin's incendiary posts on science, sci-fi and politics and its engaged, opinionated community poke at too-rigid orthodoxies, proposing ideas and topics that fascinate — and infuriate. See for yourself, and if you like — subscribe for more.

    Questions? Concerns? Email DAVID BRIN at mail@davidbrin.com


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    pages about DAVID BRIN

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  • a selection of book reviews
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  • a compilation of great sf books to read
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  • science fiction that teaches
  • BRIN's nonfiction explorations

  • THE TRANSPARENT SOCIETY
  • privacy, security, accountability and transparency
  • designing and crafting our amazing 21st Century
  • predicting and projecting our near and far future
  • leading and following our politics and economy
  • keeping track of changes in science and technology
  • scanning our sky for habitable (inhabited?) worlds