Contacting Aliens: An Illustrated Guide to David Brin's Uplift Universe

David Brin, Kevin Lenagh

Bantam Books, 2002 - Fiction - 191 pages

The award-winning Uplift novels comprise one of the greatest achievements in science fiction history. Dramatic, thought-provoking, and inventive, these books describe a fully realized world rich in character, detail, and ideas. Now Uplift author David Brin collaborates with acclaimed artist Kevin Lenagh to compile the definitive guide to the species, societies, and technology of one of the greatest feats of literary world-building ever accomplished.

CONTACTING ALIENS

Here in the form of a handbook for Terran field agents is a detailed look at Uplift’s many alien races--from the friendly Tymbrimi to the warlike Tandu, from the wise and enigmatic Kanten to the fiercely reptilian Soro, from the bureaucratic Hoon to the manipulative Thennanin--their physiology, psychology, history; their clans and alliances; and their shifting attitudes toward Earth and its representatives.

Here, too, is a history of Earth’s contact and challenging interactions with the mysterious and powerful Civilization of Five Galaxies, a look at its institutions, languages, and customs, plus a time line of momentous events going back 3 billion years. For the millions of fans of the Uplift novels, this long-awaited guide will be an essential reference work, filled with vital information and never-before-seen illustrations that reveal, for the first time in one volume, the keys to the ambitious vision and bold speculation of the Uplift universe.

Contents

• TIMELINE: 7
• THE INSTITUTES: 15
• GALACTIC LANGUAGES: 22
• RACES AND ALLIANCES OF THE FIVE GALAXIES: 29
• CLAN SYNTHIAN: 52
• CLAN THENNANIN: 60
• CLAN FONNIR: 76
• CLAN OF THE BROTHER: 85
• CLAN JOPHUR: 100
• CLAN KANTEN: 110
• CLAN TANDU: 118
• CLAN GUBRU: 126
• CLAN KOMAHD: 136
• CLAN T4LEK: 146
• CLAN DROOLI: 154
• INDIVIDUAL STARFARING RACES: 161
• A FINAL NOTE TO ALL AGENTS: 185

About the author

David Brin is a scientist, writer, and public speaker. He was born in Pasadena, California, on October 9, 1950. Brin attended the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and later earned a doctorate at the University of California. He accepted a position as an engineer at Hughes Aircraft Company. Brin is a former fellow at the California Space Institute and serves on several government and nongovernment advisory committees dealing with issues involved with technological growth. Brin has lectured all over the world on such topics as space flight, ecology, and the search for extraterrestrial life. Brin deals with global warming, the destruction of the ozone layer, and pollution of Earth. His 1987 novel, The Uplift War, received the Hugo Award and the Locus Award. His novels have been translated into 20 languages.

Bibliographic information

• Title: Contacting Aliens: An Illustrated Guide to David Brin's Uplift Universe
• Authors: David Brin, Kevin Lenagh
• Edition: illustrated
• Publisher: Bantam Books, 2002
• ISBN: 0553377965, 9780553377965
• Length: 191 pages
• Subjects: Fiction / Action & Adventure; Fiction / Science Fiction / Alien Contact; Fiction / Science Fiction / Space Opera; Literary Criticism / Science Fiction & Fantasy