The Children of the Sky
Sequel set on Tines World, ten years after A Fire Upon the Deep.
The Children of the Sky, a science fiction novel by American author Vernor Vinge, continues the story from *A Fire Upon the Deep* and takes place in the same Zones of Thought universe as the prequel *A Deepness in the Sky*. Released two decades after the first book, its events occur a decade following that novel’s conclusion, and it is set entirely on the Tines’ homeworld—creatures that function as pack animals whose members combine to form collective minds. The narrative centers on human characters introduced in the earlier work, who now face political conflicts over how to shape their fledgling society while also contending with the lingering danger posed by the Blight’s remnants.
- author
- Vernor Vinge
- nationality
- American
- genre
- Science fiction
- publication_year
- 2011
- series
- Zones of Thought
- awards_nominated
- 2012 Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel, Prometheus Award
Lore & Background
The story begins two years after the Battle on Starship Hill on Tines World. The exiled Tine pack Vendacious travels to East Home to ally with Tycoon, the world's richest businessman. Over the next year, Vendacious helps Tycoon expand his enterprise using a stolen human dataset and undertake an expedition to the Tropical Choir, a legendary mob of over one hundred million Tines. Meanwhile, Ravna Bergsndot slowly revives human Children from cold sleep pods, hoping to use the technical archives on the crippled Out of Band II (Oobii) to elevate Tines World's technology to combat the Blight's remnant fleet, which is stranded 30 light-years away but may be developing ramscoop technology.
Reader's Guide
The Children of the Sky explores themes of political manipulation, technological progress, and the consequences of past actions. The novel's significance lies in its continuation of the Zones of Thought universe, focusing on the struggle between human factions and the Tines as they prepare for a potential threat from the Blight's remnant. The story highlights the tension between Ravna's cautious, long-term plan and Nevil Storherte's populist but ultimately treacherous leadership. The novel's legacy includes its nomination for major awards and its detailed depiction of the Tines' collective intelligence and society.
Did You Know?
- The novel was published 20 years after A Fire Upon the Deep but is set only 10 years after its events.
- The story is set entirely on the world of the Tines, pack animals that form collective intelligences.
- The Blight's fleet survives stranded 30 light-years away from Tines World, presumably developing ramscoop technology.
- Ravna Bergsndot secretly retains Command Privilege over the starship Oobii, superseding sysadmin authority.
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