An excellent story, but only half of it

EDIT: Despite being listed, Audible does not actually have the audio version of the next two books in the series. I also can't find them anywhere else. So given that Starfish isn't a complete story on its own, I can't really recommend it unless you have the time to switch to the text versions of the next two books in the series. (Get the audio version of Watts' book Blindsight instead. Its great.) The text versions of all of these books are available for free on the authors website.

This is an excellent SF story with novel ideas. It takes it's time, but doesn't seem slow. Which makes it feel all the worse when the audible sign off plays right after what feels like the end of the story's second act. Starfish is just the first part of a finished trilogy, and it has convinced me to get the next book in the series, so I guess that's a recommendation. Although if you are not generally intrigued by the premise, or aren't hooked after a few chapters then you might be better off dropping the book. It is unlikely to win you over further into the story.

The narrator is fantastic though. He may seem monotone at first but somehow that serves to almost hypnotically draw you in, only to realize he is actually very expressive, just in subtle ways. More than once I forgot I was listening to an audiobook just felt like I was daydreaming the story.

14 people found this helpful

The Book Cover is a Lie; This is Amazing

As always, Peter Watts leaves me battered and bruised with my brain standing on the edge of some cliff to how everything could end around me at any moment.

As usual, the author has a very cold and uncaring way of telling a story. If you're getting into this book, just assume there's a trigger warning for literally everything. So far, his books often focus on a team of neurodivergents and the trauma that brought them to their current state, right before explaining another way all life as we know it can easily end using realistic concepts and science. The theme is "Normies not allowed and life is excruciating".

The narrator, meanwhile, is perfectly mediocre. He has enough stamina to narrate the whole book for recording without sounding tired, but he has maybe 3 voices he can do for different characters, so of there's 4+ characters in a scene, then you need to really buckle down and catch any and all context that comes your way.

Additionally, some characters have written screams for dialogue, and the narrator represents this with a soft pronunciation of "aaaaaah" at a quiet speaking level. The other narrators I've heard so far would actually back up from the mic and give it their all. I feel like the narrator has a lot more potential that he can work on, because he absolutely shows that he has the endurance and the skills to continue growing. Maybe he's exceptional later in his career.

Now, for the book cover. It's a lie.

The ocean is the primary setting for this, and Peter Watts realistically depicts it as black and murky with no visibility at all. The book cover, conversely, takes a more Subnautica approach. Additionally, intelligent machines are a main idea in the story, but they apparently look like cubes of gel, but the book cover has an android for some reason. I understand that cover artists don't always have all the context, and many in this genre are fashioned from stock images, but let's be clear: This book is not shiny, and it's not wondrous. It is darker than night, it is cold, and it leaves you a little shaken sometimes. It is art designed to challenge certain readers.

Overall, absolutely fantastically-done, and I am reminded again why some people can't read too many Peter Watts books in a row.

8 people found this helpful

Fantastic Story. Where’s the Rest?!?!

Audible,
Please get it together and release the next two books in this series, they should’ve been available 2 years ago. This is an amazing story and I’d really like to spend more money and finish it. Make it happen!

3 people found this helpful

The Greatest SF Writer in the World

Bordering on nihilistically Grim, unexpectedly amusing, brilliantly insightful, narrative control deft as a concert pianist, original use of old SF tropes, scientifically and culturally literate...and one monster storyteller...all told, Peter Watts is the world’s best SF writer.

3 people found this helpful

social misfits at crush depth

I'd like to give this book a good review, but the fact is that I did not enjoy this listen. Way too much of the book is dreadful interplay between unlikable characters. There is almost imperceptible development of the plot during this first two-thirds of the book, leaving me at every minute wondering when the plot was going to engage. It does so near the end, but too late for me to consider following this series further; I suspect the next book will follow a similar pattern.

The narration added nothing to this book and perhaps took away from it.

2 people found this helpful

Watts is phenomenal, great narration too!

Thoroughly enjoyable start to finish. watts is a master storyteller - no better biologically accurate sci fi

1 person found this helpful

What a ride…

As usual Watts delivers a winding tale that forces one way out of their comfort zone. In contrast to Blindsight the character development in Starfish, with its wonderful depth and at times distributing intimacy, would be my pick if I had to choose a stand out strength. Story arc, and pure originality being close second and third respectively. Looking forward to Echopraxia.

Difficult to describe…

I didn’t want to like this story for multiple reasons. But I somehow liked it. The narration was awful, don’t wish to hear Gabriel Vaughan ever again, even in nightmares. I ended up reading it myself and let this play in the background of an empty drawer at work.

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.

I am now a Peter Watts fan

I loved Blindsight and wanted to give his other work a try.

It's hard to believe "Starfish" is 21 years old. I guess I stopped reading hard sci fi for a while?!? No matter I've "discovered" the guy now and will p'rolly read everything he's written before I'm dumped in a recycler.

Imaginative, provocative, thrilling, riveting, complex, progressive, visionary, dense... I like the conceptual stuff that's grounded in a foreseeable future and Watts has somehow written a future that is yet to happen but also feels like we're on the cusp of realizing.

Some might argue with his narrative construction or his elevation of "pre-conditioned" characters. I found his views of ableism and trauma refreshingly progressive even by today's standards.

Certainly not for everyone! There are lots of moving pieces, ambiguous motives and challenging gender depictions. He's built a sprawling landscape and it's up to you to keep up.

Cutting edge to this day.