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Cheela #1-2
Dragon's Egg / Starquake
Only the cheela can survive on Dragon's Egg, a neutron star with surface gravity sixty-seven billion times that of earth's--but when a monstrous starquake strikes, human astronauts must abandon them or die saving the cheela from extinction. Reissue.
- GenresScience FictionFiction
535 pages, Paperback
First published July 2, 1994
2 people are currently reading
204 people want to read
About the author
Robert L. Forward
50 books191 followersRobert Lull Forward, commonly known as Robert L. Forward, (August 15, 1932 - September 21, 2002) was an American physicist and science fiction writer. His fiction is noted for its scientific credibility, and uses many ideas developed during his work as an aerospace engineer.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
January 29, 2025
Bonkers. What a ridiculously fun ride.
After enjoying Andy Weir's Project Hail Mary, I thought I would google recommendations of other hard science fiction - and found this pair of 1980 novels written by a gravitational physicist, out-of-print but found available on abebooks.
What a dazzling potpourri of concepts!
Wading through the unavoidable anachronisms - written in 1980 computers were imagined in 2020 as a lot less sophisticated than we know them - and filled with relentless technobabble - the reader is paid off with an incredibly imaginative story - the discovery of alien life on the surface of a neutron star, with surface gravity 87 billion times that of earth, and a staggering difference in time - in 15 minutes of a human life, 30 generations (!) will have passed to the aliens.
Our scientist-author tells of the rise and fall and rise of an alien civilization over the span of a single earth-day - how contact is made, how communication is structured, how all the human knowledge in the discoverer's craft is assimilated by the aliens, how the aliens surpass humanity, and how a devastating starquake destroys the alien civilization, instantly throwing it back to primitive life, and their subsequent resurrection from that. Truly epic span.
Did I mention that the alien size is measured in microns, yet weigh as much as humans? That their bodies are neutron - not electron - based? On and on and on, and the author even includes a scientific appendix at the end of each volume to explain the physics of each of the many many posited situations, gadgets, and future tech.
Constant dashes of humour, a swiftly-changing plot on one side and slow-burning drama on the other; a nice discovery that I enjoyed way more than I expected when I started it.
After enjoying Andy Weir's Project Hail Mary, I thought I would google recommendations of other hard science fiction - and found this pair of 1980 novels written by a gravitational physicist, out-of-print but found available on abebooks.
What a dazzling potpourri of concepts!
Wading through the unavoidable anachronisms - written in 1980 computers were imagined in 2020 as a lot less sophisticated than we know them - and filled with relentless technobabble - the reader is paid off with an incredibly imaginative story - the discovery of alien life on the surface of a neutron star, with surface gravity 87 billion times that of earth, and a staggering difference in time - in 15 minutes of a human life, 30 generations (!) will have passed to the aliens.
Our scientist-author tells of the rise and fall and rise of an alien civilization over the span of a single earth-day - how contact is made, how communication is structured, how all the human knowledge in the discoverer's craft is assimilated by the aliens, how the aliens surpass humanity, and how a devastating starquake destroys the alien civilization, instantly throwing it back to primitive life, and their subsequent resurrection from that. Truly epic span.
Did I mention that the alien size is measured in microns, yet weigh as much as humans? That their bodies are neutron - not electron - based? On and on and on, and the author even includes a scientific appendix at the end of each volume to explain the physics of each of the many many posited situations, gadgets, and future tech.
Constant dashes of humour, a swiftly-changing plot on one side and slow-burning drama on the other; a nice discovery that I enjoyed way more than I expected when I started it.
February 8, 2025
Dragon's Egg (****)
Dragon's Egg is a neutron star which is moving through space in (relatively) close proximity to the Earth. It is observed by a probe that is out of the plane of the solar system and a mission to visit it is mounted by the humans. When they arrive, the find life! The Cheela - small creatures about the size of a grain of rice. There are attempts at contact, but there is a massive discrepancy in the way the two species experience time (about 1 million to 1). As a result, the humans see the advancement of Cheela knowledge and technology happening very quickly, yet communication is eventually established. Knowledge is exchanged and in a span of days, the Cheela surpass the humans in their technology.
This book reminded me a lot of Hal Clement's Mission of Gravity, not just in the Cheela's fear of great heights but also in the journey taken by Swift-Killer in an attempt to establish communication with the humans. Author and Physicist Robert L. Forward emphasizes hard science as the Technical Appendix and references indicate the considerable thought that went into the planning and world building in this novel.
This first book was an entertaining look at a unique form of life and it was fascinating to be able to follow the development of the Cheela over the course of the story.
Starquake (***)
We return to the world of the Cheela as the humans begin their preparations to return home. Space travel by the Cheela is commonplace and they are able to help the humans when one of the engines on the cluster of orbiting asteroids protecting them from the gravitational effects of the neutron fails. The humans themselves find themselves returning the favor after a massive starquake devastates Dragon's Egg. Unfortunately, they find that they must sacrifice a large transfer mass which they need to bring them back to their mother ship, the St. George. Use of this mass by Cheela trapped on an orbital platform allows them to return to Dragon's Egg and begin to rebuild their civilization.
It is unfortunate that much of this second novel is satire which I tolerated but didn't really enjoy - we don't see the same unique cultural practices and interesting developments in Cheela society that hold interest in the first novel. Instead, we look into a mirror reflecting human biases and frailties.
As a whole, an enjoyable series, but Dragon's Egg is certainly the best of the two novels.
Dragon's Egg is a neutron star which is moving through space in (relatively) close proximity to the Earth. It is observed by a probe that is out of the plane of the solar system and a mission to visit it is mounted by the humans. When they arrive, the find life! The Cheela - small creatures about the size of a grain of rice. There are attempts at contact, but there is a massive discrepancy in the way the two species experience time (about 1 million to 1). As a result, the humans see the advancement of Cheela knowledge and technology happening very quickly, yet communication is eventually established. Knowledge is exchanged and in a span of days, the Cheela surpass the humans in their technology.
This book reminded me a lot of Hal Clement's Mission of Gravity, not just in the Cheela's fear of great heights but also in the journey taken by Swift-Killer in an attempt to establish communication with the humans. Author and Physicist Robert L. Forward emphasizes hard science as the Technical Appendix and references indicate the considerable thought that went into the planning and world building in this novel.
This first book was an entertaining look at a unique form of life and it was fascinating to be able to follow the development of the Cheela over the course of the story.
Starquake (***)
We return to the world of the Cheela as the humans begin their preparations to return home. Space travel by the Cheela is commonplace and they are able to help the humans when one of the engines on the cluster of orbiting asteroids protecting them from the gravitational effects of the neutron fails. The humans themselves find themselves returning the favor after a massive starquake devastates Dragon's Egg. Unfortunately, they find that they must sacrifice a large transfer mass which they need to bring them back to their mother ship, the St. George. Use of this mass by Cheela trapped on an orbital platform allows them to return to Dragon's Egg and begin to rebuild their civilization.
It is unfortunate that much of this second novel is satire which I tolerated but didn't really enjoy - we don't see the same unique cultural practices and interesting developments in Cheela society that hold interest in the first novel. Instead, we look into a mirror reflecting human biases and frailties.
As a whole, an enjoyable series, but Dragon's Egg is certainly the best of the two novels.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 17, 2017
good
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 3, 2023
An amazing book. Makes you think about how much we take for granted because of our human form. The aliens in this book are really alien. Well written, and kept me captivated throughout.
partiallyread
September 25, 2009I couldn't finish Starquake because it has horrible sequel syndrome. All the interesting ideas are expressed in Dragon's Egg, and then he just sort of reverts to really standard essentially humanoid culture in the second one. I understand the great human influence on the cheela, but I guess I was hoping for better. They get advanced enough to conquer gravity and FTL travel, but they still have the social philosophy of the mid to late 20th century. Even if it was just clearly an advanced society as imagined by a 1980s viewpoint, at least he would have been trying. But it seems like all that was established in the first book is just thrown to the side in order to manufacture a sequel for no particular reason.
August 10, 2011
Totally fascinating neutron star details, but oh dear - couldn't the aliens' mental/ psychological/ societal natures have been more....alien?
I guess physicists are generally more concrete based in their thinking.
Still it is a wonderful read and a classic.
I guess physicists are generally more concrete based in their thinking.
Still it is a wonderful read and a classic.
April 29, 2008
Together, considered as one book (by me), this is my favorite sci-fi ever. Bery serious Hard Science sci-fi, brilliantly imaginative and thorogh-going in its pursuit of theme.
Read
August 8, 2008Cheela #2
February 22, 2010
Giving one rating to two books isn't fair when they vary as much in quality as these two. Dragon's Egg is a wonderfully inventive and interesting bit of sci-fi. It's sequel, Starquake, blows goats.
November 4, 2014
Captivating; well-written; a very unusual subject for a science fiction novel.
January 21, 2015
Read just the first book "Dragon's Egg" and found it a wonderful mix of Flatland and Contact.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews