Book reviews

Spinneret
Timothy Zahn Book Review

Read a book review online (click here to search reviews)
Books Movies  
Sci-Fi/Fantasy Mystery/Thriller Literature Romance Biography Video
Timothy Zahn Books
New book search
Timothy Zahn Message Board
Get more information about this book
Plot Summary of Spinneret
"In Timothy Zahn's Spinneret, Earth invents a stardrive and sets out to colonize the galaxy. The only problem is..someone else has gotten there first. Lots of someones. And the only planets available are the ones other races dont want. So when the Earth receives a relatively worthless planet with almost no metals in the soil and not much to recommend it, they colonize with somewhat mixed feelings. Overpopulation demands that they expand, but with other races so technologically superior expansion must be slow and discreet.
Lt. Col Meredith has the unenviable task of supervising the new colony..when suddenly it becomes obvious that the planet isn't worthless after all..and that there may be a war over the ancient alien machinery beneath the planets surface.

"

Timothy Obenshain, Resident Scholar

"The UN (really the US) sets up a colony on a seemingly useless planet (all the useful ones having been taken by alien species). It turns out to have a factory, built by aliens long gone, for producing an extremely strong superconducting cable. This makes the world the center of a multi-sided rivalry between the colony, the UN, the US, various alien races, and liberal groups within the colony."
Ken Norlie, Resident Scholar



Review Analysis of Spinneret
Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot

Composition of Book
Descript. of chases or violence - 10%
planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 40%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 20%
Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 30%




Tone of book - very upbeat
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - science fiction story
Explore/1st contact/ enviro story Yes
Plotlets: - colonizing/homesteading another planet
Political power play Yes
Political plotlets - preventing/managing clash/war between govts/kingdoms
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book

Main Character
Identity: - Male
Profession/status: - navy soldier - infantry soldier
Age: - 20's-30's - 40's-50's
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events? Yes
How sensitive is this character? - hard edged
Sense of humor - Cynical sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Average intelligence
Physique - very athletic - average physique

Main Adversary
Identity: - natural phenomena - Male
Age: - 40's-50's
Profession/status: - diplomat
Eccentric: Yes - obsessed
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a moderate amount - an average amount
How sensitive is this character? - mean, arrogant
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - average physique

Setting
Terrain - Desert - Mountains
A substantial portion of this book takes place on a non-Earth planetary body: - humans in a futuristic society - humans in a contemporary society - empty, or nearly empty world
Planet outside solar system? Yes

Style
Person? - mostly 3rd - rotating 1st
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment - moderately detailed references to deaths
scientific jargon? (SF only) - none/very little science jargon needed - a fair amount of scientific explanation
Sex in book? Yes
How much dialogue? - significantly more dialog than descript - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
Most similar books to Spinneret
Xenocide - Ender 3 by Orson Scott Card
Warrior by Donald E. McQuinn
The Saga of Seven Suns - Hidden Empire 1 by Kevin J. Anderson
The Burning Heart of Night by Ivan Cat
Shadow World - Starbridge 3 by A.C. Crispin


Click here for more information about this book


Timothy Zahn Resident Scholar Profiles

TOP SCHOLAR:
  
chris sandstedt  

SCHOLARS:
ACG  William Hamilton  Alodar  JJ  Timothy Obenshain  Melissa Cole  


Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).
Three ways to search for Science Fiction books!

1) One-click plot searches! Simply click on a plot or subplot below!

Animal Story

Clones

Coming of age

Cultural problems, alien culture

Explore/1st contact/ enviro story

Family relations

GIANT monster(s)

Horror story?

Inner Struggle

Lifeform altered?

Mental/magical powers focus

Parody

Political power play

Religious overtones?

Repressive society story

Robots, Computers, VR

Romance

Spying & Investigations

Tech./$$$/Info hunt

Time Travel story?

Training/Apprent.

War or Invasion



or 2) Simple lookup
(title or author)

or
3) Even more search options available with a Detailed Booksearch (click here)

Use our site!
17 FREE Sci-Fi Ebooks!
FREE "How to be happy" Ebook!
Funny Videos
Feedback


Most recent discussions:

General Book Talk
Book writing discussion
Off-topic message board
George W. Bush 2:19:20 PM
Slavomir Rawicz 10:00:34 AM
Robert Segarra 1:49:56 PM
Karen Armstrong 10:51:40 AM
Anonymous 1:39:52 PM
Deric Longden 9:20:02 AM
Suzanne Weyn 6:24:19 PM
Colin Forbes 12:23:54 PM
John Christopher 5:12:45 AM
Tom Clancy 2:19:45 AM
Margaret Peterson Haddix 5:36:55 PM
Nikolai Tolstoy 7:46:16 AM
J.K. Rowling 11:40:22 PM
Jack Higgins 4:54:08 PM
Eloise Jarvis McGraw 12:51:17 PM
Jane Rubino 1:21:00 PM
Lori Wick 2:11:45 AM
Betty Mahmoody 5:57:33 PM
Patricia Cornwell 2:48:17 PM
Andrew Clements 9:13:44 PM

Silicon Valley
More message boards