In a message dated 9/9/2004 9:25:54 PM US Mountain Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
After reading the whole of Brin's Uplift novels, I find myself puzzled by something: Why undertake the massive, expensive, intricate, and morally tricky process of Uplift at all? It looks good on a resume. There must be some intrinsic reason (that is, you can't say 'Because the Progenitors did'. Then why did they begin the process?). Creating more sentients can't be the answer because then it would be far more efficient to multiply your own kind. By killing off anyone who got in your way. Creating specialties (like dolphins would have been turned into ebcause of their piloting skills) seems grossly inefficent, and again morally questionable. Morally questionable stories make for interesting reading. Startide Rising would have been less interesting without the orca. 'Prestige' (power) could only be a reason once the system is in place and generally accepted. Inefficiency. The Uplift universe exists to perpetuate inefficency. But it's a safe inefficiency. Library units exist to be a vague as possible. THEY are probably the progenitors. Thus far, I can only see two viable reasons- it might be done for the purposes of having, to put it baldly, a slave species or more altruistically, to gain the benefit of another world-view's advice and thinking-style. Start with the idea of the most ecologically stable system and then work backwards from there. I think that's how Dr. Brin designed it. The formers is unjustifiable and the latter seems unlikely. So choose a thoid choice. Has Brin esposed any feasible explanations that I've completely missed or could someone help me out here? I'd be grateful for a defintive answer on this nagging question. ~Maru Dear Maru: Jijo is Middle Earth Whales are in the Transendental Order of Life The Dinosaurs bribed the Library to hide Earth before they aimed the asteroid to slam into the planet. Sing Cole Porter because "There's a plan to the Tandu that can do you in." Vilyehm Teighlore _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
