Far-seer
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Far-Seer (Quintaglio Ascension #1)
by Robert J. Sawyer
This novel is one of my favorites and is the reason I read more from Robert Sawyer. It is a short easy read (an old fashion sort of book before giant tomes and endless series came in to fashion) None of his other books of series brought me to place that this one did. The idea of an entire dinosaur civilization with no âhumanâ observer just captured me. The world building is fascinating, a religion that supplanted older gods (the five Hunters) involves worshiping a god that lives in the sky. There is a ritual pilgrimage that all Quintaglios (as they call themselves) undertake that involves sailing to a place where they can see the face of god. The story if full of nice world building touches like that. Niceties of interaction between individuals of a species of carnivores, a ritual hunt as a rite of passage. No agriculture, but stock yards of domesticated plant eaters. Also, no family structure as eggs are laid in a common hatchery.
Published in 1993, this is a sort of story I just donât see these days. Even though it isnât completely flawless, I have to give this one 5 stars for the nostalgia and the way I just loved it at the time.
Told in third person limited POV, the story follows a young apprentice astrologer Afsan.
From the very first chapter we find that he has a tendency to asks questions that he isnât supposed to. When a stranger offers his master a new invention called a far-seer (a telescope) Afsan is of course excited and wants to use it to exam the face of god; his master Saleed however makes it clear he will tolerate no such nonsense.
Soon, it is time for Afsan to go on his ritual hunt then make his pilgrimage and we meet his friend prince Dybo who is of similar age and he agrees to both with his friend. It is during his meeting with the hunt leader Jal-Tetex that the author introduces the concept of a religious prophecy promising âA hunter - The One - who shall lead the greatest hunt of all.â They go on the hunt and Afsan is hurt but quickly recovers and they set sail on their quest. Robert Sawyer does a really excellent job of setting up the friendship of Afsan and Dybo. Dybo is the pampered prince, the funny one, a little bit cavalier. Afsan is the scholar of the two.
On his journey, he finally gets to turn the far-seer toward the sky and studies the planets, noting they were very like the moons
. When he finally gets to see the âFace of Godâ, he makes the astonishing discovery that it too goes through phases, waxing and waning just like the moons and planets. He defies the orders of his master and gazes on the Face using his far-seer. Seeing details like a whirlpool, and fluid gas like properties. (The read should get the hint that it is a gas giant like Jupiter). It doesnât take Afsan long to figure out the planets revolve around the sun, and moons revolve around planets, and they their own world (simply called âthe Landâ) was actually a moon, and that the so called eyes of God were really the moonsâ shadows.
He goes super fast from making these discoveries (which he makes really quickly, sort of condensing several life times of discovery in our world) to atheism. It does seem obvious to ask the question of if we need a creator then doesnât god require one too? Then immediately, who created the creatorâs creator? From there, you can only go to it is turtles (armourbacks) all the way down. Sometimes Sawyer gets too cute with making his aliens not only too human but having direct copies of our history and stories instead of analogs or parallels.
Afsan, having figured the world is a sphere, calculates the diameter and figures that the voyage to the Face of God is half way around the world, and instead of going back the way they came, they could just keep going and get home (on the other side of the island/continent.) Robert Sawyer is a bit naive in his thought that sailors could sail half way around the world (it took them about 145 days of sailing) and think they are in a river. In fact on a small world, the curvature would be even more obvious.
The captain is swayed when Afsan helps to kill a Pliosaur and agree to keep sailing in the same direction. Something he most certainly wouldnât do if he didnât already know the world was round. Of course the priest objects, but the captain is a secret (or not so secret) Lubilite (follows of the old religion of the five hunters).
304 days after they left, they touch the shore on the opposite side of their land. With news that his mother the Empress is dead Dybo, now Emperor rushes back to the Capital while Afsan seeks out the maker of the Far-seer. A female named Novato who has also been studying the objects in the sky. With a larger far-seer and plenty of time she has made detailed sketches of her observations which included rings around some of the planets.
They quickly (like super quickly because it is that kind of book) realize that their own world being so close to the planet they circle is in danger of coming apart. There are already quakes that make building nearly impossible and every sign that they are getting worse. They hit it off so well the in true dino fashion they have some causal sex then say goodbye.
On the way back to the Capital, Alfsan stops by his packâs creche so that Robert Sawyer can introduce another aspect of the Quintaglio society - they have blood priests who eat 7 out of every clutch of 8. He then makes it back just in time to tell his dying master everything he has discovered. Unfortunately, and not unexpectedly, his observations are not well received. Even though the Emperor is his close friend and was on the same pilgrimage, Alfsan ends up in prison.
Unbeknownst to Alfsan, his exploits have inspired the followers of Lubal (who must do so in secret) to proclaim that he is âThe Oneâ and they plot some sort of revolution. They are not in time to save Alfsan from being blinded. He is set free - presumed helpless and no longer a threat. Even blinded, he is charismatic, and leads the Lubalites ones they reveal themselves to him and announce he is their prophesied prophet. In the mist of a blood bath show down between the Lubalites and the loyalist, a catastrophic earthquake hits the capital.
After escaping, Alfsan reconnects with Novato who now has his eight children. And surprisingly Dybo. His city is in ruins, but he is still in power and with the high priest dead and talking one on one with Alfsan, he is more reasonable. He agrees to set up a project for Quintaglio exodus putting Novato in charge. The story ends on an upbeat hopeful note with them believing they can reach the stars - a lofty goal for a society with almost no technology.
by Robert J. Sawyer
This novel is one of my favorites and is the reason I read more from Robert Sawyer. It is a short easy read (an old fashion sort of book before giant tomes and endless series came in to fashion) None of his other books of series brought me to place that this one did. The idea of an entire dinosaur civilization with no âhumanâ observer just captured me. The world building is fascinating, a religion that supplanted older gods (the five Hunters) involves worshiping a god that lives in the sky. There is a ritual pilgrimage that all Quintaglios (as they call themselves) undertake that involves sailing to a place where they can see the face of god. The story if full of nice world building touches like that. Niceties of interaction between individuals of a species of carnivores, a ritual hunt as a rite of passage. No agriculture, but stock yards of domesticated plant eaters. Also, no family structure as eggs are laid in a common hatchery.
Published in 1993, this is a sort of story I just donât see these days. Even though it isnât completely flawless, I have to give this one 5 stars for the nostalgia and the way I just loved it at the time.
Told in third person limited POV, the story follows a young apprentice astrologer Afsan.
From the very first chapter we find that he has a tendency to asks questions that he isnât supposed to. When a stranger offers his master a new invention called a far-seer (a telescope) Afsan is of course excited and wants to use it to exam the face of god; his master Saleed however makes it clear he will tolerate no such nonsense.
Soon, it is time for Afsan to go on his ritual hunt then make his pilgrimage and we meet his friend prince Dybo who is of similar age and he agrees to both with his friend. It is during his meeting with the hunt leader Jal-Tetex that the author introduces the concept of a religious prophecy promising âA hunter - The One - who shall lead the greatest hunt of all.â They go on the hunt and Afsan is hurt but quickly recovers and they set sail on their quest. Robert Sawyer does a really excellent job of setting up the friendship of Afsan and Dybo. Dybo is the pampered prince, the funny one, a little bit cavalier. Afsan is the scholar of the two.
On his journey, he finally gets to turn the far-seer toward the sky and studies the planets, noting they were very like the moons
. When he finally gets to see the âFace of Godâ, he makes the astonishing discovery that it too goes through phases, waxing and waning just like the moons and planets. He defies the orders of his master and gazes on the Face using his far-seer. Seeing details like a whirlpool, and fluid gas like properties. (The read should get the hint that it is a gas giant like Jupiter). It doesnât take Afsan long to figure out the planets revolve around the sun, and moons revolve around planets, and they their own world (simply called âthe Landâ) was actually a moon, and that the so called eyes of God were really the moonsâ shadows.
He goes super fast from making these discoveries (which he makes really quickly, sort of condensing several life times of discovery in our world) to atheism. It does seem obvious to ask the question of if we need a creator then doesnât god require one too? Then immediately, who created the creatorâs creator? From there, you can only go to it is turtles (armourbacks) all the way down. Sometimes Sawyer gets too cute with making his aliens not only too human but having direct copies of our history and stories instead of analogs or parallels.
Afsan, having figured the world is a sphere, calculates the diameter and figures that the voyage to the Face of God is half way around the world, and instead of going back the way they came, they could just keep going and get home (on the other side of the island/continent.) Robert Sawyer is a bit naive in his thought that sailors could sail half way around the world (it took them about 145 days of sailing) and think they are in a river. In fact on a small world, the curvature would be even more obvious.
The captain is swayed when Afsan helps to kill a Pliosaur and agree to keep sailing in the same direction. Something he most certainly wouldnât do if he didnât already know the world was round. Of course the priest objects, but the captain is a secret (or not so secret) Lubilite (follows of the old religion of the five hunters).
304 days after they left, they touch the shore on the opposite side of their land. With news that his mother the Empress is dead Dybo, now Emperor rushes back to the Capital while Afsan seeks out the maker of the Far-seer. A female named Novato who has also been studying the objects in the sky. With a larger far-seer and plenty of time she has made detailed sketches of her observations which included rings around some of the planets.
They quickly (like super quickly because it is that kind of book) realize that their own world being so close to the planet they circle is in danger of coming apart. There are already quakes that make building nearly impossible and every sign that they are getting worse. They hit it off so well the in true dino fashion they have some causal sex then say goodbye.
On the way back to the Capital, Alfsan stops by his packâs creche so that Robert Sawyer can introduce another aspect of the Quintaglio society - they have blood priests who eat 7 out of every clutch of 8. He then makes it back just in time to tell his dying master everything he has discovered. Unfortunately, and not unexpectedly, his observations are not well received. Even though the Emperor is his close friend and was on the same pilgrimage, Alfsan ends up in prison.
Unbeknownst to Alfsan, his exploits have inspired the followers of Lubal (who must do so in secret) to proclaim that he is âThe Oneâ and they plot some sort of revolution. They are not in time to save Alfsan from being blinded. He is set free - presumed helpless and no longer a threat. Even blinded, he is charismatic, and leads the Lubalites ones they reveal themselves to him and announce he is their prophesied prophet. In the mist of a blood bath show down between the Lubalites and the loyalist, a catastrophic earthquake hits the capital.
After escaping, Alfsan reconnects with Novato who now has his eight children. And surprisingly Dybo. His city is in ruins, but he is still in power and with the high priest dead and talking one on one with Alfsan, he is more reasonable. He agrees to set up a project for Quintaglio exodus putting Novato in charge. The story ends on an upbeat hopeful note with them believing they can reach the stars - a lofty goal for a society with almost no technology.
Far-Seer (Quintaglio Ascension #1)
by Robert J. Sawyer
This novel is one of my favorites and is the reason I read more from Robert Sawyer. It is a short easy read (an old fashion sort of book before giant tomes and endless series came in to fashion) None of his other books of series brought me to place that this one did. The idea of an entire dinosaur civilization with no âhumanâ observer just captured me. The world building is fascinating, a religion that supplanted older gods (the five Hunters) involves worshiping a god that lives in the sky. There is a ritual pilgrimage that all Quintaglios (as they call themselves) undertake that involves sailing to a place where they can see the face of god. The story if full of nice world building touches like that. Niceties of interaction between individuals of a species of carnivores, a ritual hunt as a rite of passage. No agriculture, but stock yards of domesticated plant eaters. Also, no family structure as eggs are laid in a common hatchery.
Published in 1993, this is a sort of story I just donât see these days. Even though it isnât completely flawless, I have to give this one 5 stars for the nostalgia and the way I just loved it at the time.
Told in third person limited POV, the story follows a young apprentice astrologer Afsan.
From the very first chapter we find that he has a tendency to asks questions that he isnât supposed to. When a stranger offers his master a new invention called a far-seer (a telescope) Afsan is of course excited and wants to use it to exam the face of god; his master Saleed however makes it clear he will tolerate no such nonsense.
Soon, it is time for Afsan to go on his ritual hunt then make his pilgrimage and we meet his friend prince Dybo who is of similar age and he agrees to both with his friend. It is during his meeting with the hunt leader Jal-Tetex that the author introduces the concept of a religious prophecy promising âA hunter - The One - who shall lead the greatest hunt of all.â They go on the hunt and Afsan is hurt but quickly recovers and they set sail on their quest. Robert Sawyer does a really excellent job of setting up the friendship of Afsan and Dybo. Dybo is the pampered prince, the funny one, a little bit cavalier. Afsan is the scholar of the two.
On his journey, he finally gets to turn the far-seer toward the sky and studies the planets, noting they were very like the moons
. When he finally gets to see the âFace of Godâ, he makes the astonishing discovery that it too goes through phases, waxing and waning just like the moons and planets. He defies the orders of his master and gazes on the Face using his far-seer. Seeing details like a whirlpool, and fluid gas like properties. (The read should get the hint that it is a gas giant like Jupiter). It doesnât take Afsan long to figure out the planets revolve around the sun, and moons revolve around planets, and they their own world (simply called âthe Landâ) was actually a moon, and that the so called eyes of God were really the moonsâ shadows.
He goes super fast from making these discoveries (which he makes really quickly, sort of condensing several life times of discovery in our world) to atheism. It does seem obvious to ask the question of if we need a creator then doesnât god require one too? Then immediately, who created the creatorâs creator? From there, you can only go to it is turtles (armourbacks) all the way down. Sometimes Sawyer gets too cute with making his aliens not only too human but having direct copies of our history and stories instead of analogs or parallels.
Afsan, having figured the world is a sphere, calculates the diameter and figures that the voyage to the Face of God is half way around the world, and instead of going back the way they came, they could just keep going and get home (on the other side of the island/continent.) Robert Sawyer is a bit naive in his thought that sailors could sail half way around the world (it took them about 145 days of sailing) and think they are in a river. In fact on a small world, the curvature would be even more obvious.
The captain is swayed when Afsan helps to kill a Pliosaur and agree to keep sailing in the same direction. Something he most certainly wouldnât do if he didnât already know the world was round. Of course the priest objects, but the captain is a secret (or not so secret) Lubilite (follows of the old religion of the five hunters).
304 days after they left, they touch the shore on the opposite side of their land. With news that his mother the Empress is dead Dybo, now Emperor rushes back to the Capital while Afsan seeks out the maker of the Far-seer. A female named Novato who has also been studying the objects in the sky. With a larger far-seer and plenty of time she has made detailed sketches of her observations which included rings around some of the planets.
They quickly (like super quickly because it is that kind of book) realize that their own world being so close to the planet they circle is in danger of coming apart. There are already quakes that make building nearly impossible and every sign that they are getting worse. They hit it off so well the in true dino fashion they have some causal sex then say goodbye.
On the way back to the Capital, Alfsan stops by his packâs creche so that Robert Sawyer can introduce another aspect of the Quintaglio society - they have blood priests who eat 7 out of every clutch of 8. He then makes it back just in time to tell his dying master everything he has discovered. Unfortunately, and not unexpectedly, his observations are not well received. Even though the Emperor is his close friend and was on the same pilgrimage, Alfsan ends up in prison.
Unbeknownst to Alfsan, his exploits have inspired the followers of Lubal (who must do so in secret) to proclaim that he is âThe Oneâ and they plot some sort of revolution. They are not in time to save Alfsan from being blinded. He is set free - presumed helpless and no longer a threat. Even blinded, he is charismatic, and leads the Lubalites ones they reveal themselves to him and announce he is their prophesied prophet. In the mist of a blood bath show down between the Lubalites and the loyalist, a catastrophic earthquake hits the capital.
After escaping, Alfsan reconnects with Novato who now has his eight children. And surprisingly Dybo. His city is in ruins, but he is still in power and with the high priest dead and talking one on one with Alfsan, he is more reasonable. He agrees to set up a project for Quintaglio exodus putting Novato in charge. The story ends on an upbeat hopeful note with them believing they can reach the stars - a lofty goal for a society with almost no technology.
by Robert J. Sawyer
This novel is one of my favorites and is the reason I read more from Robert Sawyer. It is a short easy read (an old fashion sort of book before giant tomes and endless series came in to fashion) None of his other books of series brought me to place that this one did. The idea of an entire dinosaur civilization with no âhumanâ observer just captured me. The world building is fascinating, a religion that supplanted older gods (the five Hunters) involves worshiping a god that lives in the sky. There is a ritual pilgrimage that all Quintaglios (as they call themselves) undertake that involves sailing to a place where they can see the face of god. The story if full of nice world building touches like that. Niceties of interaction between individuals of a species of carnivores, a ritual hunt as a rite of passage. No agriculture, but stock yards of domesticated plant eaters. Also, no family structure as eggs are laid in a common hatchery.
Published in 1993, this is a sort of story I just donât see these days. Even though it isnât completely flawless, I have to give this one 5 stars for the nostalgia and the way I just loved it at the time.
Told in third person limited POV, the story follows a young apprentice astrologer Afsan.
From the very first chapter we find that he has a tendency to asks questions that he isnât supposed to. When a stranger offers his master a new invention called a far-seer (a telescope) Afsan is of course excited and wants to use it to exam the face of god; his master Saleed however makes it clear he will tolerate no such nonsense.
Soon, it is time for Afsan to go on his ritual hunt then make his pilgrimage and we meet his friend prince Dybo who is of similar age and he agrees to both with his friend. It is during his meeting with the hunt leader Jal-Tetex that the author introduces the concept of a religious prophecy promising âA hunter - The One - who shall lead the greatest hunt of all.â They go on the hunt and Afsan is hurt but quickly recovers and they set sail on their quest. Robert Sawyer does a really excellent job of setting up the friendship of Afsan and Dybo. Dybo is the pampered prince, the funny one, a little bit cavalier. Afsan is the scholar of the two.
On his journey, he finally gets to turn the far-seer toward the sky and studies the planets, noting they were very like the moons
. When he finally gets to see the âFace of Godâ, he makes the astonishing discovery that it too goes through phases, waxing and waning just like the moons and planets. He defies the orders of his master and gazes on the Face using his far-seer. Seeing details like a whirlpool, and fluid gas like properties. (The read should get the hint that it is a gas giant like Jupiter). It doesnât take Afsan long to figure out the planets revolve around the sun, and moons revolve around planets, and they their own world (simply called âthe Landâ) was actually a moon, and that the so called eyes of God were really the moonsâ shadows.
He goes super fast from making these discoveries (which he makes really quickly, sort of condensing several life times of discovery in our world) to atheism. It does seem obvious to ask the question of if we need a creator then doesnât god require one too? Then immediately, who created the creatorâs creator? From there, you can only go to it is turtles (armourbacks) all the way down. Sometimes Sawyer gets too cute with making his aliens not only too human but having direct copies of our history and stories instead of analogs or parallels.
Afsan, having figured the world is a sphere, calculates the diameter and figures that the voyage to the Face of God is half way around the world, and instead of going back the way they came, they could just keep going and get home (on the other side of the island/continent.) Robert Sawyer is a bit naive in his thought that sailors could sail half way around the world (it took them about 145 days of sailing) and think they are in a river. In fact on a small world, the curvature would be even more obvious.
The captain is swayed when Afsan helps to kill a Pliosaur and agree to keep sailing in the same direction. Something he most certainly wouldnât do if he didnât already know the world was round. Of course the priest objects, but the captain is a secret (or not so secret) Lubilite (follows of the old religion of the five hunters).
304 days after they left, they touch the shore on the opposite side of their land. With news that his mother the Empress is dead Dybo, now Emperor rushes back to the Capital while Afsan seeks out the maker of the Far-seer. A female named Novato who has also been studying the objects in the sky. With a larger far-seer and plenty of time she has made detailed sketches of her observations which included rings around some of the planets.
They quickly (like super quickly because it is that kind of book) realize that their own world being so close to the planet they circle is in danger of coming apart. There are already quakes that make building nearly impossible and every sign that they are getting worse. They hit it off so well the in true dino fashion they have some causal sex then say goodbye.
On the way back to the Capital, Alfsan stops by his packâs creche so that Robert Sawyer can introduce another aspect of the Quintaglio society - they have blood priests who eat 7 out of every clutch of 8. He then makes it back just in time to tell his dying master everything he has discovered. Unfortunately, and not unexpectedly, his observations are not well received. Even though the Emperor is his close friend and was on the same pilgrimage, Alfsan ends up in prison.
Unbeknownst to Alfsan, his exploits have inspired the followers of Lubal (who must do so in secret) to proclaim that he is âThe Oneâ and they plot some sort of revolution. They are not in time to save Alfsan from being blinded. He is set free - presumed helpless and no longer a threat. Even blinded, he is charismatic, and leads the Lubalites ones they reveal themselves to him and announce he is their prophesied prophet. In the mist of a blood bath show down between the Lubalites and the loyalist, a catastrophic earthquake hits the capital.
After escaping, Alfsan reconnects with Novato who now has his eight children. And surprisingly Dybo. His city is in ruins, but he is still in power and with the high priest dead and talking one on one with Alfsan, he is more reasonable. He agrees to set up a project for Quintaglio exodus putting Novato in charge. The story ends on an upbeat hopeful note with them believing they can reach the stars - a lofty goal for a society with almost no technology.
Far-Seer (Quintaglio Ascension #1)
by Robert J. Sawyer
This novel is one of my favorites and is the reason I read more from Robert Sawyer. It is a short easy read (an old fashion sort of book before giant tomes and endless series came in to fashion) None of his other books of series brought me to place that this one did. The idea of an entire dinosaur civilization with no âhumanâ observer just captured me. The world building is fascinating, a religion that supplanted older gods (the five Hunters) involves worshiping a god that lives in the sky. There is a ritual pilgrimage that all Quintaglios (as they call themselves) undertake that involves sailing to a place where they can see the face of god. The story if full of nice world building touches like that. Niceties of interaction between individuals of a species of carnivores, a ritual hunt as a rite of passage. No agriculture, but stock yards of domesticated plant eaters. Also, no family structure as eggs are laid in a common hatchery.
Published in 1993, this is a sort of story I just donât see these days. Even though it isnât completely flawless, I have to give this one 5 stars for the nostalgia and the way I just loved it at the time.
Told in third person limited POV, the story follows a young apprentice astrologer Afsan.
From the very first chapter we find that he has a tendency to asks questions that he isnât supposed to. When a stranger offers his master a new invention called a far-seer (a telescope) Afsan is of course excited and wants to use it to exam the face of god; his master Saleed however makes it clear he will tolerate no such nonsense.
Soon, it is time for Afsan to go on his ritual hunt then make his pilgrimage and we meet his friend prince Dybo who is of similar age and he agrees to both with his friend. It is during his meeting with the hunt leader Jal-Tetex that the author introduces the concept of a religious prophecy promising âA hunter - The One - who shall lead the greatest hunt of all.â They go on the hunt and Afsan is hurt but quickly recovers and they set sail on their quest. Robert Sawyer does a really excellent job of setting up the friendship of Afsan and Dybo. Dybo is the pampered prince, the funny one, a little bit cavalier. Afsan is the scholar of the two.
On his journey, he finally gets to turn the far-seer toward the sky and studies the planets, noting they were very like the moons
. When he finally gets to see the âFace of Godâ, he makes the astonishing discovery that it too goes through phases, waxing and waning just like the moons and planets. He defies the orders of his master and gazes on the Face using his far-seer. Seeing details like a whirlpool, and fluid gas like properties. (The read should get the hint that it is a gas giant like Jupiter). It doesnât take Afsan long to figure out the planets revolve around the sun, and moons revolve around planets, and they their own world (simply called âthe Landâ) was actually a moon, and that the so called eyes of God were really the moonsâ shadows.
He goes super fast from making these discoveries (which he makes really quickly, sort of condensing several life times of discovery in our world) to atheism. It does seem obvious to ask the question of if we need a creator then doesnât god require one too? Then immediately, who created the creatorâs creator? From there, you can only go to it is turtles (armourbacks) all the way down. Sometimes Sawyer gets too cute with making his aliens not only too human but having direct copies of our history and stories instead of analogs or parallels.
Afsan, having figured the world is a sphere, calculates the diameter and figures that the voyage to the Face of God is half way around the world, and instead of going back the way they came, they could just keep going and get home (on the other side of the island/continent.) Robert Sawyer is a bit naive in his thought that sailors could sail half way around the world (it took them about 145 days of sailing) and think they are in a river. In fact on a small world, the curvature would be even more obvious.
The captain is swayed when Afsan helps to kill a Pliosaur and agree to keep sailing in the same direction. Something he most certainly wouldnât do if he didnât already know the world was round. Of course the priest objects, but the captain is a secret (or not so secret) Lubilite (follows of the old religion of the five hunters).
304 days after they left, they touch the shore on the opposite side of their land. With news that his mother the Empress is dead Dybo, now Emperor rushes back to the Capital while Afsan seeks out the maker of the Far-seer. A female named Novato who has also been studying the objects in the sky. With a larger far-seer and plenty of time she has made detailed sketches of her observations which included rings around some of the planets.
They quickly (like super quickly because it is that kind of book) realize that their own world being so close to the planet they circle is in danger of coming apart. There are already quakes that make building nearly impossible and every sign that they are getting worse. They hit it off so well the in true dino fashion they have some causal sex then say goodbye.
On the way back to the Capital, Alfsan stops by his packâs creche so that Robert Sawyer can introduce another aspect of the Quintaglio society - they have blood priests who eat 7 out of every clutch of 8. He then makes it back just in time to tell his dying master everything he has discovered. Unfortunately, and not unexpectedly, his observations are not well received. Even though the Emperor is his close friend and was on the same pilgrimage, Alfsan ends up in prison.
Unbeknownst to Alfsan, his exploits have inspired the followers of Lubal (who must do so in secret) to proclaim that he is âThe Oneâ and they plot some sort of revolution. They are not in time to save Alfsan from being blinded. He is set free - presumed helpless and no longer a threat. Even blinded, he is charismatic, and leads the Lubalites ones they reveal themselves to him and announce he is their prophesied prophet. In the mist of a blood bath show down between the Lubalites and the loyalist, a catastrophic earthquake hits the capital.
After escaping, Alfsan reconnects with Novato who now has his eight children. And surprisingly Dybo. His city is in ruins, but he is still in power and with the high priest dead and talking one on one with Alfsan, he is more reasonable. He agrees to set up a project for Quintaglio exodus putting Novato in charge. The story ends on an upbeat hopeful note with them believing they can reach the stars - a lofty goal for a society with almost no technology.
by Robert J. Sawyer
This novel is one of my favorites and is the reason I read more from Robert Sawyer. It is a short easy read (an old fashion sort of book before giant tomes and endless series came in to fashion) None of his other books of series brought me to place that this one did. The idea of an entire dinosaur civilization with no âhumanâ observer just captured me. The world building is fascinating, a religion that supplanted older gods (the five Hunters) involves worshiping a god that lives in the sky. There is a ritual pilgrimage that all Quintaglios (as they call themselves) undertake that involves sailing to a place where they can see the face of god. The story if full of nice world building touches like that. Niceties of interaction between individuals of a species of carnivores, a ritual hunt as a rite of passage. No agriculture, but stock yards of domesticated plant eaters. Also, no family structure as eggs are laid in a common hatchery.
Published in 1993, this is a sort of story I just donât see these days. Even though it isnât completely flawless, I have to give this one 5 stars for the nostalgia and the way I just loved it at the time.
Told in third person limited POV, the story follows a young apprentice astrologer Afsan.
From the very first chapter we find that he has a tendency to asks questions that he isnât supposed to. When a stranger offers his master a new invention called a far-seer (a telescope) Afsan is of course excited and wants to use it to exam the face of god; his master Saleed however makes it clear he will tolerate no such nonsense.
Soon, it is time for Afsan to go on his ritual hunt then make his pilgrimage and we meet his friend prince Dybo who is of similar age and he agrees to both with his friend. It is during his meeting with the hunt leader Jal-Tetex that the author introduces the concept of a religious prophecy promising âA hunter - The One - who shall lead the greatest hunt of all.â They go on the hunt and Afsan is hurt but quickly recovers and they set sail on their quest. Robert Sawyer does a really excellent job of setting up the friendship of Afsan and Dybo. Dybo is the pampered prince, the funny one, a little bit cavalier. Afsan is the scholar of the two.
On his journey, he finally gets to turn the far-seer toward the sky and studies the planets, noting they were very like the moons
. When he finally gets to see the âFace of Godâ, he makes the astonishing discovery that it too goes through phases, waxing and waning just like the moons and planets. He defies the orders of his master and gazes on the Face using his far-seer. Seeing details like a whirlpool, and fluid gas like properties. (The read should get the hint that it is a gas giant like Jupiter). It doesnât take Afsan long to figure out the planets revolve around the sun, and moons revolve around planets, and they their own world (simply called âthe Landâ) was actually a moon, and that the so called eyes of God were really the moonsâ shadows.
He goes super fast from making these discoveries (which he makes really quickly, sort of condensing several life times of discovery in our world) to atheism. It does seem obvious to ask the question of if we need a creator then doesnât god require one too? Then immediately, who created the creatorâs creator? From there, you can only go to it is turtles (armourbacks) all the way down. Sometimes Sawyer gets too cute with making his aliens not only too human but having direct copies of our history and stories instead of analogs or parallels.
Afsan, having figured the world is a sphere, calculates the diameter and figures that the voyage to the Face of God is half way around the world, and instead of going back the way they came, they could just keep going and get home (on the other side of the island/continent.) Robert Sawyer is a bit naive in his thought that sailors could sail half way around the world (it took them about 145 days of sailing) and think they are in a river. In fact on a small world, the curvature would be even more obvious.
The captain is swayed when Afsan helps to kill a Pliosaur and agree to keep sailing in the same direction. Something he most certainly wouldnât do if he didnât already know the world was round. Of course the priest objects, but the captain is a secret (or not so secret) Lubilite (follows of the old religion of the five hunters).
304 days after they left, they touch the shore on the opposite side of their land. With news that his mother the Empress is dead Dybo, now Emperor rushes back to the Capital while Afsan seeks out the maker of the Far-seer. A female named Novato who has also been studying the objects in the sky. With a larger far-seer and plenty of time she has made detailed sketches of her observations which included rings around some of the planets.
They quickly (like super quickly because it is that kind of book) realize that their own world being so close to the planet they circle is in danger of coming apart. There are already quakes that make building nearly impossible and every sign that they are getting worse. They hit it off so well the in true dino fashion they have some causal sex then say goodbye.
On the way back to the Capital, Alfsan stops by his packâs creche so that Robert Sawyer can introduce another aspect of the Quintaglio society - they have blood priests who eat 7 out of every clutch of 8. He then makes it back just in time to tell his dying master everything he has discovered. Unfortunately, and not unexpectedly, his observations are not well received. Even though the Emperor is his close friend and was on the same pilgrimage, Alfsan ends up in prison.
Unbeknownst to Alfsan, his exploits have inspired the followers of Lubal (who must do so in secret) to proclaim that he is âThe Oneâ and they plot some sort of revolution. They are not in time to save Alfsan from being blinded. He is set free - presumed helpless and no longer a threat. Even blinded, he is charismatic, and leads the Lubalites ones they reveal themselves to him and announce he is their prophesied prophet. In the mist of a blood bath show down between the Lubalites and the loyalist, a catastrophic earthquake hits the capital.
After escaping, Alfsan reconnects with Novato who now has his eight children. And surprisingly Dybo. His city is in ruins, but he is still in power and with the high priest dead and talking one on one with Alfsan, he is more reasonable. He agrees to set up a project for Quintaglio exodus putting Novato in charge. The story ends on an upbeat hopeful note with them believing they can reach the stars - a lofty goal for a society with almost no technology.
Far-Seer (Quintaglio Ascension #1)
by Robert J. Sawyer
This novel is one of my favorites and is the reason I read more from Robert Sawyer. It is a short easy read (an old fashion sort of book before giant tomes and endless series came in to fashion) None of his other books of series brought me to place that this one did. The idea of an entire dinosaur civilization with no âhumanâ observer just captured me. The world building is fascinating, a religion that supplanted older gods (the five Hunters) involves worshiping a god that lives in the sky. There is a ritual pilgrimage that all Quintaglios (as they call themselves) undertake that involves sailing to a place where they can see the face of god. The story if full of nice world building touches like that. Niceties of interaction between individuals of a species of carnivores, a ritual hunt as a rite of passage. No agriculture, but stock yards of domesticated plant eaters. Also, no family structure as eggs are laid in a common hatchery.
Published in 1993, this is a sort of story I just donât see these days. Even though it isnât completely flawless, I have to give this one 5 stars for the nostalgia and the way I just loved it at the time.
Told in third person limited POV, the story follows a young apprentice astrologer Afsan.
From the very first chapter we find that he has a tendency to asks questions that he isnât supposed to. When a stranger offers his master a new invention called a far-seer (a telescope) Afsan is of course excited and wants to use it to exam the face of god; his master Saleed however makes it clear he will tolerate no such nonsense.
Soon, it is time for Afsan to go on his ritual hunt then make his pilgrimage and we meet his friend prince Dybo who is of similar age and he agrees to both with his friend. It is during his meeting with the hunt leader Jal-Tetex that the author introduces the concept of a religious prophecy promising âA hunter - The One - who shall lead the greatest hunt of all.â They go on the hunt and Afsan is hurt but quickly recovers and they set sail on their quest. Robert Sawyer does a really excellent job of setting up the friendship of Afsan and Dybo. Dybo is the pampered prince, the funny one, a little bit cavalier. Afsan is the scholar of the two.
On his journey, he finally gets to turn the far-seer toward the sky and studies the planets, noting they were very like the moons
. When he finally gets to see the âFace of Godâ, he makes the astonishing discovery that it too goes through phases, waxing and waning just like the moons and planets. He defies the orders of his master and gazes on the Face using his far-seer. Seeing details like a whirlpool, and fluid gas like properties. (The read should get the hint that it is a gas giant like Jupiter). It doesnât take Afsan long to figure out the planets revolve around the sun, and moons revolve around planets, and they their own world (simply called âthe Landâ) was actually a moon, and that the so called eyes of God were really the moonsâ shadows.
He goes super fast from making these discoveries (which he makes really quickly, sort of condensing several life times of discovery in our world) to atheism. It does seem obvious to ask the question of if we need a creator then doesnât god require one too? Then immediately, who created the creatorâs creator? From there, you can only go to it is turtles (armourbacks) all the way down. Sometimes Sawyer gets too cute with making his aliens not only too human but having direct copies of our history and stories instead of analogs or parallels.
Afsan, having figured the world is a sphere, calculates the diameter and figures that the voyage to the Face of God is half way around the world, and instead of going back the way they came, they could just keep going and get home (on the other side of the island/continent.) Robert Sawyer is a bit naive in his thought that sailors could sail half way around the world (it took them about 145 days of sailing) and think they are in a river. In fact on a small world, the curvature would be even more obvious.
The captain is swayed when Afsan helps to kill a Pliosaur and agree to keep sailing in the same direction. Something he most certainly wouldnât do if he didnât already know the world was round. Of course the priest objects, but the captain is a secret (or not so secret) Lubilite (follows of the old religion of the five hunters).
304 days after they left, they touch the shore on the opposite side of their land. With news that his mother the Empress is dead Dybo, now Emperor rushes back to the Capital while Afsan seeks out the maker of the Far-seer. A female named Novato who has also been studying the objects in the sky. With a larger far-seer and plenty of time she has made detailed sketches of her observations which included rings around some of the planets.
They quickly (like super quickly because it is that kind of book) realize that their own world being so close to the planet they circle is in danger of coming apart. There are already quakes that make building nearly impossible and every sign that they are getting worse. They hit it off so well the in true dino fashion they have some causal sex then say goodbye.
On the way back to the Capital, Alfsan stops by his packâs creche so that Robert Sawyer can introduce another aspect of the Quintaglio society - they have blood priests who eat 7 out of every clutch of 8. He then makes it back just in time to tell his dying master everything he has discovered. Unfortunately, and not unexpectedly, his observations are not well received. Even though the Emperor is his close friend and was on the same pilgrimage, Alfsan ends up in prison.
Unbeknownst to Alfsan, his exploits have inspired the followers of Lubal (who must do so in secret) to proclaim that he is âThe Oneâ and they plot some sort of revolution. They are not in time to save Alfsan from being blinded. He is set free - presumed helpless and no longer a threat. Even blinded, he is charismatic, and leads the Lubalites ones they reveal themselves to him and announce he is their prophesied prophet. In the mist of a blood bath show down between the Lubalites and the loyalist, a catastrophic earthquake hits the capital.
After escaping, Alfsan reconnects with Novato who now has his eight children. And surprisingly Dybo. His city is in ruins, but he is still in power and with the high priest dead and talking one on one with Alfsan, he is more reasonable. He agrees to set up a project for Quintaglio exodus putting Novato in charge. The story ends on an upbeat hopeful note with them believing they can reach the stars - a lofty goal for a society with almost no technology.
by Robert J. Sawyer
This novel is one of my favorites and is the reason I read more from Robert Sawyer. It is a short easy read (an old fashion sort of book before giant tomes and endless series came in to fashion) None of his other books of series brought me to place that this one did. The idea of an entire dinosaur civilization with no âhumanâ observer just captured me. The world building is fascinating, a religion that supplanted older gods (the five Hunters) involves worshiping a god that lives in the sky. There is a ritual pilgrimage that all Quintaglios (as they call themselves) undertake that involves sailing to a place where they can see the face of god. The story if full of nice world building touches like that. Niceties of interaction between individuals of a species of carnivores, a ritual hunt as a rite of passage. No agriculture, but stock yards of domesticated plant eaters. Also, no family structure as eggs are laid in a common hatchery.
Published in 1993, this is a sort of story I just donât see these days. Even though it isnât completely flawless, I have to give this one 5 stars for the nostalgia and the way I just loved it at the time.
Told in third person limited POV, the story follows a young apprentice astrologer Afsan.
From the very first chapter we find that he has a tendency to asks questions that he isnât supposed to. When a stranger offers his master a new invention called a far-seer (a telescope) Afsan is of course excited and wants to use it to exam the face of god; his master Saleed however makes it clear he will tolerate no such nonsense.
Soon, it is time for Afsan to go on his ritual hunt then make his pilgrimage and we meet his friend prince Dybo who is of similar age and he agrees to both with his friend. It is during his meeting with the hunt leader Jal-Tetex that the author introduces the concept of a religious prophecy promising âA hunter - The One - who shall lead the greatest hunt of all.â They go on the hunt and Afsan is hurt but quickly recovers and they set sail on their quest. Robert Sawyer does a really excellent job of setting up the friendship of Afsan and Dybo. Dybo is the pampered prince, the funny one, a little bit cavalier. Afsan is the scholar of the two.
On his journey, he finally gets to turn the far-seer toward the sky and studies the planets, noting they were very like the moons
. When he finally gets to see the âFace of Godâ, he makes the astonishing discovery that it too goes through phases, waxing and waning just like the moons and planets. He defies the orders of his master and gazes on the Face using his far-seer. Seeing details like a whirlpool, and fluid gas like properties. (The read should get the hint that it is a gas giant like Jupiter). It doesnât take Afsan long to figure out the planets revolve around the sun, and moons revolve around planets, and they their own world (simply called âthe Landâ) was actually a moon, and that the so called eyes of God were really the moonsâ shadows.
He goes super fast from making these discoveries (which he makes really quickly, sort of condensing several life times of discovery in our world) to atheism. It does seem obvious to ask the question of if we need a creator then doesnât god require one too? Then immediately, who created the creatorâs creator? From there, you can only go to it is turtles (armourbacks) all the way down. Sometimes Sawyer gets too cute with making his aliens not only too human but having direct copies of our history and stories instead of analogs or parallels.
Afsan, having figured the world is a sphere, calculates the diameter and figures that the voyage to the Face of God is half way around the world, and instead of going back the way they came, they could just keep going and get home (on the other side of the island/continent.) Robert Sawyer is a bit naive in his thought that sailors could sail half way around the world (it took them about 145 days of sailing) and think they are in a river. In fact on a small world, the curvature would be even more obvious.
The captain is swayed when Afsan helps to kill a Pliosaur and agree to keep sailing in the same direction. Something he most certainly wouldnât do if he didnât already know the world was round. Of course the priest objects, but the captain is a secret (or not so secret) Lubilite (follows of the old religion of the five hunters).
304 days after they left, they touch the shore on the opposite side of their land. With news that his mother the Empress is dead Dybo, now Emperor rushes back to the Capital while Afsan seeks out the maker of the Far-seer. A female named Novato who has also been studying the objects in the sky. With a larger far-seer and plenty of time she has made detailed sketches of her observations which included rings around some of the planets.
They quickly (like super quickly because it is that kind of book) realize that their own world being so close to the planet they circle is in danger of coming apart. There are already quakes that make building nearly impossible and every sign that they are getting worse. They hit it off so well the in true dino fashion they have some causal sex then say goodbye.
On the way back to the Capital, Alfsan stops by his packâs creche so that Robert Sawyer can introduce another aspect of the Quintaglio society - they have blood priests who eat 7 out of every clutch of 8. He then makes it back just in time to tell his dying master everything he has discovered. Unfortunately, and not unexpectedly, his observations are not well received. Even though the Emperor is his close friend and was on the same pilgrimage, Alfsan ends up in prison.
Unbeknownst to Alfsan, his exploits have inspired the followers of Lubal (who must do so in secret) to proclaim that he is âThe Oneâ and they plot some sort of revolution. They are not in time to save Alfsan from being blinded. He is set free - presumed helpless and no longer a threat. Even blinded, he is charismatic, and leads the Lubalites ones they reveal themselves to him and announce he is their prophesied prophet. In the mist of a blood bath show down between the Lubalites and the loyalist, a catastrophic earthquake hits the capital.
After escaping, Alfsan reconnects with Novato who now has his eight children. And surprisingly Dybo. His city is in ruins, but he is still in power and with the high priest dead and talking one on one with Alfsan, he is more reasonable. He agrees to set up a project for Quintaglio exodus putting Novato in charge. The story ends on an upbeat hopeful note with them believing they can reach the stars - a lofty goal for a society with almost no technology.
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