If you love your sci-fi with a heavy dose of real science, "Dragon's Egg" is a treasure. The worldbuilding is mind-blowing: life evolving on the surface of a neutron star, with all the extreme physics and unique biology that entails. The alien society - tiny, nuclear-powered Cheela who experience time a million times faster than humans - is fascinating, weird, and thoroughly thought-out. If you enjoy big ideas, imaginative speculation, hard science, and watching entire civilizations blossom in the blink of a (human) eye, you'll find this book unforgettable. Perfect for fans of Arthur C. Clarke, Greg Egan, or those who crave a textbook's rigor wrapped in a wild sci-fi premise.

Who May Not Like This Book:

If you prefer stories rich in plot twists or deep, relatable characters, this one might not be your cup of tea. Some readers felt the humans were flat or the dialog stiff, and found it hard to connect emotionally. The science can get dense, and the book sometimes feels more like a thought experiment than a page-turner. If you're not into physics-heavy exposition or want something with a strong central narrative and lots of character drama, this could be a tough slog.

A legendary hard science classic bursting with imagination and mind-boggling ideas; not for everyone, but a must-read if you love your science fiction seriously science-y.

About:

"Dragon's Egg" by Robert L. Forward is a classic hard science fiction novel that explores the emergence of an intelligent alien civilization living on the surface of a neutron star. The story follows a space expedition from Earth that makes contact with the Cheela, a species evolving at a rapid pace due to the extreme conditions on the neutron star. The narrative delves into the complexities of interacting with a civilization living on a different time scale and showcases the author's detailed scientific worldbuilding. Despite some criticisms about the character development, the book is praised for its unique concept, engaging plot, and the fascinating exploration of alien life forms.

Characters:

The main characters are the cheela, who are considered well-developed and interesting, while human characters tend to lack depth and serve as means to further the plot.

Writing/Prose:

The writing style is a mix of calm scientific exposition and narrative storytelling, though some readers feel the prose is not always compelling.

Plot/Storyline:

The plot primarily revolves around the rapid development of an alien civilization on the surface of a neutron star, examining how time dilation affects interactions between humans and the cheela.

Setting:

Set on the surface of a neutron star, the unique environmental conditions greatly influence the development of life and the story itself.

Pacing:

The pacing varies significantly due to the vast spans of time involved, with generations of cheela emerging quickly while humans experience the events over longer periods.

Buu lay in his leafy arbor nest and looked up at the stars in the dark sky. The hairy young humanoid should have been asleep, but his curiosity kept him awake. A half-million years in the future that ...

Notes:

Dragon's Egg is a hard science fiction novel by Robert L. Forward.

The story revolves around a civilization on the surface of a neutron star.

Time on the neutron star is experienced a million times faster than on Earth.

The aliens, called cheela, evolve rapidly under extreme gravity and magnetic fields.

The book explores the interaction between humans and this alien species.

Despite the scientific accuracy, some readers found human characters underdeveloped.

The narrative is partly told from the cheela's perspective, showcasing their unique society.

The book is known for its detailed scientific explanations and worldbuilding.

It includes an appendix with additional scientific insights about neutron stars.

The novel is regarded as a classic in the hard sci-fi genre and has influenced other authors.

From The Publisher:

"In science fiction there is only a handful of books that stretch the mind-and this is one of them."-Arthur C. Clarke

In a moving story of sacrifice and triumph, human scientists establish a relationship with intelligent lifeforms-the cheela-living on Dragon's Egg, a neutron star where one Earth hour is equivalent to hundreds of their years. The cheela culturally evolve from savagery to the discovery of science, and for a brief time, men are their diligent teachers.

Praise for Dragon's Egg

"Bob Forward writes in the tradition of Hal Clement's Mission of Gravity and carries it a giant step (how else?) forward."-Isaac Asimov

"Dragon's Egg is superb. I couldn't have written it; it required too much real physics."-Larry Niven

"This is one for the real science-fiction fan."-Frank Herbert

"Robert L. Forward tells a good story and asks a profound question. If we run into a race of creatures who live a hundred years while we live an hour, what can they say to us or we to them?"-Freeman J. Dyson

"Forward has impeccable scientific credentials, and . . . big, original, speculative ideas."-The Washington Post

1980

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352 pages

Ratings (5)

Incredible (1)
Loved It (4)

Reader Stats (17):

Read It (5)
Want To Read (10)
Not Interested (2)

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About the Author:

Robert L. Forward is a consulting scientist, future technologist, lecturer, and science fact and fiction writer. He is the owner and Chief Scientist of Forward Unlimited, a consultant firm specializing in exotic physics and advanced space propulsion, and a partner…

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Dragon's Egg

Robert L. Forward

Book 1 in the series:Cheela

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