Dragon's Egg

by Robert L. Forward

Book Overview

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

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0345316665
• ISBN13: 9780345316660
• Release Date: October 1983
• Publisher: Del Rey Books
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 4.2" x 6.8"

Customer Reviews

Dragons Egg

Really enjoyed this book. Hard to understand the concepts but the story line was fabulous. I might just read it again and try to better understand the concepts.

Fun read; Hard Science Fiction!

Not much to say that the other 5-star reviews haven't already said. I agree with them!

New addition to my Robert L. Forward books

put on my future read libeary

really good, scientifically grounded fiction

I really enjoyed not jut the plot of the story, but just how scientifically accurate it was - Forward has a high-level degree in physics and did astrophysics research for a living. I thought it was well thought out and very fascinating/fun to read. Definitely would recommend, especially if you've been looking for good sci-fi.

Welcome to the NanoSphere

It's been a couple of decades since I first read this brilliant book, but the passage of time has not diminished my enthusiasm for it. Relativity is a difficult concept for most people to grasp, because we tend to see so little of it within the context of the 'ordinary' human scale. And yet--with the explosion of electronic communication, and the emergence of ubiquitous computing paradigms, we are beginning to come to grips with some of the implications Forward lays out in his clever tale. I admit, you have to be able to suspend a certain amount of scientific disbelief, in order to get on with it--you have to accept that bio-chemistry could work on a neutron star to produce sentient organisms capable to learning to manipulate their environment with the sophistication of human beings. But given that, the story becomes an excellent window into the notion of converging scales of space-time continuums. This approach is common in speculative fiction with a strong scientific foundation. Given premise A, extrapolate conclusion B. It's analogous to what Einstein used to refer to as 'thought experiments'. I used to refer to this book frequently, when attempting to explain the nanospheric implications of computer operations, and with chip speeds approaching the realm of quantum effect--there are a whole lot of cpu cycles that can execute a lot of different instructions in a single second, these days. The Cheelah come to represent a wonderful metaphor for the process that all of us are struggling to adapt to, of ever increasing speeds and ever smaller footprints to our electronic computing devices. Consider that at the time the book originally appeared, the Mac platform had not been released, and neither had Windows, or the WWW. Consider the impact near instantaneous communications and just in time manufacturing has had on society, and Dragon's Egg becomes a rare and valuable didactic utility, and a whiff of what the future might just hold in store.

Wondering what life on a 65 billion G Neutron Star is like?

Ever wonder what life would be like on a 60 billion gravity Neutron Star? Right, probably not. Well, this guy did. And, he wrote a really good story about it. Dragon's Egg tells a wildly imaginative story of the Cheela, a species of creature that lives on a neutron star. As a consequence of living on a neutron star, molecular chemistry and life itself advances at a rate millions of times faster than us humans are used to. The book tells their story from the Cheela's absolute beginnings when life began on the star all the way to their achievement of becoming sentient beings. In this way, the author makes many interesting and funny parallels to how humans may have evolved from primordial slime to what we are now. The story focuses on the Cheela, but also includes the side-story of a group of space-exploring humans who happen to be in orbit around the Cheela's home star taking studies. What the humans don't realize is that their presence in the night sky has caused great influence on the Cheela; most notably their ever changing religious beliefs. When the Cheela finally make contact with their supposed human-Gods, they have more to teach them than the humans have to teach the Cheela. A really fun, imagination-expanding read.

Dr. Forward really puts science into the fiction!

I read this book back in the 1980s, re-read it recently, and felt as if I were rediscovering and old friend. Dr. Forward begins with the discovery of the neutron star on earth, then moves to life on the star itself. We watch the cheela evolve as a species, from ignorant superstition to scientific genius, and wait breathlessly as they and the earthlings encounter each other. Dr. Forward, being a real scientist, lost me a few times with his technical terms, but instead of making me bored or frustrated and left feeling outside, I was just sorry I couldn't speak his language and really appreciate the true depth of the story, which I feel will hold the reader's interest regardless of their level of education. It's a fascinating story of life on another world, how it might evolve, and what might happen when humans find it. A must-read for serious sci-fi fans and amateur astronomers.

My family's all-time favorite novel(s) of any genre!

Dr. Forward presents amazingly full-blown alternate realities to his readers gift-wrapped as sci-fi novels. Included for your $$ value is the research scientist's world-renowned expertise in the field of gravitational astronomy and radiation. My entire family agrees that Dragon's Egg and its sequel Starquake provide moments of profound enlightenment, immaculately constructed science, and the thrilling possibility of communication between vastly different species. I cannot recommend it too highly. [I wish others would abide by the review rules. Some sneer at the honest reviews of others, assuming a pseudo-intellectual, 'I know better than thou' stance. What purpose is served by printing the negativity of people who are incapable of producing a coherent review, let alone an entire novel that thrills millions?]

Not just Si-Fi

Most Si-Fi books look to life and situations that will, or could, arise in the future but this is so much more. Occasionally Si-Fi writers have branched out into areas outside the norms of Si-Fi, Asimov's Psychohistory to mention one. In Dragon's Egg Forward does this with great simplicity and yet keeps thrilling us with true flights into the imagination.Dragon's Egg goes into the full mental and sociological development of a species from the development of mathematics, to GOD, and beyond. The story is not expected to become a reality but, in a way, has already happened.I have lent my copy to so many people that it has about fallen apart, but until I get a new copy it will remain my most treasured book.