Learning the World
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
|
| Author | Ken MacLeod |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Science fiction novel |
| Publisher | Tor |
| Released | 2005 |
| Media Type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages | 384 pp |
| ISBN | 0765313316 (hardcover), 0765351773 (paperback) |
Learning the World is a science fiction novel by Ken MacLeod published in 2005. The novel is a first contact story, following the generation ship But the Sky, My Lady! The Sky! as it approaches the Destiny Star. Humans have been colonizing the 500 light-years around Earth for a few thousand years, and have never run into an alien species - until now. The discovery of a Steam Age alien race upsets the established protocols of the ship, leading to uncertainty and delays in habitation, which in turn leads to societal unrest and conflict aboard the ship. Learning the World won the 2006 Prometheus Award and was nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Novel in 2006.
[edit] Plot Summary
Learning the World is the title of the biolog written by Atomic Discourse Gale, started when she was a young girl, still learning the details of the generation or world ship But the Sky, My Lady! The Sky!. As the ship approaches the Destiny Star system, they detect data transmissions, and begin to worry that another ship has jumped their claim on the system. After establishing orbit, the ship sends out long-range probes to each planetary system, and after a flight of several months discover that one planet is Earth-like. On the nightside they see city lights.
Meanwhile on the planet below, an astronomer named Darvin has noticed a long streak of light in his blink comparator. After consulting with Orro, an astrophysicist, they determine that the object is decelerating. They publish a paper on the topic, which is promptly forgotten, until one day they are visited by officers of The Sight, a government intelligence agency with extensive knowledge about the artificial nature of The Object. Darvin and Orro are drafted into The Sight to conduct experiments in determining the nature and intentions of The Object.
The humans launch nearly undetectable probes at the planet, containing nanotechnology packages that target and alter the biology of a small insect, allowing them to uplink audiovisual data back to the generation ship. Darvin and Orro discover the weak electromagnetic noise emanating from the insects, and attempt to communicate with the humans. The "bugs" are then destroyed by the humans.
Back on the ship, the leadership proposes a strategy of waiting, and disables non-essential internal networks to prevent organizing the activities of those who want to start the process of colonization immediately. Eventually, the leadership allows for the construction of habitats in the huge conic ends of the ship, but ultimately a leadership crisis causes the premature decoupling of the conic sections, splitting the crew into three separate groups.
Ultimately, the humans colonize the non-planetary areas of the solar system, agreeing to leave the planet to the aliens. The generation ship is refurbished, and launched toward a new set of alien signals which have recently appeared from a nearby star system.
[edit] External links
- Learning the World publication history at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database
