Midworld
by Alan Dean Foster · first published 1975
50% recommend50% neutral
From the rich imagination of science fiction great Alan Dean Foster comes the story of Midworld, a Humanx Commonwealth planet that’s equally fragile and hostile. Covered by a lush rainforest, Midworld is home to a primitive society that lives in harmony with the natural world. But the arrival of an exploitative human company, whose workers know nothing of Midworld’s delicate ecosystem, sparks a conflict. Should Midworld’s villagers aid the humans or stand against them? The hero of Foster’s addictive page-turner, Born, decides to lead two humans across the perilous jungle. His choice propels Mi
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…fiction works, nor of the Humanx Commonwealth setting uniting most of them. Which is a shame - so many excellent books there, between author's rather wild imagination and talent to put it into words. "Midworld" and "Sentenced to Prism" are two particularly notable examples.
on “DisneyMustPay Alan Dean Foster” ↗Sea of Rust Fire Upon The Deep Childhood's End The City and the Stars Rendezvous with Rama The Tales of Dying Earth Of Men And Monsters Midworld The Invincible Fiasco Eden Wool Maiden Voyage of the Destiny Unknown The Traitor Baru Cormorant The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle The Electric State The Malazan Book of the Fallen
on “Ask HN: Which fantasy and/or SF literary works you would like to see on screen?” ↗I also had a science fiction book from my childhood that I kept trying to find. Eventually I did find the title and author through a chat with ChatGPT, unlike in this case. (It was Midworld by Alan Dean Foster, if anyone is curious. I'm not sure why that particular book stuck in my head.)
on “"Twelfth Night Till Candlemas" – A 40-year book-quest” ↗…like he mashed together a couple of Alan Dean Foster books with an Iain M Banks Culture novel. A key part of the story takes place on a planet-wide forest with giant trees and a Gaia-like sentience (Midworld), its maguffin is a galaxy-threatening superweapon (The Tar-Aiym Krang), and a significant character is a wise old floating robot/AI that uses fields to manipulate things (Culture drones). This reminds…
on “Ask HN: What are you reading these days?” ↗