View source for A Fire Upon the Deep

{{short description|1992 science fiction novel by Vernor Vinge}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}}

{{Infobox book | 
| name          = A Fire Upon the Deep
| title_orig    = Among the Tines
| translator    =
| image         = A Fire Upon the Deep.bookcover.jpg
| image_size    = 211px
| caption = 
| author        = [[Vernor Vinge]]
| illustrator   =
| cover_artist  = [[Boris Vallejo]]
| country       = United States
| language      = English
| series        = Zones of Thought series
| genre         = [[Hard science fiction]]<!-- [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Novels/Novel categorization]] -->
| publisher     = [[Tor Books]]
| pub_date      = [[1992 in literature|April 1992]]
| english_pub_date =
| media_type    = Print (hardcover and paperback)
| pages         = 391  <!-- First edition hardcover page count -->
| isbn          =  0-312-85182-0 <!-- First edition hardcover -->
| dewey         = 813/.54 20
| congress      = PS3572.I534 F57 1992
| oclc          = 24671893
| preceded_by   = 
| followed_by   = [[A Deepness in the Sky]]
}}

'''''A Fire Upon the Deep''''' is a 1992 [[science fiction]] novel by American writer [[Vernor Vinge]]. It is a [[space opera]] involving [[superhuman intelligence]]s, aliens, variable physics, [[space battle]]s, love, betrayal, [[genocide]], and a communication medium resembling [[Usenet]]. ''A Fire Upon the Deep'' won the [[Hugo Award for Best Novel|Hugo Award]] in 1993, sharing it with ''[[Doomsday Book (novel)|Doomsday Book]]'' by [[Connie Willis]].<ref name=hugo1993/>

Besides the normal print book editions, the novel was also included on a [[CD-ROM]] sold by [[ClariNet|ClariNet Communications]] along with the other nominees for the 1993 Hugo awards. The CD-ROM edition included numerous annotations by Vinge on his thoughts and intentions about different parts of the book, and was later released as a standalone [[e-book]].<ref>[https://archive.org/details/hugo_nebula_1993] No longer on sale but available at the Internet Archive</ref><ref>[https://books.slashdot.org/books/03/09/18/0411259.shtml Review of the annotated ebook edition of ''A Fire Upon the Deep''] at [[Slashdot]]</ref> It has a loose prequel, ''[[A Deepness in the Sky]]'', from 1999, and a direct sequel, ''[[The Children of the Sky]]'', from 2012.

==Setting==
The novel is set in various locations within the [[Milky Way]]. The galaxy is divided into four concentric volumes called the "Zones of Thought"; it is not clear to the novel's characters whether this is a natural phenomenon or an artificially created one. Each Zone has fundamental differences in basic physical laws. One of the main consequences of these differences is the effect on intelligence. [[Artificial intelligence]] and automation is most directly affected, in that advanced hardware and software from the Beyond or the Transcend will work less and less well as a ship descends towards the Unthinking Depths. Biological intelligence is affected to a lesser degree.

The four zones are spoken of in terms of "low" to "high" as follows:

* The '''Unthinking Depths''' are the innermost zone, surrounding the [[Galactic Center]]. In it, only minimal forms of intelligence, biological or otherwise, are possible. This means that any ship straying into the Depths will be stranded, effectively permanently. Even if the crew did not die immediately—and some forms of life native to "higher" Zones would likely do so—they would be rendered incapable of even human intelligence, leaving them unable to operate their ship in any meaningful way.
* Surrounding the Depths is the '''Slow Zone''' or '''Slowness'''. "Old [[Earth]]" is in this Zone, although Earth plays no significant role in the story. Biological intelligence is possible in "the Slowness", but not true, sentient, [[artificial intelligence]]. [[Faster than light travel]] (FTL) is impossible in the Slow Zone. [[Faster-than-light communication]] is impossible into or out of the Slow Zone. As the boundaries of the Zones are subject to change, accidental entry into the Slow Zone is a major hazard at the "Bottom" of the Beyond. Starships which operate near the Beyond/Slow Zone border often have an auxiliary [[Bussard ramjet]] drive, so that if they accidentally stray into the Slow Zone, they will at least have a backup (sub-light) drive to try to reach the Beyond. Such ships also tend to include "[[suspended animation|coldsleep]]" equipment, as it is likely that any such return will still take many lifetimes for most species.
* The next layer outward is the '''Beyond''', within which artificial intelligence, FTL travel, and FTL communication are possible. All human civilizations in the Beyond are descended from a single ethnic [[Norway|Norwegian]] group. The original settlement of this group is known as Nyjora; other human settlements in the Beyond include Straumli Realm and Sjandra Kei. In the Beyond, FTL travel is accomplished by making many small "jumps" across space, with the efficiency of the drive increasing the farther a ship travels from the galactic core. The Beyond is not a homogeneous zone; it includes the "High Beyond", "Middle Beyond", and the "Bottom of the Beyond", depending on distance from the galactic core. The Beyond is populated by a very large number of interstellar and intergalactic<ref name="sculptor">{{cite book|last1=Vinge|first1=Vernor|title=A Fire Upon the Deep|year=1992|publisher=Macmillan |isbn=9780812515282|url=https://archive.org/details/fireupondeep00ving|url-access=registration|quote=Relay was now the main intermediate to the Magellanics, and one of the few sites with any sort of link to the Beyond in [[Sculptor Galaxy|Sculptor]].}}</ref> civilizations which are linked by an FTL communication network, "the Net", sometimes cynically called the "Net of a Million Lies". The Net is depicted as working much like the [[Usenet]] network in the early 1990s, with transcripts of messages containing header and footer information as one would find in such forums.
* The outermost layer, containing the [[galactic halo]], is the '''Transcend''', within which incomprehensible, [[Superintelligence|superintelligent]] beings dwell. When a "Beyonder" civilization reaches the point of [[technological singularity]], it can "Transcend", becoming a "Power". Such Powers always seem to relocate to the Transcend, seemingly necessarily, where they become engaged in activities which are entirely mysterious to those in the Beyond.

==Plot==

An expedition from Straumli Realm, a human civilization in the High Beyond, investigates a newly discovered data archive in the Low Transcend. The expedition's facility, High Lab, is gradually compromised by a [[superintelligence]] that is accidentally awoken by the researchers. This superintelligence is later known as the Blight. Shortly before the Blight's final "flowering", two self-aware entities, created similarly to the Blight, plot to aid the humans before the Blight can gain its full powers. Finally recognizing their danger, the High Lab researchers attempt to flee in two ships. The Blight destroys one ship; a second ship, carrying many High Lab children in [[suspended animation|coldsleep boxes]], escapes.

This ship lands on a distant planet at the Bottom of the Beyond. The planet is occupied by dog-like creatures, dubbed "Tines", who live in packs as [[Group mind (science fiction)|group minds]]. The Tines have a level of technology comparable to the human [[Middle Ages]]. Upon landing, however, the two surviving adults, Arne and Sjana Olnsdot, are ambushed and killed by Tine fanatics known as Flenserists, in whose realm they have landed. The Flenserists capture their children, Jefri and Johanna. Johanna is rescued by a Tine named Peregrine and taken to a neighboring kingdom ruled by Woodcarver.

A distress signal from the Straumli ship eventually reaches Relay, a major information provider for the Net. A Transcendent being named "Old One" contacts Relay, seeking information about the Blight and the humans who released it. Old One then reconstitutes a human man named Pham Nuwen from the wreckage of a spaceship to act as its agent. Pham remains unsure if he is a construct or if his memories are real. Ravna Bergsndot, the only human Relay employee, traces the Straumli ship's signal to the Tines' world and persuades her employer to investigate. Ravna contracts the merchant vessel ''Out of Band II'' to transport her and Pham. The ship is owned by two Skroderiders, Blueshell and Greenstalk.

Before the mission is launched, the Blight launches a surprise attack on Relay and kills Old One. As Old One dies, it downloads its anti-Blight information into Pham. Pham, Ravna and the Skroderiders barely escape Relay's destruction in the ''Out of Band II''. During their journey to Tine's World, Ravna communicates with Jefri. Jefri is manipulated to believe that Woodcarver is his enemy. The Flenserist leaders, Steel and Tyrathect, use Ravna's information to develop advanced technology such as cannon and radio communication. Meanwhile, Johanna and the knowledge stored in her dataset device help Woodcarver rapidly develop as well.

The Blight expands, taking over several civilizations, brainwashing their populations, and seizing archives in the Beyond. On the Net, some claim that humans are the means by which the Blight is able to spread. Anti-human fanatics destroy the entire civilization of Sjandra Kei, which is Ravna's home world. The ''Out of Band II'' is pursued by three fleets: anti-human fanatics, survivors from Sjandra Kei, and a shadow fleet controlled by the Blight. During the pursuit, Ravna and Pham learn that every member of the Skroderider species can be subverted by the Blight; this drives a wedge between the crew members. Ships from Sjandra Kei sacrifice themselves to delay the Blight and the anti-human ships, allowing the ''Out of Band II'' to reach Tine's World before the Blight.

When the ''Out of Band II'' arrives at Tine's World, the humans ally with Woodcarver to defeat the Flenserists and rescue Jefri. Blueshell sacrifices himself to rescue Jefri. Pham then initiates an anti-Blight Countermeasure, which was aboard the humans' ship. The Countermeasure extends the Slow Zone outward by thousands of light years. This envelops and destroys the Blight, but results in the destruction of thousands of civilizations and trillions of deaths. The humans are stranded on the Tines' World, now in the depths of the Slow Zone. Activating the Countermeasure proves fatal to Pham, but before he dies, the remnant of Old One reveals to him that, although his body is a reconstruction, his memories are indeed real.

==Related works==
Vinge first used the concepts of "Zones of Thought" in a 1988 novella ''[[The Blabber]]'', which occurs after ''Fire''. Vinge's novel ''[[A Deepness in the Sky]]'' (1999) is a prequel to ''A Fire Upon the Deep'' set 20,000 years earlier and featuring Pham Nuwen. Vinge's ''[[The Children of the Sky]]'', "a near-term sequel to ''A Fire Upon the Deep''{{-"}}, set ten years later, was released in October 2011.<ref name=Norwescon33>{{cite web|url=https://www.norwescon.org/archives/norwescon33/vingeinterview.htm |title=Interview with Vernor Vinge |date=October 12, 2009 |publisher=[[Norwescon]]}}</ref>

Vinge's former wife, [[Joan D. Vinge]], has also written stories in the Zones of Thought universe, based on his notes. These include "The Outcasts of Heaven Belt", "Legacy", and (as of 2008) a planned novel featuring Pham Nuwen.<ref>{{cite web |author-link=Joan D. Vinge |first=Joan D. |last=Vinge |url=http://www.sff.net/people/jdvinge/letter_20081103.htm |title=A letter to my readers |date=November 2008 |url-status=dead |access-date=October 3, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303224912/http://www.sff.net/people/jdvinge/letter_20081103.htm |archive-date=March 3, 2016  }}</ref>

==Title==
Vinge's original title for the novel was "Among the Tines"; its final title was suggested by his editors.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://sfrevu.com/php/Review-id.php?id=5258 |title=Interview: Patrick Nielsen Hayden |first=Ernest |last=Lilley |website=SFRevu |date=February 26, 2007 |access-date=May 18, 2014}}</ref>

==Awards and nominations==

{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Year
! Award
! Category
! Results
! {{Abbr|Ref|Reference}}
|-
! 1992
| [[Nebula Award]]
| [[Nebula Award for Best Novel|Novel]]
| {{sho|Finalist}}
| <ref name=nebula1992>{{cite web |url=https://nebulas.sfwa.org/award-year/1992/ |title=1992 The Nebula Awards |publisher=SFWA |accessdate=10 Aug 2025}}</ref>
|-
! rowspan=3 | 1993
| [[John W. Campbell Memorial Award for Best Science Fiction Novel|Campbell Memorial Award]]
| —
| {{sho|Finalist}}
| <ref name=campbell1993>{{cite web |url=https://www.sfadb.com/John_W_Campbell_Memorial_Award_1993 |title=John W. Campbell Memorial Award 1993 |publisher=SFADB |accessdate=10 Aug 2025}}</ref>
|-
| [[Hugo Award]]
| [[Hugo Award for Best Novel|Novel]]
| {{won}}{{efn|Shared with ''[[Doomsday Book (novel)|Doomsday Book]]'' by [[Connie Willis]]}}
| <ref name=hugo1993>{{cite web |url=https://www.thehugoawards.org/hugo-history/1993-hugo-awards/ |title=1993 Hugo Awards |publisher=The Hugo Awards |accessdate=10 Aug 2025}}</ref>
|-
| [[Locus Award]]
| [[Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel|Science Fiction Novel]]
| {{sho|Finalist}}
| <ref name=locus1993>{{cite web |url=https://www.sfadb.com/Locus_Awards_1993 |title=Locus Awards 1993 |accessdate=10 Aug 2025 |publisher=SFADB}}</ref>
|}

==Critical reactions==
[[Jo Walton]] wrote: "Any one of the ideas in ''A Fire Upon the Deep'' would have kept an ordinary writer going for years. For me it's the book that does everything right, the example of what science fiction does when it works. ... ''A Fire Upon the Deep'' remains a favourite and a delight to re-read, absorbing even when I know exactly what's coming."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.tor.com/blogs/2009/06/the-net-of-a-million-lies-vernor-vinges-a-fire-upon-the-deep |title=The Net of a Million Lies: Vernor Vinge's ''A Fire Upon the Deep'' |first=Jo |last=Walton |date=June 11, 2009 |website=[[Tor.com]]}}</ref>

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{isfdb title|id=1952|title=A Fire Upon the Deep}}
* {{OL work|id=1975714W|cname=''A Fire Upon the Deep''}}
* [https://www.worldswithoutend.com/novel.asp?ID=40 ''A Fire Upon the Deep''] at Worlds Without End
* [https://3e.org/vvannot/ The book with Vinge's commentaries]

{{Hugo Award Best Novel 1991–2000}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fire Upon The Deep, A}}
[[Category:1992 American novels]]
[[Category:Hugo Award for Best Novel–winning works]]
[[Category:Transhumanist books]]
[[Category:Usenet]]
[[Category:Novels by Vernor Vinge]]
[[Category:1992 science fiction novels]]
[[Category:Tor Books books]]
[[Category:Fiction about artificial intelligence]]
[[Category:Fiction about malware]]
[[Category:Fiction about nanotechnology]]
[[Category:Fiction about consciousness transfer]]
[[Category:Apocalyptic fiction]]
[[Category:Novels about technological singularity]]
[[Category:Hard science fiction novels]]