Uplift Universe
The Uplift Universe is a fictional universe created by science fiction writer David Brin. A central feature in this universe is the process of biological uplift.
His books which take place in this universe:
- Sundiver (1980)
- Startide Rising (1983)
- The Uplift War (1987)
- The Uplift Storm Trilogy
There is also a short story Aficionado (originally titled Life in the Extreme) and a novella Temptation, both published in 1998, which are set in the same background. Brin also wrote Contacting Aliens: An Illustrated Guide To David Brin's Uplift Universe which is a non-fiction book about the background of the series.
The Uplift Universe has been mentioned as the inspiration for the universe of the Star Control computer games.
In this universe, a galactic civilization with thousands of planets has existed for billions of years. This civilization is perpetuated by the act of Uplift, in which one sapient species genetically modifies a non-sapient species until it is sapient. When the modified species gains sapiency, the two species normally enter a master and indentured servant relationship, where the modified species serves the modifier species for millennia in gratitude for the modification. The modified species is known as a client of the modifier species, which is known as the patron species. Through the history of this universe, most sapient species belong to clans in which they can trace their genetic heritage of clientship to patron species. At the start of the Uplift books, humanity has already uplifted two species - chimpanzees and bottlenose dolphins and has started the uplift of other terran animals. Humanity with its clients is known as Earthclan.
Unlike most SF universes, humanity does not possess advanced technology in this galactic civilization. Though humanity is a space-faring species, it is several centuries behind in technology to the major galactic powers. Mankinds' position is made much more precarious by the fact that humanity has no known patron species. Most of humanity believes itself to be a wolfling species that emerged into sapiency solely through natural evolution, without genetic manipulation of a patron species. This belief is considered heresy and ridiculous by most of the galactic civilization and has made most of the galactic powers to be enemies of Earthclan. The fact that Humanity had already uplifted two species when it encountered the galactic civilization gave Humanity patron status, which is one of the few lucky turns it has had in its difficult position as pariah in the galactic civilization.
The tradition of uplift is attributed to the Progenitors, the first sapient species in the universe. This species has disappeared into legend millions of years ago. Several galactic religions have grown up around the meaning and purpose of uplift and the intent of the Progenitors. Some of the most powerful galactic clans are fervent followers of these religions and the religious competition between them has been the source and excuse for much of galactic warfare.
The galactic civilization has several bureaucracies that are tasked with specifying how species deal with each other and the uplift process. One of the most widely used organization is the Galactic Library, which is the repository of all knowledge gathered from all of the galactic space-faring species. The origin of the library is another long lost mystery. The vastness and age of the knowledge held by the library has made it into something of an oracle among the galactic clans.
The galactic civilization is made up of mostly oxygen-breathing species. This oxygen-breathing civilization has known about other orders of sapient life, which include hydrogen-breathing, transcendent, mechanical, memetic, and quantum.
The first book of the series, Sundiver, is a detective story which gives an introduction to this universe. The second book, Startide Rising, is about the Earthclan space ship Streaker (crewed by uplifted dolphins and their human mentors) which finds a colossal and hidden derelict fleet. Rumors spread throughout the galaxy that this ship has found the remains of the Progenitors. The third book, The Uplift War, gives a local account of the galactic war that ensues with viewpoints coming from some uplifted chimps.
In the Uplift Storm trilogy, survivors of the space ship Streaker continue to evade the various galactic powers and along the way encounter a hidden planet where the inhabitants have avoided most of the uplift schisms which plague the galactic civilization. They eventually make contact with the other orders of life.
The short story Aficionado is the earliest set of all the currently written work and gives an account of the early days of the human uplift program. The novella Temptation was set just after the ending of Heaven's Reach, and tells what happened to some of the characters from the trilogy after the main story ended.
Ecology and stewardship of genetic diversity are major themes in these books. Religious orthodoxy and the behavior of static societies are also themes.