A Fire Upon The Deep (Zones of Thought)：Fire upon the Deep

"AFireUpontheDeep"isthebig,breakoutbookthatfulfillsthepromiseofVinge'scareertodate:agrippingtaleofgalacticwartoldonacosmicscale.Thousandsofyearshence,manyracesinhabitauniversewhereamind'spotentialisdeterminedbyitslocationinspace,fromsuperintelligententitiesintheTranscend,tothelimitedmindsoftheUnthinkingDepths,whereonlysimplecreaturesandtechnologycanfunction.Nobodyknowswhatstrangeforcepartitionedspaceintothese"regionsofthought,"butwhenthewarringStraumlirealmuseanancientTranscendentartifactasaweapon,theyunwittinglyunleashanawesomepowerthatdestroysthousandsofworldsandenslavesallnaturalandartificialintelligence.Fleeingthethreat,afamilyofscientists,includingtwochildren,aretakencaptivebytheTines,analienracewithaharshmedievalculture,andusedaspawnsinaruthlesspowerstruggle.Arescuemission,notentirelycomposedofhumans,mustrescuethechildrenandasecretthatmaysavetherestofinterstellarcivilization."AFireUponTheDeep"isthewinnerofthe1993HugoAwardforBestNovel.