Semi-Daily Journal

Notes: A Deepness in the Sky

[Potential Spoilers]. I just finished rereading Vernor Vinge (1999), A Deepness in the Sky (New York: Tor: 0812536355). On pp. 699-700, a brief paragraph completely reverses your understanding of the progress of the book's main plot:

"Sherkaner Underhill didn't seem to notice. He moved his head back and forth under the [game] helmet's light show. 'There has to be reconnect. There has to be.' His hands twitched at the game controls. Seconds passed. 'It's all messed up now,' he sobbed."

When you finish that paragraph, your picture of what is going on in the story is turned upside down.

This time through the book, I looked for earlier clues that Vernor Vinge had dropped to what the real situation was. I found a great number of them, and felt like somewhat of an idiot for failing to pick up on what they might have told me had I paid more attention and thought harder:

• p. 359: Of course, Jaybert took the question to be about his work. "Damnedest thing. I put my new antenna..."
• p. 371: Locally, the translators had screamed something past the controllers, but the Spiders had not noticed...
• p. 403: "There has to be a way to find them. There has to be. I have computers, and the microwave link to Lands Command."...
• p. 447: Then perhaps ten or fifteen seconds after he had spoken, Trixia abruptly looked up. There was expression on her face again, but this time it was surprise. "Really? I'm not a machine?"...
• p. 524: "Beats me!" Sherk was practically vibrating with glee. "You've found something genuinely new. Why, not even the..."
• p. 526: He recognized Underhill's shaky penmanship in one title: "Videomancy for High Payload Steganography."...
• p. 583: "No, no, Hrunk. The videomancy was just a means, a cover..."
• p. 603: He would have been very suspicious that it was a steganographic cover...
• p. 611: She looked vaguely in Ezr's direction. "Number Four, when do we go to Arachna?"...
• p. 658: The woman is unbelievable!...
• p. 665: "I know," was all Brent said. "Critter nine sees our op..."

Did anybody notice any other clues?