Helva had been born human, but only her brain had been saved—saved to be schooled, programmed, and implanted into the sleek titanium body of an intergalactic scout ship. But first she had to choose a human partner—male or female—to share her exhilirating excapades in space!Her life was to be rich and rewarding . . . resplendent with daring adventures and endless excitement, beyond the wildest … wildest dreams of mere mortals.
Gifted with the voice of an angel and being virtually indestructable, Helva XH-834 antipitated a sublime immortality.
Then one day she fell in love!
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A classic sci-fi read. As good in 2018 as it was when it was published in 1969. Timeless themes that really hold up. Imaginative technology that is as futuristic now as it was nearly 50 years ago.
Anne McCaffery is my all time favorite writer, I have loved every book she ever wrote and this one is no exception. One of those books that will keep you up all night reading because you can’t bear to put it down.
This is Anne McCaffery writing something besides Pern. This story is a perennial and much loved story. I read this a long time ago and just bought it to read again. This one goes right up there with Flowers for Algernon, another book I re-read every once in a while. They’re just that good.
One of my favorite books growing up! Such a deep, bittersweet story, the likes of which few authors attempt to tell these days.
One of the great classics of science fiction. I wouldn’t spoil the story for anyone, just know that it’s a great story whether you are a scifi fan or not. I only wish I had started reading Anne McCaffrey years ago. Luckily, it’s never too late.
i read this fifteen to twenty years ago an can still remember what happened
Absolutely awesome
Read this decades ago and it still holds my interest.
This is one of the most haunting books I have ever read. I hope that in the rare university where science fiction courses are taught, this one is on the curriculum. It would also be a great book for an honors creative writing course, because the writing could not be more compelling.
Anne is always 5 star!
She is one of my very favorite writers. There isn’t much that she has written that i don’t like!
This is classic McCaffrey: thought-provoking, with believable and empathic characters in a future society and star-spanning culture that has taken some unexpected turns. The novel is based on a short story and several sequels, some of which were nominated for prestigious awards. McCaffrey wrote or co-wrote several more novels based on the same premise and set in the same “universe,” along with allowing several authors to write additional books in the series. They’re all very good, but my favorite (after this one) is “The City Who Fought.”
Good book, but somewhat repetitive. The “brain” part of a starship is a human who was born physically deformed, but surgically modified and trained to be encased within the metal ship, to run it for hundreds of years. Of course, she requires a “brawn” to travel with her, a normal human partner with a normal lifespan. The book follows one ship who has a great brain and several different brawns over about a ten-year span, taking on very important assignments and completing them quickly and with impressive results. Even when she gets into trouble, she turns it around and comes out smelling like a rose. Recommended.
A classic in sci-fic.
I was originally introduced to Anne McCaffrey in the 1970s, when I discovered her Dragonrider series. The Ship Who Sang created another universe in which character is key. Helva was born severely disabled – but instead of giving up on her, her parents are given the option of letting her be trained to be the “brain” of a ship, giving her a life of unparalleled freedom. Such brainships are encouraged to develop a hobby – especially a hobby that might help them to bond with their mobile partners, called brawns, and Helva’s hobby is singing. In this first volume of an incredible collection, join Helva as she searches for the perfect brawn to complement her adventures.
This is a timeless classic and one of my lifelong favourites. I have devoured every Anne McCaffrey book and still read them annually.
McCaffrey writes great Sci-Fi and if you like Fantasy you will love her, some Fantasy I like. If I had to read Fantasy she would be a go to author. But I stay with Sci-fi most of the time
Its Ann McAffrey…’nuff said!
You can’t go wrong with anything Anne Mcaffrey writes.
This book is a definite Must Read, and a keeper.
Only the premise — using masively deformed infants with little chance of a meaningful life as the AI brain of spaceships — is the only science fiction material. The characters are wholely human and very well developed. I have had this book for decades and re-read it on average EVERY year.
For it to be available now in digital format
will be a boon to my budget. My paperback copy has been taped together at least 3 times.
This is the first in a series of stories, and one that Ms.McCaffrey permitted other authors to play in her world. It is my favorite of the series, followed by Ship Who Searched.