num_pages: 180
description: After supremely advanced aliens invade Earth to liberate the planet's intelligent species--whales &amp; dolphins-- the majority of humankind is exiled into space, where, by means of bioengineering, they begin to adapt to &amp; thrive in their unforgiving environments. Cutting-edge tech means that they can modify body parts, regularly store their memories for cloning purposes &amp; even merge with seemingly benevolent alien beings (known as symbs) to create another entity altogether. The discovery of a steady--&amp; mostly indecipherable--stream of data originating from a star system 17 light-years away offers some kind of hope of advancing the species &amp; retaking the homeworld. But when the novel's protagonist (a series of successive clones named Lilo-Alexandr-Calypso) travels out to 70 Ophiuchi, what she finds may not be salvation for the human species but its damnation.  Almost 30 years after 1st release, Varley's 1st novel--like Joan Rivers's face--has barely shown any signs of aging. Just as thematically cutting-edge &amp; entertaining as it was in 1977, The Ophiuchi Hotline is a must-read for anyone claiming to be a science fiction fan. (You know you're an undeniably hard-core genre fan, by the way, if you can properly pronounce this title.)--Paul Goat Allen (edited)
language: English
title: The Ophiuchi Hotline
titlecomplete: The Ophiuchi Hotline
characters: Lilo, Cathay, Boss Tweed, Javelin
genres: Fiction, Science Fiction, Cyberpunk, Space Opera, Speculative Fiction, Aliens, Science Fiction Fantasy, Novels, Fantasy, Hard Science Fiction
ratings_count: 3379
series: Eight Worlds
awards: awardedAt: 252489600000
name: Locus Award
category: Best SF Novel
publisher: Dial Press/James Wade (NYC)