The Delphinus Chronicles

What Ross and his eager band of computer enthusiasts hadn't counted on, though, was how sensitive Simon could be. One of the walls in the computer basement abuts against a large holding tank for dolphins. And before Professor Erricson and his team can begin to see how intelligent their new computer is, Simon begins to communicate with the clicking and whistling dolphins. And what Simon learns and passes on to Ross and his team is startling. Too much so for this reader.

Being a lover of fiction, one has to suspend belief when you're reading a novel. But not totally. For instance, in this novel:

First, you'd have to believe that Professor Erricson and his rag-tag team could win this supercomputer over such colleges as Yale and Harvard. Not impossible.

Second, you'd have to believe that - after winning the competition - they'd be allowed to store this incredibly expensive and delicate piece of computing hardware in a damp, dank basement. Okay.

Thirdly, you'd have to believe that dolphins understand and communicate using the same spatial terms humans do (time in years, distance in feet or miles, names of places, etc.). Umm...okay.

...

...

...

Okay, I've gone on far enough with this tangent. Some of you may be asking, "So why three stars?" Mainly because I have the audio version of this book. The audio version is done exceptionally well. Professional sounding, good voice-overs and special sound effects add to the enjoyment of the storytelling; I listened to this during a long trip I was taking. But even with these fine qualities, the glaring unbelievability of the story smacked me in the face (or mind, if you prefer).

The initial flow of the book was well done (thus the three star review). We had character development and plot points all lined up. Nicely done. But by the time we get 3/4 of the way through, many characters fall away, new one's are introduced (quite distracting), and old plot threads are left dangling while new one's are thrust upon us. Some serious editing help might have been beneficial here.

The one question that lingered in my mind when I finished listening to this audio CD was, "Would I have been able to finish reading this if I'd picked up a printed copy?" I still question myself on that but am not brave enough to purchase the book, too. Still, if you like books on tape (or CD), you might enjoy this book during a long car trip.

C rating.


Delphinus Chronicles, Audio CD   January 27, 2004
Tina Vierra
> Ross and his staff at a tiny San Diego community college, are stunned
> to be the unexpected recipients of the world's most sophisticated
> computer, one with the capability to "learn".
>
> Installing the computer in a basement of the college, the team programs
> it carefully with their work on language learning. Since the basement
> wall abuts the dolphin tank of the Sea World-type park next door, they
> soon learn that the machine is "talking" to the dolphins through the
> tank wall. And what they're communcating is astonishing. Dolphins have
> for centuries been keeping in their collective consciousness, mapping
> information of the entire ocean floor of the planet.
>
> The discovery leads to adventure, mystery and intrigue as the
> researchers begin quietly searching for shipwrecks and treasures long
> lost on the ocean floors, and various baddies begin to learn of their
> efforts and attempt, variously, sabotage of the computer and theft of
> its findings.
>
> Delphinus Chronicles is a fun, complex, yet fast read. It will be an
> enjoyable yarn for anyone from teen age and up, who enjoys mystery,
> adventure, or science fiction.
>
> Production values: The reader, Helen Brindle Lisanti, at first seemed
> an odd choice given that most of the characters driving the plot are
> men. I'm afraid I cling to the notion that male characters are best
> represented by male readers. However, Lisanti is a wonderful reader and
> carried both narration and a long list of characters well.
>
> The production also has music placed strategically at various plot
> points and chapter endings. A good idea, and the music placements are
> well-chosen since the plot often carries us back historically to events
> such as shipwrecks when they were happening. However, on my little car
> CD player, the music overrrode the narration to such an extent that I
> couldn't hear Lisanti over it. I had trouble hearing Lisanti at most
> times, and had to turn up the volume to nearly full power in the car to
> catch some of her lower cadences. I'm not sure what the cause of this
> is, but it needs fixing for audio readers to hear the book without
> distraction.
>
> Again, a thoroughly fun and enjoyable book. I really liked the plot and
> action.
>
> Tina Vierra
>
> __________________________________


A MUST READ   January 25, 2004
Michael David Zahalan (California)
11 out of 11 found this review helpful

"The Delphinus Chronicles has restored my faith in reading for enjoyment. It offers something for all readers. There's adventure, technology, mystery, science-fiction, and even a bit of romance. The perfect balance of each of these themes without losing sight of the plot reflects the authors true literary brilliance. This book was written with such creativity it's impossible to put down. The thing I liked best about this book was getting to the end, and thinking "Wow, I didn't expect that". The ability to keep the reader guessing is an art very few authors have mastered. READ THIS BOOK!!!"