Fireship actually houses two distinct mini-novels, Fireship and Mother and Child. Both are evidence of Vinge's rightful place as one of s-f's luminaries. They are both well written, highly enjoyable works, and demonstrate the variety of style found in science fiction.

Fireship is a light-hearted adventure story…. Mother and Child is a more thoughtful work. A post-holocaust tribal priestess, born with hearing and perfect vision into a deaf and nearly-blind world, bears a child that could bridge the gap between her tribe and its warring neighbor, and restore to them all the knowledge of their ancestors. It is a sensitive portrayal, skillfully handled from the viewpoints of several characters. Together the two works are an excellent choice for any s-f collection, or a good place to start one.

Robin G. Adams, in a review of "Fireship," in Kliatt Young Adult Paperback Book Guide, Vol. XIII, No. 3, April, 1979, p...