What's the Name of That Book??? discussion

This was a sci-fi book that I read probably in the 90s. I remember a paperback, not too long, 200-300 pages? I don't remember the cover. Earth had sent out ships to colonize other worlds. A world that's primarily water was colonized, (maybe only one landmass? a small continent?) but the inhabitants have lost touch with Earth. The society is pretty laid back and easygoing. Not dystopian. I don't remember the main character! I don't think it was a big name author.

The political system is what really stuck with me: the highest leader (president?) is elected by a lottery system. Anyone SEEKing power is automatically disqualified as untrustworthy. Leadership is a duty, all adult names go into a lottery, someone is randomly selected, and is required to lead- maybe for 2 years.

There might have been other intelligent life on the planet, before the human colonists arrived. Possibly dolphin-like or whale-like creatures in the extensive oceans. Not sure if I'm remembering that part right or confusing/combining another book with this one.

Thanks for any suggestions!

Long shot but Solar Lottery ?

Cachalot? Not sure about the political system, but this book is about a sea planet with only a few people living on it. I read it in the late 80's so it's been a while.

Shanna_redwind wrote: "Cachalot? Not sure about the political system, but this book is about a sea planet with only a few people living on it. I read it in the late 80's so it's been a while."

That's the one I was thinking of too, but like you it's been so long I can't remember anything about the political system, though I have a vague sense the locals were all pretty laidback.

Thank you, Julia, I checked, but no, not Solar Lottery. My book was a more low-tech society. Not primitive, but not high-tech and entertainment-oriented like Solar Lottery. Though your suggestion looks interesting!

My book, I think I remember, had some issue or problem with the current president, or with the incoming one. I wish I could remember the main character: I never forget main characters! Except for now. Weird.

Thank you Shanna and Aerula, for suggesting Cachalot. But no, that's not it. In my book the plot was much more centered on the humans, their society, culture, and political system. Someone was maybe trying to buck the political system somehow. I wish I remembered more details.

However, Cachalot does look like something I'd also enjoy, so I'm adding it. Thanks for bringing it to me attention! : )

Bumping since Christine posted today.

Still looking for this one... also still can't remember any further details. Other than that when humans colonized the planet, I think they came from a "seed ship," sent into space to locate habitable worlds. Possibly a small plot item where they would not have colonized this particular world, had they known about the intelligent ocean life. But the focus & the majority of the story was more on the main character, male, who was chosen in this "lottery-to-pick-a-president" system, unwillingly. Or whatever their leader was called; it may have been something other than "President."
I recently read half of an Anne McCaffrey book (a Pern book, I think titled Dolphins of Pern) about the first colonists there, and the intelligent dolphins, just to be certain it was not the book I'm looking for (it wasn't).

So these are all long shots but I'll mention them anyway just in case.
Carol Severance had several oceanic scifi books Reefsong, Demon Drums,Storm Caller,Sorcerous Sea I haven't read most of them but they might be worth a look, at the very least the readers also enjoyed section for them might be useful.

Startide Rising by David Brin
Drowntide and Deepwater Dreams by Sydney J. Van Scyoc
A Door Into Ocean
All have ocean settings as far as I can tell.

There's also these lists that might be worth checking out, if you haven't searched listopia already.
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/2...

Since Christine posted today - did you check out Aerulan's suggestions?

This election system is called "sortition" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sortition - I think we had another person looking for a book that used it. I'll check.

Here's the other thread https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/... - which cites this list of stories with sortition http://research.omicsgroup.org/index.... - and one of the books mentioned is Clarke's The Songs of Distant Earth - which takes place on a laid back colony world that is mostly ocean! So we may have a winner

The Songs of Distant Earth

Quote from "Songs of Distant Earth"

""The President of Thalassa had been in office for only two months and was still unreconciled to his misfortune. Certainly it was no use demanding a recount; the selection program, which involved the generation and interleaving of thousand-digit random numbers, was the nearest thing to pure chance that human ingenuity could devise.

Yet he had to admit that, despite the personal inconvenience it had caused him, this was probably the best form of government that mankind had ever devised. The mother planet had taken some ten thousand years to perfect it, by trial and often hideous error.

Thereafter, selecting a head of state was relatively unimportant. Once it was universally accepted that anyone who deliberately aimed at the job should automatically be disqualified, almost any system would serve equally well, and a lottery was the simplest procedure." (bolding mine)

Christine - was "Songs of Distant Earth" right?

Here's the Google Books preview of The Songs of Distant Earth by Arthur C. Clarke - Andy's suggestion:

https://books.google.com/books?id=AUk... There are different cover images.

Bumping - Christine, was this "Songs from Distant Earth"?

Bumping.

Christine, are you still looking for this book or did you find it?

Bump.

bump

I want to mention that it is most definitely NOT Startide Rising by David Brin.

That does have uplifted dolphins, but that's about it.

Re: Sortition - if people seeking power are disqualified, then anyone who doesn't want to do the job just needs to pretend to want to do it; which will take out people who should be selected.

Bumping to see if Christine considered the Clarke

No response, moving to Abandoned folder.

Christine (OP) was last active on the site in September 2020.