Depends what you think the central premise is. If you think it's the alternate history, probably (though see this). If you think (as I do) it's the depiction of human-but-alien perspectives, then no, not at all. :-)
I would regard the central premise as the existence of an aquatic hominid species, interfertile with humans, and both the alternate history and the human-but-alien perspectives as being consequences arising from that premise. And I'd have liked to see a little more evidence that Whitfield had thought long and hard about the biology (especially the evolutionary biology).
(no subject)
Date: 2010-01-10 12:42 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-01-10 12:51 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-01-10 02:27 pm (UTC)