In the Uplift universe an intergalactic civilization called the Five Galaxies, comprising a multitude of sapient races, has existed for billions of years. 
This civilization is perpetuated by the act of “uplift”, in which a “patron” species genetically modifies a Pre-sapient “client” species until it is sapient. 
The client species is typically indentured to its patron species for 100,000 years.



Book 1 Sundiver
Essentially a detective story and occurs only decades after humanity’s first contact with the Five Galaxies. 
In this story mankind discovers the sun’s inhabitants and a plot to overthrow a patron race. 
This is the only novel to directly involve Earth.
In all the universe, no species reached for the stars without “uplift” guidance, except possibly humankind. Did some cryptic patron race begin the job long ago, then abandon us? Or did we leap all by ourselves? 
That question burns, yet a greater mystery looms ahead, in the furnace of a star. 
Under the caverns of Mercury, Expedition Sundiver prepares for the most momentous voyage in our history – into the boiling inferno of the sun, seeking our destiny in the cosmic order of life.



Book 2 Startide Rising
The Terran exploration vessel Streaker has crashed in the uncharted water world of Kithrup, bearing one of the most important discoveries in galactic history. 
Below, a handful of her human and dolphin crew battles armed rebellion and a hostile planet to safeguard her secret--the fate of the Progenitors, the fabled First Race who seeded wisdom throughout the stars. 
The Progenitors.



Book 3 The Uplift War
As galactic armadas clash in quest of the ancient fleet of the Progenitors, a brutal alien race seizes the dying planet of Garth. 
The various uplifted inhabitants of Garth must battle their overlords or face ultimate extinction. 
At stake is the existence of Terran society and Earth, and the fate of the entire Five Galaxies. 
Sweeping, brilliantly crafted, inventive and dramatic, The Uplift War is an unforgettable story of adventure and wonder from one of today's science fiction greats.



Book 4 Brightness Reef 
On the distant planet of Jijo, five exiled races established by the Progenitors, live side by side. 
How they arrived there is no longer known - the only clues are ancient relics and fragmented stories. 
But then a craft appears in the sky, and it seems that the races of Jijo have not been forgotten.



Book 5 Infinity's Shore
For the fugitive settlers of Jijo, it is truly the beginning of the end. 
As starships fill the skies, the threat of genocide hangs over the planet that once peacefully sheltered six bands of sapient beings. 
Now the human settlers of Jijo and their alien neighbors must make heroic—and terrifying—choices. 
A scientist must turn against the benefactors she's been trained to love. 
A heretic must rally believers for a cause he never shared. And four youngsters find that what started as a simple adventure—imitating exploits in Earthling books by Verne and Twain—leads them to the dark abyss of mystery. 
Meanwhile, the Streaker, with her fugitive dolphin crew, arrives at last on Jijo in a desperate search for refuge. 
Yet what the crew finds instead is a secret hidden since the galaxies first spawned intelligence—a secret that could mean salvation for the planet and its inhabitants … or their ultimate annihilation.



Book 6 Heaven’s Reach
The brutal enemy that has relentlessly pursued them for centuries has arrived. 
Now the fugitive settlers of Jijo--both human and alien--brace for a final confrontation. 
The Jijoans' only hope is the Earthship Streaker, crewed by uplifted dolphins and commanded by an untested human.
Yet more than just the fate of Jijo hangs in the balance. 
For Streaker carries a cargo of ancient artifacts that may unlock the secret of those who first brought intelligent life to the Galaxies. 
Many believe a dire prophecy has come to pass: an age of terrifying changes that could end Galactic civilization.

As dozens of white dwarf stars stand ready to explode, the survival of sentient life in the universe rests on the most improbable dream of all--that age-old antagonists of different races can at last recognize the unity of all consciousness.