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35th out of 61 books
—
118 voters
Beggars and Choosers (Sleepless Trilogy #2)
by
Nancy Kress (Goodreads Author)
In Beggars and Choosers, Kress returns to the same future world created in her earlier work, an America strangely altered by genetic modifications. Millions of ordinary people are supported by the efforts of the handsome and intellectually superior gene-modified, who are in turn running scared in the face of the astonishing, nearly superhuman powers of the Sleepless, who h...more
Paperback, 377 pages
Published
February 15th 1996
by Tor Books
(first published 1994)
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I was almost finished writing a really awesome review of this book, but you'll have to take my word for it, because my cat just leapt up on the keyboard and wiped it out. Fucking cat.
A partial reconstruction:
If you like Oryx and Crake, you should read this series. It's better.
Yes, I just said it.
This shit is better than Atwood.
In the first book, the (fucking sublime) Beggars In Spain, we are introduced to the basic premise of this universe: Scientists create a genetic modification that eliminate...more
A partial reconstruction:
If you like Oryx and Crake, you should read this series. It's better.
Yes, I just said it.
This shit is better than Atwood.
In the first book, the (fucking sublime) Beggars In Spain, we are introduced to the basic premise of this universe: Scientists create a genetic modification that eliminate...more
10 likes · like · see review
view all 9 comments
My golden standard when it comes to stories of genetic manipulation and its effects on society is Gattaca. I've only seen it twice, I think, yet its impact on my consciousness (and conscience) remains clear in my mind. Growing up concurrently with the Human Genome Project and watching the advancements in genetics that are happening in my lifetime, I am wary of what will happen if governments, corporations, and people do not reach a social contract on how we will treat this new capability. Corpor...more
Jul 11, 2010
Cindy
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Social SF lovers who've read Beggars in Spain
Shelves:
female-authors,
sci-fi,
social-sf,
biopunk,
dystopic-or-apocalyptic,
near-future,
own,
robots-n-androids
Part of my "Finish the series already!" month.
_______________________
I really, really loved this book! I don't use love very often with books - partly because I can't choose a select few to elevate above the others. Mostly I don't say I love a book in a review because who am I to say that you will love it too? But this book? Loved it.
Like Beggars in Spain, Nancy Kress focuses on societal development as seen through the eyes of different caste individuals in the United States. I don't want to giv...more
_______________________
I really, really loved this book! I don't use love very often with books - partly because I can't choose a select few to elevate above the others. Mostly I don't say I love a book in a review because who am I to say that you will love it too? But this book? Loved it.
Like Beggars in Spain, Nancy Kress focuses on societal development as seen through the eyes of different caste individuals in the United States. I don't want to giv...more
Jun 28, 2012
Ward Bond
added it
In Beggars and Choosers, Kress returns to the same future world created in her earlier work, an America strangely altered by genetic modifications. Millions of ordinary people are supported by the efforts of the handsome and intellectually superior gene-modified, who are in turn running scared in the face of the astonishing, nearly superhuman powers of the Sleepless, who have their own agenda for humanity. The Sleepless, radically altered humans, have withdrawn from the rest of the race to an is
...more
This book doesn't really stand completely alone; if I hadn't read "Beggars In Spain" I would have found it fairly confusing. But even as a sequel, it is somewhat aimless. There is no real antagonist, and the protagonists spend much of the story wandering around waiting for the next thing to happen to them. There are a few interesting ideas here (such as the relationship between the Livers and the donkeys, which flips the traditional notion of the working and leisure classes on its head) but they...more
It's been a long time since I'd read Beggars in Spain (November 2007! even longer than I thought), so it's a bit hard to get into this book... But I remember how amazing I thought the first book was, and some character names trigger memories. The book seems like the plotline will not be related, other than you know the whole setup, the world.
Okay, well that was a bit of a letdown. The first book was better, as much as I recall of it. I've now got the third book, and the first the re-read.
What th...more
Okay, well that was a bit of a letdown. The first book was better, as much as I recall of it. I've now got the third book, and the first the re-read.
What th...more
This sequel to Beggars in Spain explores the personal and political intersections of Liver (unaltered citizens), Donkey (the genemod elite), and (Super)Sleepless (super-intelligent, uber-elite operating behind the scenes) lives. The tenor and focus of the second of the "Sleepless" series is quite different from the first, as we witness most of the events of the book from the perspectives of those outside of power and ignorant of the (Super)Sleepless's true involvement and intentions. The Sleeple...more
This one felt faster than the first, with more outside exploration into the lives of Livers and donkeys, which was a nice change. I liked to see how the Livers thought about donkeys and SuperSleepless in comparison to how the Sleepless saw them in the previous book. To the livers, they seemed more like Gods than anything else. I think that I definitely like the book without a Sleepless perspective, because it leaves more mystery and allows the reader to relate to those they better understand. I...more
I'm amazed that the plot line holds up so well in light of discoveries made currently. The same worries about gene alteration, the same problems of people considering themselves entitled to things, the same chasms between different classes understanding of each other.
Behind all the technology is a story about good people who care for each other, as well as caring for those they don't like so well, because it's the right thing to do.
While it could be called a sequel to "Beggars in Spain", you d...more
Behind all the technology is a story about good people who care for each other, as well as caring for those they don't like so well, because it's the right thing to do.
While it could be called a sequel to "Beggars in Spain", you d...more
Ovviamente ho letto la versione italiana che a quanto pare manca nel database.
Altrettanto ovviamente ho letto "Mendicanti in Spagna" che viene, cronologicamente prima.
Onestamente è un buon romanzo, quindi inferiore al precedente che era decisamente ottimo.
La distopia che descrive, con successivo "raddrizzamento" riuscito solo in parte, è la premessa per il terzo romanzo del ciclo. E presenta dei punti deboli di trama non indifferenti. Ma forse sono cose che verranno spiegate nel seguente "Mendic...more
Altrettanto ovviamente ho letto "Mendicanti in Spagna" che viene, cronologicamente prima.
Onestamente è un buon romanzo, quindi inferiore al precedente che era decisamente ottimo.
La distopia che descrive, con successivo "raddrizzamento" riuscito solo in parte, è la premessa per il terzo romanzo del ciclo. E presenta dei punti deboli di trama non indifferenti. Ma forse sono cose che verranno spiegate nel seguente "Mendic...more
From my blog http://www.onstarshipsanddragonwings....
Beggars and Choosers by Nancy Kress is a stand along sequel to Beggars in Spain; the books have a classic sci-fi feel with multiple view points and heavy amounts of scientifically inspired plot developments in a futuristic world
After reading Beggars in Spain I had to get my hands on the second book because the first was so awesome. It took me a little bit longer to get to it than I’d hoped since I was trying to finish other books, and it took...more
Beggars and Choosers by Nancy Kress is a stand along sequel to Beggars in Spain; the books have a classic sci-fi feel with multiple view points and heavy amounts of scientifically inspired plot developments in a futuristic world
After reading Beggars in Spain I had to get my hands on the second book because the first was so awesome. It took me a little bit longer to get to it than I’d hoped since I was trying to finish other books, and it took...more
The following review has spoilers for Beggars in Spain, the first book in the Sleepless Trilogy. There are no real spoilers for Beggars and Choosers.
Genetic modification has run amok in the 21st century, dividing America into two groups: genetically enhanced donkeys who rule the world, and livers who live work-free lives of supposed paradise. The tenuous balance between the two groups is about to topple over, but could the secret to survival be found with the ultra-intelligent SuperSleepers, who...more
Genetic modification has run amok in the 21st century, dividing America into two groups: genetically enhanced donkeys who rule the world, and livers who live work-free lives of supposed paradise. The tenuous balance between the two groups is about to topple over, but could the secret to survival be found with the ultra-intelligent SuperSleepers, who...more
Sep 12, 2010
bendyroad
added it
Picked this up in a dusty old bookshop somewhere in the Haight while my cousin was searching for a copy of some Marxist literature that he'd left on the Bart. It looked like proper old school sci-fi and had aromatic ring structures on the cover, you know the type. It cost a dollar.
I thought I didn't like it at all, I think there may have been some sort of a prequel that would have helped with the beginning but I settled into it a bit. Some interesting ideas about how genetic modifications could...more
I thought I didn't like it at all, I think there may have been some sort of a prequel that would have helped with the beginning but I settled into it a bit. Some interesting ideas about how genetic modifications could...more
Another reviewer described this book as 'aimless', and I think they were spot on. Of the new characters presented, only Billy Washington stuck with me, and the whole storyline with that guy in the wheelchair (forgot his name already...heh...) was tiresome. I can't get into the other thing I didn't like due to spoilers, but if you read the book than you can probably guess. I'll just say that a events were very abrupt. Very disappointing sequel.
This is the second excellent sci-fi novel in the "Beggars Trilogy" by Nancy Kress. The theme of discrimination against minorities continues in this book, but the issue of who should control technology is emphasized. Each character in the book has a different attitude toward the moral dilemmas surrounding genetic engineering. This novel is highly entertaining, fast-moving, with a plot that is difficult to anticipate. What more can you ask for?
I absolutely LOVE Beggars in Spain. I really enjoyed the premise, charactors, and world. Then, about a third way into the second book, Kress goes and kills my favorite charactor. Out of nowhere, she dies. I read like 2 more pages, closed the book, and asked my wife if the woman was really dead with no chance of coming back. When she confirmed the woman is gone forever, I never opened the book again, or touch another Kress book!
This book picks up about a decade after the end of BEGGARS IN SPAIN and mainly follows the path of the Super Sleepless on Earth, specifically Miranda Sharifi, the brilliant granddaughter of Leisha's nemesis from the first novel. American society has become more stratified than before, where the wealthy working class called "Donkeys" literally buy votes by providing bread and circuses for a large uneducated welfare population called "Livers". Of particular interest is the character of Drew Arlen,...more
Wieder wirft Nancy Kress spannende Fragen auf:
Was geschieht mit Menschen, die völlig in komfortabler Abhängigkeit von anderen gehalten werden? In diesem 2. Band des Bettler-Zyklus werden die sog. "Nutzer" von den "Machern" mit allem versorgt. Das klappt aber nur, solange genug Geld dafür vorhanden ist - und das geht gerade aus!
Und eine weitere Frage wird gestellt: Wer darf darüber entscheiden, was gut ist für die Menschheit? Die genetisch veränderten "SuperS" tun es einfach - und das wirft zusät...more
Was geschieht mit Menschen, die völlig in komfortabler Abhängigkeit von anderen gehalten werden? In diesem 2. Band des Bettler-Zyklus werden die sog. "Nutzer" von den "Machern" mit allem versorgt. Das klappt aber nur, solange genug Geld dafür vorhanden ist - und das geht gerade aus!
Und eine weitere Frage wird gestellt: Wer darf darüber entscheiden, was gut ist für die Menschheit? Die genetisch veränderten "SuperS" tun es einfach - und das wirft zusät...more
I loved the first book in the this trilogy, (I am very stingy with my 5 stars), and so I was a little disappointed in this book at first. It was a little harder for me to warm up to. (Perhaps it was the constant switch between 3 protagonists?)
But then suddenly, about half way through, everything seemed to click, and I was once again enthralled by her portrayal of what happens when technology and human nature meet.
But then suddenly, about half way through, everything seemed to click, and I was once again enthralled by her portrayal of what happens when technology and human nature meet.
Apr 12, 2013
Bryan457
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
immortals,
science-fiction
Great story! I'm still thinking about the ending.
Who gets to decide what technology gets explored, developed and used and what technology we reject and turn away from? The government? The people? The scientists? Or maybe that is the wrong question. Maybe the correct question is not who should decide but who will decide.
Who gets to decide what technology gets explored, developed and used and what technology we reject and turn away from? The government? The people? The scientists? Or maybe that is the wrong question. Maybe the correct question is not who should decide but who will decide.
3.5*
I enjoyed this book a bit more than the first, I think. Maybe. But it was resolved in a very similar fashion, which was disappointing. It would have been nice to have had something a bit more original. Still an enjoyable read.
Now, where will book 3 take us?!?!
I enjoyed this book a bit more than the first, I think. Maybe. But it was resolved in a very similar fashion, which was disappointing. It would have been nice to have had something a bit more original. Still an enjoyable read.
Now, where will book 3 take us?!?!
The sequel is far better than Beggars in Spain the novel, but not quite as good as Beggars in Spain the novella (which is the first quarter of the novel.) Lots of thought-provoking politics and human behavior, but the biology was a bit less interesting than the previous book.
I'm probably the only person who reacted to people being able to get their macronutrients from sunshine and lying in the dirt rather than by eating by thinking, "But, the micronutrients!"
I'm probably the only person who reacted to people being able to get their macronutrients from sunshine and lying in the dirt rather than by eating by thinking, "But, the micronutrients!"
Me gustó mucho más el primero. Los personajes no me enganchan hasta cerca de la mitad de la historia, y no comprendo qué los mueve a actuar. Mal desarrollo de personajes, historia poco creíble.
Not as good as the first one in the series but a great read. Interesting exploration of social and cultural implications of introduction of a "superior" group.
(I read the first book of the trilogy a long time ago, it was the only one translated in Bulgarian)
A very good book, again (like the previous one) chewing on the question of the dangers of technology and the control of it.
A very good book, again (like the previous one) chewing on the question of the dangers of technology and the control of it.
I read Beggars in Spain (Sleepless, Book 1) a while ago and simply devoured it. I only recently realized it was part of a trilogy, and I really enjoyed revisiting this world again. I love how it is science fiction but is more based on concepts and humanity rather than science - and that continues in this second book.
Although I didn't love it as much as the first one (which is in my all time top ten kinda of love), it was extremely engaging and kept me present in the moment throughout the entire...more
Although I didn't love it as much as the first one (which is in my all time top ten kinda of love), it was extremely engaging and kept me present in the moment throughout the entire...more
4.5 stars.
I am so happy Cindy recommended this series to me. It is awesome! I cannot wait to get my hands on the third book.
I am so happy Cindy recommended this series to me. It is awesome! I cannot wait to get my hands on the third book.
Love her characters. I also like the way the main characters shift as you go through the books - I thought that was done very effectively.
Better than the first book in the trilogy!
The plot is very good, and the philosophical and scientific content superb.
The plot is very good, and the philosophical and scientific content superb.
Part two of Nancy Kress' "Sleepless" series. Every bit as compelling as the first!
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Nancy Kress is an American science fiction writer. She began writing in 1976 but has achieved her greatest notice since the publication of her Hugo and Nebula-winning 1991 novella
Beggars in Spain
which was later expanded into a novel with the same title. In addition to her novels, Kress has written numerous short stories and is a regular columnist for Writer's Digest. She is a regular at Clarion...more
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“Miri once told me that there were only four important questions you could ask about any human being: How does he fill up his time? How does he feel about how he fills up his time? What does he love? How does he react to those he perceives as either inferior or superior to him?
If you make people feel inferior, even unintentionally," she had said, her dark eyes intense, "they will be uncomfortable around you. In that situation, some people will attack. Some will ridicule, to 'cut you down to size.' But some will admire, and learn from you. If you make people feel superior, some will react by dismissing you. Some by wielding power — just because they can — in greater or lesser ways. But some will be moved to protect and help. All this is just as true of a junior lodge clique as of a group of governments.”
—
5 people liked it
If you make people feel inferior, even unintentionally," she had said, her dark eyes intense, "they will be uncomfortable around you. In that situation, some people will attack. Some will ridicule, to 'cut you down to size.' But some will admire, and learn from you. If you make people feel superior, some will react by dismissing you. Some by wielding power — just because they can — in greater or lesser ways. But some will be moved to protect and help. All this is just as true of a junior lodge clique as of a group of governments.”
“Things got said, the kinds of embarrassing things that don't go away. Tempers ran high. My paternal grandfather's teak desk required a new panel, which never quite matched the others. Intellectual debate can be very hard on furniture.”
—
2 people liked it
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