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The Memory of Earth (Homecoming Saga #1)

3.52 of 5 stars 3.52 · rating details · 8,395 ratings · 298 reviews

High above the planet Harmony, the Oversoul watches. Its task, programmed so many millennia ago, is to guard the human settlement on this planet--to protect this fragile remnant of Earth from all threats. To protect them, most of all, from themselves.

The Oversoul has done its job well. There is no war on Harmony. There are no weapons of mass destruction. There is no techno...more

Paperback, 352 pages

Published January 15th 1993 by Tor Science Fiction (first published January 1st 1992)

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Feb 16, 2012 Emma rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: science-fiction, 20th-century

I really enjoyed reading this book. I liked the descriptions of the cultural and political systems used in the setting as they are very different from any other kind I have known of. I have also gotten to like many of the characters, and even some of their strange names, though a few of them still bother me (such as "Luet").

The only reason that I gave this book four stars rather than five is that I would have liked for it to surprise me a bit more. Being very familiar with the story that it is b...more

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Mar 13, 2011 Peter added it · review of another edition

Decent sci-fi lacking some impact...: Orson Scott Card knows how to tell a story. This book is nothing more than the prologue for a five issue epic about our distant relatives on a distant planet in the distant future.

Card develops the characters nicely and the story never gets boring - it's an easy and enjoyable read. But it lacks the incredible imagination Card displayed in "Speaker for the dead", maybe because this time, there are no fascinating aliens present. Instead, we get a society proh

...more

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Jan 20, 2009 Annette rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: sci-fi

This is the first of an older series of Card's I'd somehow never picked up. Based on ease of acquisition - either from the library or the used bookstores - I assumed that it wasn't very popular among his fans, and may not be very good.
I was pleasantly surprised. It's a perfectly decent, solid start to what looks like it'll be an interesting series.
Many of the classic Card elements are present: dangerously intelligent children, wildly dysfunctional family and sibling relationships, incredible m...more This is the first of an older series of Card's I'd somehow never picked up. Based on ease of acquisition - either from the library or the used bookstores - I assumed that it wasn't very popular among his fans, and may not be very good.
I was pleasantly surprised. It's a perfectly decent, solid start to what looks like it'll be an interesting series.
Many of the classic Card elements are present: dangerously intelligent children, wildly dysfunctional family and sibling relationships, incredible moral dilemmas, and a nice sci-fi backing to the plot to tie it all together. As usual, the writing and characterization is way above par.
The key to the "Harmony" world, which was settled 40 million years ago, is the presence of the "Oversoul," an orbiting computer with a network of satellites and the ability to communicate telepathically - to one extent or another - with all of the humans on the planet (who were apparently slightly genetically engineered for receptivity to this communication.) The purpose of the Oversoul is not to keep everyone happy and content, "Matrix" or "Worthington Saga" style, but to keep the more dangerous incarnations of human technology from ever developing so that violence will be limited to pre-industrial levels. In other words, they have indoor plumbing and computers and genetics and mag-lev "wheel chairs," but no cars, airplanes, or even wagons. Also no bullets, gunpowder, or large-scale offensive weaponry - or even a planet-wide communications network. It makes for a very odd mix.
But as the story opens the computer is breaking down - having outlived its makers' wildest dreams of a functional lifespan - and is starting to lose control. Technology is breaking out. Humanity is still basically evil, and everything could come crashing down in a very short period of time. The Oversoul decides the only thing it can do is try and collect a remnant of its loyal (or at least manipulable) followers and head back to Earth for a service call. (less)

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Feb 03, 2013 Leah rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: sci-fi

I have not read the Book of Mormons as others have so it took me a quarter of the way through the book to become interested in the story of the Oversoul, Nafai and his brothers. Once I understood the structure of the city and family life, I easily read on with an interest in where this young boy was going.

The premise of the women being in control, men living outside city limits, mate contracts and a higher being sending visions to the select few sounds good but there is always a fight for contr...more

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May 30, 2012 Nissa Annakindt rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: science-fiction, christian-fiction

A boy from the civilized City of Women chooses to follow his visionary father to the harsh life of the desert.

The story begins with the Oversoul, a god-like ancient computer with a problem: it is old, and losing influence over the people of the planet Harmony. It wants to consult with the distant and mysterious Keeper of Earth. But to do that it will need human help.

The boy Nafai lives in the peaceful and civilized city of Basilica. Or, he lives outside the city in his father's house, since no m...more A boy from the civilized City of Women chooses to follow his visionary father to the harsh life of the desert.

The story begins with the Oversoul, a god-like ancient computer with a problem: it is old, and losing influence over the people of the planet Harmony. It wants to consult with the distant and mysterious Keeper of Earth. But to do that it will need human help.

The boy Nafai lives in the peaceful and civilized city of Basilica. Or, he lives outside the city in his father's house, since no man may spend the night in Basilica unless he is married to a woman of the city.

Nafai is the youngest of the four sons of his father, Volemak (also called Wetchik), and also the youngest of the four children (two boys, two girls) of his mother Rasa. The family confusion is caused by the fact that in Basilica, all marriages are temporary, and must be renewed each year. Volemak and Rasa were married, did not renew, Rasa married another man and had two daughters, and finally Volemak and Rasa married again.

Nafai's father Volemak had a dream of a great danger to the city of Basilica. It is determined that it was not a common dream, but a dream sent by the Oversoul, who is regarded as a god. The dream causes Volemak to prepare to leave Basilica with his sons, and go into the desert.

Nafai and his disabled brother Issib discover that the Oversoul is doing strange things to people. Certain words for dangerous things--- like weapons and transportation technology--- are being hidden by the Oversoul. To hear these words make people stupid and forgetful. The Oversoul does this to limit technology which might be used in a war. But one of those forbidden words, the word for war wagon, has now become common as people of Basilica become involved in a plot over war wagons from a neighboring power. Volemak argues against this and makes enemies.

Volemak narrowly escapes assassination, but manages to leave the city. Once out in the desert, he decides he needs a device called the Index, and he sends his sons to get it. Elemak, the eldest son, thinks his father is foolish, but the four brothers go anyway.

This journey brings great challenges to Nafai, who is faithful to his father and believes in his father's dreams. As one sensitive to the Oversoul, he is particularly challenged when the Oversoul commands him to do something he feels is morally unthinkable.

I have loved this book since I first read it, and I re-read it often, as I enjoy spending time with Nafai, Rasa, Luet the child waterseer, and the other characters of the book.

Content concerns: None, really. Author Card does not feel the need to put his characters' sex lives on-screen, or to use four-letter words. I should point out, however, that Orson Scott Card is a member of the LDS (Mormon) church, and the storyline of this whole series is based on events in the Book of Mormon. Nafai, for example, is Nephi of the Book of Nephi. As a Catholic I don't happen to believe the Book of Mormon is part of the scriptures. But I don't think the storyline parallel is a problem. Most of the book involves things like the god-like computer and Basilica, the city of women, things that are in no way part of LDS doctrine.

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Apr 12, 2012 Theron rated it 5 of 5 stars

I recently reread this whole series. When I first read it, I thought it was too much of a Book of Mormon rip-off. After getting my head around the idea that it is comparable to historical fiction, I found that I liked it a lot more. My favorite aspects of this series are:
1) the way you can see deep motivations for characters who can seem two dimensional in the Book of Mormon,
2) the very frank discussion of sexuality and what it can and should mean. The societies compared present great sociologic...more

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Mar 20, 2011 Adrienne rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: book-count-2011, science-fiction

Nafai lives with his father and his brothers outside of the great city of Basilica. He's not a child any more, but he doesn't know what he wants to do with his life. Then things get turned upside down when his father has a vision from the Oversoul. Nafai begins to wonder about his world, and soon discovers that the Oversoul, the world and everything he thought he knew is not what it seems. Now his family is caught up in the political intrigue of Basilica. How can Nafai keep his family safe and k...more

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Dec 20, 2010 Mike Hankins rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is a difficult review for me to write, as it raises the question of what my book reviews need to be. On the one hand, I found this book to be very well-written, yet the themes, implications and general message I profoundly disagreed with and found a little disturbing. To deal with this, I've decided to score this one based on it's craft, not counting "against" it because I happen to disagree with it's message, although it will be impossible for me to make a full review without commenting on...more This is a difficult review for me to write, as it raises the question of what my book reviews need to be. On the one hand, I found this book to be very well-written, yet the themes, implications and general message I profoundly disagreed with and found a little disturbing. To deal with this, I've decided to score this one based on it's craft, not counting "against" it because I happen to disagree with it's message, although it will be impossible for me to make a full review without commenting on it.

If there's one thing Orson Scott Card does well more than anything else, it's character creation. His characters almost always have a depth and pathos that is often lacking in pop sci-fi stories of this type. That tendency is certainly true in the main characters of The Memory of Earth. We follow a group of brothers (and half brothers, begotten through a complex web of regularly shifting marriages) and their sibling rivalries in the midst of a strange society that is simultaneously very primitive, and highly advanced. The world is controlled by The Oversoul, a powerful machine that can influence the minds of humans, essentially, to prevent them from developing technologies that could lead to destruction, such as fast land vehicles, flight, atomic power, etc. Thus, certian technologies such as complex electomagnetic manipulation and powerful computers are common, yet things like cars and explosives are unheard of mysteries. This creates a setting that looks in many ways, like ancient rome, the renaissance, or perhaps the Old Testament, but allows for science fictional high-technology elements as well. It's an interesting mash-up that has a lot of promise.

Card also spends a lot of time developing a matriarchal society with complex family relationships, and a very ordered religious system that is based on worship of The Oversoul. It's an interesting culture, to say the least. Women have more power and prestige than men, often having many husbands, although never simultaneously. Only women are allowed to perform higher religious ceremonies, and have more say in government and politics.

But the intricacies of the unique setting and cultural background is not what the book is about. The main plot concerns the Oversoul becoming weak, losing it's influence over humanity, allowing people to think of once forbidden technologies and begin to implement them. But even this plot is not what the story is really about. Most of the plot concerns the main characters--a group of four brothers--and their sibling rivalries. Card gets into the heads of all four, and allows us to see things from their perspective at all times, which is nice. Each character comes across as understandable, and while the one main character is clearly presented as the hero, I felt that I could just as easily "root for" any of the others. This is not true of the book's villian, who is the only character I've ever seen Card present as a completely one dimensional caricature. The villian serves just to create a situation for the protagonists to react to, and while his motivations and actions make sense from a plot perspective, little thought is given to him other than, "he's the bad guy."

And now we come to the real problem of the book. Ultimately, the story is about faith triumphing over reason. This bothers me on a fundamental level. I believe in reason. I believe in rationality. I believe that logic and reasoning should be the largest factor in decision-making. This book features characters who ignore logic and reason, acting irrationally because of their faith in something they have no direct evidence for. Some people may find that uplifting, but I do not. However, I was still interested, because, in this universe Card had created, we weren't talking about mystical gods, paranormal weirdness, or cosmic forces. The "God" of this book is a computer, a literal Deus ex Machina that was created by humans. From the persepctive of the characters it might look like faith, but I was curious about the implications that the object of their faith was a man-made machine. These implications were not explored, but this is only the first book in a series, so I had hope that this line of reasoning would be developed.

So, I did something that I often do when I read the first book in a series and find myself intrigued, but also filled with trepaidation. I've been burned by enough seemingly interesting books whose sequels ended up being absolutely awful. So I went online and looked at spoilers. And boy was I surprised.

I had obviously noticed all the Old Testament references in the book. Many plot points seemed to be mash-ups of Old Testament stories, a little bit of Joseph here, and little bit of Abraham there, etc. But that's only because I am unfamiliar with the Book of Mormon. Apparently, this story is an exact retelling of the Book of Mormon, to the point where some character's names are only a few letters off. Not having read Mormon literature, I can't say this for sure, but it appears to be the consensus of readers. And apparently, the subsequent works in this series only continue to exploit this connection. The implications of the culture Card creates, the unique setting, and the consequences of having faith in a man-made machine are, according to plot summaries of the works, not explored at all. The apparent consensus is that this series is essentially nothing more than Mormon propoganda designed to prosltyze readers.

Some fans might think that harsh, and, while I can't say for absolute certian that this is the case since I haven't actually read them all, the consensus is so strong that I have absolutely no interest in reading the rest of these. The only elements I was interested in are ignored, and the points that I had misgivings about are amplified. So I won't be continuing this series. I have far too many better books on my "to-read" shelf to spend time reading Mormon commercials wrapped in science fiction trappings.(less)

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Aug 22, 2010 Scott Marlowe rated it 1 of 5 stars

So I'd never read anything by Orson Scott Card before. Of course I had heard of him and seen his books all over, but he was just one of those authors I never quite got around to reading. While that misstep has now been corrected, I had to put down The Memory of Earth.

I fully intended to read the book front to back, but something had been nagging me almost since the beginning. Given that I was a newcomer to Card's work, I was keeping an open mind and had no idea what to expect except that he's a...more

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Jul 01, 2010 Christie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Kind of amusing, out of the four books I got from the library, this was the one I was dreading reading them most, and it actually turned out to be the second best of the bunch. My eyes completely glazed over as I read the inner cover, and the book cover is doing it no favors, either. But it really was an interesting read, despite the horrible names given to characters and some descriptions of their sexual culture that almost made me put it down (nothing explicit, but kind of strange).

This is the...more

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Jun 16, 2010 Lori rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010june

Ender's Game was one of the first sci-fi novels I read -- and enjoyed -- as an adult. My teenage memories of the genre were of the worst pulp fiction; I read everything I could get my hands on, and one of my uncles was a sci-fi fan. Needless to say, he wasn't reading fine lit.

A friend chose Ender for book club (she'd put up with a lot of Oprah picks up till then), and most of the members who read it loved it. I was the only one to devour the whole series, though, and the Shadow ones that followe...more

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Apr 17, 2013 Emily Chandler rated it 5 of 5 stars

This was my first experience with Orson Scott Card, and I feel guilty that it has taken this long. My fifteen year old brother has been devouring his books, which has only been adding to my guilt that I haven't even read Ender's Game. Science fiction can just be hard for me to get into. So... I was guilted into reading this book. Geeze... now instead of feeling guilty that I haven't picked up Card before, now I'm just mad at myself. The world was intriguing with a sense of culture, and the chara...more

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Dec 10, 2012 Jen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: action-adventure, apocalyptic, fantasy, sci-fy, gospel-related

I have very mixed feelings on this particular book. I really enjoy Orson Scott Card and was excited about reading this one. I was really needing a book with some more thought provoking points - this was a great one for that matter!

It's a Science Fiction (which I also love) set in the future, when the Human Race has destroyed Earth and moved to another planet named Harmony. Most of the book sets up the scene, the people, the planet, the culture, the religions, etc. It was fascinating to read abo...more I have very mixed feelings on this particular book. I really enjoy Orson Scott Card and was excited about reading this one. I was really needing a book with some more thought provoking points - this was a great one for that matter!

It's a Science Fiction (which I also love) set in the future, when the Human Race has destroyed Earth and moved to another planet named Harmony. Most of the book sets up the scene, the people, the planet, the culture, the religions, etc. It was fascinating to read about. I enjoyed much of the religious overtones and similes through the first 75%+ part of the book. Granted, some of it was VERY weird, but over all I liked it. I thought that it flowed well and that the story and all details connected and made sense, and really brought things to my mind about our own cultures here on Earth.

It finally gets to the point of this whole story, in the last 15% of the book, not just setting the stage and it was the first few chapters of Nephi, from the Book of Mormon. There were not many variances from the story of Lehi and his family. At this point I lost a lot of interest, and some respect honestly. I didn't like how he literally played it out detail by detail identically to the things that happened with Lehi's Family! Which took away any suspense, of how is this going to end... Even Nephi's name was used in Card's book (I listened to it) but the main character's name is Nefi! Really? Have we lost all creativity here? Obviously I got hung up on it feeling like plagiarism.

Nonetheless, I've always loved this story (in it's original telling) it was very interesting to see how Card made these defining moments fit into his story board. It brought many things to the surface in a different light than I have ever looked at.

I think that the things that stuck out to me most was that the Oversoul's purpose was to help mankind over come itself to finally develop the greatness that we inherently could have if we but tried a little harder. But that no matter what time or place we continue to make the regular trip through the pride cycle. Another big point was the difference Nefi's out look was on everything once he knew the Oversoul's purpose and goals and how he played a part it in. Little things, fights with his brothers, how he approached things he was asked to do, how he choose to treat people - all of it changed, because he could see more of the big picture and where he fit and learned more of the things that really matter.

Overall I did like it. I know there is a lot more seeing that he barely broke into the first few chapters of 1 Nephi. I worry though that I would struggle, because I would already know what big thing was really going to happen next.

In addition, I really like the fact that Card has been able to share basic gospel principals in more of a secular manner and able to reach out to more people. Go ahead and read it, if nothing else it includes some great physiologic and sociological discussion points. (less)

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Oct 25, 2012 David rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: science-fiction

This is a fun story about a distant future, on a faraway planet. Mankind destroyed Earth 40 million years ago, and people settled on an earth-like planet. They set up an "Oversoul" that prevents people from militarizing, so as to prevent destruction of their adopted planet. The only problem is, the Oversoul is starting to wear down.

The characters are all well-developed, and much of the story hinges on the relationships between them. Interestingly, in their home city, only women are allowed to ow...more

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Apr 08, 2009 Rita Webb rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Rita by: Tj

Shelves: scifi, read-in-2009

Somehow Orson Scott Card makes writing look easy. Every word flows in unity with every other word. The seamless blend of character development, world creation, science, story, and descriptions was awe inspiring.

Nafai hates it that his father had a vision from the Oversoul. It ruins his sense of how the world should work, and it makes his family the laughing stock of Basilica. He doesn't like the intrusion of the "witches" who interpret his father's visions. Who are they to intrude in personal f...more

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Aug 02, 2012 Angela rated it 2 of 5 stars

I finished the first three books in this series and was disappointed to find out that the remaining two books in the series have not been released in ebook format. That being said, I'm not terribly surprised. The series was moving too slowly and if it were not for the fact that I read them all in three days, I would have been hard pressed to pay attention to it. The activities in the first three books should have been pared down to one thick book or two smaller volumes, not three books. The conc...more

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Oct 05, 2011 Margie rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Nov 04, 2007 Jennifer Busch rated it 5 of 5 stars

Orson Scott Card is a very creative science fiction and fantasy writer! This book (series) is a great look into the philosophy of life on other planets and the possibility of higher intelligences. The last books in the series introduce new characters that are not a likeable as the earlier books and the storyline suffers because of it.

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Oct 11, 2012 Harold Ogle rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ensemble, science-fantasy, sf

Excuse me for being crass, but I had to put down my thought as I was a bit over half-way through this book earlier today: "This book kicks all kinds of ass!" Silly, and not very helpful, I know, but it was a very real and very visceral reaction to this very well-crafted story about a far-future human colony whose overseer has maintained peace on a global level for an unimaginably long time. In that respect, at that high a level, you could compare this with John Norman's Gor books, though of cour...more Excuse me for being crass, but I had to put down my thought as I was a bit over half-way through this book earlier today: "This book kicks all kinds of ass!" Silly, and not very helpful, I know, but it was a very real and very visceral reaction to this very well-crafted story about a far-future human colony whose overseer has maintained peace on a global level for an unimaginably long time. In that respect, at that high a level, you could compare this with John Norman's Gor books, though of course the comparison is ridiculous when you get to any level of detail.

So, what prompted this ebullient, teen-like reaction to this book? Well, simply put, I was terribly impressed with all the craft that went into this. Card has written compelling characters, he's done an amazing bit of world-building, he reveals this world-building in an organic, completely non-didactic way that never feels like explanation, the story is told from the points of view from of multiple characters, and each character has only slightly overlapping, very different motivations and distinct voices, and all this was a very interesting conceit about how people receive and experience spirituality.

Here's the set-up. I'm putting it as a spoiler, because I think if you haven't read it, you might prefer to go into it cold. (view spoiler)

A lot of people seem to have a negative reaction to Card's work in general and this book specifically because of his Mormon faith, but I've never found it particularly intrusive in any of his writing. Along with that, I have to admit a near-complete ignorance of the actual details of the Mormon faith: I know that Joseph Smith was visited by an angel in prison (was it from another planet? or are angels from other worlds limited to Scientology?) and given a mission, and that he led his followers to Utah by what came to be known as the Mormon Trail, a fork of the Emigrant Trail. Beyond that, I know very little. This book bears a much closer resemblance to the Old Testament, to me, with people getting visions and having to deal with the unbelief of their followers. As such, I found it very compelling. It's well-crafted, masterfully written, character-driven science fiction. I loved it.(less)

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Aug 25, 2011 Jason rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: science-fiction, sociological-sci-fi

Fans of ENDER'S GAME--BEWARE! This is not on par with that novel in any way. Personally, I can't believe how many of the novels within this series I've read when I realize I should have ended with this one. To me, this novel felt like it was one of Card's many forgotten manuscripts, written while he was a writer honing his craft, left at the bottom of a desks drawer in a beat up manila folder to gather dust. Then, when the Ender novels garnered much appraisal & awards, Card's publisher must...more Fans of ENDER'S GAME--BEWARE! This is not on par with that novel in any way. Personally, I can't believe how many of the novels within this series I've read when I realize I should have ended with this one. To me, this novel felt like it was one of Card's many forgotten manuscripts, written while he was a writer honing his craft, left at the bottom of a desks drawer in a beat up manila folder to gather dust. Then, when the Ender novels garnered much appraisal & awards, Card's publisher must have asked: "What else you got?" & lo, we have this novel.

It's not a good novel, nor is it the worst. It has a lot to be desired & even though it is the first in a series, its main flaw is failing to make the reader want to continue--to take the journey through so many other books to reach a conclusion. Even by writing that last sentence within this review makes me realize how mediocre this book is. I'd continue with a synopsis but the one Goodreads provides is good enough as an overview. I don't see much point in expounding upon it.

I will say this: There are a lot of blatant Mormon undertones (Card is from Utah &, if I remember correctly, an excommunicated Mormon) & the reverse polygamy within the novel is not at all shocking--Women on the planet Harmony can chose more than one male to mate with & it's encouraged--hell, it's contracted! It provides an interesting look at family values within the planet's society & is played out within the main character's family through the interaction between the siblings. Also, the idea that the satellite orbiting the planet, Oversoul, has the ability to block certain ideas that may form within the populations' minds, resulting in no technological advances & weapons, shows how freewill is stunted & human growth with it. Could this be a statement by Card on how religion does the same--by placing blind faith within a god can lead to the hijacking of one's liberties, whether it be vocal or thought? Or is he merely rewriting The Book of Mormon? To emphasize my point: The realization by certain people on the planet Harmony that Earth is something to be sought out again makes me think of the Mormons pilgrimage to their land of Zion. Plus, the Index of the Oversoul is plainly a metaphor for The Book of Mormon & the main character whom the Oversoul mentally communicates with is clearly the society's John Smith.

All these concepts are interesting but are played out within what I believe to be a very weak novel masked in science fiction. They need a stronger structure & a better cast of characters who are far more interesting than the ones presented in THE MEMORY OF EARTH. I wanted to like this novel--I really did--but I think it reveals more of a sermon by Card than an sci-fi epic. I believe he intended to make a great series but there's a reason why certain stories should remain at the bottom of a desk drawer--a reason why they were put there in the first place. It's exactly like what I've said about people who pull "lost" recordings of John Lennon out of the vaults: There's a reason why they're still in the vaults & why they're "lost".

So after reading this one, why do I have two other titles in the series on my list? They're there because I borrowed the audio books from the library when I was driving on a long trip & I wanted to see if the story got any better. It didn't. (less)

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Mar 07, 2011 Villager rated it 4 of 5 stars

I'm a science fiction fan ... however, I've never read anything by Orson Scott Card until this book. I enjoyed the premise of the book ... a world, Harmony, 40 million years from now where the basic technology appears to be from a bygone era ... no airplanes, no telephones, no skyscrapers ... but, there is still technology for wheelchairs that can float and computer-driven libraries and commodity trading.

Anyhow, the key to any sci-fi novel is the human interaction and this book has some great s...more

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Dec 13, 2007 Julia rated it 4 of 5 stars

I liked this whole sci-fi series. I've heard that it has a lot of Mormon themes in it (the author is Mormon or lapsed Mormon or something like that) but to be honest, I didn't notice it at the time I was reading it and it didn't interfere with my enjoyment. Dramatic stories, fun characters, big mysterious computers...

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Jun 12, 2007 John rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was the first Orson Scott Card novel I read and I liked it a lot. If I remember correctly I went through the five books in this saga (Homecoming Saga) in about two weeks. Several years later I found out that the series is loosely based on the Book of Mormon (Orson Scott Card is mormon). Go figure.

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Apr 13, 2009 Ruby rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: science-fiction-fantasy

Being an Orson Scott Card fan, my daughter Tracy loaned me this book along with the other 4 in the series. She told me it took its basic plot from the Book of Mormon. This is certainly true. "The names were changed to protect the innocent", and were a little difficult to get in my head, but the characters were certainly recognizable

It was interesting to read the account of a people 10,000,000 years from the destruction of Earth on the planet Harmony, a kind of advanced and kind of backward civil...more

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May 16, 2011 Darcy rated it 2 of 5 stars

I liked the premise of this book- that in the future there exists a computer (created by humans who have survived the destruction of Earth) that guides the cultural evolution of humanity by making them clear-headed when they're doing something good and absentminded when they're doing or thinking about something "bad"- though the "bad" things include wheels and other things you wouldn't necessarily expect.

I wasn't as pleased about the characters, which is something that tends to be important to...more

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Apr 12, 2013 Xan rated it 3 of 5 stars

Me gusta Orson Scott Card, es uno de los grandes escritores de ciencia ficción actual y pocos aficionados negarán que El Juego de Ender es uno de los "libros que hay que leer". En la Saga del Retorno, bueno... la leí hace unos años y no puedo recordar los detalles. La disfruté, aún tengo la colección completa por mi biblioteca, conseguida despues de recorrer un montón de librerías de segunda mano y mercadillos. Pero no siento la necesidad de volver a leerla y eso, que es mi particular baremo par...more

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Dec 29, 2011 Stephanie rated it 3 of 5 stars

This series had good potential, and I liked this novel, but once the series started getting "preachy" I dropped it like a hot potato. Card is a perfectly decent writer, though his style is pretty straightforward and lacking much flourish, but he let's his personal beliefs creep into most of his works. If it were just a couple of his novels that were thinly veiled Mormon mythologies it would be fine, but a large percentage of his later work is very colored by his religious beliefs. This novel and...more

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Nov 14, 2011 Elisabeth rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: science-fiction

This book was definitely the first in a series, so I will have to read more/the rest of them in order to really know whether I like it or not. So far, it seems as though the story is just a repeat of the back story. The humans destroy Earth, some leave, establish Harmony and create a supercomputer to keep them from once again destroying their home, but, the computer is failing, the people are beginning to head in the same direction as what occurred on Earth, so the computer has elected new peopl...more

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Apr 22, 2012 Deborah Ideiosepius rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: science-fiction

Duped again!

Actually this was a good sci-fi story with well written characters, an elegant society created and on the whole very good reading. My problem occurred in the last couple of chapters when I picked up the paperback and saw as if for the first time “Homecoming volume I’ on the cover.
So instead of a good fun read –which it was- I was reading a first book in yet another YAWN series that will last forever and need to purchase multiple books to keep up with. I will not. The story was pretty...more

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Dec 05, 2011 Keilani Ludlow rated it 1 of 5 stars

I didn't read the whole book, so this is just my review on the bit I read before getting disgusted. I love love love his Ender series, but it ends there. I didn't have time to get interested in the society (though I wasn't finding them that interesting anyway) before getting too disgusted with the societal moral norms. Yes, I'm conservative and religious. I don't demand perfectly clean angelic books, but I don't like to read about things I consider to be crass, vulgar, whatever. Since it was cle...more

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About Orson Scott Card

Orson Scott Card is the author of the novels Ender's Game, Ender's Shadow, and Speaker for the Dead, which are widely read by adults and younger readers, and are increasingly used in schools.
Besides these and other science fiction novels, Card writes contemporary fantasy (Magic Street, Enchantment, Lost Boys), biblical novels (Stone Tables, Rachel and Leah), the American frontier fantasy series Th...more

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Quotes from The Memory of Earth

“He splashed into the water, his whole body, not with the reverent attitude of prayer, but with a desperate thirst; he buried his head under the water and drank deep, with his cheek against the cold stone of the riverbed, the water tumbling over his back, his calves. He drank and drank, lifted his head and shoulders above the water to gasp in the evening air, and then collapsed into the water again, to drink as greedily as before.

It was a kind of prayer, though, he realized as he emerged, freezing cold as the water evaporated from his skin in the breeze of the dark morning.

I am with you, he said to the Oversoul. I'll do whatever you ask, because I long for you to accomplish your purpose here.” — 1 person liked it

“That's what Father and Mother are, thought Nafai. They stay together, not because of any gain, but because of the gift. Father doesn't stay with Mother because she is good for him, but rather because together they can do good for us, and for many others.” — 1 person liked it

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The Memory of Earth (Homecoming Saga #1)

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