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Remnant Population

3.94 of 5 stars 3.94 · rating details · 1,214 ratings · 112 reviews

For forty years, Colony 3245.12 has been Ofelia’s home. On this planet far away in space and time from the world of her youth, she has lived and loved, weathered the death of her husband, raised her one surviving child, lovingly tended her garden, and grown placidly old. And it is here that she fully expects to finish out her days–until the shifting corporate fortunes of t...more

Paperback, 336 pages

Published September 30th 2003 by Del Rey (first published 1996)

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Feb 23, 2012 Niina rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-english, sci-fi

When the rest of the colony that Ofelia has been a part of for over 40 years are leaving the planet they've called home for the same amount of time Ofelia makes the decision to stay behind. She's old, and wants to live her last years in peace without interference from anyone else. But of course, she's not as alone as she hoped she would be..

I found this book really hard to rate because it left me with mixed feelings. Because some parts of the book deserve more than 3 stars...

But I have to admit...more

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Nov 17, 2012 Charity rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book was wonderful sci-fi. The heroine is a woman who is somewhere between 70 and 85 years old. She is amazing. It was a pleasure to listen in on her thoughts and see her reaction to the challenges that she faces on a outlying planet colony that has been abandoned. She inspires me to be better and not complain about the challenges I face. She has become another friend/example in my head that I can think about when I need encouragement to just do what needs to be done and to do my best by my...more

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May 27, 2011 Lis Carey rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: f-sf

A failing colony is removed from an alien world by the company that owns it, but one old woman, tired of having others run her life, hides in the forest until everyone is safely gone. The abandoned equipment and supplies enable her to survive, and she settles into a routine. Months later, on the communications equipment in the colony Center, she listens to the landing of another colony on another part of the planet - and its immediate destruction by natives whose presence no one had suspected. T...more A failing colony is removed from an alien world by the company that owns it, but one old woman, tired of having others run her life, hides in the forest until everyone is safely gone. The abandoned equipment and supplies enable her to survive, and she settles into a routine. Months later, on the communications equipment in the colony Center, she listens to the landing of another colony on another part of the planet - and its immediate destruction by natives whose presence no one had suspected. The natives decide to send an expedition to check out the distant other site where the Monsters may have landed; the company that had bought the planet from its previous owners sends a scientific expedition to check out the possibly-sapient animals that had killed their colonists. The old woman, Ofelia, first has to establish communication with the stone-age natives, then with members of her own species. The natives, at least, are willing to believe she's an intelligent being.

The natives are interesting, Ofelia's an engaging character - unfortunately, this is an idiot plot, utterly dependent on both Ofelia's complete lack of education and the idiocy of the scientists sent to investigate. The most intelligent, most open-minded, most reasonable member of the expedition is a cultural anthropologist; he identifies a "singer" in the natives' non-literate culture as an "entertainer," nobody important. Why would the company send such incompetents if they spent the money on a scientific expedition at all? They wouldn't, of course.

There are numerous similar idiocies throughout the book. For instance, why is Ofelia, the product of a very prosperous, high-tech culture, uneducated to the point of almost complete illiteracy? Why, because education is a privilege, not a requirement, of course. Ofelia's from a large underclass kept intentionally uneducated. That this makes no sense in a prosperous, high-tech culture, that it is completely incompatible with maintaining a prosperous, high-tech culture beyond a generation or two, matters not. (I feel a need to be absolutely clear about this: this star-spanning civilization is intentionally creating and maintaining a large, profoundly uneducated underclass that can't even do the most basic gruntwork in this culture--that would challenged by the basic gruntwork necessary in early 21st-century America or Europe.) The plot requires it, and that's the end of the matter. Ofelia's one of the very bright young children, identified by her teachers for a scholarship to continue her education beyond the basic primary level. Her parents, preferring her sister to Ofelia for reasons never even touched upon, much less explained, send the sister for that extended education instead of Ofelia. Somehow, this controlling, bureaucratic, records-obsessed culture has no means of distinguishing between one underclass child, specifically identified for continued education, and her sister, at least a year different in age, specifically not selected for continued education. Furthermore, and I say this as someone happy to attribute all sorts of evil and malevolence to giant corporations, the corporations that control this society are malevolent in unbelievable ways, ways that are directly contrary to even their most obvious, short-term interests. It all makes for a book that's extremely irritating if you think at all about what you're reading. But if you can turn your brain off, it's kind of fun. (less)

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Jan 15, 2011 Electric Landlady rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: library, science-fiction

There are not enough novels with awesome old ladies as their protagonists. Speaking as someone who wishes to be an awesome old lady some day, I consider this a gap in the market. At the start of Remnant Population, the members of a failed colony have been ordered to pack up and leave the planet that has become their home. Widowed Ofelia decides the hell with it, she's staying put; her grown son doesn't need her, her daughter-in-law can't stand her (it's mutual), and she's fed up with living her...more

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Dec 05, 2010 Mark rated it 4 of 5 stars

A pretty good SF work. An elderly woman named Ofelia, discontent with her life, stays behind when a colony is evacuated. The story eventually becomes a "first contact" tale, as a previously undiscovered indigenous population is disturbed by a new colony.

There's not anything stunningly new in this for SF readers, but it is a well crafted tale. A lot of time is spent with just Ofelia after the colony is evacuated, with pacing and style that reminded me a lot of some of Le Guin's work. Probably the...more

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Mar 05, 2010 Ove rated it 5 of 5 stars

I must tell you about one of my very best dearest friend, sorry book. Meet Ofelia, she is a mature woman past childbearing who never got a chance to make something of herself. The scene is the one town on a company owned colony planet. She lives with her obnoxious son Barto and his wife Rosara in town when we learn that the company lost the franchise to the planet. All colonists have to leave.

Ofelia has had enough and decides to stay when the others leave. I love to listen to Ofelia’s thoughts a...more

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Apr 06, 2009 Julie H. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: sci-fi, book-club-selections

I had a tough time getting into this book--really tough--but once we finally met the indigenous population of the planet (N.B.: humans are the aliens, here), things got really interesting. The main character is a 70-something woman named Ofelia, who declines to leave with the mining company settlers when they abandon the planet for greener pastures elsewhere. (The fact that she feels the company will likely tamper with her cryo unit so that she "accidentally" dies in transport speaks to the fact...more

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Nov 30, 2008 Pamela Pickering rated it 1 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Matt, Juli, Harmony?, Ann? Sanley

Recommended to Pamela by: found it on Goodreads recent reviews board

I find it very hard to find a good book to read when I've finished a really fantastic one. I may be in that place now or maybe I'm just in a "negative mood" and have a hard time finding anything to like. At any rate, I'm turfing this one. To be fair, sci-fi is not my chosen reading genre (although I do enjoy it on film) however I occassionally like to choose things to take me out of my comfort zone (don't want to get Alzheimer's, ya know!). The premise of this tale seemed very interesting and it...more

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Dec 03, 2011 Burgandy Ice rated it 3 of 5 stars

My Rating: 3.5 Worth the Time

Elizabeth Moon really dove into the depths of age in the character of Ofelia. I enjoyed her depth of experience and wisdom. I love the way Ofelia grew & adapted to accept herself and fulfill her own wishes and dreams. Ofelia is a great person. Someone I could look up to, honor. Moon changes age from being something horrible or fearful into something satisfying.

The planet is amazing. The difference between Terra-forming ground the colonists cultivated and the loca...more

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Mar 05, 2012 Kathy Cowley rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, science-fiction

I admit it: this is the first book I have ever read that has a 70 year old lady as the protagonist.

In Remnant Population, Colony 3245.12 is abandoned because it is not profitable, but Ofelia, at 70, does not want to move to another world, so she stays, the sole human resident of a planet. Later, more humans decide to colonize thousands of miles from Ofelia, but they are slaughtered by aliens Ofelia didn't know existed--now it's up to Ofelia to save the alien species from the wrath of Earth.

This...more

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Sep 30, 2011 Michelle rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: sci-fi-or-futuristic

Originally posted on my LiveJournal account: http://intoyourlungs.livejournal.com/...

Read For: The Women of Science Fiction book club

So, as you can see, this book was a book club read. I've never really heard about Elizabeth Moon before, but she was a named I recognized; I work at a book store and you just pick up author names. Her books never really caught my attention though, and I've never really read reviews of them anywhere, so I had no idea what to expect from this book when I started. (I...more Originally posted on my LiveJournal account: http://intoyourlungs.livejournal.com/...

Read For: The Women of Science Fiction book club

So, as you can see, this book was a book club read. I've never really heard about Elizabeth Moon before, but she was a named I recognized; I work at a book store and you just pick up author names. Her books never really caught my attention though, and I've never really read reviews of them anywhere, so I had no idea what to expect from this book when I started. (I *did* think the cover was kind of pretty though.) Basically, I had no expectations, which isn't a bad way to go into a book.

Well, it's probably good I didn't have any expectations, because they might have been squandered by this slow-paced book, but, *because* I had no hopes to squander, this ended up not being THAT bad either.

This book is possibly unique in the fact that it's a science-fiction novel centered on elderly person as the protagonist. I have never seen this done before in science-fiction, so right off the bat I was kind of intrigued. Also, Ofelia isn't some wise, all-knowing elderly person: she's forgetful, impatient at times and physically debilitated. Overall though, she seemed like a very likable lady; she's willing to help where she can, and she's obviously resourceful, as she manages to survive on a planet, alone, for years.

I liked the People (the indigenous population that lives on the planet) and I liked watching their relationship with Ofelia. At first, I was confused as to why they weren't killing her when they first find her, seeing as how readily they killed the other humans who crossed their path. We find out later WHY they killed those people so readily though, and why they come to like and respect Ofelia. Watching Ofelia take care of them and teach them new things was nice too. I thought it very apt how she thought of them as children (though she recognized they were children who could very easily kill her), and because she had that mentality, she was able to do what she does best (or maybe second best, next to gardening): be a mother.

I do have to say though, this book was slooowwww. Not especially *long*, but the pace was almost brutally slow. It's just the kind of book it is. And I mean, none of it is *horrible* -- it's all quite bearable -- but I did find myself skimming quite a bit. I was still reading, but not taking my time with it, because it wasn't vital information.

Also, the other people who come to observe The People were all... dumb. I did like how Moon had a few chapters from one of their points-of-view, because I think she was trying to give us insight into HOW and WHY these people didn't feel like they were the ones in the wrong, and watching Ofelia from their point-of-view did paint quite a different picture of how, but dear god were they stupid. They constantly shun and don't trust Ofelia when she was literally a land-mine of information for them, if only they would be more kind and cooperative. Because of them, this story fell a bit into "civilization vs. natives" (I don't think that's a very apt way of putting it, but I'm tired, so please forgive me D:), which is a little stereotypical, but it never went crazy with it, so I was glad for that.

The ending of the story was very fitting, if not a little predictable, but I was all right that.

Final Verdict: I'm not too sure how I feel about this book. I guess you could encapsulate it with the word "meh". I didn't dislike, but it's definitely not one of my favorite books ever. Ofelia's a good person, and a character you can't help but root for (she's kind of surrounded by assholes), but she was only really memorable in that she was an elderly character in a science-fiction novel, something I've never seen done before (though I think it was handled well -- just didn't rivet me, y'know?) The story was all right as well, but it was ssllllooowww, and thus I found myself skimming quite a bit. However, except for the slow pace, there's nothing really WRONG with this novel. It just didn't blow my mind or anything. I'm thankful I borrowed it from the library instead of buying it. (less)

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Jun 09, 2011 William Bentrim rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Remnant Population By Elizabeth Moon

An aging colonist stays behind when the Corporation abandons the planet. She makes a life altering discovery.

Once again, Elizabeth Moon shows what a wonderful story teller should be. Ofelia is a character study of aging and should be required reading for AARP. The plot is sufficient to maintain your interest but the most captivating aspect of the book is once again the thorough character development.

Ms. Moon creates characters so alive and believable that y...more

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Feb 21, 2010 Lindsey Duncan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction

I read this book years ago (well over a decade) and approached a reread with trepidation: could it possibly live up to my rosy memories of it? (In fact, I even recommended it for a science fiction literature course that I took.) Long story short: it did. Oh, it very much did. I love this book: it's sensual, emotional, humorous and intimate.

Ofelia is a delightful character, an atypical heroine sketched warts and all. Even her initial attitude is surly and even "bratty," it's easy to see where she...more

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Nov 09, 2009 Korynn rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: sci-fifantasy

A lot of work went into writing this book in which an elderly lady stays behind on her planet when her colony goes bust and leaves. However, after a golden period in which she subsists on her own, she discovers she is not alone. A new race of intelligent life makes contact with her and she wakes to a new sense of responsibility.

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Sep 28, 2011 David King rated it 3 of 5 stars

Review originally posted on my blog: http://killie-booktalk.blogspot.com/

The story is set on a colony world and follows Ofelia, an old woman who is now pretty much disregarded by her younger family members. Due to the colony pretty much failing, the company that put the colonists there loses its franchise and the people there have to be evacuated. Ofelia however know that she will likely die during any new space journey and therefore decides to stay behind on her own to live the rest of her life...more Review originally posted on my blog: http://killie-booktalk.blogspot.com/

The story is set on a colony world and follows Ofelia, an old woman who is now pretty much disregarded by her younger family members. Due to the colony pretty much failing, the company that put the colonists there loses its franchise and the people there have to be evacuated. Ofelia however know that she will likely die during any new space journey and therefore decides to stay behind on her own to live the rest of her life in a manner that pleases her. Unfortunately her peace only lasts a few years as it transpires that there is an indigenous intelligent life on the planet that was unknown to humanity and Ofelia ends up making first contact with them.

The first thing that struck me about this book was Ofelia herself, she is rather different from the normal sci-fi story characters I get to read about. However, I enjoyed the fact that she felt so real, her age related aches and pains were brought across well alongside her lengthy memories. She also acted throughout the novel in a subtle manner that befitted her wisdom and experience. Ofelia is a brilliantly constructed character although I have to admit that the first portion of the story set entirely around her did get a little bit dull at times and can drag.

About half way through the novel the reader gets introduced to the indigenous species which adds a little bit of plot into the book as we get to follow first contact between Ofelia and the natives before the arrival of experts from Earth. These natives are actually quite likeable and the different way of thinking and social structure adds in some interesting problems with first contact. The only issue I did have with them is that are presented in a manner that is almost too perfect. The author seems to find a way to highlight various ways in which they are better than humans, both individually and as a species. In my opinion it would have been nice to see some weaknesses in them as well as the weakness is humanity that is explicitly pointed out during the novel.

One of the strange aspects of the novel I felt was the actual technological abilities of humanity. Whilst humanity seems to be able to travel across space and set up colonies on new planets, the people on the colony seem unable to think of a way to build a boat after their previous ones get destroyed. Also, I find it hard to believe that somehow during the exploration of the planet and the various visits by ships no one was able to notice an intelligent species living on the planet.

One criticism I do have is the pace, as I said previously, the first portion of the story can be a little bit dull and slow. But then I felt some of the later parts of the novel around the experts from Earth and the ending itself seemed a little bit rushed and rather weakly developed. If only Elizabeth Moon has maybe spent a little less time on Ofelia’s life alone and a little bit more on the interactions between Ofelia, the natives and the experts from Earth I may have found the book to be excellent rather than just okay.

Overall, I have to say that Remnant Population is different from many other SF novels I have read. For that reason it is something that you should probably try out if you like to vary your sci-fi fix. However, any reader needs to be aware that the book is very much about the characters and not any specific exciting events to be honest.(less)

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Aug 01, 2011 Olduvai rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: science-fiction, 2011, ebook

I really like going into a book with no expectations, with hardly any idea of what the plot is. Because sometimes a book surprises you. Like Elizabeth Moon’s Remnant Population did with me.

And so it began one day with me scrolling through the Singapore library’s Overdrive collection, the Science Fiction category in particular. I’m not sure why I landed on Remnant Population. Perhaps it was the author’s name. Elizabeth Moon. It just sounded like a pretty awesome name to me – Chinese surnames aren...more I really like going into a book with no expectations, with hardly any idea of what the plot is. Because sometimes a book surprises you. Like Elizabeth Moon’s Remnant Population did with me.

And so it began one day with me scrolling through the Singapore library’s Overdrive collection, the Science Fiction category in particular. I’m not sure why I landed on Remnant Population. Perhaps it was the author’s name. Elizabeth Moon. It just sounded like a pretty awesome name to me – Chinese surnames aren’t exactly very interesting, are they? The title – and the cover art – already suggested that this was some kind of space colony-related work. And yeah, that’s what it is.

So here’s the story, if you care to find out. If you prefer to go in blind, you probably should stop here. Ofelia has lived for over 40 years on this colony planet, the more recent few with her son and daughter-in-law, but now the colonists are to be shipped off after the company loses its franchise. She takes matters into her own hands and hides out in the woods while the evacuation proceeds. Ofelia is glad to be the only human on this planet. But she soon discovers that she’s not alone…

Dum dum DUM!

Well no, it’s not a horror-alien kind of story. Instead, the ‘aliens’ (they are actually indigenous to the planet, but for some reason have never come into contact with the colonists before – perhaps this part of the story is a little bit harder to believe) are intelligent, and are actually kind of endearing. And while Ofelia teaches them things, she learns plenty from them in exchange.

The human-alien interaction is interesting – and occasionally amusing – but what I enjoyed most were the very physicalness of Ofelia’s life on the planet. I’ve never read a book that made me want to go out into my (rather sad) little backyard (I’m so not a gardener and my 8 plants reflect this) and stand in the sun and wish I had a field full of vegetables plump and ripe for the picking. I wanted to sink my fingers into the earth and inhale that green-ness.

Ah, a girl can dream. And in my case, read plenty.(less)

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Jul 11, 2012 Amber rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: high-reread-value, favorites, science-fiction

I tend to buy books with a high reread value, and this is one of them. This book is amazing in its portrayal of aging, societal pressures, how the elderly are viewed, and, most importantly, community. I won't post a summary because there's already one posted and many have done so in their reviews. I will, however, respond to some themes I've noticed in the reviews that gave it a lower rating.
The pacing- I can see where some might find this book too slow paced. For me, the isolation and Ofelia's...more I tend to buy books with a high reread value, and this is one of them. This book is amazing in its portrayal of aging, societal pressures, how the elderly are viewed, and, most importantly, community. I won't post a summary because there's already one posted and many have done so in their reviews. I will, however, respond to some themes I've noticed in the reviews that gave it a lower rating.
The pacing- I can see where some might find this book too slow paced. For me, the isolation and Ofelia's solitary liberation were what made her ultimate contact with the "aliens" interesting. Moon doesn't tell you what Ofelia went through, she shows you. Which my English 101 professor always said was a hallmark of good writing ;). If you *have* to have an action packed book, this may not be the one for you.
The scientists- I've noticed that people have complained that the scientists were portrayed as "stupid". I would have to disagree, they are portrayed as academics with a superiority complex. I think it's made fairly clear that these scientists haven't a whole lot of real world experience, and that is very relevant to how they treat Ofelia. I would also say that their sense of superiority and the condescending way they speak to Ofelia is...pretty typical. In my experience, ivory tower academics have a...well-developed ego. They also think that education equals intelligence and therefore a lack of education equals a lack of intelligence. Now, obviously my opinion is very much influenced by the (many) negative experiences I have had, but I do want to show the other side of the coin.
As for why someone would send "incompetents" on this assignment...They wouldn't. The scientists are not incompetent per se, they are just blinded by their own prejudices because they're, y'know, human.
The down-trodden- I read one review that was talking about Ofelia's lack of education as a negative/unrealistic aspect of the plot. To me this is one of the most realistic parts of the book. Privileged people don't realize that education is a privilege, but that doesn't change the fact that it is. Keeping one's workforce educated only so far as is needed to keep them doing their work efficiently is a theme that criss-crosses history and which we can still see today.
The noble savage- I can see where some people could get the noble savage bit from the books, but I didn't. I think that the author succeeds in creating a vital and engaging people. There are various points throughout the book where the natives do make mistakes, but the primary point of conflict (which I will not relate because SPOILERS)in the story is the fact that the natives are intellectually superior to man.
From my reading of the book I did not find this yet another rendition of the noble savage, far from it. To me this book does a very good job of showing that lack of education does not preclude high intelligence and that higher education does not preclude ignorance.
This book is very much about what it means to be part of a community, but it also examines how education and intelligence are treated. I think it does a very good job of showing the stratification of society as well.
This is one my favourite books of all time. I recommend it to all sorts of people, not just sff fans. I know that slow paced books are not always as popular, and I've been guilty of writing books off for their pacing in the past. However, I've learned that sometimes it's worth it to give a slow paced book a second chance. Unless it's Anna Karenina. God I hate that book...(less)

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Jan 24, 2010 Sandi rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi, 2010, library-books-read

Remnant Population is the kind of book that made me fall in love with science fiction in the first place. It's thoughtful, has great characterizations, a plausible future, and humans coming to understand aliens. This is the third book I've read by Elizabeth Moon and she's now on my list of favorite authors. She is an amazing storyteller. She is a master at revealing rather than disclosing. She never over-explains and her characters behave exactly like real people would.

I love the Moon uses older...more

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Nov 09, 2011 Kim Falconer rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Kim by: Miriam

Shelves: sf, technology, planets

Elizabeth Moon is a wonderful writer. She's created a unique protagonist in Ofelia and made some important observations about class, gender biases and aging in 'our' cultural paradigm. Very important. The authenticity of her settings, from the behavior of the sheep and cattle to the weather, gardens and technology says Moon has lived a diverse life and/or knows how to research. Her creation of an 'alien' species was fabulous.

More important than that, I fell into the story as it carried me into...more

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Apr 09, 2013 J. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: own

I have several Elizabeth Moon books in my to-read list, but this is the first of her books I've gotten around to reading. I greatly enjoyed the book. I loved the main character, definitely a kindred spirit. This was a good first contact story, but a far better human story.

My only real annoyance with the main character, which was really the author bleeding through, was when she went on and on and on about the killing of wild animals for food. She had stated that she liked meat, but not the killin...more

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Dec 22, 2008 Kate rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: environmental, sci-fi, feminist

This is one of the first books I have read that has an old, uneducated woman as the protagonist. This fact alone makes this book out of the ordinary. Add to that the woman deliberately decides to stay behind as the rest of her colony leaves the planet they have lived on for 40-odd years makes this a book with a very interesting premise. Then add that she makes first contact with the non-human race on the planet and all the ingredients are there for a fascinating story with great warmth and human...more

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Apr 14, 2013 G33z3r rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: science-fiction, scifi-aliens

A really enjoyable first-contact novel with a unique character.

When a colony is abandoned, one old woman decides to stay (can one stowaway on a planet?) Opinionated and cantankerous, she relishes the prospect of spending her final years alone with her own thoughts, tending her terraform garden. But her solitude is interrupted when she meets a few explorers of an indigenous alien species who somehow escaped detection by the original survey team. They are quick learners, and have an interesting so...more

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Jul 07, 2012 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: sci-fi, traded, reviewed

This was a very comfortable, relaxing read for a summer afternoon. Interesting and engaging without a a lot of high drama or tension. I like first contact stories, and planetary colonization stories, and this book was a good mix of the two. I also enjoyed the fact that the protagonist was an elderly woman. Not your usual sci-fi main character. I liked her, she had spirit. What kept this from being a 5-star read was that it could get a little over-descriptive of her day-to-day activities. Time in...more

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Jan 16, 2011 Nancy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: my-reviews, read-2011

Ofelia is an old woman who only wants to do just what she wants with the rest of her days without criticism or interference from anyone else, including her own inner critic. When the colony she's lived in for forty years is evacuated for business reasons, she hides and stays behind... perfectly content to be by herself until the day she dies.

But that's not what happens.

The story is an exploration of old age, solitude, self-determination, self-expression, being needed, being known, the importanc...more

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Nov 27, 2011 Lauryn rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: sci-fi

I was thoroughly engaged in "Remnant Population" from start to finish. Having an elderly woman as a strong protagonist was a new and interesting experience. Ofelia is a very well-rounded, human character. She has her strengths and faults. She is the victim of agism by her community and society at large. She refuses to play by the rules. She has compassion and a depth of knowledge that is often overlooked and underestimated (sometimes even by herself).

While the society that is presented is more t...more I was thoroughly engaged in "Remnant Population" from start to finish. Having an elderly woman as a strong protagonist was a new and interesting experience. Ofelia is a very well-rounded, human character. She has her strengths and faults. She is the victim of agism by her community and society at large. She refuses to play by the rules. She has compassion and a depth of knowledge that is often overlooked and underestimated (sometimes even by herself).

While the society that is presented is more technologically advanced than 1996 human society (humans are colonizing the universe), the cultural society is basically parallel to our current society. Agism is rampent. Sexism and discrimination of women are apparent and accepted as societal norms. People who have traditional educations (college level and above) often discount the knowledge and wisdom of those without similar educations. Moon has basically translated what currently exists in our world into a futuristic setting.

I thought Moon dealt very well with creating an alien race, though my visual imagining of them closely resembled the cover of my library copy, which I believe was the original cover. Their means of communication and discourse was interesting. The idea of a communal form of communication where images and messages were transmuted through rhythm and some sort of group consciousness was interesting. I like how dissenters could just leave to explore their own interests, whereas in human society dissenters are seen as a threat.

Many others readers have commented on the pacing of the novel. Personally, I never had any trouble with the pacing or the content moving too slowly. That being said, it's not an action packed book. There is a lot of description and the reader spends most of the novel in Ofelia's POV experiencing her transformation as she gains the freedom she lost so long ago in her girlhood and her empowerment through her connection to the aliens. I found the journey, character and situation so interesting that I never felt my attention wavering.

Another comment I've noticed in other review is that the other human characters are portrayed as one-dimensional, particularly the scientists. While I definitely don't think the other characters are nearly as fleshed out as Ofelia, I did feel like they were real people with real issues. From the point in the story that they are introduced, it is made clear to the reader that many of the specialists picked for the mission were not necessarily selected because they were the best. The characters may have fallen into some stereotypes, but I felt like they were well described and acted/reacted in a sadly recognizable way when they completely dismiss Ofelia and her wealth of knowledge.

In the end, I found "Remnant Population" an excellent novel and would highly recommend it as an interesting and engaging read.(less)

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Sep 18, 2012 Gerald Camp rated it 4 of 5 stars

When you start this book you know that Ofelia, having been left behind when the planet she was helping to colonize was abandoned, will eventually meet up with the native population, who were unknown to the other colonists. The problem with the book is that the first five chapters, while necessary to revealing the way Ofelia is able to take care of herself, serve mainly to postpone the action a reader is waiting for. Once the contact is made, it becomes a superiour science fiction novel, and it h...more

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Dec 23, 2012 Alexandra rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-women-in-sf-bookclub, read-in-2012

As soon as I have written this review, I am throwing my copy in the bin.

Which is a tragedy, because I loved it.

So why the bin? Because page 122 proceeds to page 171, goes through to page 202, and then to page 155... and thence to the end. So I can never read this again, and can never lend my copy to anyone, and I cannot in good conscience even give it to a charity.

So sad.

But yes, I kept reading, even with missing 30 pages in the middle, because this book is ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE.

If there's no c...more As soon as I have written this review, I am throwing my copy in the bin.

Which is a tragedy, because I loved it.

So why the bin? Because page 122 proceeds to page 171, goes through to page 202, and then to page 155... and thence to the end. So I can never read this again, and can never lend my copy to anyone, and I cannot in good conscience even give it to a charity.

So sad.

But yes, I kept reading, even with missing 30 pages in the middle, because this book is ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE.

If there's no country for old men, there's barely even a nice quiet kitchen for old women. But this story is centred almost entirely on the experiences of one old woman, Ofelia - whom Ursula le Guin described as "one of the most probably heroines science fiction has ever known."

I got hold of this last year as part of the Women in SF book club which sadly imploded in about May, as the host decided she couldn't do it any more. Hence its sitting on my TBR shelf all this time. When I decided to finally read it a few days ago, I didn't even read the blurb, I just jumped on in. Which can be a really awesome way of doing things, if you either trust the author or the recommender enough.

Ofelia is a widow, living with her sole remaining son and his rather unpleasant wife on Colony 3245.12. Sims Bancorp Company has the franchise for the planet (... what the?? Ah capitalism...), and the colonists are all basically contractors to them. So when the Company loses the franchise, because the colony isn't doing well enough, all of the colonists have to leave. With 20kg of stuff each. After living there for forty years. In 30 days' time. Ofelia, though, gets a very sneaky idea: what if she didn't leave? What if she hid out until the shuttles have left, and just... stayed? Which she proceeds to do.

A good chunk of the story is concerned with Ofelia on her own, and how she physically copes with gardening and what she decides to make and so on. There is an interesting comparison to be made here between her experience and that of the woman in Joanna Russ' "We Who Are About To...". Very different situations, of course, but both women alone on a planet, and very different responses. Perhaps more intriguing is the decisions that Ofelia makes about herself, and the internal dialogue she has about those things: about doing what she wants and not what she doesn't - wear clothes? plant certain things? and whatever else. Her reflections on her life, and the expectations on her as a daughter, a wife, a mother... a woman... are painful because they ring so true.

It's a bit of a spoiler that Ofelia eventually discovers that she's not alone on the planet, but the blurb reveals that (it turns out), so I don't feel bad about saying it. The relationship between Ofelia and the aliens (who are after all the indigenous ones) is utterly captivating and real and compelling. And Ofelia never stops being an old woman: it's not like she's magically transformed into a Ripley, all brave and sacrificial, or any other somewhat-stereotyped female figure. She stays a bit cranky, and quite achy, and impatient; when the creatures turn up, she's more cranky about losing her precious, precious solitude than anything else, and when they want to learn she has a moment of, "Again? But I've DONE the mother thing already!" - which I think is hilarious and totally appropriate.

Moon makes me think again about the way the elderly are treated in society, which I'm sure is at least part of the point. The way Ofelia is treated because she has no formal training, and because she is old, is horrible and cringe-worthy. The alternatives are joyous and far more honourable.

It's a wonderfully written story, and even with missing 30 pages I loved it very much. (less)

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Jul 07, 2012 Banner rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: alien, sci-fi

This was a pleasure to read. I loved the protagonist, , Ofelia; a 70 something colonist from the future that sees an opportunity ,to be a peace in her last years and takes it. Only to find the adventure of her life. She was the perfect fit for this story.

The characters are rich and lively and the plot is imaginative. The aliens are done right in my opinion. Something that you don't get enough (surprisingly in science fiction).

This is a stand alone book, so the author had only on change to get it...more

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Jun 15, 2009 Kirsten rated it 5 of 5 stars

This was awesome: an old woman decides she doesn't want to leave when her planet is evacuated, so she hides from the shuttles. She loves her new life and her freedom and the silence, and being away from nagging voices telling her what to do. She eventually realizes that there is other life - intelligent life - on the planet as well. The character of Ofelia is so well-done and has a fantastic voice! I really like the reveal of the indigenous culture as well. Good fun and a quick read.

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Oct 07, 2008 Crystal Durnan rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book shows in my opinion what is likely the true future of humanity: most of the population are born lifelong indentured servants to a company. The company provides food, shelter and all basic needs but you or your colony can be placed anywhere at anytime for labor or other purposes... any purpose The Company requires.

This particular story is about an old woman released from her contract with The Company at the age of 70, who is not only useless but a financial drain to her very annoying f...more

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About Elizabeth Moon

Elizabeth Moon was born March 7, 1945, and grew up in McAllen, Texas, graduating from McAllen High School in 1963. She has a B.A. in History from Rice University (1968) and another in Biology from the University of Texas at Austin (1975) with graduate work in Biology at the University of Texas, San Antonio.

She served in the USMC from 1968 to 1971, first at MCB Quantico and then at HQMC. She marrie...more

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Books by Elizabeth Moon

The Deed of Paksenarrion (The Deed of Paksenarrion, #1-3)

Sheepfarmer's Daughter (The Deed of Paksenarrion, #1)

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