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Worthing #1-3
The Worthing Saga
Gathering every story about Jason Worthing, this volume includes "The Worthing Chronicle," as well as all of the other stories set on Capitol and later on Jason's colonized planet.
It was a miracle of science that permitted human beings to live, if not forever, then for a long, long time. Some people, anyway. The rich, the powerful--they lived their lives at the rate of one year every ten. Somec created two societies: that of people who lived out their normal span and died, and those who slept away the decades, skipping over the intervening years and events. It allowed great plans to be put in motion. It allowed interstellar Empires to be built.
It came near to destroying humanity.
After a long, long time of decadence and stagnation, a few seed ships were sent out to save our species. They carried human embryos and supplies, and teaching robots, and one man. The Worthing Saga is the story of one of these men, Jason Worthing, and the world he found for the seed he carried.
Orson Scott Card is "a master of the art of storytelling" (Booklist), and The Worthing Saga is a story that only he could have written.
It was a miracle of science that permitted human beings to live, if not forever, then for a long, long time. Some people, anyway. The rich, the powerful--they lived their lives at the rate of one year every ten. Somec created two societies: that of people who lived out their normal span and died, and those who slept away the decades, skipping over the intervening years and events. It allowed great plans to be put in motion. It allowed interstellar Empires to be built.
It came near to destroying humanity.
After a long, long time of decadence and stagnation, a few seed ships were sent out to save our species. They carried human embryos and supplies, and teaching robots, and one man. The Worthing Saga is the story of one of these men, Jason Worthing, and the world he found for the seed he carried.
Orson Scott Card is "a master of the art of storytelling" (Booklist), and The Worthing Saga is a story that only he could have written.
463 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published December 1, 1990
166 people are currently reading
2929 people want to read
About the author
Orson Scott Card
881 books20.8k followersOrson Scott Card is an American writer known best for his science fiction works. He is (as of 2023) the only person to have won a Hugo Award and a Nebula Award in consecutive years, winning both awards for his novel Ender's Game (1985) and its sequel Speaker for the Dead (1986). A feature film adaptation of Ender's Game, which Card co-produced, was released in 2013. Card also wrote the Locus Fantasy Award-winning series The Tales of Alvin Maker (1987–2003).
Card's fiction often features characters with exceptional gifts who make difficult choices with high stakes. Card has also written political, religious, and social commentary in his columns and other writing; his opposition to homosexuality has provoked public criticism.
Card, who is a great-great-grandson of Brigham Young, was born in Richland, Washington, and grew up in Utah and California. While he was a student at Brigham Young University (BYU), his plays were performed on stage. He served in Brazil as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and headed a community theater for two summers. Card had 27 short stories published between 1978 and 1979, and he won the John W. Campbell Award for best new writer in 1978. He earned a master's degree in English from the University of Utah in 1981 and wrote novels in science fiction, fantasy, non-fiction, and historical fiction genres starting in 1979. Card continued to write prolifically, and he has published over 50 novels and 45 short stories.
Card teaches English at Southern Virginia University; he has written two books on creative writing and serves as a judge in the Writers of the Future contest. He has taught many successful writers at his "literary boot camps". He remains a practicing member of the LDS Church and Mormon fiction writers Stephenie Meyer, Brandon Sanderson, and Dave Wolverton have cited his works as a major influence.
Card's fiction often features characters with exceptional gifts who make difficult choices with high stakes. Card has also written political, religious, and social commentary in his columns and other writing; his opposition to homosexuality has provoked public criticism.
Card, who is a great-great-grandson of Brigham Young, was born in Richland, Washington, and grew up in Utah and California. While he was a student at Brigham Young University (BYU), his plays were performed on stage. He served in Brazil as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and headed a community theater for two summers. Card had 27 short stories published between 1978 and 1979, and he won the John W. Campbell Award for best new writer in 1978. He earned a master's degree in English from the University of Utah in 1981 and wrote novels in science fiction, fantasy, non-fiction, and historical fiction genres starting in 1979. Card continued to write prolifically, and he has published over 50 novels and 45 short stories.
Card teaches English at Southern Virginia University; he has written two books on creative writing and serves as a judge in the Writers of the Future contest. He has taught many successful writers at his "literary boot camps". He remains a practicing member of the LDS Church and Mormon fiction writers Stephenie Meyer, Brandon Sanderson, and Dave Wolverton have cited his works as a major influence.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 374 reviews
April 27, 2019
Welcome.
This is Sprockets und I am your host, Dieter. Tonight our guest is North American writer und author, Orson Scott Card. Orson, tonight we discuss The Worthing Saga.
Card: Thank you, Dieter, it’s nice to be here, thank you for inviting me.
Dieter: The book is delicious. There is sleeping, thousands und thousands of years of sleeping und dreaming.
Card: Yes … well a prominent element of the book was the fictional drug somek, whereby a person could go to sleep and effectively completely hibernate for months or even years at a time. Then the somek would allow that person to pass through time without aging, and then, perhaps even live for decades, hundreds, maybe even thousands of years while those around him not taking somek would live a normal and short life.
Dieter: So much sleeping, so many hours und days und weeks, months und years of sleeping, how do your readers survive such narrative?
Card: Well … I don’t write about the sleeping, it is just a factor of the book, I was exploring the alienation of the results of the lust for long life, when in fact the price of the longevity is a separation from friends and family and all that they have known and held dear.
Dieter: (yawns dramatically) You have disturbed me almost to the point of insanity...There. I am insane now.
Card: I’m sorry, there are other aspects of the novel we can discuss.
Dieter: Yes. We move along. Your character, Jason Worthing, he is homosexual.
Card: What?? No. No, I did not write Jason Worthing as a homosexual.
Dieter: He never marries, he sleeps alone, he has eyes like limpid pools in which one can drown, he is intuitive and thus empathetic to the point of reading another’s mind. He is gay.
Card: No. No. I did not write Jason Worthing as a, as a homosexual, you are wrong, you have misinterpreted my work. He is not just empathetic, he is telepathic, he can in fact read other’s minds and the furtherance of his gift in his ancestors has led to superhuman powers of telekinesis and healing.
Dieter: Your presence intimidates me to the point of humiliation.
Card: Dieter, I do not mean to intimidate, just, I had to correct your misunderstanding about Jason Worthing. I mean, um, another aspect of the book we can discuss is that this is actually a compilation of earlier stories. I put these stories together that shared a common theme, and Jason Worthing was the central figure.
Dieter: Your story has become tiresome.
Card: I, um, OK, well so then, is the interview over?
Dieter: No. I will allow you a privilege for being such a delicious guest of Sprockets.
Card: OK, thank you.
Dieter: Liebe meine Apschminki!
Card: What??
Dieter: Touch my Monkey! Klaus, come forward, you may allow Orson Scott Card to touch you.
Card: Uh, no thank you, no, I don’t want to touch your monkey.
Dieter: Now is ze time on Sprockets then ve dance!
This is Sprockets und I am your host, Dieter. Tonight our guest is North American writer und author, Orson Scott Card. Orson, tonight we discuss The Worthing Saga.
Card: Thank you, Dieter, it’s nice to be here, thank you for inviting me.
Dieter: The book is delicious. There is sleeping, thousands und thousands of years of sleeping und dreaming.
Card: Yes … well a prominent element of the book was the fictional drug somek, whereby a person could go to sleep and effectively completely hibernate for months or even years at a time. Then the somek would allow that person to pass through time without aging, and then, perhaps even live for decades, hundreds, maybe even thousands of years while those around him not taking somek would live a normal and short life.
Dieter: So much sleeping, so many hours und days und weeks, months und years of sleeping, how do your readers survive such narrative?
Card: Well … I don’t write about the sleeping, it is just a factor of the book, I was exploring the alienation of the results of the lust for long life, when in fact the price of the longevity is a separation from friends and family and all that they have known and held dear.
Dieter: (yawns dramatically) You have disturbed me almost to the point of insanity...There. I am insane now.
Card: I’m sorry, there are other aspects of the novel we can discuss.
Dieter: Yes. We move along. Your character, Jason Worthing, he is homosexual.
Card: What?? No. No, I did not write Jason Worthing as a homosexual.
Dieter: He never marries, he sleeps alone, he has eyes like limpid pools in which one can drown, he is intuitive and thus empathetic to the point of reading another’s mind. He is gay.
Card: No. No. I did not write Jason Worthing as a, as a homosexual, you are wrong, you have misinterpreted my work. He is not just empathetic, he is telepathic, he can in fact read other’s minds and the furtherance of his gift in his ancestors has led to superhuman powers of telekinesis and healing.
Dieter: Your presence intimidates me to the point of humiliation.
Card: Dieter, I do not mean to intimidate, just, I had to correct your misunderstanding about Jason Worthing. I mean, um, another aspect of the book we can discuss is that this is actually a compilation of earlier stories. I put these stories together that shared a common theme, and Jason Worthing was the central figure.
Dieter: Your story has become tiresome.
Card: I, um, OK, well so then, is the interview over?
Dieter: No. I will allow you a privilege for being such a delicious guest of Sprockets.
Card: OK, thank you.
Dieter: Liebe meine Apschminki!
Card: What??
Dieter: Touch my Monkey! Klaus, come forward, you may allow Orson Scott Card to touch you.
Card: Uh, no thank you, no, I don’t want to touch your monkey.
Dieter: Now is ze time on Sprockets then ve dance!
May 24, 2018
This saga is a trilogy of books, all the Worthing books rolled into one. I finished the first book in this about 19May2018 & liked it. It was rather long, but full of interesting ideas about humanity. No pushing of religion. In fact, it's rather dismissed which was unexpected. The few gods had feet of clay, but so did technology & the best intentions. Ammortality & pure safety are examined & found wanting.
Then I listened to a couple of other books. Now, 20May, I'm listening to the next book which is short stories. The first book were short stories about Capital, the other about Worthing farm & its folks. Several of the stories were alluded to or told in short form in the novel which was written afterward. I didn't like those as much, but they were interesting.
All in all, I liked it. It was longer than I wanted, so I'm glad I took a break. A lot of ideas to mull over.
Then I listened to a couple of other books. Now, 20May, I'm listening to the next book which is short stories. The first book were short stories about Capital, the other about Worthing farm & its folks. Several of the stories were alluded to or told in short form in the novel which was written afterward. I didn't like those as much, but they were interesting.
All in all, I liked it. It was longer than I wanted, so I'm glad I took a break. A lot of ideas to mull over.
January 19, 2010
I just finished re-reading this book, and I enjoyed it much more this time around. I began thinking about this book because of the opening chapter, "The Day of Pain". People often say "How can a loving God allow good people to suffer?" Or the more cynical version when people say, "I do not believe God exists, because if he did, there would not be so much suffering in this world."
Card does an excellent job of describing what a world might look like if people were not allowed to suffer. No pain, no anger, no sorrow, and only distant memories of the death of loved ones. "The Day of Pain" begins on the day when the "loving God" realized that it was a horrible mistake to have taken away the peoples' suffering, and thereby have also removed their ability to experience real joy and real growth. It wasn't done by God, but by a descendant of Jason Worthing. Very well written, in my opinion, and I appreciate Card's perspective.
Card covered the idea of the necessary opposition in all things. If we have no pain, we cannot experience real joy. There is no real progress of mankind if mankind is not left to struggle with failure, success, pain, healing, sorrow, joy, hate and love. Card seems to cover all of these emotions from various angles in different stories. It's easy enough to say, "There must be opposition in life" and an entirely different thing to write a compelling story to show me why it is true. Card has done well.
After reading the book, it would be impossible (my opinion) to honestly believe that "If God loves us, then he would not let us suffer." Anyone who reads this book and honestly grapples with that question must invariably come up with the conclusion that because we are allowed to suffer, it is proof that God loves us. God knows that through our failures and successes we can learn to be like Him, and there is no other way. In any case, that is my opinion.
Card does an excellent job of describing what a world might look like if people were not allowed to suffer. No pain, no anger, no sorrow, and only distant memories of the death of loved ones. "The Day of Pain" begins on the day when the "loving God" realized that it was a horrible mistake to have taken away the peoples' suffering, and thereby have also removed their ability to experience real joy and real growth. It wasn't done by God, but by a descendant of Jason Worthing. Very well written, in my opinion, and I appreciate Card's perspective.
Card covered the idea of the necessary opposition in all things. If we have no pain, we cannot experience real joy. There is no real progress of mankind if mankind is not left to struggle with failure, success, pain, healing, sorrow, joy, hate and love. Card seems to cover all of these emotions from various angles in different stories. It's easy enough to say, "There must be opposition in life" and an entirely different thing to write a compelling story to show me why it is true. Card has done well.
After reading the book, it would be impossible (my opinion) to honestly believe that "If God loves us, then he would not let us suffer." Anyone who reads this book and honestly grapples with that question must invariably come up with the conclusion that because we are allowed to suffer, it is proof that God loves us. God knows that through our failures and successes we can learn to be like Him, and there is no other way. In any case, that is my opinion.
April 4, 2013
I am filled with reader's rage. No preamble for this review:
Problem 1: Just because Somec, a drug/technology where people could sleep for years without aging, exists, doesn't mean everyone would agree to take it -- which is exactly what happens on Capitol. Everyone in society is okay with skipping through years and decades of life and watching their peers and families grow old while they age unnaturally simply because either a) it is good for society or b) it is an honor to be given Somec. And there is no resistance to this. This idea was very hard to swallow, and also happened to be one of the main conceits of the book. (This concept was handled much more deftly in Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom.)
Problem 2: My misguided assumption that because this was a science fiction book about a starship pilot that it would be somewhat futuristic, and occasionally exciting, and be set in the stars. Instead, much more of it, especially the frame story (more on that clusterfuck later), is set in something akin to the Dark Ages, and involves and describes, ad nauseum, the creation of pre-industrial societies. Zzzz. It is almost as if Orson Scott Card wrote segments of this book between playing marathon sessions of Civilization and/or SimCity.
Problem 3: The inane, boring frame story -- which was actually just a device for OSC to be able to tie all of these barely related short stories together into one steaming collection of manure. The protagonist of the frame story, Lared, is a whiny boy who is surrounded by an unbearable family, and then chances upon Jason Worthing and his daughter Justice, who are distant and fickle god-persons. There were literally no likable characters until the tinker came along for a few blessed scenes. Most of the frame story, in fact, is devoted to Lared performing menial tasks for his parents and his village. The upside, however, is now I have a greater understanding of how to properly sew leather boots, fell trees, and know which animal's urine makes good soap. Seriously, WTF. And in between these tasks he has dreams, which are actually the short stories OSC is collecting into a "saga," in what I am sure he thinks is a clever manner.
Problem 4: The coolest character found in the entire book, Abner Doon, is given so precious little time and attention. And every time his name is mentioned by future persons, they allude to his being evil or call him the devil, without the reasons fully fleshed out. Which leads me to one last point...
Problem 5: I feel like most of the book was some sort of pseudo-religious grand standing, although it was so muddled -- this is early writing of OSC's -- I can't even tell what moral I was supposed to come away with, other than, possibly, that pain is good? Wait, that can't be it -- although the entire frame story leads to that conclusion -- because in the final pages, Justice breaks her vow to not heal others, and becomes the healer to the whole village, undoing this moral for the sake of a happy ending.
And it was a happy ending for me, as well as the villagers, because I was very, very happy it was over. Fin.
Problem 1: Just because Somec, a drug/technology where people could sleep for years without aging, exists, doesn't mean everyone would agree to take it -- which is exactly what happens on Capitol. Everyone in society is okay with skipping through years and decades of life and watching their peers and families grow old while they age unnaturally simply because either a) it is good for society or b) it is an honor to be given Somec. And there is no resistance to this. This idea was very hard to swallow, and also happened to be one of the main conceits of the book. (This concept was handled much more deftly in Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom.)
Problem 2: My misguided assumption that because this was a science fiction book about a starship pilot that it would be somewhat futuristic, and occasionally exciting, and be set in the stars. Instead, much more of it, especially the frame story (more on that clusterfuck later), is set in something akin to the Dark Ages, and involves and describes, ad nauseum, the creation of pre-industrial societies. Zzzz. It is almost as if Orson Scott Card wrote segments of this book between playing marathon sessions of Civilization and/or SimCity.
Problem 3: The inane, boring frame story -- which was actually just a device for OSC to be able to tie all of these barely related short stories together into one steaming collection of manure. The protagonist of the frame story, Lared, is a whiny boy who is surrounded by an unbearable family, and then chances upon Jason Worthing and his daughter Justice, who are distant and fickle god-persons. There were literally no likable characters until the tinker came along for a few blessed scenes. Most of the frame story, in fact, is devoted to Lared performing menial tasks for his parents and his village. The upside, however, is now I have a greater understanding of how to properly sew leather boots, fell trees, and know which animal's urine makes good soap. Seriously, WTF. And in between these tasks he has dreams, which are actually the short stories OSC is collecting into a "saga," in what I am sure he thinks is a clever manner.
Problem 4: The coolest character found in the entire book, Abner Doon, is given so precious little time and attention. And every time his name is mentioned by future persons, they allude to his being evil or call him the devil, without the reasons fully fleshed out. Which leads me to one last point...
Problem 5: I feel like most of the book was some sort of pseudo-religious grand standing, although it was so muddled -- this is early writing of OSC's -- I can't even tell what moral I was supposed to come away with, other than, possibly, that pain is good? Wait, that can't be it -- although the entire frame story leads to that conclusion -- because in the final pages, Justice breaks her vow to not heal others, and becomes the healer to the whole village, undoing this moral for the sake of a happy ending.
And it was a happy ending for me, as well as the villagers, because I was very, very happy it was over. Fin.
April 20, 2014
I read this several times as a teenager, at which time I was neck deep in a massive Card phase. It's a collection of several of Card's earliest stories, all set in a future world where the planet is one giant city, people take a drug that allows them to "hibernate" for years without aging, and which has basically no culture, art, or any other redeemable quality.
At the center of it are two men, Jason Worthing, who is the last descendant of a race of people who can read minds, and Abner Doon, who pulls all the strings in the world (though we're never told how he acquired his power). Doon wants to destroy the world, and he sends Jason and some colonists off to found a new world way off in space.
There are really three stories at play: 1) the world before Jason is sent away, on the planet Capitol, 2) Jason's colonized world, which is eventually called Worthing, and 3) another unnamed world, in a town called Flat Harbor, where Jason comes after everything is done, and the above two stories are told via flashback.
It's kind of convoluted, but somehow it made perfect sense to me, even as a teenager. I enjoyed the inventiveness of the world of Capitol the most, which is mostly straight sci-fi. In the latter two story arcs, Card gets into a lot more moralizing.
I'm sure there are many ties to Mormonism around, but I don't know much about it.
The writing quality is good, not great, and it gets heavy-handed at times. There are better sci-fi stories, but this gets an extra bump from me for nostalgia's sake.
At the center of it are two men, Jason Worthing, who is the last descendant of a race of people who can read minds, and Abner Doon, who pulls all the strings in the world (though we're never told how he acquired his power). Doon wants to destroy the world, and he sends Jason and some colonists off to found a new world way off in space.
There are really three stories at play: 1) the world before Jason is sent away, on the planet Capitol, 2) Jason's colonized world, which is eventually called Worthing, and 3) another unnamed world, in a town called Flat Harbor, where Jason comes after everything is done, and the above two stories are told via flashback.
It's kind of convoluted, but somehow it made perfect sense to me, even as a teenager. I enjoyed the inventiveness of the world of Capitol the most, which is mostly straight sci-fi. In the latter two story arcs, Card gets into a lot more moralizing.
I'm sure there are many ties to Mormonism around, but I don't know much about it.
The writing quality is good, not great, and it gets heavy-handed at times. There are better sci-fi stories, but this gets an extra bump from me for nostalgia's sake.
December 11, 2008
I love so many things about this book, its hard to know where to start. The basic premise is a bit complicated, however while reading it, everything makes perfect sense. Instead of trying to type up a plot summary, I'll discuss some of the wonderful themes and devices used in the book.
Since The Worthing Saga is a compilation of a few different stories tied together, it actually describes two different dystopias and their eventual collapses. I find that many people tend to overlook the dystopic theme of the story, but I think the idea works almost better then your normal 1984, Brave New World or We. Instead of an evil or corrupt dystopia, or a dystopia founded on the loss of human emotions, The Worthing Saga discusses a dystopia founded on the loss of pain. While it may sound great to live without pain, after reading this book you'll understand why its such a dreadful idea to some of the books characters.
I've read this book multiple times about 8 years ago, lost my original copy, managed to find 2 much older editions of the earlier stories (also added on my bookshelf) and finally found another copy for a few bucks at a used bookstore. I couldnt resist reading it again, so the finished date only reflects the most recent read.
Since The Worthing Saga is a compilation of a few different stories tied together, it actually describes two different dystopias and their eventual collapses. I find that many people tend to overlook the dystopic theme of the story, but I think the idea works almost better then your normal 1984, Brave New World or We. Instead of an evil or corrupt dystopia, or a dystopia founded on the loss of human emotions, The Worthing Saga discusses a dystopia founded on the loss of pain. While it may sound great to live without pain, after reading this book you'll understand why its such a dreadful idea to some of the books characters.
I've read this book multiple times about 8 years ago, lost my original copy, managed to find 2 much older editions of the earlier stories (also added on my bookshelf) and finally found another copy for a few bucks at a used bookstore. I couldnt resist reading it again, so the finished date only reflects the most recent read.
September 29, 2008
This book has so many intricacies in it, so many complexities. I read this book wondering what one thing had to do with another and when I got to the end, it all tied up, it all made complete sense and fit so well together and left me with a very satisfied and amazed feeling. There were so many issues in this book and it left my mind swirling in thoughts.
I loved the distinct, different societies in this book. From the society that looks like it came straight from "Little House on the Prairie" to a futuristic society that has so many technological advances that they don't have to think about many of the stresses that our society has to think about (but a new set of stresses emerge) all the way to a highly advanced more futuristic society that barely needs bodies to have life. All these societies have their pros and cons and their own complexities and stresses. I began to wonder as I read about these societies who really has it better? I also began to wonder why I was being introduced to all these societies, and then, at the end it all came together in one Big Bang, it all made sense, they all intertwined within each other in an amazing way, a way that I never even thought of.
The main character, Jason Worthing, plays a strong role throughout the entire book. I began to love his character in a mysterious teacher or role model kind of way. I'd have my stomach all tied up in knots to meet him, but I held a great respect for him. In a huge way, Jason Worthing is a human that gets to play God. He does not mean to or desire or try to play God, but the role falls into his lap and he has no choice. Jason's decision is one of the most difficult and important decisions I've ever heard of. I loved getting into his thoughts to go through his process of making that decision and I respect the decision he made. He tries hard to be a good fair person even with all power in his hands.
This is one of my favorite books, full of heart, compassion, plot, complexity, lots of WOW moments, ideas that made me think about things I'd never thought of before and lots of character development. I wish I could give it more than five stars.
I loved the distinct, different societies in this book. From the society that looks like it came straight from "Little House on the Prairie" to a futuristic society that has so many technological advances that they don't have to think about many of the stresses that our society has to think about (but a new set of stresses emerge) all the way to a highly advanced more futuristic society that barely needs bodies to have life. All these societies have their pros and cons and their own complexities and stresses. I began to wonder as I read about these societies who really has it better? I also began to wonder why I was being introduced to all these societies, and then, at the end it all came together in one Big Bang, it all made sense, they all intertwined within each other in an amazing way, a way that I never even thought of.
The main character, Jason Worthing, plays a strong role throughout the entire book. I began to love his character in a mysterious teacher or role model kind of way. I'd have my stomach all tied up in knots to meet him, but I held a great respect for him. In a huge way, Jason Worthing is a human that gets to play God. He does not mean to or desire or try to play God, but the role falls into his lap and he has no choice. Jason's decision is one of the most difficult and important decisions I've ever heard of. I loved getting into his thoughts to go through his process of making that decision and I respect the decision he made. He tries hard to be a good fair person even with all power in his hands.
This is one of my favorite books, full of heart, compassion, plot, complexity, lots of WOW moments, ideas that made me think about things I'd never thought of before and lots of character development. I wish I could give it more than five stars.
September 14, 2010
The Worthing Saga reaches further back than you might imagine, the blurb on the back suggests the scope of time, but does nothing to describe the moral scope of the novel. Reading reviews, after reading the book, I have to agree, that for long stretches you forget this is a sci-fi story, and focus on the oh-so-human element Card brings forward.
I've only begun reading Card this past year, and the strength of his stories amazes me. This story in particular, rings with truth. The story is rife with moral questioning and an examination of the nature of humanity. It shows us a future in which the universe has stagnated- humanity has reached a point where we have populated the known universe, created a majority of peace, and have learned to slow the aging process. Those that are smart or worthy enough, can as Card poetically puts it, "skip like stones on the surface of time," effectively removing them from intellectual society for large chunks at a time. But the Worthing Saga is mainly a story about what happens next; why pain is necessary, why living is necessary, and given the space to grow- what is the true mettle of man?
The short stories created while developing the novel over the years, are added to the back of the novel, unedited, for reading. This was an amazing development, to me. It allowed us to see how the stories progressed in Orson's mind and in this world he's created. Added, in this fashion, they gave light to the stories as they were told by Justice, and Jason; showing us how the important bits were emboldened and the rest distilled through memory. It adds enormously to the tapestry being created.
Orson Scott Card is quickly becoming one of my top favorite writers, it took me no more than three days to plow through this novel. A great read, for those looking for something to think about.
I've only begun reading Card this past year, and the strength of his stories amazes me. This story in particular, rings with truth. The story is rife with moral questioning and an examination of the nature of humanity. It shows us a future in which the universe has stagnated- humanity has reached a point where we have populated the known universe, created a majority of peace, and have learned to slow the aging process. Those that are smart or worthy enough, can as Card poetically puts it, "skip like stones on the surface of time," effectively removing them from intellectual society for large chunks at a time. But the Worthing Saga is mainly a story about what happens next; why pain is necessary, why living is necessary, and given the space to grow- what is the true mettle of man?
The short stories created while developing the novel over the years, are added to the back of the novel, unedited, for reading. This was an amazing development, to me. It allowed us to see how the stories progressed in Orson's mind and in this world he's created. Added, in this fashion, they gave light to the stories as they were told by Justice, and Jason; showing us how the important bits were emboldened and the rest distilled through memory. It adds enormously to the tapestry being created.
Orson Scott Card is quickly becoming one of my top favorite writers, it took me no more than three days to plow through this novel. A great read, for those looking for something to think about.
March 9, 2009
Mormons in space. I think. I really know nothing about the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. A friend of mine recommended the book, and I read it, but I was seriously underwhelmed.
May 28, 2012
The first book basically he has ever written, which provided the foundation for all the other books he has ever wrote since.
April 8, 2025
First sentence: In many places in the Peopled Worlds, the pain came suddenly in the midst of the day's labor. It was as if an ancient and comfortable presence left them, one that they had never noticed until it was gone, and no one knew what to make of it at first, though all knew at once that something had changed deep at the heart of the world.
Premise/plot: Imagine living in a world where there is no pain, no suffering, no grief, no fear, no anger, no violence, no injury. Wrong actions, in a sense, have ceased to have consequences. If a person were to hurt himself/herself chopping wood or tending the fires, then there would be instant--almost magical--healing. Even morally wrong actions are prevented, on this world there are no children out of wedlock; and the child is always the husband's never the lover's if you're an adulteress. Yes, there is an occasional death, but never for the very young, never for the able-bodied. It is hard to imagine for us this life of easy contentment. A life with no struggles? A life truly worry-free? A world where fire doesn't burn you and ice doesn't freeze you? Surely there must be a catch, right? Some reason why this world isn't a perfect paradise...
The change came in the middle of the night. Imagine going to bed with everything being quite all right, and waking up to find that life is not what you thought it was. Pain. Grief. Suffering. Worry. Fear. Anger. And it wasn't just emotional, as the village learned. It was physical, too. As one accident after another occurred, the villagers soon realized that they could not only be hurt, but they could also DIE. With the whole village (and indeed the whole world) in confusion, no one knows quite what to think. Is God dead? If God is still watching over them, why then is there suffering? Why suffering after all these centuries of watchful care? Folks are going along muttering that God doesn't look out for them anymore.
Yes, no one understands this Day of Pain. Least of all, Lared, our young hero. But it is Lared who will become the chosen speaker that will write the story and tell the tales that will explain this Day and give it meaning. Two strangers come to the inn, the inn that Lared's parents own, and it is Lared and his sister, Sala, who befriend them. Jason. Justice. A man and woman. The two are mysterious, no doubt about it, and more than one person suspects that they're coming is linked with the Day of Pain.
The two share their stories mostly through dreams and waking visions. Jason will occasionally share one the old-fashioned way, but most are transmitted directly into Lared's mind. Lared doesn't know what to think. He doesn't like the dreams. He doesn't like the uneasy feelings they leave him with...but he also knows that he has been called, chosen, if you will, to write this down. To record them. It is not his place to understand everything, just to write it down as it's been given to him.
Lared and his village provide the framework for the stories that Jason and Justice share. It is a story of two men, one empire, and one powerful drug.
Abner Doon. A name that still strikes fear in people thousands of years after his death. Some even say that he was the devil himself. But was he really? His name is associated with death and destruction, and in some ways, it is easy to understand why. He caused the death and destruction of the EMPIRE. The very arrogant, often corrupt, very stagnant empire. But was the fall of the empire really that bad? Wasn't it better for humanity in general? Jason Worthing certainly thinks so.
Jason Worthing. Another name that people fear to speak aloud. Why? It is a name of reverence. Many people feel that Jason Worthing is God. The creator of life. The sustainer of the universe, even. But was he really? Yes, he had a hand in establishing life and building civilization, at least on one planet, but the creator of all life? No. Just an ordinary man with unusual psychic powers who came from a technologically advanced society.
The empire. It's not that the empire was completely evil. Sure the empire had its fair share of corrupt and power-hungry politicians. More than its fair share. Every branch of the empire had its corrupt officials. And there was nothing that couldn't be bought--as long as you had money. But that wasn't the real crime of the empire. The real crime was that humanity was being robbed of its very soul, its very essence. They had lost the point of living. They were corrupting the very nature of our existence.
Somec. Perhaps the most powerful drug the empire had ever known. What did it do? It put the user into a deep sleep, a coma, if you will. First, the user would have his/her memories downloaded or recorded, if you will, onto a tape or into a bubble. I forget quite how they did it. I just know that there was a way of downloading and uploading memory. Then the assistant would inject somec. It wasn't a pretty picture. It burned. It hurt. It caused severe physical problems--sweating, discomfort, pain--but the user would forever be unaware of it because the memories would never include this part of the experience. Who was it for? At first, it was just for starship pilots. Their skills would be needed throughout a long voyage. And if a trip took hundreds or perhaps thousands of years, then they'd need Somec to function. The computer would always be able to wake them up in case of an emergency. But they'd arrive at their destination intact. So for colonization vessels, it really couldn't be any better. A ship would carry three hundred or so passengers and all the supplies needed to create and establish a civilization on another planet. So there were a few valid uses of the drug, I suppose. But the real corruption began when somec became a common necessity for the people.
Imagine the possibility of immortality. Somec offered immortality. The wealthy. The elite. The powerful. The brilliant minds of society were all given the chance for immortality. The more valuable society deemed you, the longer you would sleep between waking cycles. The common people lived and died naturally enough. But a good portion of society, became obsessed with immortality. But is living a thousand years natural if you spend 70% of it or so asleep? What does it accomplish really? You're not able to have friendships with others unless you're on the same sleep cycle. You're not able to maintain family relationships either. People could theoretically outlive their great-great-great-great-great-grandchildren. Love becomes to a certain extent irrelevant. Most things become irrelevant. No time for the finer things in life. Love. Romance. Music. Art. For not only do most people spend most of their times asleep, what little time they're awake they're obsessed with power, money, fame, greed, control. They always want more, more, more. Never content. There is no longer any joy in living life. But really too few people notice what they're missing. Except for one. The aforementioned Abner Doon.
Abner "rescues" Jason, if you will, and offers him a chance to become a part of something great. Jason becomes a starship pilot, a very famous starship pilot, and he eventually leads a colonization ship. Abner's big plan--besides the fall of the Empire--is to recreate life as it used to be. His plan? To spread humanity throughout the galaxy. To have human civilizations sprout up on thousands of planets. He knows that with the fall of the Empire, with the fall of technology, it will be thousands upon thousands of years before ANY civilization becomes advanced enough for star flight. He sees this as a way for humanity to wipe the slate clean and begin anew.
The Worthing Saga is the story of Jason's planet. How Jason "fathered" or "created" that world. And what happened to its inhabitants. What happened to his descendants. All these stories--and there are many--span thousands of years. Everything is leading the reader back to Lared. Back to the Day of Pain.
The Worthing Saga contains the previously published The Worthing Chronicle and nine short stories.
My thoughts: The Worthing Saga is about the meaning of life. It is about what it means to be human. It asks important questions. It goes where few novels do. It asks what the meaning of pain and suffering is. It asks what the meaning of struggles are. It is ethical in nature. It asks the hard questions. But it is philosophical as well.
I love the world-building. I find the three settings within the book to be fascinating. (There is Lared's home planet which is the present-day setting; there is Capital, the planet from Jason Worthing's memory and stories, Capital becomes "real" to Lared as he experiences Worthing's memories through dreams; there is Worthing, the planet that Jason colonized with a handful of colonists thousands of years before the novel opens, again this planet becomes "real" to Lared as he experiences other people's memories through Justice, Jason's descendent.) Readers get a taste of all these societies and communities.
I love the characterization. I love getting to know Lared, Sala, Jason, and Justice. Not to mention all the men and women from the memories and stories. (I have a soft spot for Hoom.) I love the storytelling. I love the dialogue. I love how everything is layered together. How the story all comes together. How Lared slowly but surely pieces things together and comes to understand--if understand is the right word--the world. Card's characters are so very human, so vulnerable, so fallible. Readers see humans at their best and at their absolute worst within The Worthing Saga. Moments of compassion and redemption make it so worth while.
I love the ideas. I love the depth and substance. That is not to say that I agree absolutely with every single philosophical idea within the book. But it goes places most fiction doesn't. It asks real questions, tough questions. It explores ideas. One also sees the consequences (or possible consequences) of ideas.
Premise/plot: Imagine living in a world where there is no pain, no suffering, no grief, no fear, no anger, no violence, no injury. Wrong actions, in a sense, have ceased to have consequences. If a person were to hurt himself/herself chopping wood or tending the fires, then there would be instant--almost magical--healing. Even morally wrong actions are prevented, on this world there are no children out of wedlock; and the child is always the husband's never the lover's if you're an adulteress. Yes, there is an occasional death, but never for the very young, never for the able-bodied. It is hard to imagine for us this life of easy contentment. A life with no struggles? A life truly worry-free? A world where fire doesn't burn you and ice doesn't freeze you? Surely there must be a catch, right? Some reason why this world isn't a perfect paradise...
The change came in the middle of the night. Imagine going to bed with everything being quite all right, and waking up to find that life is not what you thought it was. Pain. Grief. Suffering. Worry. Fear. Anger. And it wasn't just emotional, as the village learned. It was physical, too. As one accident after another occurred, the villagers soon realized that they could not only be hurt, but they could also DIE. With the whole village (and indeed the whole world) in confusion, no one knows quite what to think. Is God dead? If God is still watching over them, why then is there suffering? Why suffering after all these centuries of watchful care? Folks are going along muttering that God doesn't look out for them anymore.
The old clerk trembled and nodded and his voice quivered as he spoke. 'I have read the books of ancient times,' he began, and all eyes turned to him. 'I have read the books of ancient times, and in them the old ones spoke of wounds that bleed like slaughtered cattle, and great griefs when the living suddenly are dead, and anger that turns to blows among people. But that was long, long ago, when men were still animals, and God was young and inexperienced. (5-6)
Yes, no one understands this Day of Pain. Least of all, Lared, our young hero. But it is Lared who will become the chosen speaker that will write the story and tell the tales that will explain this Day and give it meaning. Two strangers come to the inn, the inn that Lared's parents own, and it is Lared and his sister, Sala, who befriend them. Jason. Justice. A man and woman. The two are mysterious, no doubt about it, and more than one person suspects that they're coming is linked with the Day of Pain.
The two share their stories mostly through dreams and waking visions. Jason will occasionally share one the old-fashioned way, but most are transmitted directly into Lared's mind. Lared doesn't know what to think. He doesn't like the dreams. He doesn't like the uneasy feelings they leave him with...but he also knows that he has been called, chosen, if you will, to write this down. To record them. It is not his place to understand everything, just to write it down as it's been given to him.
Lared and his village provide the framework for the stories that Jason and Justice share. It is a story of two men, one empire, and one powerful drug.
Abner Doon. A name that still strikes fear in people thousands of years after his death. Some even say that he was the devil himself. But was he really? His name is associated with death and destruction, and in some ways, it is easy to understand why. He caused the death and destruction of the EMPIRE. The very arrogant, often corrupt, very stagnant empire. But was the fall of the empire really that bad? Wasn't it better for humanity in general? Jason Worthing certainly thinks so.
Jason Worthing. Another name that people fear to speak aloud. Why? It is a name of reverence. Many people feel that Jason Worthing is God. The creator of life. The sustainer of the universe, even. But was he really? Yes, he had a hand in establishing life and building civilization, at least on one planet, but the creator of all life? No. Just an ordinary man with unusual psychic powers who came from a technologically advanced society.
The empire. It's not that the empire was completely evil. Sure the empire had its fair share of corrupt and power-hungry politicians. More than its fair share. Every branch of the empire had its corrupt officials. And there was nothing that couldn't be bought--as long as you had money. But that wasn't the real crime of the empire. The real crime was that humanity was being robbed of its very soul, its very essence. They had lost the point of living. They were corrupting the very nature of our existence.
Somec. Perhaps the most powerful drug the empire had ever known. What did it do? It put the user into a deep sleep, a coma, if you will. First, the user would have his/her memories downloaded or recorded, if you will, onto a tape or into a bubble. I forget quite how they did it. I just know that there was a way of downloading and uploading memory. Then the assistant would inject somec. It wasn't a pretty picture. It burned. It hurt. It caused severe physical problems--sweating, discomfort, pain--but the user would forever be unaware of it because the memories would never include this part of the experience. Who was it for? At first, it was just for starship pilots. Their skills would be needed throughout a long voyage. And if a trip took hundreds or perhaps thousands of years, then they'd need Somec to function. The computer would always be able to wake them up in case of an emergency. But they'd arrive at their destination intact. So for colonization vessels, it really couldn't be any better. A ship would carry three hundred or so passengers and all the supplies needed to create and establish a civilization on another planet. So there were a few valid uses of the drug, I suppose. But the real corruption began when somec became a common necessity for the people.
Imagine the possibility of immortality. Somec offered immortality. The wealthy. The elite. The powerful. The brilliant minds of society were all given the chance for immortality. The more valuable society deemed you, the longer you would sleep between waking cycles. The common people lived and died naturally enough. But a good portion of society, became obsessed with immortality. But is living a thousand years natural if you spend 70% of it or so asleep? What does it accomplish really? You're not able to have friendships with others unless you're on the same sleep cycle. You're not able to maintain family relationships either. People could theoretically outlive their great-great-great-great-great-grandchildren. Love becomes to a certain extent irrelevant. Most things become irrelevant. No time for the finer things in life. Love. Romance. Music. Art. For not only do most people spend most of their times asleep, what little time they're awake they're obsessed with power, money, fame, greed, control. They always want more, more, more. Never content. There is no longer any joy in living life. But really too few people notice what they're missing. Except for one. The aforementioned Abner Doon.
Abner "rescues" Jason, if you will, and offers him a chance to become a part of something great. Jason becomes a starship pilot, a very famous starship pilot, and he eventually leads a colonization ship. Abner's big plan--besides the fall of the Empire--is to recreate life as it used to be. His plan? To spread humanity throughout the galaxy. To have human civilizations sprout up on thousands of planets. He knows that with the fall of the Empire, with the fall of technology, it will be thousands upon thousands of years before ANY civilization becomes advanced enough for star flight. He sees this as a way for humanity to wipe the slate clean and begin anew.
The Worthing Saga is the story of Jason's planet. How Jason "fathered" or "created" that world. And what happened to its inhabitants. What happened to his descendants. All these stories--and there are many--span thousands of years. Everything is leading the reader back to Lared. Back to the Day of Pain.
The Worthing Saga contains the previously published The Worthing Chronicle and nine short stories.
My thoughts: The Worthing Saga is about the meaning of life. It is about what it means to be human. It asks important questions. It goes where few novels do. It asks what the meaning of pain and suffering is. It asks what the meaning of struggles are. It is ethical in nature. It asks the hard questions. But it is philosophical as well.
I love the world-building. I find the three settings within the book to be fascinating. (There is Lared's home planet which is the present-day setting; there is Capital, the planet from Jason Worthing's memory and stories, Capital becomes "real" to Lared as he experiences Worthing's memories through dreams; there is Worthing, the planet that Jason colonized with a handful of colonists thousands of years before the novel opens, again this planet becomes "real" to Lared as he experiences other people's memories through Justice, Jason's descendent.) Readers get a taste of all these societies and communities.
I love the characterization. I love getting to know Lared, Sala, Jason, and Justice. Not to mention all the men and women from the memories and stories. (I have a soft spot for Hoom.) I love the storytelling. I love the dialogue. I love how everything is layered together. How the story all comes together. How Lared slowly but surely pieces things together and comes to understand--if understand is the right word--the world. Card's characters are so very human, so vulnerable, so fallible. Readers see humans at their best and at their absolute worst within The Worthing Saga. Moments of compassion and redemption make it so worth while.
I love the ideas. I love the depth and substance. That is not to say that I agree absolutely with every single philosophical idea within the book. But it goes places most fiction doesn't. It asks real questions, tough questions. It explores ideas. One also sees the consequences (or possible consequences) of ideas.
June 9, 2018
Note: My audiobook review is at the end of this review.
Orson Scott Card never ceases to amaze me in the questions he tackles in his writing.
In The Worthing Chronicle, Jason Worthing comes to a small village where Lared resides and asks him to write his story. As Lared writes we learn of two worlds - Capitol and Worthing. It is through Jason's story that Card explores the reasons why a god would leave their children unprotected when they have the power to provide lives full of happiness and devoid of pain, the power of corruption, and the obstacles of creating a peaceful and just human society.
The anthology continues with Tales of Capitol - which introduces more of the world of Capitol and its inhabitants and explores the affect of the sleep drug Somec that allows rich or successful members of society to sleep for years at a time, the corrupt society Somec created and the people people and relationships that are affected by it.
The anthology concludes with Tales from the Forest of Waters, which explores some of Jason Worthing's descendants who live on the world of Worthing.
The stories really made me think and offered some interesting insights on human nature. If you're into this type of thing, it's definitely worth a read.
Audiobook Review
The audiobook version was narrated by Scott Brick. He is one of my favorite audiobook narrators and he did not disappoint in his reading of The Worthing Saga.
The short stories were narrated by different narrators, whose names I can't seem to locate anywhere at the moment, but they were all well read and realized by the narrators.
Orson Scott Card never ceases to amaze me in the questions he tackles in his writing.
In The Worthing Chronicle, Jason Worthing comes to a small village where Lared resides and asks him to write his story. As Lared writes we learn of two worlds - Capitol and Worthing. It is through Jason's story that Card explores the reasons why a god would leave their children unprotected when they have the power to provide lives full of happiness and devoid of pain, the power of corruption, and the obstacles of creating a peaceful and just human society.
The anthology continues with Tales of Capitol - which introduces more of the world of Capitol and its inhabitants and explores the affect of the sleep drug Somec that allows rich or successful members of society to sleep for years at a time, the corrupt society Somec created and the people people and relationships that are affected by it.
The anthology concludes with Tales from the Forest of Waters, which explores some of Jason Worthing's descendants who live on the world of Worthing.
The stories really made me think and offered some interesting insights on human nature. If you're into this type of thing, it's definitely worth a read.
Audiobook Review
The audiobook version was narrated by Scott Brick. He is one of my favorite audiobook narrators and he did not disappoint in his reading of The Worthing Saga.
The short stories were narrated by different narrators, whose names I can't seem to locate anywhere at the moment, but they were all well read and realized by the narrators.
August 2, 2012
Possibly one of the greatest books I have ever read. A collection of linked short stories, set in two different time zones and places, yet with a thread that connects them both.
What makes this book so special to me is that it attempts to answer the riddle of Joy and Pain, by exploring what life might be without pain, and whether it would even be worth living.
The feeling that without pain we have something precious taken away from us, a certain loss of our own claim to humanity, but really only by reading the stories could someone understand what I'm trying to say.
I have read this book quite a few times over the years, and it never fails to move me, to ask me to look deeply inside myself to at least feel for the answers we can never really know in any empirical sense. This is not one of Cards more well known books, but in my view, it is hands-down his best.
Sadly, it was with some surprise that as I learnt more about the author, I discovered that Card appears to have a religiously motivated prejudice against homosexuality. Since learning this, I have struggled greatly to reconcile the open mind of someone who could have written such a masterpiece with the closed mind of someone who can't accept love in a shape different to the way he personally experiences it. But I've come to accept it, recognising even the greatest author is just a fallible human being like all the rest of us.
I could not recommend this book more highly. It starts off a bit oddly, but it unfolds into brilliance if you just give it a small chance to set the scene.
What makes this book so special to me is that it attempts to answer the riddle of Joy and Pain, by exploring what life might be without pain, and whether it would even be worth living.
The feeling that without pain we have something precious taken away from us, a certain loss of our own claim to humanity, but really only by reading the stories could someone understand what I'm trying to say.
I have read this book quite a few times over the years, and it never fails to move me, to ask me to look deeply inside myself to at least feel for the answers we can never really know in any empirical sense. This is not one of Cards more well known books, but in my view, it is hands-down his best.
Sadly, it was with some surprise that as I learnt more about the author, I discovered that Card appears to have a religiously motivated prejudice against homosexuality. Since learning this, I have struggled greatly to reconcile the open mind of someone who could have written such a masterpiece with the closed mind of someone who can't accept love in a shape different to the way he personally experiences it. But I've come to accept it, recognising even the greatest author is just a fallible human being like all the rest of us.
I could not recommend this book more highly. It starts off a bit oddly, but it unfolds into brilliance if you just give it a small chance to set the scene.
October 16, 2011
This book needs it’s own blog post, or two. As a writer – just reading this book you learn so much abut the writing process and how to see other characters through one character’s eyes. You can also learn how to weave, I think it was 20,000 years of history into a story, and literally thousands of characters as well, and the story still makes perfect sense. Not only that, he also picked a current time, and wove the telling of the ancient story within the current storyline in an excellent manner.
Also, a bit Tolkeinish – he kept his originals of some of the stories of characters and included expanded versions of their stories as separate stories at the end of the book. By the end, you really know the minor characters much better, and are glad to get to know them. The last two short stories, didn’t match as well, with the main storyline, yet that is sometimes how original drafts of a story work – they change.
Whether you are a writer, or a reader, this is an excellent universe to enjoy. This is one of those twenty four hour stories – have plenty of food, water, time, and a nice pillow available, as you can’t put the book down!
Also, a bit Tolkeinish – he kept his originals of some of the stories of characters and included expanded versions of their stories as separate stories at the end of the book. By the end, you really know the minor characters much better, and are glad to get to know them. The last two short stories, didn’t match as well, with the main storyline, yet that is sometimes how original drafts of a story work – they change.
Whether you are a writer, or a reader, this is an excellent universe to enjoy. This is one of those twenty four hour stories – have plenty of food, water, time, and a nice pillow available, as you can’t put the book down!
June 1, 2018
This is probably my current favorite book. It's an amazing science fiction epic that spans centuries. One of the main themes is the taoist philosophy that happiness cannot exist without the contrast of pain. The story is almost biblical and Orson Scott Card drew inspiration from the Book of Mormon. It tells the story of a ship that crash lands on a planet. The pilot, Worthing, is the only man who wasn't in suspended animation. Most of the people who were in stasis were unharmed but the computers that held their consciousness were destroyed leaving them as essentially adult babies. Worthing decides to wake them up two at a time and raise them until they are mentally developed enough for the next batch. He teaches them to farm and care for themselves. He entrusts them with waking the rest of the passengers and raising them as he had. He then goes into cryogenic stasis as well to check back on them every few decades, and then centuries as their civilization grows. The world that Card builds is extremely well fleshed out and fascinating. Any lover of sci-fi should read this book.
July 10, 2020
Re-reading this book inspired me to write up a treatise on how all of Card's books are about the same character.
February 18, 2019
Forse non è il libro giusto per conoscere l'autore, parecchio morboso a volte ma.. Promosso! Orson Scott Card SA scrivere, altroché!
January 7, 2024
I listened to this because I love my husband, and he loves Orson Scott Card. I do not.
January 18, 2013
I have to say I am really enjoying Orson Scott Card. A big fan of the Ender series, particularly the first book Ender's Game (masterpiece), I never read much more of his stuff. Recently been reading the Alvin Maker series and stumbled on this book. Just a wonderful writer.
That said, this book does not get 5 stars. This is one of Card's early novels. It started as a handful of short stories set in the world of Capitol. The stories had the same backdrop and explored similar issues, but they weren't tied together.
The first 2/3 of this book is a definite 5 star. It is a fairly well constructed novel that flows well. The last part of the book is the earlier short stories. And those stories actually make more sense having read the full tale of Jason Worthing.
What happens to humanity when an elite group of society has the ability to skip through time? Those with the status and means can use "somec" to sleep for periods of years in suspended animation and then awaken for short times, sometimes just a few weeks, only to go back to sleep. While sleeping there is no aging. If you are 25 and sleep for 5 years, you wake up still 25 with memories and experience in tact up to the point you went to sleep.
So what about relationships? Children? Grandchildren? Family? How do you deal with the changed world when you awake?
That is part of the story.
Two main characters, Jason Worthing and Abner Doon, are really two stories, two dystopias in the same universe. Abner's story is one of a mastermind genius who uses his gift to "destroy" the empire. In reality he is giving it back the opportunity to rebuild itself as a better place. While people fell they are free and have what they need, they do not know what they have rally lost. They live on a planet in-cased in steel and concrete totally reliant on goods and resources fro other planets. Most live their whole lives without seeing sky or a tree. Even if they could see the real sky on Capitol, they would not want to because it has been burned out.
Jason's story is very interesting. As a star ship captain he is piloting a colony ship to a newly discovered earth-like planet as part of Abner's colonization plans. Ships are being sent everywhere. Jason's ship encounters a hostile enemy that damages the holds where people are stored; people sleeping on somec. A few hundred survive but the computer holding their memories has been damaged.
Jason must raise these adult as babies. Teach them to walk, talk, feed them, change their diapers. Then train them to do the same. While he takes decade naps in the starship, the children of Jason raise the "ice people" from the ship. It is a great story how he builds a community and civilization. Jason is god.
So how do Abner and Jason deal with their power? What responsibilities do they have? Do they have the right to make some of these decisions? These are great questions and they both deal with a lot of moral and ethical issues.
That said, this book does not get 5 stars. This is one of Card's early novels. It started as a handful of short stories set in the world of Capitol. The stories had the same backdrop and explored similar issues, but they weren't tied together.
The first 2/3 of this book is a definite 5 star. It is a fairly well constructed novel that flows well. The last part of the book is the earlier short stories. And those stories actually make more sense having read the full tale of Jason Worthing.
What happens to humanity when an elite group of society has the ability to skip through time? Those with the status and means can use "somec" to sleep for periods of years in suspended animation and then awaken for short times, sometimes just a few weeks, only to go back to sleep. While sleeping there is no aging. If you are 25 and sleep for 5 years, you wake up still 25 with memories and experience in tact up to the point you went to sleep.
So what about relationships? Children? Grandchildren? Family? How do you deal with the changed world when you awake?
That is part of the story.
Two main characters, Jason Worthing and Abner Doon, are really two stories, two dystopias in the same universe. Abner's story is one of a mastermind genius who uses his gift to "destroy" the empire. In reality he is giving it back the opportunity to rebuild itself as a better place. While people fell they are free and have what they need, they do not know what they have rally lost. They live on a planet in-cased in steel and concrete totally reliant on goods and resources fro other planets. Most live their whole lives without seeing sky or a tree. Even if they could see the real sky on Capitol, they would not want to because it has been burned out.
Jason's story is very interesting. As a star ship captain he is piloting a colony ship to a newly discovered earth-like planet as part of Abner's colonization plans. Ships are being sent everywhere. Jason's ship encounters a hostile enemy that damages the holds where people are stored; people sleeping on somec. A few hundred survive but the computer holding their memories has been damaged.
Jason must raise these adult as babies. Teach them to walk, talk, feed them, change their diapers. Then train them to do the same. While he takes decade naps in the starship, the children of Jason raise the "ice people" from the ship. It is a great story how he builds a community and civilization. Jason is god.
So how do Abner and Jason deal with their power? What responsibilities do they have? Do they have the right to make some of these decisions? These are great questions and they both deal with a lot of moral and ethical issues.
March 8, 2011
Card goes back to some of his first science fiction writing and melds the early tales into a compelling saga. Jason Worthing, blue-eyed mind reader, is sent from Capitol on a colony ship. His ship is attacked and his colonists memories are erased. He has to raise them as children in adult bodies. He creates a 'utopian' society. This book collects stories of Jason's childhood and Jason's children both before they leave Capitol and after, as well as a time far, far into the future when Jason returns to have his tale written.
I had read a lot of the stories that are collected into this book. The narrative that introduces the stories is seamless, and serves to introduce them as a whole tale, instead of fragments. It was like I was reading them for the first time, even though I already knew what happened. Actually, it was nice to have had that background, as it made the tales much more poignant.
Card's novels are less the science of science fiction and more how the people relate to the technology. He always tells a compelling tale. I recommend this to any sci-fi fan.
I had read a lot of the stories that are collected into this book. The narrative that introduces the stories is seamless, and serves to introduce them as a whole tale, instead of fragments. It was like I was reading them for the first time, even though I already knew what happened. Actually, it was nice to have had that background, as it made the tales much more poignant.
Card's novels are less the science of science fiction and more how the people relate to the technology. He always tells a compelling tale. I recommend this to any sci-fi fan.
November 17, 2017
This book is a manifesto on the human condition. It is told with gallons of truth, and a direct bluntness that is refreshing to the victimized psyche we have trended toward in Western culture for decades.
The story hints at puncturing human dissatisfaction with God and suffering for the almost the entire book, and slams everything home in one fell swoop at the end which should mind-blow every reader out of their staus-quo-like endless loop of wondering, "Why do bad things happen?"
Pain makes you happy for pleasure. Removal of the pain is the removal of yourself.
Be prepared for either a rude awakening or a profound enlightenment.
Or both.
The story hints at puncturing human dissatisfaction with God and suffering for the almost the entire book, and slams everything home in one fell swoop at the end which should mind-blow every reader out of their staus-quo-like endless loop of wondering, "Why do bad things happen?"
Pain makes you happy for pleasure. Removal of the pain is the removal of yourself.
Be prepared for either a rude awakening or a profound enlightenment.
Or both.
May 9, 2012
I expected a lot from the author of "Enders game", and I was not disappointed. The theme of a savior figure that the people don't understand or appreciate is woven throughout this story just like in Enders game. It made me think about how we believe in and treat God. There are so many different layers to this book, from the simple medieval world where Lared lives to the cold world of the Capitol, where billions of people live in massive metal structures that are all connected. Card in his master storytelling wove everything together into an interesting, if not bizarre, saga.
February 5, 2016
I jumped into this blind. I haven't read much Orson Scott Card and this showed up in my library's limited audiobook selection. I wish I had better understood that the Saga is a collection of three separate books with three separate perspectives. Without understanding that, the first transition three me for a loop.
I'm left pondering what makes a successful civilization, what we can do to protect our communities from corruption, and how far privilege can spiral into out of control power.
I'm left pondering what makes a successful civilization, what we can do to protect our communities from corruption, and how far privilege can spiral into out of control power.
June 21, 2018
Nope nopity nope! I just can't. I got this book from someone who told me she "found it absolutely fascinating". For this reason, I forced myself to keep reading until I finally let myself give up after Chapter 7. This is only the second book I've ever given up on. I can't put my finger on exactly why I was disliking this book so much. I just know for 155 pages I didn't like the book for a second so I gave myself permission to abandon it.
June 24, 2012
Pretty much my dream book. This book details what would happen if you crash landed on a different planet and had to remake civilization. A very very interesting read. The main character goes into cryo so he is able to witness the world evolve over thousands of years.
This book gripped and captivated me, a pure 5 star rating.
This book gripped and captivated me, a pure 5 star rating.
June 3, 2018
This, in my humble opinion, is OSC’s best book. I loved Enders Game but I think this has more of an Epic Saga feel. It seems to take ideas from other famous Sci-Fi stories but uses them very well. Maybe it’s not for everyone but for me it’s the type of book that I can reread every few years and always get the feeling of dropping into another universe. Escapism at its best.
January 2, 2018
Yetch. So heavy-handed with the "Book of Mormon" shining out from between the lines.
If this was the first thing of Card's that I had read, I never would have started Ender's Game.
If this was the first thing of Card's that I had read, I never would have started Ender's Game.
October 13, 2025
Absolutely loved this book.
Its theological and philosophical themes are both the highlight and forefront of the novel.
I love how it addresses concepts of Christianity and Monotheism without being too overbearing on the story, and how it uses sci-fi as a genre to explore these themes.
Its setting, mode of storytelling, and usage of character tropes feels so fresh and visceral.
Lared, the main character, is a growing, learning boy that makes for a perfect vessel for allowing the reader into this world.
His curiosity enables him to be open to Jason's new presence in his town (as opposed to the cautious adults), yet his developing mind still questions and criticizes the new way of thinking he receives from Jason. Somehow, the evolving misalignment of mentality between Lared and Jason feels so authentic and equally reasonable.
This goes for the whole story. Even Abner Doon, the antagonist(?), comes across as justified in his intentions, as radical as they may appear.
As multifaceted-ly abnormal as this book is, it is a gorgeous exploration of what it means to properly live the life of a human being.
Its theological and philosophical themes are both the highlight and forefront of the novel.
I love how it addresses concepts of Christianity and Monotheism without being too overbearing on the story, and how it uses sci-fi as a genre to explore these themes.
Its setting, mode of storytelling, and usage of character tropes feels so fresh and visceral.
Lared, the main character, is a growing, learning boy that makes for a perfect vessel for allowing the reader into this world.
His curiosity enables him to be open to Jason's new presence in his town (as opposed to the cautious adults), yet his developing mind still questions and criticizes the new way of thinking he receives from Jason. Somehow, the evolving misalignment of mentality between Lared and Jason feels so authentic and equally reasonable.
This goes for the whole story. Even Abner Doon, the antagonist(?), comes across as justified in his intentions, as radical as they may appear.
As multifaceted-ly abnormal as this book is, it is a gorgeous exploration of what it means to properly live the life of a human being.
March 19, 2025
Profundamente filosófico y espiritual. Habla de la naturaleza de los "angeles", la importancia de la libre elección y de la presencia del dolor en nuestra vida, en nuestra mente y como parte fundamental de nuestra identidad.
April 25, 2019
Cool concepts and interesting themes told through mostly very static, one dimensional characters.
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