Children of God (novel)
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| Children of God | |
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| Author | Mary Doria Russell |
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| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Science fiction novel |
| Publisher | Villard |
| Publication date | March 24, 1998 |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover & Paperback) |
| Pages | 436 pp |
| ISBN | ISBN 978-0679456353 |
| Preceded by | The Sparrow |
Children of God is the second book, and the second science fiction novel, written by author Mary Doria Russell. It is the sequel to the award-winning novel, The Sparrow.
Contents |
[edit] Plot Summary
It begins with Sandoz healing. He is exposed to Vincenzo Giuliani's Mafia family, the Camorra, as they are called in Naples. He meets Celestina, a lovely four year old. Despite Celestina's determination to marry Emilio, he regretfully declines, citing his age. Celestina impertinently suggests that her mother, Gina, a divorcee, is of an adequate age to marry Emilio. Emilio is let out of the priesthood, with delays from the Jesuits. He trains the second Jesuit expedition, composed of Sean Fein, Danny Iron Horse, and John Candotti, in K'San and Ruanja, but refuses to go. Father Iron Horse goads Sandoz by pointing out that he could have carried an alien disease, the reason for Emilio's lack of weight. Despite having undergone rigorous medical tests, he still fears that he has one. He pushes away Celestina and Gina until he is certain that he does not have an alien disease. He plans to marry Gina after she goes on vacation.
Unfortunately, while Gina is on vacation, he is beaten and kidnapped by Carlo, Gina's charming and handsome ex-husband and Celestina's father. Emilio is kept in a constantly drugged state on the Giordano Bruno, Carlo's ship, under the influence of Quell, a theoretical medicine used for prison riots, allowing cognition but suppressing emotion.
Meanwhile, back on Rakhat, Sofia has been hidden from the Jana'ata patrols. Emilio thought that she was dead; he was wrong, as proven by the packets of information that she sent back to the Stella Maris in 2047. She has her baby alone, and Isaac, a baby with blue eyes, is autistic. He has a compulsion to do everything to completion. Everything is done suddenly; talking one day, walking one day, and typing one day. He hates noise and is enamored with music and Sofia's tablet computer. He likes doing everything with regularity.
Supaari has a child. He is told that it is deformed, and he must kill it. He recognizes that it is not deformed, but the child has already been confirmed as born with a twisted foot. He leaves behind everything and goes to his family. There, he recognizes that he has no place among the Jana'ata. He swears hasta'akala to the Runa, understanding what it means; the Runa will sacrifice their bodies for him and the child to eat. The child he has is named after Anne: Ha'anala.
Ha'anala and Isaac regard Sofia as a mother. Supaari is gone, a spy for the Jana'ata, aiding in the extermination of his own species. One day, Isaac leaves. Ha'anala finds him, but recognizes that he will not go back. They stumble upon a group of people in the mountains. Ha'anala mates and/or weds with Shetri and has many children, one of whom is named Sofi'ala.
Hlevin Reshtar seizes the Paramountcy, the highest office in Inbrokar, by killing his entire family, because they would be in the way of his inheritance; he is only a third-born. He says that Supaari has killed them, and puts out a death warrant for Supaari and the child. He hears of an extraordinary Jana'ata female, Suukmel. She advises him; he wants her, but she refuses to give him more than the chance to foster a child with her. The child is Rukuei.
Hlevin fights Supaari without armor. He wins, but they both die. Suukmel then leaves to the mountains. She finds Ha'anala's compound, a placed based on the principle of Jana'ata not needing to eat Runa. Rukuei is also there, and there comes a time for him to understand his history, the reason that Ha'anala is his cousin but doesn't wear clothes like the other Jana'ata.
Emilio returns to Rakhat with the Giordano Bruno. Carlo Giuliani finds the yasapa flowers make him go into anaphylactic shock. Carlo imports yasapa brandy, certain that this is the alien good that will make him rich. However, the yasapa brandy tastes terrible, and thus a deal is struck with the Giordano Bruno and the landing party.
Sofia talks to Emilio. When the party takes out their GPS transponders, she becomes very upset. The Giordano Bruno follows the one transponder that is still active, Nico's. Because of Nico's unwitting treachery, the N'Jarr Valley is found and Sofia sends troops there, convinced that Ha'anala is keeping Isaac, now 40, captive. Ha'anala dies in childbirth. Emilio saves the baby by encouraging its first breath.
In the end, Nico and Emilio go back on the Giordano Bruno with the last shipment that the landing party sends after the yasapa brandy disaster. Sofia dies. Suukmel, Sean, John, and Danny stay in the N'Jarr valley.
Emilio comes home. Gina is dead. He goes to her grave site and is greeted by the name of Padre by a young woman named Ariane Fiore. She reveals herself as Gina's second daughter, Emilio's daughter. She has a baby, Tommaso.
[edit] Literary significance and reception
A reviewers from the Library Journal said that Children of God "examines the problem of faith under fire with insight and clarity".[1] and that the author "uses the entertaining plot to explore sociological, spirtiual, and scientific quesitons. Misunderstandings between cultures and peoples are at the heart of her story".[2]
Novelist Valerie Sayers reviewing the novel in National Catholic Reporter felt that novel focuses on the problem of evil. How can believers in God reconcile themselves with a God that allows evil and depravity in the universe. Bringing that debate into realm of science fiction with the carnivorous race of Jana'ata who dominate, enslave and actually consume the vegetarian Runa. They felt that Russell's narrative descriptions of evil were vexing. Sometimes she had just the right chilling tone but at other times she moves so blithely and rapidly that the reader may well feel voyeuristic. There were rich motifs woven through the narrative, especially those of music and language itself. The scientific Jesuits, were interested in a God of patterns not fully comprehensible to the human mind. Russell's prose made it clear and forceful when exploring such themes; when occupying itself with frenetic plot, it sounds like a generic best-seller. The steady rate of shouting and imploring is rough indicator of the melodrama level. The minor characterstend to the stereotype. Finally she said "Russell's keen intelligence and scientific knowledge shine through often enough to make Children of God appealing anal often enough to make me wish she had dispensed with the least satisfying conventions of the genre".[3]
[edit] Awards and nominations
- The Sparrow and Children of God together won the 2001 Gaylactic Spectrum Hall of Fame. [4]
- Nominee for the 1999 Hugo award.[5]
- On the Long List for the 1999 James Tiptree Jr Memorial Award[6]
- Nominee for the 2000 British Science Fiction Association Awards[7]
[edit] Publication History
- 1998, USA, Villard ISBN 978-0679456353, Pub Date 24 March 1998, Hardcover
- 1999, USA, Ballantine Books, ISBN 978-0449004838, Pub Date 2 February 1999, Paperback
- 1999, UK, Black Swan, ISBN 9780552998116, Pub Date Feb 1999, Paperback
[edit] Sources, references, external links, quotations
- Infinity Plus Interview with Mary Doria Russell where she discusses Children of God.
- Mary Doria Russell personal website.
[edit] Notes
- ^ Cassada, Jackie (1998-02-15). "Book reviews: Fiction". Library Journal Vol. 123 (Issue 3): 173. Reed Business Information. ISSN 03630277.
- ^ "Forecasts: Fiction" (1998-02-02). Publishers Weekly Vol. 245 (Issue 5): 80. Reed Business Information. ISSN 00000019.
- ^ Sayers, Valerie (1998-05-22). "Jesuits on different planet find earth's old riddle: Evil.". National Catholic Reporter Vol. 34 (Issue 29): 29. ISSN 00278939.
- ^ Gaylactic Spectrum Awards - 2001 Information. Retrieved on 2008-04-26.
- ^ The Locus Index to SF Awards: 1999 Hugo Awards. Retrieved on 2008-05-03.
- ^ The 1998 James Tiptree, Jr. Award: Long List. Retrieved on 2008-05-03.
- ^ The Locus Index to SF Awards: 2000 British Science Fiction Association Awards. Retrieved on 2008-05-03.
