The Memory of Earth
Ratings25
Average rating3.4
15
Ratings25
Average rating3.4
The planet called Harmony had been settled by humans nearly forty million years before. The colony had been placed under the care of an artificial intelligence, called the Oversoul, high in orbit. This master computer had one overriding command: Guard the people of Harmony against the dangers that destroyed humankind on Earth and other worlds. But now the Oversoul was itself in danger. Its systems were failing. Soon, within a thousand years, catastrophic war would break out on Harmony unless the Oversoul could be repaired.
The Oversoul determined that its core must be taken back to lost Earth, to interface with the Master Computer there, to be repaired and reprogrammed. But in order to do that, someone on Harmony must be given back the knowledge of space travel. And so the Oversoul must interfere directly with individuals on Harmony, in order to save the planet from disaster.
And so, on the planet, while on the road to the city called Basilica, a man named Wetchik had a vision of destruction, sent by the Oversoul. Soon his sons, Elemak, Issib, Mebbekew and Nafai were drawn into conflict-with the city and with each other-as the Oversoul began destabilizing forty million years of social engineering. But even a master computer worshipped as a god can't guarantee that knowledge will be used only as it is intended.
The Memory of Earth is the first of a new five book series that will carry its readers from the road to Basilica back to Lost Earth. Orson Scott Card is the award winning author of ENDER'S GAME, SPEAKER FOR THE DEAD, and the bestselling XENOCIDE.
Featured Series
4 primary booksHomecoming Saga is a 3-book series with 3 primary works first released in 1992 with contributions by Orson Scott Card.
Reviews with the most likes.
3.5 stars. This is an interesting setting, especially from a social and gender perspective, as well as being set in the far future, but it's essentially an Ottoman/medieval desert setting. Thirty million years in the future, descendants of Slavic refugees from Earth live in a city called Basilica on the planet Harmony. Women run the place, at least from a spiritual perspective, and have control of marriages and the raising of children. There's an interesting set of rituals around sex and marriage. The main character Nafai spends an awful lot of time thinking about getting a girlfriend, in a typical example of Card's excellent characterization. The planet is watched over by a computer mind called The Oversoul, which the main character and his brother discover is responsible for keeping Harmony's citizens from developing weapons of war (i.e. they have weapons for personal defense). The Oversoul is breaking down, however, losing its ability to prevent war.
So it's a cool setup, and it's as well written as any other OSC book. The reason it's not 4 stars is that as interesting as the setting is, it's not quite interesting enough or distinctive enough to get me to read the next book (there are 5). Despite the hugeness of the story idea, it just doesn't feel like a big deal the way Hyperion or other books from this era do. Not bad, just not that compelling.
Fantastically written. Interesting characters. Excellent dialogue. Card at his best.
