Earthfall (novel)

Last updated
Earthfall
OSChomecoming4.jpg
Author Orson Scott Card
Cover artist Keith Parkinson
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Series Homecoming Saga
Genre Science fiction
Publisher Tor Books
Publication date
1995
Media typePrint (Hardcover & Paperback)
Pages350
ISBN 0-312-93039-9
OCLC 31606501
813/.54 20
LC Class PS3553.A655 E48 1995
Preceded by The Ships of Earth  
Followed by Earthborn  

Earthfall (1995) is a science fiction novel by American writer Orson Scott Card. It is the fourth book of the Homecoming Saga, a fictionalization of the first few hundred years recorded in the Book of Mormon. [1]

Contents

Plot summary

The children of Wetchik are ready to board the starship Basilica and embark on their journey from the planet Harmony back to the origin of humanity: Earth. However, the rivalry between Nafai and Elemak promises the journey will be anything but peaceful. Each faction already has hidden plans to prematurely awaken from the long hibernation, to have the upper hand when the landing occurs. The children become pawns in their parents' power struggle - valuable potential adults that can strengthen each faction. But the Oversoul is ultimately in control, having uploaded a copy of itself into Basilica's central computer, so that it can monitor the ship at all times.

After landing on Earth, the fragile peace wrought on board is merely a mask for the turmoils of passions that boil beneath. Not only do the colonists have to deal with the split, there are also the mysteriously symbiotic alien races that have evolved on Earth since humanity's departure. The quest to understand the Angels (giant bats) and the Diggers (giant rats) that were foreshadowed in the dreams is not an easy one.

The focus throughout the course of this novel begins to drift away from the original generation of characters in order to delineate the passage of time. The factions that developed among the original generation have now spread to their children, through no fault of the children themselves. Nafai finds himself and his "Nafari" living and working primarily amongst the angel people, whereas the "Elemaki" associate much more closely with the diggers. It is this dissociation that eventually breaks nearly all the bonds—literally, for Hushidh and Cheveya—between Nafai and his older brother, Elemak. As Elemak's rage and hatred for Nafai grow, he ingrains such feelings into his family and the digger people, laying the foundation for war.

After the death of Volemak the Nafari migrate northwards away from the landing site to found a new nation.

Reception

A 1994 Kirkus review wrote, "Card's series would be more reader-friendly with fewer characters, and if the individual entries were more self-contained. Nevertheless, it continues to impress." [2]

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>The Memory of Earth</i> 1992 novel by Orson Scott Card

The Memory of Earth (1992) is a science fiction novel by American writer Orson Scott Card. It is the first book of the Homecoming Saga, a loose fictionalization of the first few hundred years recorded in the Book of Mormon.

<i>Enders Game</i> 1985 novel by Orson Scott Card

Ender's Game is a 1985 military science fiction novel by American author Orson Scott Card. Set at an unspecified date in Earth's future, the novel presents an imperiled humankind after two conflicts with an insectoid alien species they dub "the buggers". In preparation for an anticipated third invasion, Earth's international military force recruits young children, including the novel's protagonist, Andrew "Ender" Wiggin, to be trained as elite officers. The children learn military strategy and leadership by playing increasingly difficult war games, including some in zero gravity, where Ender's tactical genius is revealed.

<i>Children of the Mind</i> 1996 novel by Orson Scott Card

Children of the Mind (1996) is a novel by American author Orson Scott Card, the fourth in his successful Ender's Game series of science fiction novels that focus on the character Ender Wiggin. This book was originally the second half of Xenocide, before it was split into two novels.

<i>Enders Shadow</i> 1999 novel by Orson Scott Card

Ender's Shadow (1999) is a parallel science fiction novel by the American author Orson Scott Card, taking place at the same time as the novel Ender's Game and depicting some of the same events from the point of view of Bean, a supporting character in the original novel. It was originally to be titled Urchin, but it was retitled Ender's Shadow prior to release. Ender's Shadow was shortlisted for a Locus Award in 2000.

<i>Shadow of the Giant</i> 2005 novel by Orson Scott Card

Shadow of the Giant (2005) is a science fiction novel by American writer Orson Scott Card, the fourth novel in his Ender's Shadow series, also called the Bean Quartet.

The Ender's Game series is a series of science fiction books written by American author Orson Scott Card. The series started with the novelette Ender's Game, which was later expanded into the novel of the same title. It currently consists of sixteen novels, thirteen short stories, 47 comic issues, an audioplay, and a film. The first two novels in the series, Ender's Game and Speaker for the Dead, each won both the Hugo and Nebula Awards.

<i>Earthborn</i> 1995 novel by Orson Scott Card

Earthborn (1995) is a science fiction book by American writer Orson Scott Card, the concluding fifth book of the Homecoming Saga. The series is a fictionalization of the first few hundred years recorded in the Book of Mormon.

Mormon fiction is generally fiction by or about members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, who are also referred to as Latter-day Saints or Mormons. Its history is commonly divided into four sections as first organized by Eugene England: foundations, home literature, the "lost" generation, and faithful realism. During the first fifty years of the church's existence, 1830–1880, fiction was not popular, though Parley P. Pratt wrote a fictional Dialogue between Joseph Smith and the Devil. With the emergence of the novel and short stories as popular reading material, Orson F. Whitney called on fellow members to write inspirational stories. During this "home literature" movement, church-published magazines published many didactic stories and Nephi Anderson wrote the novel Added Upon. The generation of writers after the home literature movement produced fiction that was recognized nationally but was seen as rebelling against home literature's outward moralization. Vardis Fisher's Children of God and Maurine Whipple's The Giant Joshua were prominent novels from this time period. In the 1970s and 1980s, authors started writing realistic fiction as faithful members of the LDS Church. Acclaimed examples include Levi S. Peterson's The Backslider and Linda Sillitoe's Sideways to the Sun. Home literature experienced a resurgence in popularity in the 1980s and 1990s when church-owned Deseret Book started to publish more fiction, including Gerald Lund's historical fiction series The Work and the Glory and Jack Weyland's novels.

<i>Homecoming Saga</i> Novel series by Orson Scott Card

The Homecoming Saga is a science fiction series by Orson Scott Card. The series is patterned on the Book of Mormon. Some of the names also come from the Book of Mormon.

<i>The Ships of Earth</i> 1994 novel by Orson Scott Card

The Ships of Earth (1994) is a science fiction novel by American writer Orson Scott Card. It is the third book of the Homecoming Saga, a fictionalization of the first few hundred years recorded in the Book of Mormon.

<i>The Call of Earth</i> 1992 novel by Orson Scott Card

The Call of Earth (1992) is a science fiction novel by American writer Orson Scott Card. It the second book of the Homecoming Saga, a fictionalization of the first few hundred years recorded in the Book of Mormon.

<i>Shadows in Flight</i> 2012 novel by Orson Scott Card

Shadows in Flight is a science fiction novella by American writer Orson Scott Card. When released in 2012, it became the twelfth book published in the Ender's Game series. The story follows on from where the original four "Shadow series" books left off. It is about Bean and his children discovering an ancient Formic "ark" during their journey in space. It was released in January of 2012. It was nominated for the Goodreads Choice Award for science fiction.

<i>Ender in Exile</i> 2008 novel by Orson Scott Card

Ender in Exile is a science fiction novel by American writer Orson Scott Card, part of the Ender's Game series, published on November 11, 2008. It takes place between the two award-winning novels Ender's Game and Speaker for the Dead. It could also be considered a parallel novel to the first three sequels in the Shadow Saga, since the entirety of this trilogy takes place in the span of Ender in Exile. The novel concludes a dangling story line of the Shadow Saga, while it makes several references to events that take place during the Shadow Saga. From yet another perspective, the novel expands the last chapter of the original novel Ender's Game. On the one hand, it fills the gap right before the last chapter, and on the other hand, it fills the gap between the last chapter and the original (first) sequel. Ender in Exile begins one year after Ender has won the bugger war, and begins with the short story "Ender's Homecoming" from Card's webzine Intergalactic Medicine Show. Other short stories that were published elsewhere are included as chapters of the novel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orson Scott Card</span> American science fiction novelist (born 1951)

Orson Scott Card is an American writer known best for his science fiction works. He is 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).

Ender's Game is a series of comic book adaptations of a series of science fiction novels of the same name written by Orson Scott Card and published by Marvel Comics that began in October 2008. However, some have new content not included in the novels. The series, like the novels they are based on, are set in a future where mankind is facing annihilation by an aggressive alien society, an insect-like race known colloquially as "Buggers" but more formally as "Formics". The central character, Andrew "Ender" Wiggin, is one of the child soldiers trained at Battle School to be the future leaders of the protection of Earth. The year is never specified, although the ages of the Wiggin children are bound to change throughout space, taking in the relativity of space and time.

<i>Wyrms</i> (novel) 1987 novel by Orson Scott Card

Wyrms (1987) is a science fiction novel by American writer Orson Scott Card. The story examines desire, wisdom, and human will. Card describes a version of the tri-partite soul, similar to that articulated by Plato in The Republic.

<i>The Last Shadow</i> Book by Orson Scott Card

The Last Shadow is a 2021 science fiction novel by American writer Orson Scott Card, part of his Ender's Game series. It links the Shadow Saga back to the original Ender series. This book brings the two series back together, and wraps up some of the plot threads left dangling in Shadow of the Giant. The events in the book follow those in Children of the Mind, the final book in the Ender series.

<i>Earth Afire</i> 2013 novel by Orson Scott Card and Aaron Johnston

Earth Afire is a science fiction novel by American writers Orson Scott Card and Aaron Johnston, and the second book of the Formic Wars novels in the Ender's Game series. It was nominated for the Goodreads Choice Award for science fiction.

<i>Earth Awakens</i> 2014 novel by Orson Scott Card and Aaron Johnston

Earth Awakens is a science fiction novel by American writers Orson Scott Card and Aaron Johnston, and the third book of the First Formic Wars trilogy of novels in the Ender's Game series. It was released on June 10, 2014. It was nominated for the Goodreads Choice Award for science fiction.

<i>The Swarm</i> (Card and Johnston novel) Book by Orson Scott Card and Aaron Johnston

The Swarm is a 2016 science fiction novel by American writers Orson Scott Card and Aaron Johnston, and the first book of the Second Formic Wars trilogy of novels in the Ender's Game series. It was released on August 2, 2016.

References

  1. "Earthfall by Orson Scott Card". www.publishersweekly.com. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
  2. Earthfall.{{cite book}}: |website= ignored (help)