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Children of Time

Book 1 in the series:Children of Time

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'Children of Time' by Adrian Tchaikovsky is a captivating science fiction novel that delves into the concept of speculative evolution. The story follows two parallel plotlines - one focusing on the remnants of humanity aboard a generation ship facing conflicts and challenges, and the other highlighting the evolution of hyper-intelligent spiders on a terraformed planet. The intricate worldbuilding, complex societal structures, and unique biotechnologies showcased in the book offer a thought-provoking exploration of themes such as evolution, terraforming, and the consequences of human actions on distant planets. Tchaikovsky's writing style seamlessly weaves together these two narratives, creating a compelling and immersive reading experience that keeps readers engaged till the satisfying conclusion.

Characters:

Characters in the story feature a dichotomy between developed, relatable spider societies and often flawed human protagonists, making the spiders the more compelling focus.

Writing/Prose:

Tchaikovsky's writing combines straightforward prose with scientific detail, though it may lack emotional resonance for some readers.

Plot/Storyline:

Children of Time presents an engaging dual narrative, showcasing the evolution of intelligent spiders while the last remnants of humanity seek a new home, reflecting on the consequences of human actions.

Setting:

The setting contrasts a collapsing Earth with a terraformed planet, showcasing the evolution of intelligent spiders across millennia.

Pacing:

The pacing varies throughout, starting slowly but gaining momentum, particularly in the latter sections, while alternating narratives can disrupt flow.
There were no windows in the Brin 2 facility—rotation meant that “outside” was always “down,” underfoot, out of mind. The wall screens told a pleasant fiction, a composite view of the world below that...

Notes:

The story revolves around a future where humanity has destroyed Earth and is seeking new habitable planets.
The novel features two main narratives: one follows a group of intelligent spiders and the other follows the last remnants of humanity aboard a spaceship.
The spiders evolve from ordinary creatures into a complex civilization due to a genetically engineered nanovirus intended for monkeys.
Adrian Tchaikovsky has a background in zoology, which is reflected in his detailed portrayal of spider biology and behavior.
The novel explores themes such as evolution, intelligence, and the nature of civilization, juxtaposing the progress of spider society with the decline of humanity.
The spiders communicate in unique ways, including vibrations and gestures, making their society feel alien yet relatable.
The book won the 2016 Arthur C. Clarke Award, highlighting its acclaim in the science fiction community.
Many readers report a significant shift in their perceptions of spiders after reading the novel, indicating its impact on arachnophobia.
Tchaikovsky uses recurring character names across generations of spiders, creating a sense of continuity in their society.
The story presents a dichotomy between the spiders' cooperative culture and humanity's destructive tendencies, prompting reflection on societal behaviors.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

Potential triggers include themes of societal collapse, violence, and issues related to gender dynamics and hierarchy.

From The Publisher:

Adrian Tchaikovksy's award-winning novel Children of Time, is the epic story of humanity's battle for survival on a terraformed planet.

Who will inherit this new Earth?

The last remnants of the human race left a dying Earth, desperate to find a new home among the stars. Following in the footsteps of their ancestors, they discover the greatest treasure of the past age - a world terraformed and prepared for human life.

But all is not right in this new Eden. In the long years since the planet was abandoned, the work of its architects has borne disastrous fruit. The planet is not waiting for them, pristine and unoccupied. New masters have turned it from a refuge into mankind's worst nightmare.

Now two civilizations are on a collision course, both testing the boundaries of what they will do to survive. As the fate of humanity hangs in the balance, who are the true heirs of this new Earth?

Ratings (177)

Incredible (50)
Loved It (68)
Liked It (23)
It Was OK (17)
Did Not Like (16)
Hated It (3)

Reader Stats (421):

Read It (177)
Currently Reading (6)
Want To Read (195)
Did Not Finish (10)
Not Interested (33)

7 comment(s)

It Was OK
2 weeks

“And yet it seems that building the future is never so simple. Each thread always leads to another, and there is no easy way to stop spinning.”

What an absurdly long slow book! I almost gave up many times but FINALLY the story started progressing towards something less drawn out than the beginning chapters of the book around 75% of the way through, and then REALLY kicked into gear around 83% in. The last part of the book would be 4 stars but the overall slog of getting through everything else puts this at a ~3.4.

With that said, very interesting world/concept, with a wonderful message at the end about empathy and working together to solve problems through different perspectives.

 
1 month

I feel like the line from The Simpsons suffices here. When Bart catches Lisa and Marge staring at shoes, he says, "Speaking of shoes, I don't care about shoes." I feel like this fits my opinion of this book. "Speaking of spiders, I don't care about spiders."

Giant spiders stretched my suspension of disbelief a little too far. Giant spiders that are basically like humans except spiders? Too much for me to believe. Also...I don't *hate* spiders, but I'm not really their biggest fans, either. The idea of a giant colony of humungous spiders makes me cringe a little.

I got 25% through it and then decided that it's too much. If the spiders are the good guys and I'm not enjoying their chapters, then there's not much hope for me, is there?

 
Did Not Like
2 months

Spiders

 
Loved It
6 months

Intriguing sci-fi with a wonderful ending. The book becomes a little slow and repetitive in middle but last 30 percent makeup for it. The rise in spider culture over a long time is very fascinating. It shows how science fiction can be about small insects' life rather than always need to be just space travel( even though the book has a parallel track about that). Overall good book.

 
Hated It
7 months

This may finally be the book that convinces me to abandon my completionist ways. It was an arduous journey to the end and I regret having made the trek. I am totally baffled by the high praise for this book, and I may never forgive Peter F. Hamilton for the profound deceit of his pull quote featured on the cover. "The smartest evolutionary world building you'll ever read." Well, then I will never read another book with any sort of evolutionary world building because if this is what counts as smart, the bar is terrifyingly low. Children of Time features it's weak science with the same quantity of exposition as a hard science fiction book. Plenty of books use science poorly and in questionable ways, I don't know how many others dedicate this many pages to doing it. All of the female characters have a very "men writing women" vibe but instead of bad anatomy, we have caricatures of the mad scientist and the no nonsense engineer who feel like slight deviations from 2D cardboard traditionally masculine archetypes. The result is a display of a disappointingly limited notion of what a strong, complex woman can be. The pacing is painfully and confusingly plodding, spending an incomprehensible amount of time to get to a fairly obvious conclusion outside of an otherwise unearned "twist." A twist that frankly proposes a world more worth observing than what we've been subject to for 600 pages. There are some possibly interesting plot ideas and worthy (albeit superficial) overarching messages about humanity in here, but they are completely lost in the overall low quality of the writing and storytelling.

 
Incredible
1 year

A wonderful, wry novel which combines rigorously plausible speculations on evolution and artificial intelligence. Perhaps the most impressive element is how convincingly the author portrays a very alien, non-human intelligence and society.

 
Liked It
1 year

Children of Time ranks among the very best sci fi books I have ever read and I have read easily a thousand hard sci fi books in my lifetime. The characters are well developed . The suspense is constant.

 
 
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