Earthborn (Homecoming Saga)
by Orson Scott Card
List Price:
Our Price: $3.32
You Save: $3.67 (53%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $0.01 (click here)
Category: Book
See more book details and other editions
Book Summary Information
Author: Orson Scott CardEdition: Mass Market Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 1996-05-15
ISBN: 0812532988
Number of pages: 448
Publisher: Tor Books
Book Reviews of Earthborn (Homecoming Saga)
Book Review: Worst of the series
Summary: 1 Stars
So you've read books one through four. You were impressed by Card's fascinating premise in book one, started to get really turned on to his idea of "god as a machine" in book two, loved the fantastic revelations and conflict in book three, and were intrigued by the first-hand narratives of diggers and angels in book four. I guess I should see how it ends, you say to yourself.
Don't be a fool. This book is utter dreck.
In retrospect, I can see how the series suffered a gradual, inexorable decline as Card kept writing, how the wonderful premises with which he began (far-future human evolution, god as a machine) were slowly subsumed by his frankly simplistic mysticism and allegorical Mormon proselytizing. But I only recognized this trend about halfway through book five, the one you're thinking about buying. Like you, after reading book four, although I wasn't that impressed with the strength of that volume I wanted to see how it all turned out.
Let me save you the trouble: angels and humans and diggers get along after all, and God loves you.
All the careful characterization of books one through four is thrown away, and we start fresh with all new characters and a "fun" new naming scheme we have to stumble around. Not only that, but the oversoul is practically a no-show, being completely replaced by the keeper of earth. I won't insert a "spoiler" by telling you about the keeper's true nature, but believe me you'll be disappointed with the explanation when it's revealed around 50 pages from the end. Oh, and he never explains the faster-than-light dream-sending mechanism. He never even mentions it.
Leading up to that tiny piece of plot resolution three volumes in the making, we're treated to a protracted morality / religion play where our protagonists learn to put their lives in God's hands and respect the literal truth of a set of golden plates written by their ancestors. For 400 christ-thumping pages. It's not all that well written, it's not very interesting, and most importantly, it's not what you signed on for after the first four books.
I can't for the life of me understand why Card didn't end the series with book four. This is a boring, barely-related addendum to an otherwise decent series. I was literally gnashing my teeth and straining to get through the last 80 pages.
Don't make my mistake. Pretend book four was a reasonable resolution and pretend this one was never written.
Summary of Earthborn (Homecoming Saga)
High above the earth orbits the starship Basilica. On board the huge vessel is a sleeping woman. Of those who made the journey, Shedemai alone has survived the hundred of years since the Children of Wetchik returned to Earth.
She now wears the Cloak of the Starmaster, and the Oversoul wakes her sometimes to watch over her descendants on the planet below. The population has grown rapidly--there are cities and nations now, whole peoples descended from the who followed Nafai or Elemak.
But in all the long years of watching and searching, the Oversoul has not found the thing it sought. It has not found the Keeper of the Earth, the central intelligence that also can repair the Oversoul's damaged programming.
She now wears the Cloak of the Starmaster, and the Oversoul wakes her sometimes to watch over her descendants on the planet below. The population has grown rapidly--there are cities and nations now, whole peoples descended from the who followed Nafai or Elemak.
But in all the long years of watching and searching, the Oversoul has not found the thing it sought. It has not found the Keeper of the Earth, the central intelligence that also can repair the Oversoul's damaged programming.
Fantasy Books
Book Subjects
- Arts & Photography
- Audiobooks on Cassette
- Audiobooks on CD
- Biographies & Memoirs
- Business & Investing
- Children's Books
- Comics & Graphic Novels
- Computers & Internet
- Cooking, Food & Wine
- e-Books
- Engineering
- Entertainment
- Gay & Lesbian
- Health, Mind & Body
- History
- Home & Garden
- Horror
- Law
- Literature & Fiction
- Medicine
- Mystery & Thrillers
- Nonfiction
- Outdoors & Nature
- Parenting & Families
- Professional & Technical
- Reference
- Religion & Spirituality
- Romance
- Science
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Sports
- Teens
- Travel
Most talked about in Great Science Fiction and Fantasy Books
Anansi Boysby Neil Gaiman
HarperTorch; Published: 2006-10-01; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $3.89
Price in other shops:
The Shiningby Stephen King
Pocket; Published: 2002-10-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $5.10
Price in other shops:
Tales from Earthsea (The Earthsea Cycle, Book 5)by Ursula K. LeGuin
Ace; Published: 2003-10-28; Paperback; Book
Best price: $3.91
Price in other shops:
Otherland: City of Golden Shadowby Tad Williams
New Amer Library; Published: 1996; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $35.50
Man of Two Worldsby Frank and Herbert, Brian Herbert
New York G. P. Putnam's Sons 1986.; Published: 1986; Hardcover; Book
Earthborn (Homecoming Saga)by Orson Scott Card
Tor Books; Published: 1996-05-15; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $3.24
Price in other shops:
Lord Of The Isles (Lord of the Isles 1)by David Drake
Gollancz; Published: 1999-01-21; Paperback; Book
Best price: $14.53
Price in other shops:
The Invisible Man (Signet Classics)by H.G. Wells
New American Library/Penguin Books; Published: 2002-09-03; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $1.85
Price in other shops:
The Amulet of Samarkand (The Bartimaeus Trilogy, Book 1)by Jonathan Stroud
Miramax; Published: 2004-05-12; Paperback; Book
Best price: $1.59
Price in other shops:
Patternmasterby Octavia E. Butler
Aspect; Published: 1995-05-01; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $29.15
Similar Books and other products
Seventh Son (Tales of Alvin Maker, Book 1)by Orson Scott Card
Tor Fantasy; Published: 1993-06-15; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $2.94
Price in other shops:
Alvin Journeyman (Tales of Alvin Maker, Book 4)by Orson Scott Card
Tor Fantasy; Published: 1996-09-15; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $1.67
Price in other shops:
Prentice Alvin (Tales of Alvin Maker, Book 3)by Orson Scott Card
Tor Fantasy; Published: 1989-12-15; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $1.68
Price in other shops:
The Crystal City (Tales of Alvin Maker, Book 6)by Orson Scott Card
Published: 2003-11-01; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $6.92
Price in other shops:
First Meetings: In the Enderverse (Enders, 3)by Orson Scott Card
Published: 2003-08-05; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $3.99
Price in other shops:
Heartfire (Tales of Alvin Maker, Book 5)by Orson Scott Card
Tor Fantasy; Published: 1999-05-15; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $3.24
Price in other shops:
The Memory of Earthby Orson Scott Card
Tor Science Fiction; Published: 1993-01-15; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $1.50
Price in other shops:
The Call of Earthby Orson Scott Card
Tor Science Fiction; Published: 1994-01-15; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $1.87
Price in other shops:
The Ships of Earth: Homecoming: Volume 3 (Homecoming Saga)by Orson Scott Card
Tor Science Fiction; Published: 1995-01-15; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $3.38
Price in other shops:
Earthfall (Homecoming Saga)by Orson Scott Card
Tor Books; Published: 1996-01-15; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $2.99
Price in other shops: