Gabriele Jackson
Adrian Tchaikovsky’s science fiction book Children Of Time describes a world where humanity has, unsurprisingly, managed to destroy itself. This is a common occurrence among science fiction, so what makes this particular book special? In fact, it is not the events that take place that are particularly shocking to the reader but the way the characters communicate them. The first chapter, written from the point of view of Doctor Avrana Kern, allows the reader to experience the death of the first civilization- referred to in the rest of the novel as the "Old Empire." Without spoiling this masterpiece for those looking forward to reading it, the rest of the novel shifts between the viewpoints of Portia and her many descendants, Doctor Avrana Ker, and Mason Holsten. To put into words the emotions a reader can experience by simply staring at ink and paper while visualizing the plot is nearly impossible when it comes to this particular novel. The conflicting knowledge, morality, and even social structures between the main characters make it all the more enjoyable. With a total page count of 600, it manages to be exquisitely descriptive without boring the reader.
Each point of view is unique. The different Portias change their society in so many ways. The reader can enjoy traveling down the bloodline from the first Portia, and watching how her descendants bring about religious, scientific, and social changes in their newly formed civilization. From humble beginnings as lonesome hunters to warring tribes and from warring tribes to a booming society, the reader watches a complex civilization rise from almost nothing. Doctor Avrana Kern provides brief bits of logic and motivation for the reader, and it is all the more entertaining to see her through another character's eyes because of it. Mason Holsten transitions through time in a near constant state of groggy confusion. His background as a "classicist"- a historian that studies the remnants of the Old Empire left behind from when it fell- places him in a minor yet important role among his peers, where he witnesses a shifting social climate on what is essentially a giant metal egg. As he puts the pieces of what happens around him together, the reader feels an extraordinary amount of secondhand dread once it becomes clear what is about to happen to the new civilizations. Of course, revealing what that is would spoil the experience for many eager readers.
Children Of Time is a truly magnificent masterpiece that deserves all the praise in the universe. Its beautiful and sometimes horrifying descriptions of the events highlight the different characters that perceive them. A reader can witness the rise and fall of multiple civilizations, and at least double that number of societal structures, in just a few pages. Make sure to pick this book up at the Hartselle High School library, bookstore, or buy it online. It is an engaging read and a page turner that you will remember forever! Before you do, though, one final warning- if you are entomophobic, you may have to pass on this one.
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