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Beggars in Spain, by Nancy Kress
Nov. 28th, 2008 09:05 pmBeggars in Spain
by Nancy Kress
438 pages (paperback)
Genre: Fiction/SF
Leisha Camden is the first ever Sleepless, a genetically engineered human who requires no sleep and is thus twice as productive. Drew Arlen is a Liver, part of the sedentary voting populace--not a donkey actually running government, god forbid--who invents his own identity as the Dreamer. Miri Sharifi is ironically like Leisha, the first Superbright, born on Sanctuary orbital as granddaughter to Leisha's longtime enemy Jennifer Sharifi. Beggars in Spain is divided into four sections, and it is really four linked stories arranged in chronological order with reoccuring characters. The divisions are most apparent after one finishes reading, a testament to the writing's flow.
This novel is truly a work of literature, from the multiple character foils (Leisha and her twin Sleeper sister Alice, Leisha and fellow but opposite Sleepless Jennifer Sharifi, Leisha and Jennifer's Superbright granddaughter Miri, Miri and Jennifer, Richard and his son Ricky, Joan and Alice...) to the themes--nothing new for SF but placed in a new context--revolving around things like governmental philosophy. I especially enjoyed the metatext regarding socialism as symbolized by Sanctuary, the orbital home of the Sleepless led by Jennifer, who is herself a fascinating character study.
I read the first hundred pages of the book about six months ago, but put it down and promptly ignored its existence, as is my wont. I picked it back up on a whim and was engrossed despite having forgotten both background and context. The science behind the fiction is well-thought-out and plausible (to a scientifically-illiterate lit geek who can at least spot hand-wavy BS). I loved the string-thoughts of the Superbrights and spent ten minutes poring over Miri's first explanation complete with chart. Even though I am sometimes doubtful of Kress's connections in that first example, I understand and appreciate the concept's originality.
Beggars in Spain is the best piece of hard SF I've read yet, though I'm not as well-read in SF as in fantasy; complete with Kress's remarkably sympathetic characters, I think her novel is deserving of both the Hugo and the Nebula won. And I can't wait to read the sequel, Beggars and Choosers, even though I've heard that it isn't as brilliant as its predecessor.
by Nancy Kress
438 pages (paperback)
Genre: Fiction/SF
Leisha Camden is the first ever Sleepless, a genetically engineered human who requires no sleep and is thus twice as productive. Drew Arlen is a Liver, part of the sedentary voting populace--not a donkey actually running government, god forbid--who invents his own identity as the Dreamer. Miri Sharifi is ironically like Leisha, the first Superbright, born on Sanctuary orbital as granddaughter to Leisha's longtime enemy Jennifer Sharifi. Beggars in Spain is divided into four sections, and it is really four linked stories arranged in chronological order with reoccuring characters. The divisions are most apparent after one finishes reading, a testament to the writing's flow.
This novel is truly a work of literature, from the multiple character foils (Leisha and her twin Sleeper sister Alice, Leisha and fellow but opposite Sleepless Jennifer Sharifi, Leisha and Jennifer's Superbright granddaughter Miri, Miri and Jennifer, Richard and his son Ricky, Joan and Alice...) to the themes--nothing new for SF but placed in a new context--revolving around things like governmental philosophy. I especially enjoyed the metatext regarding socialism as symbolized by Sanctuary, the orbital home of the Sleepless led by Jennifer, who is herself a fascinating character study.
I read the first hundred pages of the book about six months ago, but put it down and promptly ignored its existence, as is my wont. I picked it back up on a whim and was engrossed despite having forgotten both background and context. The science behind the fiction is well-thought-out and plausible (to a scientifically-illiterate lit geek who can at least spot hand-wavy BS). I loved the string-thoughts of the Superbrights and spent ten minutes poring over Miri's first explanation complete with chart. Even though I am sometimes doubtful of Kress's connections in that first example, I understand and appreciate the concept's originality.
Beggars in Spain is the best piece of hard SF I've read yet, though I'm not as well-read in SF as in fantasy; complete with Kress's remarkably sympathetic characters, I think her novel is deserving of both the Hugo and the Nebula won. And I can't wait to read the sequel, Beggars and Choosers, even though I've heard that it isn't as brilliant as its predecessor.
