The Memory of Earth

Homecoming, Volume 1

By: Orson Scott Card

Narrated by: Stefan Rudnicki

Length: 10 hrs and 33 mins

Publisher's summary

High above the planet Harmony, the Oversoul watches. Its task, programmed so many millennia ago, is to guard the human settlement on this planet, to protect this fragile remnant of Earth from all threats...to protect them, most of all, from themselves.

The Oversoul has done its job well. There is no war on Harmony. There are no weapons of mass destruction. There is no technology that could lead to weapons of war. By control of the data banks, and subtle interference in the very thoughts of the people, the artificial intelligence has fulfilled its mission.

But now there is a problem. In orbit, the Oversoul realizes that it has lost access to some of its memory banks, and some of its power systems are failing. And on the planet, men are beginning to think about power, wealth, and conquest.

©1992 Orson Scott Card (P)2008 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"I'm hooked....A thoroughly enjoyable piece of storytelling. What the heck - bring on number two." ( Chicago Tribune)
"Card is a master storyteller, and The Memory of Earth is eminently readable." ( The Seattle Times)

Great Audio Book!

Orson scott card does it again.. A great beginning to the homecoming series. The complexity of the relationships between characters seems overwhelming at first but that makes the story all the more grand.

Good read... but

The made up names drive me a little nuts... Why not call Napha, Nephi, then call his brothers Laman and Lemual, dad Lehi, little bro Sam, etc. Can't say the plot is as original as most of Orson's works. But, I liked it and will move on to the next one.

recommend this :)

love the narrator! I listen to a lot of his books that he reads aloud. the book itself is original and keeps you guessing. the character names were a bit hard for me to fallow and I always got confused on who was the main speaker each time it seemed to switch; however, it did not discourage me from continuing :)

Another Great Read from Orson Scott Card

I love anything this man writes. Great insight into character and interesting plot, with action and suspense but not hours of fight scenes. Great book

Strange, and quite a surprise treat.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book, so when I got lost in the story almost immediately, it was a pleasant surprise. It’s about a 14 year old boy, living in a community that resembles some traditional African cultures, the mother has her house where her children live with her until at some point between 8 and 14, the boys go to live with their fathers. It’s explained in an aside that boys who go to their father’s house at 8 are the stupid ones. The child’s education is carried out under the supervision of the women; the brighter the boy, the longer he will live with his mother. Really good world building and character development, I was hooked! This is not Earth, however. It’s Harmony. And Harmony has some interesting features. Living cities, vibrant cultural activities and spaces. A certain tribal lawlessness, relaxed attitudes about sex. Semi-Matrilineal (?) society. Rich in arts; theater and music, political satires, etc. and the history is that tens of millions of years earlier, humanity was forced off of Earth due to acidification of the environment and fires and pollution, who knows. So as many people as they could fit were flung out into space with the hope of finding the perfect planet for humans to colonize.
This is a multi-book series. I love that the culture he created drew on some actual human cultures, it made Harmony feel so familiar even while the ‘alien’ elements of their technology and society stand out in comparison. If the rest of the books come close to this one? I’m IN!

Interesting Premise

I have read a lot of OSC -- all of the Ender series (both of tracks) as well as the first Alvin Maker. This volume is not as good as Ender (any of them), but few Sci-Fi books are in my estimation. Like Alvin Maker, it leaves you hanging at the end, needing to know what happens next. I will say it ends at a natural break, while Alvin Maker stops way too soon.

The Memory of Earth offers an interesting take on humanity's seemingly inevitable quest to destroy itself. OSC is a master of strategy and I think this book also shows that mind at work. I am looking forward to Vol. II to see if the Oversoul's plan works out.

Where is The Coat of Many Colors?

THE CONCEPT OF UNTHINKABLE CONCEPTS
I must hurry and type this before the Oversoul causes me to forget. The Oversoul controls the minds of people in order to keep the peace and stop war. These are not the drones you are looking for. I read this book 30 years ago. I remembered it as a book I loved. The Oversoul made me forget the boring wordy dialogue that started to infiltrate Card's writing in the 90's. The stretching out of a story in order to be able to write sequels.

WE DON'T GET TO CHOSE OUR BROTHERS.
Card takes the story of Moses and Joseph and combines them to make this story. We have brothers who hate each other, a common theme in Card books. Another ploy that Card started using around this time, the main character questions every move and decision everyone makes. The main character has no sense of humor again. If you have read more then three Card books written after 1990 then you have read this book, only the names have been changed.

YOU SHOULD HAVE NEVER GIVEN MEN THE VOTE.

Has the potential to get better

Njafai is a 14 year old boy living with his father and brothers and sometimes with his mother on the planet Harmony. Like everyone else they are believers in the Over Soul. Yet what is this Over Soul? A god or a super computer? How does he/she influence the world in which Njafai lives? What happens when Njafai makes a sort of alliance with this being?
Orson Scott Card tells the story of a boy becoming a man, a machine outliving its days and the promise of a new world. The story seems to be build on the Exodus story in the Bible. Yet with less intrigue, but still with interesting twists. Stefan Rudnicki's reading is solid, clear and enjoyable. I just can't say where Scott Card will take us with this story. The first book of the Homecoming series seems to me to be a long introduction. It is clear that the next books in the series will answer if this is a worthwhile listen. Currently I can't say much, except that there is enough to want you to listen to the next book.

Interesting Story

Though an interesting story, The Memory of Earth didn't live up to my expectations. A good cautionary tale with an interesting viewpoint of future society.

Awesome!

I thought I was gonna hate it cuz I am an ex Mormon and thought the story would be really preachy since it is based on the Book of Mormon. In actuality, it is much less preachy than a lot of OSC's other works. I was pleasantly surprised and would rate this in the top half of my favorite books.