Lovelock

By: Orson Scott Card, Kathryn H. Kidd

Narrated by: Emily Rankin

Length: 11 hrs and 44 mins

Publisher's Summary

Orson Scott Card, best-selling author of Ender’s Game, teams up with Kathryn H. Kidd to launch an epic science fiction saga of space exploration - and a dramatic conflict between human and nonhuman intelligence.

On the Ark, a colonyship bound outward across the stars, not everyone is a volunteer - or even human. Lovelock is a capuchin monkey engineered from conception to be the perfect servant: intelligent, agile, and devoted to his owner. He is a "witness", privileged to spend his days and nights recording the life of one of Earth’s most brilliant scientists via digital devices implanted behind his eyes.

But Lovelock is something special among witnesses. He’s a little smarter than most humans: smart enough to break through some of his conditioning, smart enough to feel the bonds of slavery - and want freedom.

Set against the awesome scope of interstellar space, and like Speaker for the Dead and Xenocidebefore it, Lovelock probes the provocative interface between humanity and another sentient species.

©2013 Orson Scott Card and Kathryn H. Kidd (P)2013 Blackstone Audio

2.6 dimensional, but good

The story was engaging, the characters interesting, but there was less depth and definition than some of cards other works. Lovelock, while somewhat reminiscent of Bean, is scurrying through a world that doesn't feel nearly as comprehensive as the "enderverse.". the characters are more or less as well developed as in other card novels, but it feels as though they came from a two dimensional world. Initially I found the narrator's style to be rather irritating, but she sounds like such a nice person that I got over it.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Angst, angst and more angst

Has Lovelock turned you off from other books in this genre?

Yes

Which scene was your favorite?

Lovelock's computer skills

What character would you cut from Lovelock?

All of them

Any additional comments?

This novel is not science fiction. It is a soap opera containing some of the worst characterization, moral pandering and emotional manipulation I have read - all set in a barebones science fiction theme.

The setting is an "ark" preparing to disembark to colonize a nearby planet. Sad to say, the ship has still not departed by the end of the book and the entire story is about interpersonal reactions between the Members of the Ark. The "crew" consists of characters that would never be allowed within one thousand miles of such an enterprise because they are the most diverse collection of neurotic, anti-social, and dysfunctional characters known to Mankind. Rather than a lone maladjusted person inside a generally "normal" society, this crew can't field a single well adjusted human being in the entire cast.

Don't believe me? We have a super intelligent "enhanced" Capuchin monkey who interacts with: an emotionally unavailable scientist protagonist with little or no maternal instincts towards her two children; her "therapist" husband who discovers he has homosexual tendencies mid way through the book; a pedophile; a sadistic and extremely manipulative mother-in-law married to a Walter Mitty look alike; marital affairs galore and a bevy of manipulative beehive hairdo gossip mongers that include the leader of the "village." Mind you, other than the scientist, not one of these individuals seems to have any valid expertise other than socially related skills such as rudimentary psychology, child care, political, funeral services, etc. - with the possible exception of two quasi computer trained sysop cops that enjoy a paragraph or two before being abandoned.

The story line is mostly a mash of anthropomorphic anti-slavery themes coupled with interpersonal backbiting and squabbling that is an unending cacophony of angst, subjective vitriol and anti-authoritarianism. Several areas of the book start themes that go nowhere-for example, the protagonist makes love with her husband in order to save her marriage by having another child and....what? Don't know because the story never says she gets pregnant or is unsuccessful. In the meantime, her marriage collapses when her husband finds love with another man and the book ends.

The only science fiction element- aside from its story housing - is the concept that you could actually pack enough intelligence and computational power in a Capuchin monkey that it could act as a highly sapient philosopher and computer scientist - particularly when you consider it has a brain pan barely large enough to hold a whiffle ball.

'Nough said.

3 of 4 people found this review helpful

Too much like a soap opera for my tastes

The initial premise of a sentient “witness” on a space arc drew me to start the book with hopes for a unique read. There were some thought provoking areas regarding race/species/sentience that kept me going. Overall the time spent with the details of most of the characters didn’t hook me into their lives and didn’t keep the story interesting for me.

It's aight. Not Cards best.

As a veracious fan of Cards books and series', I thought this was rather weak in comparison to his others. But not every one can be as epic as the enderverse or maker world or gate series. It was decent. Makes you think about sentience a bit, but I got most of those thoughts done reading Xenocide. Cute, so a younger reader would love it probably. Not a big fan of the voice artist. Forgive me Card and friends if you ever happen to read this, i'm sure you're all friends. I practice aggressive honesty.

I want more and I'd like an ending

I felt like this didn't give me an ending. Well performed but so many loose ends.

Love Orson Scott Card!

One of my favorite books from one of my favorite authors. The voice acting was excellent and the story is gripping. It makes you think and feel and care about the characters. The last part is especially poignant--highly recommended! Five stars all the way!

Love. Lovelock?

Very different but good. Not an action adventure by any stretch of the imagination but if you want an entertaining and thought provoking read, this is a good one

Not what I expected from author of Ender's Game

Ender's Game is one of the top 10 books I have ever read! This book was not memorable at all. If I could get my credit back I would. REALLY POOR!

Calling this a soap opera insults soap operas.

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

Read the New York phone book, instead. Rankin could probably make that at least interesting.

What could Orson Scott Card and Kathryn H. Kidd have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Kill this project before Card's reputation was dented.

Have you listened to any of Emily Rankin’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have not heard Emily Rankin before. She is much better than this material.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Disgust.

You can skip

What did you like best about Lovelock? What did you like least?

This story was just getting started when it had ended. Too bad.

Would you ever listen to anything by Orson Scott Card and Kathryn H. Kidd again?

I love most of his books

Was Lovelock worth the listening time?

no

1 of 2 people found this review helpful