Remnant Population

A Novel

De: Elizabeth Moon

Narrado por: Suzanne Toren

For 40 years, Colony 3245.12 has been Ofelia’s home. On this planet far away in space and time from the world of her youth, she has lived and loved, weathered the death of her husband, raised her one surviving child, lovingly tended her garden, and grown placidly old. And it is here that she fully expects to finish out her days - until the shifting corporate fortunes of the Sims Bancorp Company dictates that Colony 3245.12 is to be disbanded, its residents shipped off, deep in cryo-sleep, to somewhere new and strange and not of their choosing. But while her fellow colonists grudgingly anticipate a difficult readjustment on some distant world, Ofelia savors the promise of a golden opportunity. Not starting over in the hurly-burly of a new community...but closing out her life in blissful solitude, in the place she has no intention of leaving. A population of one.

With everything she needs to sustain her, and her independent spirit to buoy her, Ofelia actually does start life over - for the first time on her own terms: free of the demands, the judgments, and the petty tyrannies of others. But when a reconnaissance ship returns to her idyllic domain, and its crew is mysteriously slaughtered, Ofelia realizes she is not the sole inhabitant of her paradise after all. And, when the inevitable time of first contact finally arrives, she will find her life changed yet again - in ways she could never have imagined...

©1996 Elizabeth Moon (P)2020 Blackstone Publishing

Unusual Scifi with strong female character

Rather than the typical strong female character in a scifi novel, this book does not have a female spy, or fighter pilot, or privateer, etc. Instead, the strength is internal, and comes from wisdom gained from age and a willingness to both listen and actually hear the voices of those alien to the main character. Swift action is not always the best response to all situations, however contemplative assessments give rise to far greater understanding than snap decisions.

The author takes us on a journey that is both poingnant and heroic, and redemptive.

Great story, solid performance

This story is one of Elizabeth Moon's best. After finishing I found myself wishing this was the first in a series.

Surprised me and kept my attention

It’s nice to see/hear something new. This was just a really good story. And the narrator did a terrific job.

Another Elizabeth Moon masterpiece

As with most of Moon’s works takes time to get into this book. Story builds slowly with great and fascinating finish!

Solo human meets

and negotiates first contact with alien race. Her motivations, their motivations and human bureaucracy come under scrutiny. She just wanted to be left alone! I enjoyed her inner dialog.

Wonderful story about first contact between an older female human and a new race.

I absolutely love this, though it did drag a little bit before the indigenous alien species made first contact. I will be looking for more by this author.

Treating aliens as children

Elizabeth's Moon's Remnant Population offers a unique display of first contact with a grandmother as the main character. Ofelia has spent most of her adult life on a fledging colony world and watched her husband and one child pass away on a world that never panned out as expected. Now the corporation that bankrolled the project wants to pull the plug and move the colonists to a new world. She decides to secretly remain behind and spend her remaining days in solitude. Another crew attempts to colonize the planet in a different location but are wiped out by an indigenous intelligent species unknown to Ofelia. Gradually, this new species makes contact and treating then like children that need to be taught, she forms a bond with them. Eventually, a research team is dispatched from Earth to study the aliens and friction develops.

Moon's major emphasis is on her unique protagonist who is a well over the hill grandmother that was trained to survive in a frontier environment on an uninhabited world. She is both stubborn and persevering. While the research team takes an academic approach, their perspectives are based on pure theory and simulations (this is the first intelligent alien species ever encountered), while Ofelia just treats them as she did her own children. At the same time, she displays senior wisdom that comes from the experience of a hard life. While the characters and corporate / government interests are bit too stereotypical, the role of lived wisdom and plain old common sense is fully documented.

The narration is well done with good character distinction, especially for the alien voices. Pacing is well aligned with the plot.

Classic Sci Fi but with a charming story! The best audio book I have heard in years. Uplifting and totally enjoyable.

Totally unexpected. A chassis asi-fi but with a charming story. The best audio book I have heard in years!

Otherworldly

An unconventional hero, and a touching and inspiring story. Sci-fi meets cottagecore, filled with the joys of a simple life, with the complexity of a good adventure. A true artistic love letter to everything humanity could be.

Really great and totally unexpected.

I started this audiobook and then stopped becuase it was a little slow. Then I had finished some other ones and gave it a 2nd chance. I'm so glad I I did as I grew to love the story. So interesting and I loved that the POV was from a older person. very original.