Remnant Population

A Novel

By: Elizabeth Moon

Narrated by: Suzanne Toren

Length: 12 hrs and 18 mins

Publisher's summary

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.

surprisingly good

A story about an dying neglected outcast who had her creativity stifled all her life, finally findinf her place of respect and admiration in the company of the indigenous race of the planet she lived her whole life. Interesting story about ageism, sticking it to the man and living your best life.

Awesome Book!

As an older woman, I love this main character! As all good book do, it holds a mirror up to our prejudices.

Wonderful!

I absolutely love this book and its fresh take on first contact. The narration is perfect. The only thing I did not like was how many times I heard the word ‘old’.

Not every hero needs to be young and strong

This is a wonder story of a woman at the end of her prime years. She is done with everyone's BS, and just wants to be left alone.

When the company in charge of the colony on this far flung world is ordered to move to a different planet, Ofelia is struck with the idea of staying behind. She has been there for the over 40 years that the company had been on the planet, and if she goes, she is likely to die in Cryo. She would rather die alone, in a place she is familiar with and had been her home for the majority of her life.

She successfully evades the company and is left behind, where she lives in peace and quiet. Her peace is destroyed when she hears transmissions from another human comapny attempting to colonize a different part of the planet. The humans are attacked by indigenous people and are killed.

The indigenous people want to learn more about the humans and find Ofelia. Instead of killing her, they attempt to communicate and understand her and why she is there and why the humans came.

Ofelia is perfect. The story flows so smoothly, the reader is almost there with Ofelia. The narrator is a perfect match for this story. I have read this book several times, and am very pleased with the narration, as it matched perfectly with how I would hear Ofelia in my imagination.

I recommend this book to anyone and everyone, regardless if they enjoy SciFi/Fantasy or not. This book is appropriate for anyone over the age of 10.

Slow Start, Worthwhile Middle and End

Author takes her time developing the main character, but eventually the aliens show up. The main character (or the author) has a number of resentments - on gender, agism, class, but the story is worth the time.