What a charming book. Its heroine is rare in fiction – a 70+ peasant woman Ofelia. Such a protagonist is even rarer in science fiction. Actually, I think she is unique in the genre. In all my reading, I’ve never heard of another old woman who would make a science fiction protagonist. Fantasy – yes, but science fiction – I don’t think so.Ofelia doesn’t have any education. She has been living in an agrarian colony on an otherwise uninhabited planet for over 40 years, raising her children, working hard, and lately, enjoying her retirement... somewhat. Until the top dogs somewhere decided that the colony has failed and should be relocated.Ofelia doesn’t want to be relocated. She wants to live her remaining years in her own house and die in her own bed. She has never been a rebel, so her defiance takes a quiet form: she hides from the relocation officers in the forest without telling anyone and waits until everyone else leaves. Actually, nobody is trying hard to find her; nobody needs to spend money relocating a useless old woman, right? Left alone – a sole human being on the planet – she rejoices. She is used to living a simple life, and now she lives it on her own terms. Before, she had always obeyed the demands of the colony bosses, of her community, her husband, her children (not a rebel, remember), but now, she finds delight in solitude and no demands at all. She can do whatever she wants, grow as many tomatoes as she likes, and wear clothes she was never allowed to wear before without fear of ridicule. For the first half of the novel, the story shuffles along as slowly as Ofelia with her arthritic joints. This unlikely Robinson Crusoe doesn’t want to go back to civilization, thank you very much, but Ofelia’s idyllic interlude can’t last. It’s fiction, and her peace is rudely interrupted. First, some totally unexpected aliens show up, and then another human expedition arrives to make contact with these aliens. And nobody expects Ofelia to be there. She was supposed to have been relocated. I love Ofelia’s interactions with the aliens. They show that sometimes, education is not as important as human wisdom accumulated during a long life. Ofelia becomes a surrogate ‘grandmother’ for the aliens. She is not enthusiastic about their intrusion on her serene existence but she accepts it and deals with it, as she has dealt with other problems in her life – with quiet courage and compassion. Sometimes, she is grumpy. Other times, her wit sparks, but her humanity and rough kindness are unmistakable. When the official delegation arrives, Ofelia retreats into her former shell of a dumb complacent old broad. They think her unimportant, a nuisance to be dealt with, who muddled their glorious first-contact situation, and she accepts their verdict as a given. After all, that’s how she has been treated her entire life. She doesn’t have the nerve for the second rebellion. But both herself and the human delegation reckoned without Ofelia’s alien ‘grandkids.’ They might have other ideas.I loved the book until the human delegation showed up. Before that moment, I believed the story. Ofelia is so true to life, I wanted to cheer her up, when she felt blue, and to congratulate her, when she achieved her small victories. She is daring – within reason – and her artistic soul, hidden deep inside until now, soars in the absence of outside inhibitions. She could’ve been so much more, if she was ever given a chance at education, at artistic pursuits, at a better life. But she wasn’t, and she dealt with her fate with dignity and determination.Her interactions with the aliens were humorous and totally convincing. Then the other humans showed up, and I stopped believing. Every member of that expedition was a pompous ass. They all disregarded Ofelia and considered the aliens slightly above monkeys on the developmental scale. None of them showed any doubts, or any professional insight. I would expect the first-contact delegation to consist of half-and-half: super scientists (biology, linguistics, sociology, etc.) and glib diplomats, plus a top-notch military team. But of this particular group, nobody is a diplomat. The leader is a hard-core bureaucrat, ignorant and without a diplomatic bone in his body. The professionals are only so-so, second assistants or some such, while the military are on the level of a local police. No one is considerate or even simply polite. A rather shameful first-contact delegation, much worse than Star Trek ever came up with. Overall, I would give Ofelia’s story 5 stars. The human delegation soured my enjoyment of the book, so I dropped a star, but they only landed on the planet on page 211 (of 325 pages) so I was able to enjoy most of the novel unhindered by their stupid behavior.Definitely recommended to all sci-fi readers. One of the best books in the genre.
My Rating: 3.5 Worth the TimeElizabeth Moon really dove into the depths of age in the character of Ofelia. I enjoyed her depth of experience and wisdom. I love the way Ofelia grew & adapted to accept herself and fulfill her own wishes and dreams. Ofelia is a great person. Someone I could look up to, honor. Moon changes age from being something horrible or fearful into something satisfying.The planet is amazing. The difference between Terra-forming ground the colonists cultivated and the local vegetation is defined and specific. When the indigenes show up on the scene, they are so completely un-human and intelligent. I really enjoyed the different language and communication and culture. The People humming and drumming was just delightful as was the significance of left hand, right hand. For me, it started very slowly and I tired of the repetitiveness of Ofelia figuring out what she wanted to wear. I accept the concept that the clothing question was a piece of a larger whole, but I would have enjoyed different aspects to convey the idea, personally. It might not have made as big of a difference for me, except I was at the beach and between the slow beginning and the rhythmic waves, I got more resting than reading done.I really liked the idea of respecting all people and not assuming one is better at something based on schooling or classification.
What do You think about Remnant Population (2003)?
I must tell you about one of my very best dearest friend, sorry book. Meet Ofelia, she is a mature woman past childbearing who never got a chance to make something of herself. The scene is the one town on a company owned colony planet. She lives with her obnoxious son Barto and his wife Rosara in town when we learn that the company lost the franchise to the planet. All colonists have to leave.Ofelia has had enough and decides to stay when the others leave. I love to listen to Ofelia’s thoughts and to see her planning to stay behind.She avoids the last shuttle and she is left all alone. The only human left on the planet. Ofelia can now live her own life as she like. It feels so liberating to read about it all. I want to be there all alone too that’s how wonderful it reads.Half a year or so later the colony’s radio comes alive with human voices again. It’s a new company-owned shipload of colonists. They don’t know Ofelia is down there, and their plan is to settle a new colony closer to the equator on the grass plains there, far away from the old colony. They land and start to clear the area with heavy machinery when unknown aliens with knifes and spears attack and kill them all to the last man, woman and child. While Ofelia listen to it all on the radio. Ofelia gets the scare of her life and she can’t talk to the ship before it leaves because the colonist realigned the communication satellite to the new colony.Being all alone doesn’t feel safe anymore for Ofelia. She lives her life in fear now, in fear for the killers that lives somewhere on the planet. She starts to see dangers here and there.One rainy stormy night she makes contact …And that’s when the real story begins :-) Read it!
—Ove
There are not enough novels with awesome old ladies as their protagonists. Speaking as someone who wishes to be an awesome old lady some day, I consider this a gap in the market. At the start of Remnant Population, the members of a failed colony have been ordered to pack up and leave the planet that has become their home. Widowed Ofelia decides the hell with it, she's staying put; her grown son doesn't need her, her daughter-in-law can't stand her (it's mutual), and she's fed up with living her life to please other people.Meanwhile on another part of the planet, a new colony is wiped out by a previously unsuspected group of indigenous inhabitants. Ofelia must figure out how to communicate with them, and how to explain them to the human colonists, before the two sides attempt to wipe each other out.I am a sucker for stories about first contact and miscommunication and culture clash (something C. J. Cherryh does so well) and in this book there is plenty to go around: we get the indigenes' attempts to communicate with Ofelia from their point of view and Ofelia's frustration at being treated by the new colonists like an ignorant, confused old woman from hers. I'm happy to report that everything works out OK -- a bit unrealistically perhaps, but it's terribly satisfying just the same.
—Electric Landlady
Elizabeth Moon is a wonderful writer. She's created a unique protagonist in Ofelia and made some important observations about class, gender biases and aging in 'our' cultural paradigm. Very important. The authenticity of her settings, from the behavior of the sheep and cattle to the weather, gardens and technology says Moon has lived a diverse life and/or knows how to research. Her creation of an 'alien' species was fabulous. More important than that, I fell into the story as it carried me into her world. So enjoyable! My only wish was to spend more time in the People's POV, see the stone cities and perhaps hear less from one group. (No spoilers. I liked the way Ofelia perceived 'this group'but I wanted them to actually be more capable and sophisticated when in their own POV.) No matter, I very much enjoyed this read and am grateful it was recommended to me. I'll be looking for more works by Elizabeth Moon!
—Kim Falconer
