Refusing to leave her only home to board the cryo ships, Ofelia she hides, content to live alone on an abandoned planet, but when new settlers arrive and are slaughtered by unknown stone-age aliens, she takes it upon herself to save the aliens from Earth's wrath.
Remnant Population
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In a far-flung capitalistic empire among the stars, generations of colonization without a single contact with an intelligent, non-human species have reduced the colonial process to a franchise system. Amid the abuses of the system which inevitably follow, an old woman decides not to leave when her failed colony is evacuated, thinking the freedom to live alone and die in peace is worth any risk. In this entertaining but suspenseful first-contact novel, Elizabeth Moon's apt depiction of the interaction between old and young plays counterpoint to the interaction between human and alien.
From School Library Journal
YA. Failure to become a successful space colony, plus fear of the indigenous non-human population, forces the abandonment of Sims Bancorp Colony. Ofelia, tired of taking orders and too elderly to survive the trip to the next colony, hides until all fellow humans are evacuated. Alone but unafraid, she meets the challenges of survival and eventually befriends the natives who call themselves "The People." Gradually, Ofelia becomes an important member of The People and acts as their diplomatic liaison when a new group of humans return to the planet. Once downtrodden and overlooked, Ofelia rises above her old position to rebuild her self-esteem and redefine herself as she rises to situations calling for her to use her intelligence, emotional fortitude, and abilities. Once she has power, she uses it wisely and justly. The quick pace of the action, the vibrant descriptions, and the quirky aliens and humans will keep readers engrossed in the story. Teens unfamiliar with science fiction will find this as intriguing as those who avidly read the genre.?Pam Johnson, Fairfax County Public Library, VA
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By Barbara
Format:Paperback
This unhurried tale about the freedom and peace of solitude and success in later life is presented as science fiction, but I believe people at any stage of life can relate.
Ofelia is an old woman who decides to stay behind on a colony planet she has called home for half her life when the sponsoring company decides to move the colonists to another world. She is ready for a few years of freedom at the end of her long life. The freedom to wear what she wants, eat what she wants, rise and rest when she wants. She spends a few seasons and about a hundred pages alone. Then she encounters native intelligent life i.e. aliens and Ofelia gets acquainted with them and watches them learn at a marvelous rate that belies her initial impression of their childlike intelligence. Off world powers become aware of the intelligent life and send a group of specialists to study them.
This book was slow moving, but the writing was lovely. For some reason, I really like descriptions of weather and gardening and Moon provides plenty of both along with rather simple arts and crafts of bead painting and clothes making that I rather enjoyed. The story of rising to success and finding oneself highly valued, respected and useful is not new. But I have never read a book where the main character is old and Ofelia offered a refreshing perspective. I enjoyed this book.
Recommended.
By lexie2
Format:Paperback
I read this book for the first time when I was in my forties, and it sang a siren song to me about the need for solitude in the midst of life's hurly-burly. Ofelia awakens to her quiet inner voice when her colony is going to be moved, whether the colonists agree or not. Faced with a system that does not work for her and does not care, the voice says, "You're going to stay." Her radical decision is to listen and to stay on her planet alone, and to accept whatever befalls as a result.
We worry obsessively about how to prolong our lives. Ofelia fears most losing that voice inside. Alone on the planet, she cultivates this voice, and reclaims all that society stole from her of her individuality.
Now in my sixties, I can see that Ofelia represents the authentic voice of an older woman, and her message is fresh and courageous. She still has things to learn, and they show up in totally unexpected ways. She doesn't have control, but she has choice. And she has her voice.
We worry obsessively about how to prolong our lives. Ofelia fears most losing that voice inside. Alone on the planet, she cultivates this voice, and reclaims all that society stole from her of her individuality.
Now in my sixties, I can see that Ofelia represents the authentic voice of an older woman, and her message is fresh and courageous. She still has things to learn, and they show up in totally unexpected ways. She doesn't have control, but she has choice. And she has her voice.
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By S. Simonetti
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Not only was this an increadible novel of self-discovery, finding inner-strength and value of solitude, but it featured a strong, independent Latina woman as the main character. Ofelia was also a Senior Citizen who clearly was not as worthless as everyone thought, but had tremendous value as a human being and as an Elder. We should teach this book in schools to illustrate that all women, elderly especially, have great wisdom and value and ought not to be tossed aside!
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4.2 out of 5 stars
Most recent customer reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Unusual Topic but Insightful
"Remnant Population" is a beautiful story about an "old woman" whose path of discovery is set in a SF context. Read more
Published on Dec 9 2002 by Phome
4.0 out of 5 stars
Fun!
I liked this book fully as much as anything else I've read by Elizabeth Moon. Her characters are believeable and well constructed, and her plots don't stretch the bounds of... Read more
Published on July 13 2002 by maemurphy
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Most Unusual Book
Remnant Population by Elizabeth Moon is an unusual book in quite a few ways.
To start with, the protagonist, Ofelia, is over 70 years old, and a grandmother. Read more
Published on Oct 21 2001 by Erik Kauppi
5.0 out of 5 stars
Everlasting Potential
Remnant Population is a character-based story. It contemplates the nature of radical change, exploring its effects on an aged individual and her physical world. Read more
Published on May 15 2001 by Sharon L. Goodman
5.0 out of 5 stars
"Pure satisfaction from cover to cover"
This quote by Ann McCaffrey, which appears on the cover, extactly matches my impression of this book. The protagonist is smart, kind and observant. Read more
Published on Jan 15 2001 by Ronen Friedman
4.0 out of 5 stars
An Unusual premise...
Moon starts off with an unusual premise: an older protagonist who doesn't want to move on -- and who works very hard to avoid being forced to leave. Read more
Published on Dec 9 2000 by Marcia E. Rands
1.0 out of 5 stars
Sorry, I hated it.
I bought this book full of expectation, and perhaps this has led me to rate it lower than it deserves.
Still, I hate the story. Read more
Published on Nov 25 2000 by Daniel C. Sobral
5.0 out of 5 stars
My favorite kind of science fiction
This is a terrific story, with a character you'll never forget. I love Moon's way with a novel, good science, great adventure, but always, always, with people we care about.
Published on April 7 2000 by Louise Marley
3.0 out of 5 stars
Entertaining, interesting premise.
The concept of an elderly woman purposefully stranding herself on an alien planet as her colony departs forever is brilliant. Read more
Published on Jan 21 1999
5.0 out of 5 stars
Moving,Funny,Witty,Incredibly good,I love Ofelia
After reading the deed of Paksenarrion I found her other novels lacking the kind of character I found in those books. Read more
Published on Oct 18 1998
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