Sons of Adamah by C M Genton Book Review

About the Book:

The people of Earth have achieved gender neutrality, and with it, peace—or so they believe.

John is exiled to Earth after being raised in a socially conservative galactic colony, only to discover that both worlds are teetering on the brink of collapse.

As he strives to save those he loves, his journey sets traditionalists, progressives, disembodied beings, and the fates of multiple planets on a collision course.

My Review:

This novel got off to a bit of a rough start for me. The Prologue was confusing. Who these beings were never was clear to me. Then we go to planet Andropida, a colony of some kind. It is not until page 61 that we find out it is earth year 2132. World building is difficult in science fiction and I would have liked to see more explanation of what was going on earlier in the novel. When the action eventually goes to earth, more becomes clear but for quite some time I felt like I was missing vital information.

The writing style is quite descriptive. Males are “bodies moving in lines and planes” and females are ones whose “bodies consisted of arcs.” (33) It took a little concentration on my part for me to keep up with the flow of the text.

The strength of this novel is the situation on this earth of the future. Body waste powers the world. Sex is open. Religion is dead. There is gender and sexual neutrality. There is guaranteed housing, education and healthcare. No need for hospitals, jails, armies. As one person declares, “What's not to love?” (153) But all is not well on earth.

After the narrative was well grounded in the fiction worlds of the future earth and a colony planet, I enjoyed the adventure. There is much to think about, such as the meaning of gender and the value of religion. The novel is a long one so be prepared to be immersed in the adventure for some time.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

About the Author:

Catherine was born into a large, French-Catholic family. By age ten the concept of God was a problem for her so she erased him. She was invited to church and and later expressed faith in God. She married as a teen but by age thirty was solo-parent to five daughters. She studied fine arts as an undergraduate and later attended seminary. She wondered what the world would be like of the social progressives got what they wanted, resulting in a science fiction novel. You can find out more at https://cmgenton.com/. 

Independently Published, 454 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the author. My comments are an independent and honest review.

(My star ratings: 5-I love it, 4-I like it, 3-It's OK, 2-I don't like it, 1-I hate it.)