Children of Ruin

Children of Ruin is the second book in Adrian Tchaikovsky's Children of Time series, following the success of his BSFA Award-winning first installment. The story takes place across two timelines, connecting humanity's early attempts at space colonization with events thousands of years in the future. In the distant past, human terraformers discover two promising planets in a star system: one harboring unexpected alien life, and another ice world they transform into an ocean planet. The terraforming team introduces genetically modified octopuses to the ocean world, inadvertently setting in motion the rise of a new civilization. Millennia later, human descendants and their spider allies detect a radio signal from this long-lost colony attempt. Their journey to investigate leads them to a complex situation where multiple species vie for survival amid an escalating crisis. The novel explores themes of evolution, intelligence, and the fundamental nature of consciousness through the lens of radically different forms of life meeting across the gulf of space. Tchaikovsky presents questions about communication and understanding between truly alien minds.

Readers position Children of Ruin as a worthy sequel to Children of Time, though note it's more complex and challenging. Many say it builds effectively on the themes of communication and evolution while introducing new species and perspectives. Likes: - Deep exploration of non-human intelligence - Complex ideas about consciousness and understanding - Original take on first contact scenarios - Integration of horror elements - Detailed world-building Dislikes: - Slower pacing than the first book - More difficult to follow multiple timelines - Some found the middle section repetitive - Less emotional connection to characters - Technical/scientific passages can be dense Ratings: Goodreads: 4.24/5 (28,000+ ratings) Amazon: 4.5/5 (3,800+ ratings) Common reader comment: "The octopus chapters were fascinating but took time to get used to." Several readers noted the book requires more concentration than its predecessor, with one stating: "You need to pay attention to every detail to follow the plot threads."

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir A lone scientist encounters an alien species in deep space and must develop a way to communicate and cooperate with them to save humanity.

Blindsight by Peter Watts A crew of modified humans makes first contact with an enigmatic alien intelligence that challenges their understanding of consciousness and cognition.

A Desolation Called Peace by Arkady Martine Diplomatic relations unfold between human civilization and an incomprehensible alien hive-mind through complex attempts at cross-species communication.

Semiosis by Sue Burke Human colonists on a distant planet discover intelligent plant life and must navigate the challenges of communication and coexistence with a non-human consciousness.

Dragon's Egg by Robert L. Forward Humans establish contact with an alien civilization living on a neutron star's surface, leading to an exchange of knowledge between species with radically different physical experiences of reality.

🌟 Octopi can solve complex puzzles and have been observed using tools in the wild, making them ideal candidates for the novel's exploration of non-human intelligence. 🌟 Adrian Tchaikovsky originally worked as a legal executive and wrote ten novels before achieving commercial success with his first science fiction work. 🌟 The concept of terraforming featured in the book was first proposed by Carl Sagan for Venus in 1961, though the term itself was coined by Jack Williamson in his 1942 story "Collision Orbit." 🌟 Children of Ruin won the British Science Fiction Association Award for Best Novel in 2020, following in the footsteps of its predecessor Children of Time, which won the Arthur C. Clarke Award. 🌟 The novel's portrayal of octopus intelligence is grounded in real science - octopi have approximately 500 million neurons, with two-thirds located in their arms rather than their central brain.