The Ships of Earth

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The Ships of Earth - Wikipedia

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The Ships of Earth

Author	Orson Scott Card
Cover artist	Keith Parkinson
Language	English
Series	Homecoming Saga
Genre	Science fiction
Publisher	Tor Books
Publication date	1994
Publication place	United States
Media type	Print (Hardcover & Paperback)
Pages	382
ISBN	0-312-85659-8
OCLC	29359905
Dewey Decimal	813/.54 20
LC Class	PS3553.A655 S54 1994
Preceded by	The Call of Earth
Followed by	Earthfall

The Ships of Earth (1994) is a science fiction novel by American writer Orson Scott Card. It is the third book of the Homecoming Saga, a fictionalization of the first few hundred years recorded in the Book of Mormon.

Plot summary

This book focuses on the struggles between the pioneers to establish a new social order now that they have left Basilica. The new society is opposite to that of the previous societies - male dominated instead of female dominated, monogamous and lifelong marriages instead of the yearly contracts of Basilica.

The struggles between the characters ultimately come down to the struggles between Nafai and Elemak, two sons of Volemak. Nafai leads the faction who have faith in the Oversoul, while Elemak leads the faction who want desperately to return to the civilization of doomed Basilica. Both are ostensibly under the leadership of Volemak (and not Rasa, as they had been in the city).

The settlers, after years of traveling, finally arrive in a land lost in ancient times which holds the secret of the Oversoul. Additionally, many children are born, all in their preparation for the ultimate journey to Earth.

The book offers an interesting justification of the social structures of the Hebrew tribes in Genesis, all while the originally powerful female characters gradually succumb to the new hierarchy of "men" and "wives." Only one character - Shedemei, the brilliant geneticist, thinks about this problem.

The focus in on the group dynamics of the new tribe as they journey where the Oversoul guides them.

Prophetic dreams abound, mostly involving giant rats and bats ("diggers" and "angels"). The Oversoul discovers itself.

External links

Wikiquote has quotations related to Orson Scott Card.

About the novel The Ships of Earth from Card's website

Works by Orson Scott Card

Ender's Game series

Books

Ender Series	Ender's Game (1985) Speaker for the Dead (1986) Xenocide (1991) Children of the Mind (1996) Ender in Exile (2008)
Shadow Saga	Ender's Shadow (1999) Shadow of the Hegemon (2001) Shadow Puppets (2002) Shadow of the Giant (2005) Shadows in Flight (2012) The Last Shadow (2021)
Formic Wars	Earth Unaware (2012) Earth Afire (2013) Earth Awakens (2014) The Swarm (2016) The Hive (2019) The Queens (TBA)
First Meetings (2002) A War of Gifts: An Ender Story (2007) Children of the Fleet (2017)

Short stories

Other media

Comics
Film

Characters

The Tales of Alvin Maker
Books	Seventh Son (1987) Red Prophet (1988) Prentice Alvin (1989) Alvin Journeyman (1995) Heartfire (1998) The Crystal City (2003)
Other media	"Prentice Alvin and the No-Good Plow" (poem, 1989) Red Prophet: The Tales of Alvin Maker (comic book, 2006)

The Worthing series
Books	Capitol (1979) Hot Sleep (1979) The Worthing Chronicle (1983) The Worthing Saga (1990)

Other works
Homecoming Saga	The Memory of Earth (1992) The Call of Earth (1992) The Ships of Earth (1994) Earthfall (1995) Earthborn (1995)
Women of Genesis	Sarah (2000) Rebekah (2001) Rachel and Leah (2004) The Wives of Israel (TBA)
Mithermages series	Sandmagic (1979) Stonefather (2008) The Lost Gate (2011) The Gate Thief (2013) Gatefather (2015)
Mayflower series	Lovelock (1994) Rasputin (TBA)
The Empire duet	Empire (2006) Hidden Empire (2009)
The Pathfinder series	Pathfinder (2010) Ruins (2012) Visitors (2014)
Standalone novels	A Planet Called Treason (1979) Songmaster (1980) Hart's Hope (1983) Saints (1984) Wyrms (1987) Treason (1988) The Abyss (1989) Lost Boys (1992) Pastwatch: The Redemption of Christopher Columbus (1996) Treasure Box (1996) Stone Tables (1997) Homebody (1998) Enchantment (1999) Magic Street (2005) Invasive Procedures (2007) Bully and the Beast (TBA)
Story collections	Unaccompanied Sonata and Other Stories (1980) Cardography (1987) The Folk of the Fringe (1989) Maps in a Mirror (1990) Keeper of Dreams (2008)
Other works	Listen, Mom and Dad (1977) Ainge (1981) Saintspeak (1981) Eye for Eye (1987) Loom (1990) The Secret of Monkey Island (1990) The Dig (1995) NeoHunter (1996) Magic Mirror (1999) Robota (2003) An Open Book (2004) Ultimate Iron Man (2005) Advent Rising (2005) InterGalactic Medicine Show (2005) Hamlet's Father (2011) Firefall (2014)

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See also

External links