Children of Ruin by Adrian Tchaikovsky

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


An enthralling sci-fi epic exploring the future legacy of the children of Earth.

In the war-torn dying days of planet Earth, the last of the human race seek other worlds to terraform in the hope of life flourishing elsewhere.

A series of cataclysmic events lead them stranded in a distant solar system, with only a few shreds of hope left for any life as they know it to avoid extinction.

Centuries later, a team of space explorers encounter all that remains in the orbit of this star and its planets, an encounter that may prove deadly for all life throughout the universe.

‘Children of Ruin’ is a science fiction epic by Adrian Tchaikovsky and sequel to his incredible ‘Children of Time’. An intense and gripping tour-de-force space opera, it immediately envelops us in impeccable, rich world-building as we are immersed in a fascinating tale of the science of evolution, the fight for survival, and the perseverance of sentient life. Where the first novel centred on the evolution of a spider society and its discovery by the remains of humanity, this second novel explores the evolution of an octopus society, later encountered by the spiders and humans in the future.

The non-linear narrative evolves through two timelines – the first in the past, following one of the teams of the terraforming programme as they venture into space, discovering two neighbouring planets that may have the potential to sustain life. Christened Nod and Damascus, the team split into two factions in orbit of each planet, the first studying the truly alien world of Nod, inhabited by species unlike any in Earth biology; while Disra Senkovi works to populate the oceanic world of Damascus with his beloved pets – a species of genetically enhanced octopus. Catastrophe from back home on Earth severs these last remaining humans from the rest of the universe; this is their tale of survival and diminishing hope, perhaps the final days of humanity as we know it.

The second timeline picks up in the aftermath of ‘Children of Time’, a team of Humans and Portiids from Kern’s World having ventured into the stars, their space exploration leading them to encounter alien ships which appear to be engaged in war. Attacked and outnumbered, they nevertheless attempt to make contact to demonstrate they come in peace – bringing them face to face with the octopuses. Despite the challenges of communication, it becomes clear the octopuses have fled Damascus in fear of something truly alien – a sentient, intelligent parasite that corrupts and possesses all life it comes into contact with.

Much like the previous novel, a beating heart of emotion lies at the core of the story, enriching the vast scale of events against the tapestry of time and space, references to religion and mythology giving it an edge of faith, an almost spiritual aura to the mysteries of the vast vacuum of space. Clever and complex, this is a narrative of multiple layers, vividly detailed and descriptive, simultaneously heavily science-focussed and character-driven, with touches of suspense and horror entwined.

We follow a large cast of characters throughout – human, spider, octopus, AI, alien parasite – Tchaikovsky skillfully treading the line between anthropomorphism and maintaining the echo of the creatures’ true natures. The history of the octopuses is perhaps the most moving element of the novel – from their beginnings as pets of introverted, borderline sociopathic, genius Senkovi, through their development to the dominant species of Damascus and their escape into space. The way they communicate through expression of emotion, how their every thought translates as a feeling, visually displayed across their skin, is truly remarkable; perhaps a disconcerting notion to a species such as ours, yet we could learn a lot from its essence of truth and honesty, which ultimately proves to be quite beautiful.

Both the spider and octopus societies mirror and contradict our own social relationships, offering thought-provoking reflections on our own history and society – such as the battle male spiders face to be recognised and respected in their respective fields by the females, their society having been governed by a matriarchy throughout history; while the octopuses’ aptitude for aggression and violence, which explodes into war as their technology advances, perhaps makes them more human-like than we would imagine. Across the vastness of time and space, through moments of destruction, apocalypse and survival, between species that couldn’t be more different, yet in the end share more than any of them realise, this is ultimately a tale about communication, comprehension and understanding, and how truly beautiful it is to be alive.

Immersive and captivating, ‘Children of Ruin’ is a superb sequel, continuing in the footsteps of the brilliance of its predecessor. The series continues in the third novel, ‘Children of Memory’, promising to introduce us to more children of Earth and take us another leap forward in this tale of evolution.



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