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The Speaker for the Trees
Hedge is a typical human—fat and bald, not pretty but not ugly, with a round, doting wife and a farm where he tends beehives. Except Hedge is not a typical human. In fact, Hedge is not human at all, but a plant sent by the Council of Plants and the Plant of Ultimate Knowing to observe humanity and determine whether or not humanity is a threat to the universe. A task he has blithely performed for twenty years—until the night he receives a message to report back to the Council and realizes he has to leave everything behind. Pursued by an agent of the notorious Visitors, whose appearances have heralded the end of civilizations, and torn between his fellow plants and an awakening affection for his earthwife, Anna, Hedge must find a way to save humanity from Visitors, plants, and themselves. Cover art by Aldren Gamalo.
87 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 8, 2012
8 people are currently reading
460 people want to read
About the author
Sean DeLauder
14 books142 followersThis author has held several positions in recent years, including Content Writer, Grant Writer, Obituary Clerk, and Staff Writer, and is under the false impression that these experiences have added to his character since they have not contributed much to his finances. He was awarded a BFA in Creative Writing and Journalism and a BA in Technical Communication by Bowling Green State University because they are giving and eager to make friends. He has a few scattered publications with several conveniently defunct magazines (but refuses credit for their extinction), and resides in the drab, northeastern region of Ohio because it makes everything else seem fascinating, exotic, and beautiful.
He is currently at work on a trilogy involving heroes, dirt, and monsters that cannot be defeated, only escaped.
He is currently at work on a trilogy involving heroes, dirt, and monsters that cannot be defeated, only escaped.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
April 29, 2012
The Speaker for the Trees is a scifi/fantasy novel wherein humanity is observed and judged through the eyes of an alien race, familiarly known as plants. The Council of Plants planted plants (smiled when I wrote that!) on Earth to ascertain why our planet hadn't been conquered by plants (they hadn't seen my yard!), and whether or not mankind is a threat to the universe and should thereby be eliminated. Okay, I'll stop playing with the plant thing. The plot is delicious (because I'm a vegetarian?) and unique in that the alien plants share certain flaws with humans, so the pot calls the kettle black, which eliminates an objective moral superiority thereby showing that tolerance and empathy are the true virtues.
This novel felt easy to read as the style is similar in tone to books such as The Little Prince and Doodling, which, strangely enough, also incorporates toasters. Hmm. Sentences vary from short, staccato ones that startled me and made me laugh, such as:
"Hedge exhaled a deep, shuddering breath. He was going to need a toaster."
-- to longer, more convoluted yet with oddly packed truth-isms, such as:
"By adulthood humans had trained themselves to be coy and manipulative in response to the coy and manipulative society in which they lived, which led them to believe that everyone was being as coy and manipulative as themselves and were uncertain about what was true and what was not."
Whereas The Little Prince is whimsical and illogical, The Speaker for the Trees manages to be whimsical and logical. Hedge's story is heartfelt, as only beings without hearts can demonstrate. Humans and plants are imperfect, yet the capacity to see beyond the flaws and to care for the sweet vulnerabilities that require a bit of nurturing to bring about a grand flowering--well, that is close to being divine.
If I were pressed to find fault here, I'd say I least appreciated the concept of the Visitors. The Mr. Visitor character added intrigue, and a wee bit of tension, but was not "fleshed" out enough to be truly threatening. For me, the Visitors, though interesting, were the least developed and thereby most disappointing component of the story. There. I was brutal.
Summary: Very enjoyable read. Please do so.
This novel felt easy to read as the style is similar in tone to books such as The Little Prince and Doodling, which, strangely enough, also incorporates toasters. Hmm. Sentences vary from short, staccato ones that startled me and made me laugh, such as:
"Hedge exhaled a deep, shuddering breath. He was going to need a toaster."
-- to longer, more convoluted yet with oddly packed truth-isms, such as:
"By adulthood humans had trained themselves to be coy and manipulative in response to the coy and manipulative society in which they lived, which led them to believe that everyone was being as coy and manipulative as themselves and were uncertain about what was true and what was not."
Whereas The Little Prince is whimsical and illogical, The Speaker for the Trees manages to be whimsical and logical. Hedge's story is heartfelt, as only beings without hearts can demonstrate. Humans and plants are imperfect, yet the capacity to see beyond the flaws and to care for the sweet vulnerabilities that require a bit of nurturing to bring about a grand flowering--well, that is close to being divine.
If I were pressed to find fault here, I'd say I least appreciated the concept of the Visitors. The Mr. Visitor character added intrigue, and a wee bit of tension, but was not "fleshed" out enough to be truly threatening. For me, the Visitors, though interesting, were the least developed and thereby most disappointing component of the story. There. I was brutal.
Summary: Very enjoyable read. Please do so.
August 6, 2022
Go read this quick & quirky book now! Sean DeLauder crafts a wonderful manipulation of nature to tell his story. And I never thought I could be so curious about the need for a toaster. Poor Hedge, the plant that gets to act and live like the typical human. I've never seen such a world where plants held such sway over the reader, and there I was cheering for them. Certainly one of the strangest and most creative stories I've ever read. There are a lot of things going on under the simpler surface of this book. The style reminded me of Kafka and a writer named David Carter (author of a book titled Familiar). This was the first book I read from DeLauder and I plan to read on.
March 27, 2012
The Speaker for the Trees is an astonishing sci-fi novella in its ability to touch on the myriad of pragmatic, logical views we can take of existence and humanity, then point to the sheer beauty in sometimes ignoring all that, and benefiting instead from the sheer empathy gained from shared experience.
It's not complex to read. But it is a complex novel in its depth and intellect, and one that I suspect will be read and discussed for a great many years after being written -- and perhaps, unfortunately, only a great many years after.
Author Sean DeLauder is obviously a very bright guy. Here, he uses miles of metaphor to demonstrate that mankind's binary nature -- both individualistic and communal -- offers value no matter which side is called into question. Logically, sometimes the group decision is right and sometimes the individual, and we're healthier when we don't consistently only pick one over the other.
He suggests that there is unifying logic to all things ... even the illogical, when it serves a broader purpose.
In this, he is quite correct. As more of human behavior becomes comprehensible via the disciplines of anthropology, sociology, neurobiology and neurotheology, it's evident that there is purpose to all things with respect to how we behave. He also holds out the (irrational but practical) olive branch that perhaps believing in a higher power is as simple as how we define higher power. It's why a lot of us are agnostics. It's the nicest way to hold out hope, even when there's no actual evidence (the absence of something can't be a logical proof) of any greater source.
In all, it's a staggeringly impressive book. Good story too, full of heart, even though the hero doesn't have one. He's a Hedge, after all.
OKAY, HEAVY THEORETICAL SCIENCE DISCUSSION FROM HERE ON DOWN. IGNORE IF INCLINED.
I believe most of the romanticism inherent to his story and optimistic view of human social evolution can be explained away in equally pragmatic, logical fashion due to biochemistry and its relationship to survival instinct as a massive subconscious driver (and interpreted by many as self-interest).
All human behavior stems from our originating emotional driver: survival instinct, the ultimate form of self-interest. At birth, it's all we have. So we bond to protectors (our parents) and accept their beliefs in return from emotional support and group affirmation. Our brain chemistry adapts to this and becomes addicted to it. In fact, all addiction is, in a form, a way of seeking peace of mind.
Belief in security is then intrinsic to healthy brain chemistry. Some achieve it through limited communal interaction but maximum self-enrichment(and consequently lose empathy for other people); financial power and social influence produce the same sense of security to some as communal support does to others.
In fact, it could be said that the anxiety-reducing rituals in numerous religions -- as evidence in Aquilla and Newberg's neurotheology studies -- exist for the same reason: using familiarity to produce relaxed-but-active thought, reducing anxiety (which by extent is just low-grade cognitive dissonance, a conflict between community and self.)
It also allows us to "anthropomorphize" existence, which is the only constant we know, by suggesting a prevailing force may have directed our existence for a purpose, and may offer a purpose beyond this frame of existence.
So all human belief, conflict and behavior can in most part be understood by examining its relationship to survival instinct. In that respect, Hedge is right when he admits he has "become human." What we interpret as "empathy", is after all the familiarity of circumstance reaffirming our bond to our protective community.
It's not complex to read. But it is a complex novel in its depth and intellect, and one that I suspect will be read and discussed for a great many years after being written -- and perhaps, unfortunately, only a great many years after.
Author Sean DeLauder is obviously a very bright guy. Here, he uses miles of metaphor to demonstrate that mankind's binary nature -- both individualistic and communal -- offers value no matter which side is called into question. Logically, sometimes the group decision is right and sometimes the individual, and we're healthier when we don't consistently only pick one over the other.
He suggests that there is unifying logic to all things ... even the illogical, when it serves a broader purpose.
In this, he is quite correct. As more of human behavior becomes comprehensible via the disciplines of anthropology, sociology, neurobiology and neurotheology, it's evident that there is purpose to all things with respect to how we behave. He also holds out the (irrational but practical) olive branch that perhaps believing in a higher power is as simple as how we define higher power. It's why a lot of us are agnostics. It's the nicest way to hold out hope, even when there's no actual evidence (the absence of something can't be a logical proof) of any greater source.
In all, it's a staggeringly impressive book. Good story too, full of heart, even though the hero doesn't have one. He's a Hedge, after all.
OKAY, HEAVY THEORETICAL SCIENCE DISCUSSION FROM HERE ON DOWN. IGNORE IF INCLINED.
I believe most of the romanticism inherent to his story and optimistic view of human social evolution can be explained away in equally pragmatic, logical fashion due to biochemistry and its relationship to survival instinct as a massive subconscious driver (and interpreted by many as self-interest).
All human behavior stems from our originating emotional driver: survival instinct, the ultimate form of self-interest. At birth, it's all we have. So we bond to protectors (our parents) and accept their beliefs in return from emotional support and group affirmation. Our brain chemistry adapts to this and becomes addicted to it. In fact, all addiction is, in a form, a way of seeking peace of mind.
Belief in security is then intrinsic to healthy brain chemistry. Some achieve it through limited communal interaction but maximum self-enrichment(and consequently lose empathy for other people); financial power and social influence produce the same sense of security to some as communal support does to others.
In fact, it could be said that the anxiety-reducing rituals in numerous religions -- as evidence in Aquilla and Newberg's neurotheology studies -- exist for the same reason: using familiarity to produce relaxed-but-active thought, reducing anxiety (which by extent is just low-grade cognitive dissonance, a conflict between community and self.)
It also allows us to "anthropomorphize" existence, which is the only constant we know, by suggesting a prevailing force may have directed our existence for a purpose, and may offer a purpose beyond this frame of existence.
So all human belief, conflict and behavior can in most part be understood by examining its relationship to survival instinct. In that respect, Hedge is right when he admits he has "become human." What we interpret as "empathy", is after all the familiarity of circumstance reaffirming our bond to our protective community.
March 17, 2016
Smart, Witty and Surprisingly Touching
“Hedge exhaled a deep, shuddering breath.
He was going to need a toaster.”
The story starts in the vein I was expecting – Douglas Adams style wit and imagination filled the prose. Hedge and his “earth wife Anna” lead a quiet life on farm, eating pork chops (that aren’t especially good) and keeping bees. But, of course, Hedge is really a kindly alien plant from planet Plant. Hedge is there to observe earth to see if humanity is worth saving because destroying it without observation would be “hasty, impatient, and impolite”, obviously.
I knew that when I read the summary of this book on Goodreads that I would enjoy it and that it would have the sort of comedy that I particularly like. What surprised me most was the sincere exploration of humanity and its faults and that we just need to have some faith in it.
“They want to succeed. Imagine the extraordinary effects of simply telling them they can.”
I even found it romantic when instead of telling Anna he loves her, Hedge tells her that he finds her “highly symmetrical”. Boy, wish someone would tell me that. A woman loves some symmetry.
It is a novella but to be honest, I didn’t want more (or any less). I liked the dosage; like a good amount of piriton, enough to knock you out and take away the irritation but not too much that you wake up groggy, grumpy with an indent of your phone carved into your face for the rest of the day.
I enjoyed the humour, the storytelling, but most of all I enjoyed the sincere belief in humanity.
Excuse me, I now need to go and speak to my plants.
“Hedge exhaled a deep, shuddering breath.
He was going to need a toaster.”
The story starts in the vein I was expecting – Douglas Adams style wit and imagination filled the prose. Hedge and his “earth wife Anna” lead a quiet life on farm, eating pork chops (that aren’t especially good) and keeping bees. But, of course, Hedge is really a kindly alien plant from planet Plant. Hedge is there to observe earth to see if humanity is worth saving because destroying it without observation would be “hasty, impatient, and impolite”, obviously.
I knew that when I read the summary of this book on Goodreads that I would enjoy it and that it would have the sort of comedy that I particularly like. What surprised me most was the sincere exploration of humanity and its faults and that we just need to have some faith in it.
“They want to succeed. Imagine the extraordinary effects of simply telling them they can.”
I even found it romantic when instead of telling Anna he loves her, Hedge tells her that he finds her “highly symmetrical”. Boy, wish someone would tell me that. A woman loves some symmetry.
It is a novella but to be honest, I didn’t want more (or any less). I liked the dosage; like a good amount of piriton, enough to knock you out and take away the irritation but not too much that you wake up groggy, grumpy with an indent of your phone carved into your face for the rest of the day.
I enjoyed the humour, the storytelling, but most of all I enjoyed the sincere belief in humanity.
Excuse me, I now need to go and speak to my plants.
February 6, 2014
Sean DeLauder scores full points with this novel.
I am old enough to remember my days as a 'Hippie' when everyone spoke of 'Flower-Power'. After reading 'The Speaker for the Trees' I think, perhaps, we were on to something?
Sean DeLauder depicts a universe where plants are supreme, and humans are a dangerous pest. The plot is captivating, funny, and bitingly ironic. If you enjoyed 'A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Universe', and 'Men in Black', then this novel is a 'must'.
Unfortunately, I tend to suffer from sesquipedalophobia, of which I noticed a few mild bouts during my reading. It didn't stop me enjoying the novel, however, and apart from that, I found this book thoroughly delightful and entertaining.
Finally, a warning to Vegans, after reading this novel you may not have the heart to eat plants!
I am old enough to remember my days as a 'Hippie' when everyone spoke of 'Flower-Power'. After reading 'The Speaker for the Trees' I think, perhaps, we were on to something?
Sean DeLauder depicts a universe where plants are supreme, and humans are a dangerous pest. The plot is captivating, funny, and bitingly ironic. If you enjoyed 'A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Universe', and 'Men in Black', then this novel is a 'must'.
Unfortunately, I tend to suffer from sesquipedalophobia, of which I noticed a few mild bouts during my reading. It didn't stop me enjoying the novel, however, and apart from that, I found this book thoroughly delightful and entertaining.
Finally, a warning to Vegans, after reading this novel you may not have the heart to eat plants!
Read
June 9, 2015This book is cursed. Any who read it will have their brain transformed into a turnip. The author regrets this.
January 1, 2013
There comes a time when we must learn from our mistakes, take responsibility for our actions, accept the consequences, and move on. Stronger, greater, more knowledgeable than we were. Sean DeLauder in a humorous, witty, quirky way explores these themes.
Hedge, a plant come to Earth in human form, has been sent to study humanity, to learn their ways, what makes them tick. It was fun to see us through his eyes. How our everyday, without-much-thought routines can seem trivial and ridiculous.
Even understanding why and how we love someone and how to express that love was hilarious:
Even some of our greatest pastimes were analyzed, shaken down, and exposed at their basest levels:
I did a little looking around on Goodreads, seeing how others rated this book, and noticed that there were some discussions people had started. One was related to the subtitle of the book: A Love Story. And I was perplexed because I didn’t notice that when I started the book. And it truly was. The love between Anna and Hedge spanned miles, hours, planets, galaxies. It was a genuine, real, sweet love. There was nothing more satisfying about this book than that love and it’s many representations in the story.
I don’t want to give anything away, but the ending is just wonderful. I smiled. I mean, y’all, it was that sappy smile, that all-is-right-with-the-world smile. And it was real. At that moment, everything felt right with the story, the world, the universe.
I so enjoyed this book that if I could give away copies to you all, I would, but I can’t. So, you just need to go buy this for yourself. It is not what I expected it to be, and I am thankful that it wasn’t. The Speaker for the Trees is perfect the way it is, taking it at face value, no additions, subtractions, or substitutions.
Y’all, read this book.
Hedge, a plant come to Earth in human form, has been sent to study humanity, to learn their ways, what makes them tick. It was fun to see us through his eyes. How our everyday, without-much-thought routines can seem trivial and ridiculous.
Even understanding why and how we love someone and how to express that love was hilarious:
She gave him a half smile.
"You're always so weirdly sincere," she said. "I guess I love you for that." The half smile found its other half and became full, but she was staring at him in the intense, patient way that told him she was waiting for something. Not just something, an equal acknowledgement of the love which she had just expressed.
Hedge thought a moment, then smiled in return.
"I find you highly symmetrical."
(Kindle Locations 427-433).
Even some of our greatest pastimes were analyzed, shaken down, and exposed at their basest levels:
He thought he'd wasted time with Anna, watching the glamorized violence on the television; wasted time sitting on the porch as he waited for the magical moment when the sunlight fell behind the willow and exploded it with radiant orange; wasted time gazing at Anna while the toaster buzzed in his hand before slinging him across the cosmos to end up standing here—in the mud, dripping wet, waiting indefinitely. The only wasted time, he decided, was not the moments idled away in pursuit of foolish pleasure, but that period of empty time where you did absolutely nothing and the next foreseeable event loomed somewhere beyond the horizon.
This, Hedge felt, was an unprecedented waste of time.
(Kindle Locations 532-537).
I did a little looking around on Goodreads, seeing how others rated this book, and noticed that there were some discussions people had started. One was related to the subtitle of the book: A Love Story. And I was perplexed because I didn’t notice that when I started the book. And it truly was. The love between Anna and Hedge spanned miles, hours, planets, galaxies. It was a genuine, real, sweet love. There was nothing more satisfying about this book than that love and it’s many representations in the story.
I don’t want to give anything away, but the ending is just wonderful. I smiled. I mean, y’all, it was that sappy smile, that all-is-right-with-the-world smile. And it was real. At that moment, everything felt right with the story, the world, the universe.
I so enjoyed this book that if I could give away copies to you all, I would, but I can’t. So, you just need to go buy this for yourself. It is not what I expected it to be, and I am thankful that it wasn’t. The Speaker for the Trees is perfect the way it is, taking it at face value, no additions, subtractions, or substitutions.
Y’all, read this book.
August 1, 2012
Hedge is not human but a plant sent here to live among the humans and observe. The Counsil of the Plants and the Plant of Ultimate Knowing wants to know if humanity is a threat to the universe. So Hedge along with other plants take on human form, where he lives on his farm, tends to his bees, and eats his earthwifes pork chops. Until one day when he is summoned home.
This was such a good story. I fell in love with Hedge and some of the other characters. You forget that he is a plant until he reminds you of it. The description of Hedge eating the pork chops, since he has no stomach, and how he gets rid of them had me laughing. The fact that he cares for his wife so much that he makes himself unattractive when he discovers that it hurts her when other women pay attention to him, makes him seem so human. He makes himself fat and bald and Anna loves him even more for it. He tries to come to terms with the fact that although he is a plant he is somehow having human emotions that really come out when he is told that the human race needs to be destroyed. He knows he cannot watch this happen and so decides he must do something to save them.
If I could give this story more than 5 stars I would. I will definitely be telling people about this book.
This was such a good story. I fell in love with Hedge and some of the other characters. You forget that he is a plant until he reminds you of it. The description of Hedge eating the pork chops, since he has no stomach, and how he gets rid of them had me laughing. The fact that he cares for his wife so much that he makes himself unattractive when he discovers that it hurts her when other women pay attention to him, makes him seem so human. He makes himself fat and bald and Anna loves him even more for it. He tries to come to terms with the fact that although he is a plant he is somehow having human emotions that really come out when he is told that the human race needs to be destroyed. He knows he cannot watch this happen and so decides he must do something to save them.
If I could give this story more than 5 stars I would. I will definitely be telling people about this book.
January 10, 2013
Loved it.
Review of The Speaker for the Trees by Sean DeLauder
5 stars
Throughout this story, I alternated between chuckling aloud, exclaiming “ahh!” and saying, “That’s what I’ve always believed!” So clearly this story touched my heart and soul; there’s much more here than meets the eye—philosophy, metaphysics, a study of the human condition, for better or worse…
Somewhere far out in the universe is a planet known only as Plant Plant, because the sentient denizens are just that-plants. They also hold the secret of hyperspace technology, using Toasters. Periodically Plant agents are sent out to visit other inhabited planets, to check on the dominant species on each. Millenia ago, plant agents found dinosaurs to be the dominant species on planet Earth; eventually, however, dinosaurs became supplanted by a primate species, humanity. So plant agents visit Earth and appear human, interacting with and observing humanity.
When the Council of Plants decides humanity must go, many agents to Earth demur; but only two (guided by the Weed of Unknowing) determine to act in humanity’s favor.
I received an e-book copy from the author in return for my fair and impartial review.
Review of The Speaker for the Trees by Sean DeLauder
5 stars
Throughout this story, I alternated between chuckling aloud, exclaiming “ahh!” and saying, “That’s what I’ve always believed!” So clearly this story touched my heart and soul; there’s much more here than meets the eye—philosophy, metaphysics, a study of the human condition, for better or worse…
Somewhere far out in the universe is a planet known only as Plant Plant, because the sentient denizens are just that-plants. They also hold the secret of hyperspace technology, using Toasters. Periodically Plant agents are sent out to visit other inhabited planets, to check on the dominant species on each. Millenia ago, plant agents found dinosaurs to be the dominant species on planet Earth; eventually, however, dinosaurs became supplanted by a primate species, humanity. So plant agents visit Earth and appear human, interacting with and observing humanity.
When the Council of Plants decides humanity must go, many agents to Earth demur; but only two (guided by the Weed of Unknowing) determine to act in humanity’s favor.
I received an e-book copy from the author in return for my fair and impartial review.
April 17, 2012
Ok, here it goes... (Though I know I am not going to do this book the awesome justice it deserves.) I loved this book. It was given to me for review by the awesome author (Thank you Mr. DeLauder!) I look forward to reading more of your work. The protagonist in this book is Hedge (literally and figuratively it turns out). He is living on Earth with his wife to observe humans. There is an omnipotent plant and counsel that think the Earth should be purged and restarted because of the destruction of humans. At first, I thought this book paralleled The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. There are some similarities, but overall, I found this a much more pleasant and more meaningful read. I was pleasantly surprised, I have to say. This is a fun book and one that I would recommend to any age group.
April 9, 2012
The author kindly gave me a copy of his book to read through Making Connections' ARR, for an honest review. Thank you!
This story was told through the eyes of Hedge; a form of plant life sent to Earth and is impersonating a human. The book blurb gives a good description of what the book is about, so I won’t go into that.
I enjoyed this story; the humor reminded me a lot of “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.” Because the world is seen through the eyes of Hedge, we get an alien’s take of what human life looks like on our planet.
The book flows well and is easy to read. I’d recommend this to anyone looking for a quick, humorous read.
Oh, and I have to add, I looooove the cover. It's so nice to see a well done cover with beautiful colors and nice use of text.
This story was told through the eyes of Hedge; a form of plant life sent to Earth and is impersonating a human. The book blurb gives a good description of what the book is about, so I won’t go into that.
I enjoyed this story; the humor reminded me a lot of “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.” Because the world is seen through the eyes of Hedge, we get an alien’s take of what human life looks like on our planet.
The book flows well and is easy to read. I’d recommend this to anyone looking for a quick, humorous read.
Oh, and I have to add, I looooove the cover. It's so nice to see a well done cover with beautiful colors and nice use of text.
November 11, 2013
I was given to opportunity to read this book as a gift. It was absolutely stimulating. Delauder’s voice is both sarcastic and forgiving. Delauder calls out his own use of literary devices in a humorously self deprecating way. His characters personality comes alive through name (Scud Peabody and Gary Thorne) and actions. Every step throughout this novel is a deliberate understanding of human nature. Delauder discovers the most beautiful part of being human through the eyes of a plant. Although a snapshot of the world and its relationships, it had an incredibly poignant plot. I plan on sharing this with all of my reading friends!
June 14, 2012
Not awful. Not awful at all! In fact, it had the fun of the Hal Spacejock series and the quiet terror of Twilight Zone or Outer Limits. What a combination! And though I may have missed something, I think a better title would be Speaker for the Human Being. Hitting the nail on the head is far less painful.
Well done, Mr. DeLauder. I think everyone should read this once. I plan to read it again as there is depth within this story worth gathering and nurturing within oneself. Hope and the ability to learn from one's mistakes.
Well done, Mr. DeLauder. I think everyone should read this once. I plan to read it again as there is depth within this story worth gathering and nurturing within oneself. Hope and the ability to learn from one's mistakes.
July 12, 2018
I read this one years back. Just read it again, and liked it just as much as I did the first time. I'm still waiting for Sean DeLauder to get recognized. This is a great piece of funny, heartwarming, and poignant satire. I different look at humanity, from a unique perspective.
April 4, 2019
Disclaimer.
I had requested and received audible version of this book for free from the narrator, in exchange for an unbiased review.
What I liked about the book -
This was a really unique story that is so unlike all other sci-fi books I've read in recent times. It's fun and entertaining and manages to make you think. The lite humor and endearing characters are the hook. I saw several reviews comparing this book to Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy books, and I have to agree that it's of the similar taste. Totally recommend.
What I disliked about the book -
Nothing specific that I can think of.
Narration -
Narration by Larry Oliver was perfect. The world came alive and kept me engaged in it.
I had requested and received audible version of this book for free from the narrator, in exchange for an unbiased review.
What I liked about the book -
This was a really unique story that is so unlike all other sci-fi books I've read in recent times. It's fun and entertaining and manages to make you think. The lite humor and endearing characters are the hook. I saw several reviews comparing this book to Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy books, and I have to agree that it's of the similar taste. Totally recommend.
What I disliked about the book -
Nothing specific that I can think of.
Narration -
Narration by Larry Oliver was perfect. The world came alive and kept me engaged in it.
May 13, 2019
Stylistically, it smacks of Vonnegut, Beckett, Edlund, Swift. The plot reminds of story elements from Paradise Lost to Men in Black, from Watchmen to, of course, The Lorax. A lot packed into this novella, and it's a wonder why Ecco hasn't snatched it up.
One thing I'm left wondering is whether Clem and Burt are okay.
One thing I'm left wondering is whether Clem and Burt are okay.
May 6, 2021
This book is really fun and entertaining. It's an original take on aliens, making them plants. And where the story goes is a bit creepy but also cool.
February 14, 2025
Really enough said in previous reviews. Still, I will say that this book left me better than it found me.
June 18, 2017
An engaging novella that reminds us there is good in the world. Hedge's words of wisdom should be read by everyone. One of my favorite lines is, "Those who feared difference always made a point of finding difference in others..."
Not everything is as it seems.
Not everything is as it seems.
March 16, 2024
Humorous Tale especially if you like plants !!
April 14, 2015
My Review of The Speaker for the Trees by Sean DeLauder
Sean DeLauder ‘packed a wallop’ into fewer than 100 pages of well-written, well-paced, entertaining Sci-fi fantasy. It is humorous and witty, whimsical and logical, philosophical and ordinary. There is so much packed into this little book that if you look carefully you might find it. I found a fictional story but also found themes of tolerance, love, empathy, adaptation, evolution, etc. I applaud Sean DeLauder for this artful achievement of The Speaker for the Trees.
I was immediately intrigued by the unique character of Hedge. He was described as “fat”, “round sagging body”, “fat and bald but not slobbery and sloppy”, and “ordinary”; but what really captured me was the encounter with the pork chops.
“He forked a bit of pork chop, pulled it off with his teeth and felt it tumble down his neck tube and drop into the heap of bits in his bulging middle part.”
Hedge experienced life in two very different worlds on two very different planets, Planet Plant and Planet Earth. Hedge, a very well evolved complex plant, had been born on the Planet Plant in a government nursery. He was ‘planted’, so to speak, on the Planet Earth to infiltrate human society appearing no different from humans on the outside but with the sole purpose to ‘watch the humans’. On earth he lived a very ordinary life as a beekeeper on a small farm with an “highly symmetrical” earth wife Anna who never suspected that Hedge was from another planet. This paragraph tells it as it was:
“As far as Anna was concerned they had met at a squaredance in Topeka. They talked long into the night. She invited him to dinner and he enjoyed her pork chops. Two months later they were married. Hedge took a loan, bought a house on a wide plot. He tended beehives and they didn’t sting him. She made pork chops. He ate them. It was love. That was their story.”
Hedge’s return to the Planet Plant uncovered thoughts, opinions and emotions within himself. This story is a wonderful example where the imaginative and creativity is both logical and ordinary.
My only criticism of the book is that it was too short and that there was only one character that was so carefully crafted. I would have liked to have read more of Anna, Scud Peabody, the Visitors and even the Plant of Ultimate Knowing.
Overall, it was a wonderful read and would certainly appeal to Sci-fi fantasy readers. I could also see this book made into an illustrated read-aloud book for young children. An illustrator would have such fun with Hedge!
I received this book from the author through Goodreads, in exchange for an honest review.
Sean DeLauder ‘packed a wallop’ into fewer than 100 pages of well-written, well-paced, entertaining Sci-fi fantasy. It is humorous and witty, whimsical and logical, philosophical and ordinary. There is so much packed into this little book that if you look carefully you might find it. I found a fictional story but also found themes of tolerance, love, empathy, adaptation, evolution, etc. I applaud Sean DeLauder for this artful achievement of The Speaker for the Trees.
I was immediately intrigued by the unique character of Hedge. He was described as “fat”, “round sagging body”, “fat and bald but not slobbery and sloppy”, and “ordinary”; but what really captured me was the encounter with the pork chops.
“He forked a bit of pork chop, pulled it off with his teeth and felt it tumble down his neck tube and drop into the heap of bits in his bulging middle part.”
Hedge experienced life in two very different worlds on two very different planets, Planet Plant and Planet Earth. Hedge, a very well evolved complex plant, had been born on the Planet Plant in a government nursery. He was ‘planted’, so to speak, on the Planet Earth to infiltrate human society appearing no different from humans on the outside but with the sole purpose to ‘watch the humans’. On earth he lived a very ordinary life as a beekeeper on a small farm with an “highly symmetrical” earth wife Anna who never suspected that Hedge was from another planet. This paragraph tells it as it was:
“As far as Anna was concerned they had met at a squaredance in Topeka. They talked long into the night. She invited him to dinner and he enjoyed her pork chops. Two months later they were married. Hedge took a loan, bought a house on a wide plot. He tended beehives and they didn’t sting him. She made pork chops. He ate them. It was love. That was their story.”
Hedge’s return to the Planet Plant uncovered thoughts, opinions and emotions within himself. This story is a wonderful example where the imaginative and creativity is both logical and ordinary.
My only criticism of the book is that it was too short and that there was only one character that was so carefully crafted. I would have liked to have read more of Anna, Scud Peabody, the Visitors and even the Plant of Ultimate Knowing.
Overall, it was a wonderful read and would certainly appeal to Sci-fi fantasy readers. I could also see this book made into an illustrated read-aloud book for young children. An illustrator would have such fun with Hedge!
I received this book from the author through Goodreads, in exchange for an honest review.
February 23, 2012
Hedge is fat, and aside from the greenish tinge of his skin, utterly unremarkable for a human male; the perfect disguise. For 20 years he enjoyed working on his farm and keeping his bees and eating his wife's pork chops. Then one day he is summoned back to his home planet, Planet Plant, and given some terrible news. Under the guidance of the Plant of Ultimate Knowing, it becomes his responsibility to save Earthwife Anna and the rest of the human race - and in the process he realizes that living among humanity for two decades has made him a little bit human, as well.
DeLauder's prose is beautiful, crisp, and redolent with ebullient humor reminiscent of the late, the wonderful, Douglas Adams. The plot is fantastical and may have come off as zany if not grounded by the sincerity, even seriousness, of the narrator's tone. I especially enjoyed the juxtaposition of narrative and vernacular dialogue; it made me wonder who was actually telling the story: clearly some vastly intelligent being. Perhaps the Plant of Ultimate Knowing itself?
The characters in this story are wonderful. I couldn't help but like Hedge from the very beginning. Even though he is just a plant, his capacity for compassion and empathy indicates that he is for certain more highly evolved than others of his race. Scud Peabody is surely a genius and, judging from the vivid descriptions typical of this author, may suffer from undiagnosed Graves' ophthalmopathy. I especially love the Earthwife, Anna. Though we meet her only briefly, during that time we can tell so much about her nature: she is sweet and loving and honest and has a terrible past of which she was singularly undeserving. This is a short story, but the characters are extremely well developed and multi-dimensional; I hope to hear more from Hedge in the future.
The Speaker for the Trees is a fun sci-fi yarn, but more than anything it is a love story. On the surface it is the story of a plant-man who learns to love an earth woman and goes to great lengths to save her. Upon closer inspection one finds that it is really about a love of humanity - that despite our flaws, we are a species of brilliant hope and potential, one worthy of saving. DeLauder conveys this message with his prose, but also by the emotions he evokes in the mind and heart of his reader.
DeLauder's prose is beautiful, crisp, and redolent with ebullient humor reminiscent of the late, the wonderful, Douglas Adams. The plot is fantastical and may have come off as zany if not grounded by the sincerity, even seriousness, of the narrator's tone. I especially enjoyed the juxtaposition of narrative and vernacular dialogue; it made me wonder who was actually telling the story: clearly some vastly intelligent being. Perhaps the Plant of Ultimate Knowing itself?
The characters in this story are wonderful. I couldn't help but like Hedge from the very beginning. Even though he is just a plant, his capacity for compassion and empathy indicates that he is for certain more highly evolved than others of his race. Scud Peabody is surely a genius and, judging from the vivid descriptions typical of this author, may suffer from undiagnosed Graves' ophthalmopathy. I especially love the Earthwife, Anna. Though we meet her only briefly, during that time we can tell so much about her nature: she is sweet and loving and honest and has a terrible past of which she was singularly undeserving. This is a short story, but the characters are extremely well developed and multi-dimensional; I hope to hear more from Hedge in the future.
The Speaker for the Trees is a fun sci-fi yarn, but more than anything it is a love story. On the surface it is the story of a plant-man who learns to love an earth woman and goes to great lengths to save her. Upon closer inspection one finds that it is really about a love of humanity - that despite our flaws, we are a species of brilliant hope and potential, one worthy of saving. DeLauder conveys this message with his prose, but also by the emotions he evokes in the mind and heart of his reader.
July 27, 2013
*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!*
I really like this book. Here are a few things that I liked about it!
I like how the author is very descriptive. He describes the environment which is crucial for this book because it deals with plants a lot. He also describes in such detail about what the physical and emotional properties are of being a plant (Like when Hedge eats). Another time when he describes is when Hedge is observing the humans.
I love how is realistic as well (in a sense). For the sake of not spoiling this book I will not say anything further on this subject but it does have a sense of reality.
I like how the author makes things that are normal to humans today, seem really strange to the plants in this book. Things such as football seems really strange because of the way he describes how Hedge feels about it.
"For whatever reason his mind flashed with the image of those silly people in the diner, not speaking to one another, but gathered at the counter, still faces fixed on the tiny black-and-white television while men in body armor ran about in formations, fighting over a wedge of rubber called a football."
I definitely recommend this book if you like scientific things because this book is very scientific!
I really like this book. Here are a few things that I liked about it!
I like how the author is very descriptive. He describes the environment which is crucial for this book because it deals with plants a lot. He also describes in such detail about what the physical and emotional properties are of being a plant (Like when Hedge eats). Another time when he describes is when Hedge is observing the humans.
I love how is realistic as well (in a sense). For the sake of not spoiling this book I will not say anything further on this subject but it does have a sense of reality.
I like how the author makes things that are normal to humans today, seem really strange to the plants in this book. Things such as football seems really strange because of the way he describes how Hedge feels about it.
"For whatever reason his mind flashed with the image of those silly people in the diner, not speaking to one another, but gathered at the counter, still faces fixed on the tiny black-and-white television while men in body armor ran about in formations, fighting over a wedge of rubber called a football."
I definitely recommend this book if you like scientific things because this book is very scientific!
May 14, 2012
Apparently, I'm on a funny indie book kick. My non-indie reading has not been so much with the funny, but this is the third humorous indie I've read in a row. And you know what? I love it. They've been a blast.
This one was a riot. I had only meant to read a couple chapters this evening, and ended up finishing the whole damn thing! (Mr. DeLauder, if my characters haunt me because your story delayed my writing of theirs, I'm sending them to your doorstep.) There are some truly precious lines. The "Touchdown!" scene -- you'll know it when you read it -- nearly put me into a giggle fit.
The story is pretty hysterical. I love the idea of the plants. The story had some philosophizing about big topics, you know, like the nature of God and the future of humanity, but never got the feeling that it was trying to be more than it was. Remarkably. It really gave me that loony, funky feeling that the first book in the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy did. Dry and witty. After the day I've had, I needed it too.
This one was a riot. I had only meant to read a couple chapters this evening, and ended up finishing the whole damn thing! (Mr. DeLauder, if my characters haunt me because your story delayed my writing of theirs, I'm sending them to your doorstep.) There are some truly precious lines. The "Touchdown!" scene -- you'll know it when you read it -- nearly put me into a giggle fit.
The story is pretty hysterical. I love the idea of the plants. The story had some philosophizing about big topics, you know, like the nature of God and the future of humanity, but never got the feeling that it was trying to be more than it was. Remarkably. It really gave me that loony, funky feeling that the first book in the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy did. Dry and witty. After the day I've had, I needed it too.
July 1, 2015
I received this book through a Good Reads giveaway in exchange for an honest review.
I liked this book. It's a short, quick read but if the story had been stretched out to a full novel it would have lost many of the things that made it, erm, novel. >_>
The writing is catchy and immersive. I enjoyed the characters and especially the dialogue involving Mr. Visitor. I actually giggled and had to read a passage aloud to someone else.
I do recommend stopping and putting the book down when you reach page 62 for reflection on the ideas presented up to that point. I had to leave it to run an errand, and didn't realize what a blessing that was until later. I think if I had kept reading, some of the ideas might have blown right past me.
The only con is in the agency of the main character. I felt that he would 'almost' reach a conclusion on his own, only to have another character tell him what to do.
I recommend this book.
I liked this book. It's a short, quick read but if the story had been stretched out to a full novel it would have lost many of the things that made it, erm, novel. >_>
The writing is catchy and immersive. I enjoyed the characters and especially the dialogue involving Mr. Visitor. I actually giggled and had to read a passage aloud to someone else.
I do recommend stopping and putting the book down when you reach page 62 for reflection on the ideas presented up to that point. I had to leave it to run an errand, and didn't realize what a blessing that was until later. I think if I had kept reading, some of the ideas might have blown right past me.
The only con is in the agency of the main character. I felt that he would 'almost' reach a conclusion on his own, only to have another character tell him what to do.
I recommend this book.
April 16, 2016
This was an intriguing, very cleverly written story about plant forms deciding the fate of humanity. Hedge had been sent to Earth to observe mankind, of which he had done over the space of 20 years. He had an Earth wife, Anna. One friend, Scud Peabody, who was the only one who believed that Hedge was from another planet when every one else thought he was mad.
The story centres around Hedge trying to save mankind when it is deemed necessary to destroy humanity. The many obstacles he encounters while trying to do this. The secondary characters give the story a good boost, and the comedic aspects made me laugh.
I enjoyed this story very much, it was well written. The plot kept me turning those pages. I thought it was just the right length for the kind of story it was. it didn't need to be any longer.
I highly recommend this quirky little story to all the sci-fi fans who like something a little bit different.
The story centres around Hedge trying to save mankind when it is deemed necessary to destroy humanity. The many obstacles he encounters while trying to do this. The secondary characters give the story a good boost, and the comedic aspects made me laugh.
I enjoyed this story very much, it was well written. The plot kept me turning those pages. I thought it was just the right length for the kind of story it was. it didn't need to be any longer.
I highly recommend this quirky little story to all the sci-fi fans who like something a little bit different.
April 10, 2016
This is one of the more unusual books I’ve ever read.
The protagonist is a plant, Hedge, who has disguised himself to live amongst humans. The plants, who are the dominant life forms on most planets in the universe, have been watching the human race. Hedge is recalled to provide his observations of the human race.
The novella explores a different way of looking at the world. And, within the thought structures of Hedge, he comes to realise that he has come to love the human woman, as his wife, who was part of his disguise.
There are very funny touches, like toasters, once reassembled, being a mode of teleportation. I did think that the writer occasionally over-explained things. Although the exploration of human nature was interesting, the attempt to add some tension with ‘Mr Visitor’ didn’t really pay off at the end.
An interesting read for anyone who likes speculative fiction.
The protagonist is a plant, Hedge, who has disguised himself to live amongst humans. The plants, who are the dominant life forms on most planets in the universe, have been watching the human race. Hedge is recalled to provide his observations of the human race.
The novella explores a different way of looking at the world. And, within the thought structures of Hedge, he comes to realise that he has come to love the human woman, as his wife, who was part of his disguise.
There are very funny touches, like toasters, once reassembled, being a mode of teleportation. I did think that the writer occasionally over-explained things. Although the exploration of human nature was interesting, the attempt to add some tension with ‘Mr Visitor’ didn’t really pay off at the end.
An interesting read for anyone who likes speculative fiction.
October 30, 2016
very nearly 'Hitchhikers Guide' standard, which is high praise indeed. Hedge is a plant, sent to spy on humanity in human form. As he bumbles slowly around eating his wife's pork chops and defending the local idiot, he falls in love with humanity, and is perturbed when his own intergalactic overloads, the 'plants' decide that humanity is dangerous.
Together with the plant of all-knowing, who is in fact a weed, and some particularly clever daisies, they set out to fool the masters of the universe as save humanity.
This is a quirky, well written book which will have you looking at your pot plants and toasters with new respect.
Together with the plant of all-knowing, who is in fact a weed, and some particularly clever daisies, they set out to fool the masters of the universe as save humanity.
This is a quirky, well written book which will have you looking at your pot plants and toasters with new respect.
May 3, 2015
This is a fabulous little novella. It starts on a high note and stays there. It is witty and clever, with a very Douglas Adams feel. Being so short most of the characters are not deeply developed, but this is not a destraction-rather it avoids unnecessary distractions. Hedge's outsider observations of humanity are thought provoking, and his budding understanding of his own, very human, emotions touching. I'm glad I gave it an evening. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Oh, and I'll be keeping my toaster close from now on-just in case.
April 25, 2012
First I must say that I do not typically read Sci-Fi genre but the author so kindly provided me with a copy. Thank you Mr. DeLauder! I rate this book 5 stars for creativity of the zany clever plot of a man who is not actually a man but a plant sent to live among the humans and observe them. While not being a human Hedge seems like he has become more human than plant with the compassion that he shows for his Earth wife Anna and the human race.
Thanks again Mr. DeLauder for sharing your book with me. I wish you great success with your new book.
Thanks again Mr. DeLauder for sharing your book with me. I wish you great success with your new book.
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