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Child of Fortune
In the exotic interstellar civilization of the Second Starfaring Age, youthful wanderers are known as Children of Fortune. This is the tale of one such wanderer, who seeks her destiny on an odyssey of self-discovery amid humanity's many worlds. Arresting and visionary, Child of Fortune is a science-fictional On the Road .
480 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1985
20 people are currently reading
586 people want to read
About the author
Norman Spinrad
366 books217 followersBorn in New York in 1940, Norman Spinrad is an acclaimed SF writer.
Norman Spinrad, born in New York City, is a graduate of the Bronx High School of Science. In 1957 he entered City College of New York and graduated in 1961 with a Bachelor of Science degree as a pre-law major. In 1966 he moved to San Francisco, then to Los Angeles, and now lives in Paris. He married fellow novelist N. Lee Wood in 1990; they divorced in 2005. They had no children. Spinrad served as President of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) from 1980 to 1982 and again from 2001 to 2002.
Norman Spinrad, born in New York City, is a graduate of the Bronx High School of Science. In 1957 he entered City College of New York and graduated in 1961 with a Bachelor of Science degree as a pre-law major. In 1966 he moved to San Francisco, then to Los Angeles, and now lives in Paris. He married fellow novelist N. Lee Wood in 1990; they divorced in 2005. They had no children. Spinrad served as President of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) from 1980 to 1982 and again from 2001 to 2002.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
March 25, 2008
This is the most ragingly 1960s book I've ever read that wasn't produced by '72. Somehow, it took Spinrad till the mid-'80s to sum it ALL up in the form of an idealized coming-of-age-in-space story set in a culture with a pronounced "journeyman" phase that's celebrated as the cornerstone of identity-building; yes, this is in the same universe as the Void Captain's Tale, which is all about spaceships powered by mentally unstable women strapped into mindblowing-orgasm machines, which probably hints that this ain't aiming at subtle.
Written in a pretentious but utterly suitable polylingual style full of Germanic and Spanish and pseudomystical Japanese and Sanskrit, it's totally over the top and totally right on. Plus, it involves traveling gypsy tribes, piles of tantric sex, a fetishization of adventure, a planet full of pernicious flowers producing millions of psychoactive compounds, proud Zelaznyesque mythic indistinguishability between science and magic, an old-school cryogenic immortal or two, and a big fat helping of Northrop Frye hero questing turned into a full on kunstlerroman.
Seriously, a very particular kind of person is gonna find this as awesome as I did. Some of those people will be really lame, but the book isn't.
Written in a pretentious but utterly suitable polylingual style full of Germanic and Spanish and pseudomystical Japanese and Sanskrit, it's totally over the top and totally right on. Plus, it involves traveling gypsy tribes, piles of tantric sex, a fetishization of adventure, a planet full of pernicious flowers producing millions of psychoactive compounds, proud Zelaznyesque mythic indistinguishability between science and magic, an old-school cryogenic immortal or two, and a big fat helping of Northrop Frye hero questing turned into a full on kunstlerroman.
Seriously, a very particular kind of person is gonna find this as awesome as I did. Some of those people will be really lame, but the book isn't.
October 30, 2011
Norman Spinrad wrote numerous novels and short stories, mostly in science fiction, and is still writing today. His blog is http://normanspinradatlarge.blogspot....
_Child of Fortune_ by Spinrad is one of the most wonderful novels I ever read, an under-rated classic of science fiction. It is the opposite of a dystopian novel: it shows a future, which, at least for me, is quite desirable. Two notable elements of this far future is that the human race has colonized hundreds of worlds, and that every adolescent undergoes a wanderjahr. "Wanderjahr" is a German word which means "year of wondering." More loosely speaking, it a period of time when a young person travels in order to find him- or her- self. Examples would be the walkabouts of Australian aborgines; The Grand Tour made by upper-class European males in the 17th to the 19th century; and the medieval Goliards, wondering students who were really interested in wine, women and song.
This novel is the wanderjarh of one such adolescent, named Moussa. She travels to three different worlds, meets interesting people, tries out different things, experiences love and loss. At the end of her wanderjarh she, like others who complete their wanderjarh, gives herself a new name reflective of who she is.
This is a great work of sustained imagination--wonders regularly unfold such as a device which enhances pleasure; a young looking guy who is hundreds of years old; spaceships powered by something like Reichian orgone energy; a forest of mind and mood altering plants, etc.
One current example of the wanderjarh is the international youth hostel movement. Also, I saw a professor say in an internet discussion forum that college is like a wanderjahr for the middle class. Perhaps
this book will give impetus to a social movement promoting the wanderjarh for all young people.
_Child of Fortune_ by Spinrad is one of the most wonderful novels I ever read, an under-rated classic of science fiction. It is the opposite of a dystopian novel: it shows a future, which, at least for me, is quite desirable. Two notable elements of this far future is that the human race has colonized hundreds of worlds, and that every adolescent undergoes a wanderjahr. "Wanderjahr" is a German word which means "year of wondering." More loosely speaking, it a period of time when a young person travels in order to find him- or her- self. Examples would be the walkabouts of Australian aborgines; The Grand Tour made by upper-class European males in the 17th to the 19th century; and the medieval Goliards, wondering students who were really interested in wine, women and song.
This novel is the wanderjarh of one such adolescent, named Moussa. She travels to three different worlds, meets interesting people, tries out different things, experiences love and loss. At the end of her wanderjarh she, like others who complete their wanderjarh, gives herself a new name reflective of who she is.
This is a great work of sustained imagination--wonders regularly unfold such as a device which enhances pleasure; a young looking guy who is hundreds of years old; spaceships powered by something like Reichian orgone energy; a forest of mind and mood altering plants, etc.
One current example of the wanderjarh is the international youth hostel movement. Also, I saw a professor say in an internet discussion forum that college is like a wanderjahr for the middle class. Perhaps
this book will give impetus to a social movement promoting the wanderjarh for all young people.
August 18, 2024
A science fiction adventure that is one part Homer's Odyssey, one part 60s drug culture, and one part poetic rock opera.
Easy Rider, Almost Famous and Moby-Dick in space, as creativity and young romance clash with cults of personality, worlds of addiction and a dark mythic forest.
A planet with a thriving presence drawing us to its mysterious center and a people seduced and captured in the flourish of an immense predatory nature.
A wild, shattering, wondrous exploration.
A space trip that is both a coming of age fantasy while also featuring inescapable alien terror and some of the most striking and memorable imagery in the history of science fiction.
10/10
Easy Rider, Almost Famous and Moby-Dick in space, as creativity and young romance clash with cults of personality, worlds of addiction and a dark mythic forest.
A planet with a thriving presence drawing us to its mysterious center and a people seduced and captured in the flourish of an immense predatory nature.
A wild, shattering, wondrous exploration.
A space trip that is both a coming of age fantasy while also featuring inescapable alien terror and some of the most striking and memorable imagery in the history of science fiction.
10/10
August 6, 2012
I picked this up at Powell's because I remembered loving it as a kid. Apparently I was hypnotized by the combination of two dollar words and sex, because that's all this book consists of. Spinrad is especially fond of 'puissance', 'hypnogogic' and 'lingam'.
Here's a random sentence: "In truth, as I knew even then, the weltanschauung which had so consumed my soul with dread under the influence of the psychotropic had been little more than the heightened subjective apprehension of the rudiments of quantum cosmology which we are all taught as children."
In a word, unreadable.
Here's a random sentence: "In truth, as I knew even then, the weltanschauung which had so consumed my soul with dread under the influence of the psychotropic had been little more than the heightened subjective apprehension of the rudiments of quantum cosmology which we are all taught as children."
In a word, unreadable.
February 23, 2014
Child of Fortune found me when I was a teenager. It was the first book I read with a female character who was encouraged (pushed even) into taking control of her whole life, including her sexuality.
This is the type of coming-of-age story I wish more girls could experience in real life - that the world is huge and full of the terrific and terrible, that our individual realities are shaped by how we act and with whom we associate, and that it is not only okay but important to enjoy lovers and friends on our own terms, without shame or embarrassment.
Spinrad is a highly visual writer - his prose paints itself in my mind in technicolor as I'm reading and I can still 'see' it years after. And when his marvelous characters plunge into philosophical rant or glorious rally I find myself invigorated instead of lulled, inspired instead of bored.
Child of Fortune is one of a few books that drives home for me the regret of having been born too soon, stuck on one lonely planet instead of loosed into a world of worlds.
This is the type of coming-of-age story I wish more girls could experience in real life - that the world is huge and full of the terrific and terrible, that our individual realities are shaped by how we act and with whom we associate, and that it is not only okay but important to enjoy lovers and friends on our own terms, without shame or embarrassment.
Spinrad is a highly visual writer - his prose paints itself in my mind in technicolor as I'm reading and I can still 'see' it years after. And when his marvelous characters plunge into philosophical rant or glorious rally I find myself invigorated instead of lulled, inspired instead of bored.
Child of Fortune is one of a few books that drives home for me the regret of having been born too soon, stuck on one lonely planet instead of loosed into a world of worlds.
June 7, 2014
My initial impression of this book was that anyone in their late teens and twenties should read this, if only for the psychological discourse on youth and spiritual (as well as physical) wanderlust and love of adventure. But as it went on, it developed into something far more sweeping and universal: a tale about the power of tales and their eternal place at the very heart of humanity. And Spinrad wraps up the conclusion both in a satisfying way on this larger, philosophical level, and in the personal life of the engaging and witty heroine we followed throughout the book. It gets a little long in the middle, but the opening and conclusion both make it worth the journey.
May 5, 2013
Hippie, quirky, full of ideas that make you say "I wonder if that'd work?" I liked it the first time I read it as a counter-culture book in my late teens, and found more depth when I re-read it almost 4 decades later.
What would it be like to be given a year or so to wander and find your true calling? What if society was set up with the expectation that all teens would do this?
What would your true calling have been?
What would it be like to be given a year or so to wander and find your true calling? What if society was set up with the expectation that all teens would do this?
What would your true calling have been?
November 1, 2020
I don't read many science fiction books, but I thought the premise of this one seemed interesting. Before settling down to adult life, an young woman sets out to explore the universe to find her true self-in what the author calls a wanderjahr. Originally a German term meaning literally a wandering year. I had a hard time identifying with any characters in the book--in particular the female protagonist. What I found annoying was that the author created this future speak of a language consisting of mostly English, with some German phrases, French phrases, and Spanish words mixed in. Fortunately my two years of high school German was useful. Actually, the word meanings were not hard to figure out, but really didn't add to the story. The one thing I enjoyed was the author's descriptions of the planets, and the interiors of the large spaceships used for interplanetary travel. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised about my experience since one of the plugs promoting the book was written by Timothy Leary. Apparently author Norman Spinrad is an well know and accomplished Science Fiction writer. Perhaps I just don't appreciate or understand the genre.
February 17, 2009
This book (and author) are perennial favorites of mine; in particular his post-global polyglot writing style infects any sci-fi I even think about writing.
July 26, 2015
Started this but having a hard slog as the whole thing is written in a kind of neo-Victorian patois that is damned annoying...
I like Norman Spinrad. A lot. I like his snarky humor, his neo-anarchic politics, his fine eye for satire. That being said, this is just about the worst damn novel I've ever read. Meant as (apparently) a kind of hippy Bildungsroman, it is instead a disjointed mess of uninteresting characters, contrived plot and that godawful annoying pretentious repetitious in-universe dialog! If I never read the word "quotidian " again I will die a happy man. The main character Moussa begins as a spoiled self-absorbed brat and ends as a boring pretentious brat. None of the other characters are even remotely memorable. The future of the Second Starfaring Age is bland and unremarkable, the technology reads as dated and anachronistic. The only thing worth noting is Spinrad's genuinely creepy exploration of the dark possibilities of symbiotic biology set on the planet Belshazzar. Beyond that, there's nothing to recommend.
I like Norman Spinrad. A lot. I like his snarky humor, his neo-anarchic politics, his fine eye for satire. That being said, this is just about the worst damn novel I've ever read. Meant as (apparently) a kind of hippy Bildungsroman, it is instead a disjointed mess of uninteresting characters, contrived plot and that godawful annoying pretentious repetitious in-universe dialog! If I never read the word "quotidian " again I will die a happy man. The main character Moussa begins as a spoiled self-absorbed brat and ends as a boring pretentious brat. None of the other characters are even remotely memorable. The future of the Second Starfaring Age is bland and unremarkable, the technology reads as dated and anachronistic. The only thing worth noting is Spinrad's genuinely creepy exploration of the dark possibilities of symbiotic biology set on the planet Belshazzar. Beyond that, there's nothing to recommend.
November 6, 2009
A flawed jewel. Narrated by a young woman from a privileged family in a future, interplanetary society, it is basically a soul-searching travelogue - in space. Just to funk it up a little, Spinrad gives her a sort of futuristic, neo-Edwardian/Cajun dialect. Yes, really. It borders on extreme silliness too many times to mention, especially in descriptions of tantric sex, of which there are many (oddly enough, though they are wordy and elaborate, they don't actually "show" much).
There is so much about this book which is awkward...and yet...and yet...I read it five years ago, and a week hasn't gone by where I didn't think about it. Spinrad's imagination is rich and deep. But, in additional to being wonderfully strange, it is guided by moral and spiritual issues at the center of all the best storytelling. This book is like Siddhartha, except good.
There is so much about this book which is awkward...and yet...and yet...I read it five years ago, and a week hasn't gone by where I didn't think about it. Spinrad's imagination is rich and deep. But, in additional to being wonderfully strange, it is guided by moral and spiritual issues at the center of all the best storytelling. This book is like Siddhartha, except good.
April 3, 2008
This is one of the "bestest/funnest" books I've ever read. It's the tale of a girl's "interstellar life and travels" as she grows to womanhood, and it takes you through some fascinating places and amazing adventures. The characters are colorful, unique, and very memorable.
I've read it at least twice in my life, and I intend to read it again as soon as I can lay hands on a copy.
I've read it at least twice in my life, and I intend to read it again as soon as I can lay hands on a copy.
July 30, 2012
Brilliant sci fi satirical rendering of the "war" between the sexes published in 1979 which I read and enjoyed in the 80's. A recent tour of Amazon reviews makes me want to recommend it here and consider revisiting it myself. A "pacific" colony of near equality between genders on planet Pacifica is disrupted by opposing new factions in the form of radical feminists and male neofascists.
April 22, 2015
Will forever remain my favorite.
December 5, 2013
"A young girl's erotic journey from Milan to Minsk..." oops, wrong plot, that was from Seinfeld. Anyway, that is probably not too far off a review for this book. Basically, it is a science fiction story of a girl's Golden Summer of traveling vagabond style across the universe to find her destined path on the Yellow Brick Road.
Moussa Shasta Leonardo (aka Sunshine, aka Wendi) is an intriguing character and the story does try to capture both the romantic ideals of the 1960s Hippie lifestyle and combine them with a core science fiction concept. Moussa meets Pater Pan, a space going lost boy who is seeking to explore all the experiences of mankind. She lives a Golden Summer with him before Pater moves on to other pastures. Infused with purpose, Moussa then travels with a new boyfriend to a planet of intoxicating botanical life that leads her on a new dangerous journey.
The book is long, very long, and often endlessly repetitive. Of the 483 pages, it could probably have done with about 200 being removed. Spinrad's descriptions of characters and events are detailed and enthralling, but repetitive and excessive.
At its core, there is a great story being told. Moussa's experience with the alien plant life on Belshazzar, for example, goes from subtly concerning to horribly frightening. It is a threat that creeps up on the reader and presents a nightmare version of the Garden of Eden.
With that said, the story goes on too long. The nostalgia of the 1960s flower power style life wears thin. The excesses of drug use ultimately show their terrible consequence, but most of the book seems to look on casual drug use as something to be nostalgic about. The consequences are not blamed on the drug use, but rather simply on a flaw of the human spirit. Maybe staying away from the drugs would have made for even better memories? Also, the sex scenes, including a rape are trivialized. The narrator tends to look at all these bad things she survived as steps on her golden path rather than as lessons to caution others about.
In summary: great sci-fi plot at core, interesting characters, but too long and a little morally superficial (IMO).
Moussa Shasta Leonardo (aka Sunshine, aka Wendi) is an intriguing character and the story does try to capture both the romantic ideals of the 1960s Hippie lifestyle and combine them with a core science fiction concept. Moussa meets Pater Pan, a space going lost boy who is seeking to explore all the experiences of mankind. She lives a Golden Summer with him before Pater moves on to other pastures. Infused with purpose, Moussa then travels with a new boyfriend to a planet of intoxicating botanical life that leads her on a new dangerous journey.
The book is long, very long, and often endlessly repetitive. Of the 483 pages, it could probably have done with about 200 being removed. Spinrad's descriptions of characters and events are detailed and enthralling, but repetitive and excessive.
At its core, there is a great story being told. Moussa's experience with the alien plant life on Belshazzar, for example, goes from subtly concerning to horribly frightening. It is a threat that creeps up on the reader and presents a nightmare version of the Garden of Eden.
With that said, the story goes on too long. The nostalgia of the 1960s flower power style life wears thin. The excesses of drug use ultimately show their terrible consequence, but most of the book seems to look on casual drug use as something to be nostalgic about. The consequences are not blamed on the drug use, but rather simply on a flaw of the human spirit. Maybe staying away from the drugs would have made for even better memories? Also, the sex scenes, including a rape are trivialized. The narrator tends to look at all these bad things she survived as steps on her golden path rather than as lessons to caution others about.
In summary: great sci-fi plot at core, interesting characters, but too long and a little morally superficial (IMO).
March 11, 2013
Norman Spinard's science fiction tale takes place in a distant Utopian future where humanity has left Earth and colonized some three hundred planets in our race's quest for the ever elusive frontier. We open on a water world that feels like a tropical jungle where people live in buildings suspended or built on the complex root structures (similar I imagine to the Lost coast of Florida ).
Here our narrator, a young female around the age of 17 or 18 years, explains to us some intricacies of human history from modern day to her time and how humanity came to conquer so many planets. Among the explanation (one minor drawback here: the book has a longish exposition) we find out about how the right of passage ritual, commonly implemented before the industrial age, has been rekindled and from this journey one finds their profession, name, and many times their future home planet. Spinard puts a lot of time explaining these rituals and how they've evolved to fit the current state of humanity, which if it wasn't so florally written it would be a major bore. In this grail quest/coming of age story we follow young Shasta from planet to planet learning about and exploring the different subsections and subcultures humanity has adapted to based on their planet and personal drives.
My favourite part of this book was the language. Everything from the word choice, to the sentence structure choices were superb. Even reading about histories and expositions of a culture which may be repetitious for some authors is kept interesting in how the narrative flows and how languid the sentences and sylables cascade over the tongue into the brain. This is not to say the book is more flowery than a botanist's backyard, what the author manages is to balance poetic language with well structured narrative to keep the reader wanting more but not getting overwhelmed with fluff.
Here our narrator, a young female around the age of 17 or 18 years, explains to us some intricacies of human history from modern day to her time and how humanity came to conquer so many planets. Among the explanation (one minor drawback here: the book has a longish exposition) we find out about how the right of passage ritual, commonly implemented before the industrial age, has been rekindled and from this journey one finds their profession, name, and many times their future home planet. Spinard puts a lot of time explaining these rituals and how they've evolved to fit the current state of humanity, which if it wasn't so florally written it would be a major bore. In this grail quest/coming of age story we follow young Shasta from planet to planet learning about and exploring the different subsections and subcultures humanity has adapted to based on their planet and personal drives.
My favourite part of this book was the language. Everything from the word choice, to the sentence structure choices were superb. Even reading about histories and expositions of a culture which may be repetitious for some authors is kept interesting in how the narrative flows and how languid the sentences and sylables cascade over the tongue into the brain. This is not to say the book is more flowery than a botanist's backyard, what the author manages is to balance poetic language with well structured narrative to keep the reader wanting more but not getting overwhelmed with fluff.
July 14, 2015
Lyrical and flowery language, including the use of a polyglot narrator, that borders on poetry but can get in the way at times.
Enjoyed the writing a lot, but I can see how some people may not enjoy the style in this book. The book was published in the 80s, but had an amazingly 1960s/70s feel to it - mind altering substances and tantric and liberal sex.
Plot was pretty straightforward - just a journey. Not a lot of character to character conflict, but somehow the narrative still moves forward.
A unique coming of age story set in a science fiction backdrop.
Enjoyed the writing a lot, but I can see how some people may not enjoy the style in this book. The book was published in the 80s, but had an amazingly 1960s/70s feel to it - mind altering substances and tantric and liberal sex.
Plot was pretty straightforward - just a journey. Not a lot of character to character conflict, but somehow the narrative still moves forward.
A unique coming of age story set in a science fiction backdrop.
April 21, 2016
This book was hard to get into with its writing style, and between arcs it was hard to stay interested. That being said, WOW, what a f*cking amazing ride that book was. I am so glad I pushed through and read the whole thing. I am also really glad for having read his other book, Void Captains Take first as it put the story into a much more interesting and full context.
Read
July 10, 2009lent to me by Laurie/libramoon (producer of "emerging visions" ezine) and oh my gosh it is so much fun. erudite franglais and then some. a gibberish even i can say is a bit bizarre, however easy it is for me to understand, given, similar hippy linguisilliness i write in myself...
November 5, 2015
This is by far my favorite book of all time! It is difficult to read at first due to the mixture of language styles, but once you're into it, it becomes easier and more familiar. I've read this book 4 times over the years.
October 21, 2021
This was my second try reading this one. Very long winded with extravagant words seeming to be used for just that reason. Not a bad story, if you can get by that and have smattering of French, German and Spanish under your belt.
February 19, 2023
A story about stories -- how they can be a danger and a salvation as well as simple recreation, and how vitally important it is that each of us create our own.
August 2, 2010
A parable set in a futuristic, space faring society, it is the best novel about being a flowerchild of the 60's I have ever encountered.
December 2, 2025
I read this when I was in my twenties and really enjoyed it at the time. Out of curiosity I decided to reread it these 40 years later and while it was still a fun read I did not appreciate it nearly as much. I guess when I was in my twenties I found it's open attitude toward sex and physical love appealing. Now, as an old person, the thing I noticed most was Spinrad's overuse of certain words and phrases, the frequent repetition thereof distracting me from the story.
Words/phrases used far too much:
Vraiment - 213
puisant/puisance - 77
naturellement - 70
Words/phrases used far too much:
Vraiment - 213
puisant/puisance - 77
naturellement - 70
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 28, 2021
The back of this novel says, "CHILD OF FORTUNE is an extraordinary novel you will not soon forget."
Correct - I will not soon forget how UNFATHOMABLY BAD this novel was.
I like most Norman Spinrad books... NEWS AT 11, LITTLE HEROES, BUG JACK BARRON. This was TERRIBLE. It was like a bizarre mash-up of Woodstock, Valley Girl and Brave New World. Ugh.
And if I never read the word quotidian again, it will be too soon.
Correct - I will not soon forget how UNFATHOMABLY BAD this novel was.
I like most Norman Spinrad books... NEWS AT 11, LITTLE HEROES, BUG JACK BARRON. This was TERRIBLE. It was like a bizarre mash-up of Woodstock, Valley Girl and Brave New World. Ugh.
And if I never read the word quotidian again, it will be too soon.
December 4, 2021
Very interesting universe. I love that the descendants of earth have incorporated different languages into one universal language. There was a lot of French and German with some Spanish and Italian and some words I know come from India. The story itself kept me guessing about where it was going and what would happen. The language does seem lofty at first and took some getting used to, but I understood why when I saw where we wound up.
November 28, 2021
This may be the most extraordinary science fiction book I've ever read. The depth and resonance of Spinrad's incredible imagination has stayed with me in the decades since I read it. At least twice! And it's a BIG book. Worth every minute I spent with it. Do yourself a favor and read this bizarre and wonderful tale.
December 11, 2024
Extremely flippant review: "Eat, Pray, Love in space".
Fractionally better review ... a slow-starting coming-of-age story, which built for me into a vivid character study and thoughtful world-building.
Fractionally better review ... a slow-starting coming-of-age story, which built for me into a vivid character study and thoughtful world-building.
July 20, 2020
A young woman reaches the age of 18 and goes on an interstellar wanderjahr.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews