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Echea
Sarah thinks she has the perfect family. She and her husband decide to share that perfection with Echea, an orphan from the Moon Wars. But after Sarah adopts Echea, she realizes that Echea has problems. Serious problems. Problems that might change Sarah’s entire family. Forever. A hauntingly unforgettable story about the choices parents must make for their children, “Echea” won the Asimov’s and Homer Readers’ Choice Awards and placed as a finalist for the Hugo, Nebula, Sturgeon, and Locus awards. “One of the five best stories of the year.” —Tangent Online
41 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 1, 1998
1 person is currently reading
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About the author
Kristine Kathryn Rusch
1,365 books721 followersKristine Kathryn Rusch is an award-winning mystery, romance, science fiction, and fantasy writer. She has written many novels under various names, including Kristine Grayson for romance, and Kris Nelscott for mystery. Her novels have made the bestseller lists –even in London– and have been published in 14 countries and 13 different languages.
Her awards range from the Ellery Queen Readers Choice Award to the John W. Campbell Award. In the past year, she has been nominated for the Hugo, the Shamus, and the Anthony Award. She is the only person in the history of the science fiction field to have won a Hugo award for editing and a Hugo award for fiction.
In addition, she's written a number of nonfiction articles over the years, with her latest being the book "A Freelancer's Survival Guide".
She has also published as:
Sandy Schofield (collaborations with husband Dean Wesley Smith)
Kristine Grayson - romances
Kathryn Wesley (collaborations with husband Dean Wesley Smith)
Kris Nelscott - mysteries
Kris Rusch - historical fiction
Kris DeLake - romances
Her awards range from the Ellery Queen Readers Choice Award to the John W. Campbell Award. In the past year, she has been nominated for the Hugo, the Shamus, and the Anthony Award. She is the only person in the history of the science fiction field to have won a Hugo award for editing and a Hugo award for fiction.
In addition, she's written a number of nonfiction articles over the years, with her latest being the book "A Freelancer's Survival Guide".
She has also published as:
Sandy Schofield (collaborations with husband Dean Wesley Smith)
Kristine Grayson - romances
Kathryn Wesley (collaborations with husband Dean Wesley Smith)
Kris Nelscott - mysteries
Kris Rusch - historical fiction
Kris DeLake - romances
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
July 3, 2013
I read Echea many years ago when it first appeared in Asimov's Science Fiction. It was one of the first things I bought a few years later at Fictionwise. It was nominated for the Locus, Nebula, Hugo, and Sturgeon awards, as well as winning multiple reader choice awards.
In a word, this is one of the best science fiction stories I have ever read, and even though I read hundreds of books every year, it has remained with me all this time. It is one of the most haunting stories I have ever read. I can't recommend this story more.
In a word, this is one of the best science fiction stories I have ever read, and even though I read hundreds of books every year, it has remained with me all this time. It is one of the most haunting stories I have ever read. I can't recommend this story more.
April 27, 2025
Ooh I liked this story. It was incredibly predictable but the writing and story were strong enough that it didn’t matter. Dealing with some strong moral and ethical issues which I always love in my sci fi.
January 18, 2021
It gave me the chills. Just something that could be translated to so many things.
January 26, 2021
Chilling and stunningly well-crafted. Wow.
September 3, 2015
Ottima storia, bella idea, ottima scrittura (e traduzione, quindi), peccato solo per il finale monco.
March 20, 2018
This short story was originally released in 1999. in Asimov's and was nominated for Hugo, Nebula, Sturgeon and Locus awards. Also, it is in my top five sf stories of all time. Echea is a girl born and raised on the Moon, and then brought to Earth to find peace. But, deep inside her is artificial remnant of the previous world – one that hinders her adapting. One of the more impressive sentences was:" They had to renounce the stars in order to have a home." Spoken by a woman from the family that decided to adopt Echea. Therefore, it is no wonder she expressed fear at the first encounter with adopters: "Am I really welcome here?"
Apart from the fact that the family has three daughters, Echea learns about some seemingly ordinary things: "What is the almost-pleasant pain after I eat?" A parent can only force itself to answer calmly. Also, there is still a need to persuade her that she will actually stay on Earth, that they won’t give her back. On the other hand, she is an orphan from Moon wars and what is the daily routine for others on Earth, for her is a difficult task, and her thoughts are already on the goal, will she achieve it? All that she really wants is somebody's hand and a protective voice. Why is this one of the best stories I've read so far: "This was what parenting was all about: the difficult painful choices, the irreversible choices with no easy answers, the second-guessing of the future with no help at all from the past. I held her hand tightly this time while she wandered ahead of me down the hallway. I was the one with fear. " Thoughts of a parent who made the decision and must live with the consequences. Since the Moon children were used for manipulation and for obtaining certain goods, her parents must decide. Will they help her get rid of this "artificial" heredity and go from scratch, or leave it inside of her and condemn her to the lonely life in which she would never be a part of society. Echea is a child who speaks for all the children who have never had a chance. All those who were different and who felt they did not belong.
Apart from the fact that the family has three daughters, Echea learns about some seemingly ordinary things: "What is the almost-pleasant pain after I eat?" A parent can only force itself to answer calmly. Also, there is still a need to persuade her that she will actually stay on Earth, that they won’t give her back. On the other hand, she is an orphan from Moon wars and what is the daily routine for others on Earth, for her is a difficult task, and her thoughts are already on the goal, will she achieve it? All that she really wants is somebody's hand and a protective voice. Why is this one of the best stories I've read so far: "This was what parenting was all about: the difficult painful choices, the irreversible choices with no easy answers, the second-guessing of the future with no help at all from the past. I held her hand tightly this time while she wandered ahead of me down the hallway. I was the one with fear. " Thoughts of a parent who made the decision and must live with the consequences. Since the Moon children were used for manipulation and for obtaining certain goods, her parents must decide. Will they help her get rid of this "artificial" heredity and go from scratch, or leave it inside of her and condemn her to the lonely life in which she would never be a part of society. Echea is a child who speaks for all the children who have never had a chance. All those who were different and who felt they did not belong.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews