In a world where the slightest edge can mean the difference between success and failure, Leisha Camden is beautiful, extraordinarily intelligent ... and one of an ever-growing number of human beings who have been genetically modified to never require sleep.
Once considered interesting anomalies, now Leisha and the other "Sleepless" are outcasts -- victims of blind hatred, political repression, and shocking mob violence meant to drive them from human society ... and, ultimately, from Earth itself.
But Leisha Camden has chosen to remain behind in a world that envies and fears her "gift" -- a world marked for destruction in a devastating conspiracy of freedom ... and revenge.
Many of us wish we could get by with less sleep. Beggars in Spain extrapolates that wish into a future where some people need no sleep at all. Nancy Kress, an award-winning author of novels, short stories, and columns on writing, has created another thoughtful but dramatic statement on social issues.
Leisha Camden was genetically modified at birth to require no sleep, and her normal twin Alice is the control. Problems and envy between the sisters mirror those in the larger world, as society struggles to adjust to a growing pool of people who not only have 30 percent more time to work and study than normal humans, but are also highly intelligent and in perfect health. The Sleepless gradually outgrow their welcome on Earth, and their children escape to an orbiting space station to set up their own society. But Leisha and a few others remain behind, preaching acceptance for all humans, Sleepless and Sleeper alike. With the conspiracy and revenge that unwinds, the world needs a little preaching on tolerance.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
I wouldn't consider this a novel:
This book is about a new generation of children that are genetically engineered to function without the need to sleep. According to the ridiculous premise of this book, these "sleepless", are nearly perfect in every way. None of the "sleepless" presented here are deviant in any manner. There are obviously few, if any, psychological pitfalls with having 8 additional hours per day. But, really such an in-depth and balanced look into what might have been an interesting premise is far beyond the reach of this... more info
Disappointing... Skip it and read "Ender's Game" instead:
I find it hard to believe that this book won the Hugo and Nebula Awards.
I had just finished Neal Stephenson's "Diamond Age", which is a wild and engaging story about a young heroine in the age of nanotechnology-gone-wild. I thought "Beggars in Spain" would be a much better written story about a young heroine in a world of biotechnology-gone-wild. Instead, I got a painfully boring, neo-Victorian soap opera, filled with self-absorbed and whining group of genetically modified super-ninnies. The... more info
Pretty good, but needs more character and plot development:
Beggars in Spain is an interesting book based on an interesting premise. I debated between 3 and 4 stars though, because there were serious problems with the book. I decided on 4 stars because even with its problems, it's still a great book to add to your repetoire of modern sci fi writers. I have all the books in the series and found them to be good reads. Questions - Why are the Sleepless so perfect? I felt that Kress didn't fully explore the possible repercussions of actually becoming "sleepless."... more info
Super Reader:
This is another take on the mutant children theme. The Sleepless are named such because they are born with no need to sleep. This does give them an advantage in study time, but they also seem to be superintelligent, and it seems that they have physical advantages along with their mental mutations. The fate of all mutants is to be feared by the general populace and those whose power structures they threaten, but one of the Sleepless, Leisha, attempts to bridge the gap, even if it costs her fellowship... more info
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