A brilliant book that discusses moral issues
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This is an amazing novel that I discovered when I was 17. I fell in love with the idea of a society that rejected those who had been created 'different', and the consequences of that same rejection. I revisit the novel every couple of years, and find that the issues are still as novel ten years later.
A wonderful story that discusses moral issues through convincing and admirable characters.
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Thought-provoking and deeply satisfying
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This is easily one of the best SF books I have read. The novella won both the Hugo and Nebula Awards and you can see why. It looks at what it means to be human, and also individual rights and obligations to society. It is also a possibly prophetic look into the future of democracy in an increasingly high-tech world. The book does not dwell on the technical aspects of this future, but rather on its social consequences, and it is a stunning tour de force.
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Worth reading more than once
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I first read 'Beggars in Spain' six or seven years ago and I enjoyed it then. I've found that the better stories age well; come back a few years later and they still engage your heart and your mind. This is one of those stories. Nancy Kress illustrates a fast approaching issue - the impact of genetic engineering - with well-drawn characters in realistic situations. The premise is science has learned how to engineer humans such that they no longer need to sleep. Obviously, the "sleepless" have a huge advantage over the "sleepers," and Kress explores the chasm that develops between the two classes of humans. Not to give away the story, but the "sleepless" have additional gifts that notch up the intensity significantly. My only complaint is that the story seems to run out of gas toward the end. Kress has ably developed the issues, but doesn't bring the plot to a definitive climax. Nevertheless, 'Beggars in Spain' is an excellent story, one that will stay with you over the years.
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A thoughtful read
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This is a superb book - complex and thoughful. It shows a real insight into human nature and how people perceive themselves and others versus reality. I would recommend it.
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Beautifully written, strong theme, good characters
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Nancy Kress has written a wonderful book about the dangers and potential wonders that await us if we attempt to interfere with our evolutionary destiny. The book concerns a revolutionary treatment that allows parent to specify that their children do not need to sleep. The results of this treatment soon become apparent to the parents (many of whom cannot bear the constant bawling of the sleepless infants) and to society at large. The sleepless children are ... better than other kids, in all fields. They are more intellectually curious, more at ease in themselves - and, fatally, more intelligent than their non-adjusted peers. There is the inevitable backlash from society, and we see the results through twin sisters, one of whom is sleepless, while the other is not. Eventually, the sleepless create their own society, and the consequences of their retreat from society are explored (with no little relish). All the while I was reading this book, I was rooting for a particular faction of the sleepless (because Ms. Kress portrays them as humans, with arguments and fallings out, not, on the whole, as ubermensch). The reason I did not give the book five stars is the curiously unaffecting - and, for me, given the strength of the rest of the book, disappointing - ending. But it remains a wholly satisfying read, and I would recommend it to anyone looking for an intelligent treatment of the possibilities afforded by genetic engineering.
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