I have read Capitol, Hot Sleep, and the Worthing Chronicle, so much of this novel was not new. However, the presentation and format was different, and there is definitely new material that adds to the story.

Much of the Capitol - Worthing - Somec story is a dystopian tale. Sometimes the stories are depressing or hard to read. However, I have found value in each one. The book is centered around one large narrative, which pieces together some short stories of the past, and then closes with some more short stories.

I find something magical, mystical, and sometimes a little prophetic in this story of characters. One of the greatest things I get from Card's writing is instruction on human behavior and how people act in certain situations. Often this is painful, sometimes it is revelatory, and rarely it is victorious. I think this mirrors how our own lives go. We stumble through life with family, friends, and acquaintances and (for myself) seem to follow this pattern. ( )

Loved! Need to re-read because the finer details are escaping me. Good insight in this book about "pain" of living

Interesting reading, Interesting afterword, too. ( )

Consider me a fan of Orson Scott Card. More specifically, consider me a fan of most of the books he wrote in the 80's and 90's. The Worthing Sage is from that era and is a crafty blend of science fiction and fantasy, and it succeeds in addressing themes generally out of reach for other genres.

Through the scientific magic of somec, a drug that allows for extended periods of ageless sleep, one can now exist past a normal life span, and, with the right technology, one can also travel immense interstellar distances to colonize worlds across the galaxy. This is the story of Jason Worthing's journey across time and through space, and of the new world he built and would ultimately alter it forever.

This book is actually a compilation of an earlier novel, The Worthing Chronicle, and a series of short stories starring some of the secondary characters. ( )

This book needs it’s own blog post, or two. As a writer – just reading this book you learn so much abut the writing process and how to see other characters through one character’s eyes. You can also learn how to weave, I think it was 20,000 years of history into a story, and literally thousands of characters as well, and the story still makes perfect sense. Not only that, he also picked a current time, and wove the telling of the ancient story within the current storyline in an excellent manner.
Also, a bit Tolkeinish – he kept his originals of some of the stories of characters and included expanded versions of their stories as separate stories at the end of the book. By the end, you really know the minor characters much better, and are glad to get to know them. The last two short stories, didn’t match as well, with the main storyline, yet that is sometimes how original drafts of a story work – they change.
Whether you are a writer, or a reader, this is an excellent universe to enjoy. This is one of those twenty four hour stories – have plenty of food, water, time, and a nice pillow available, as you can’t put the book down! ( )