Homecoming Saga

The series, containing five volumes, takes place forty million years in the future, with volumes 1-3 taking place on a fictional planet called Harmony. The main premise of the series is that a human diaspora occurred after Earth was rendered uninhabitable by human wars. Forty plus planets, including Harmony, are colonized by humans (though only two are actually named in the series: Ramadan, settled by [[Arab]]s; and Harmony, apparently settled by [[Slavic peoples|Slavic cultures]], as its languages all developed from Russian.)

The series, containing five volumes, takes place forty million years in the future, with volumes 1-3 taking place on a fictional planet called Harmony. The main premise of the series is that a human diaspora occurred after Earth was rendered uninhabitable by human wars. Forty plus planets, including Harmony, are colonized by humans (though only two are actually named in the series: Ramadan, settled by [[Arab]]s; and Harmony, apparently settled by [[Slavic peoples|Slavic cultures]], as its languages all developed from Russian.)

On Harmony, the advancement of human technology is controlled by the Oversoul – an artificial intelligence monitor, using a small army of satellites, established by the original colonists to monitor the planet. It also influences the actions of humans. Though it does not prevent them from doing evil, it keeps their societal capability for destruction limited by suppressing any thoughts that might lead to things like long-distance travel or instant communication. Thus the technology on Harmony includes basic computers and solar-powered handheld energy weapons, but no cars or even wagons. The Oversoul, however, was only designed to last twenty million years, so eventually it begins to break down. It decides to send an expedition back to Earth to seek advice from the entity of which it is an imitation: the mysterious Keeper of Earth. Soon after, the people begin to receive dreams similar to those that the Oversoul sends that come directly from the Keeper of Earth via faster-than-light transmission.

On Harmony, the advancement of human technology is controlled by the Oversoul – an artificial intelligence monitor, using a small army of satellites, established by the original colonists to monitor the planet. It also influences the actions of humans. Though it does not prevent them from doing evil, it keeps their societal capability for destruction limited by suppressing any thoughts that might lead to things like long-distance travel or instant communication. Thus the technology on Harmony includes basic computers and solar-powered handheld energy weapons, but no cars or even wagons. The Oversoul, however, was only designed to last twenty million years, so eventually it begins to break down. It decides to send an expedition back to Earth to seek advice from the entity of which it is an imitation: the mysterious Keeper of Earth. Soon after, the people begin to receive dreams similar to those that the Oversoul sends that come directly from the Keeper of Earth via faster-than-light transmission.

As loosely inspired by the themes of the Book of Mormon, the first three books in the series deal with the main characters travails in journeying the site of the ships via a slow trek across Harmony. The fourth book, ''[[Earthfall (novel)|Earthfall]]'', concerns itself with the journey of one of the ships back to Earth and the culture clash that results upon its homecoming, specifically, establishing a settlement and reconciling human culture with the existing creatures that have risen on Earth in the intervening millennia. The final volume, ''[[Earthborn]]'', takes place five centuries further in the future; the one remaining member of the original expedition seeks to alter the path of the changing culture and see the Oversoul's mission finally fulfilled.

As loosely inspired by the themes of the Book of Mormon, the first three books in the series deal with the main characters travails in journeying the site of the ships via a slow trek across Harmony. The fourth book, ''[[Earthfall (novel)|Earthfall]]'', concerns itself with the journey of one of the ships back to Earth and the culture clash that results upon its homecoming, specifically, establishing a settlement and reconciling human culture with the existing creatures that have risen on Earth in the intervening millennia. The final volume, ''[[Earthborn]]'', takes place five centuries further in the future; the one remaining member of the original expedition seeks to alter the path of the changing culture and see the Oversoul's mission finally fulfilled.

==Books in the series==

==Books in the series==

The characters listed here are those who go on the expedition to Earth; they play major roles throughout the series. For characters whose significance is primarily in one book, see that book's page.

The characters listed here are those who go on the expedition to Earth; they play major roles throughout the series. For characters whose significance is primarily in one book, see that book's page.

; '''The Oversoul''': Artificial intelligence that records all events on Harmony, worshipped as a goddess by the women and a god by the men. It is able to influence the actions of the people, who were genetically altered to be able to receive its directions. When the Oversoul realized that it was in danger of decaying completely without having completed its purpose, it began influencing certain humans to breed so that their descendants would have greater and greater ability to hear the Oversoul. In ''[[The Memory of Earth]]'' it begins directly instructing these people to engineer a return to Earth, in the hope of receiving instructions from the Keeper of Earth, on which the Oversoul was modeled. The Oversoul is a parallel to God in the Book of Mormon"Sacred Sci-Fi: Orson Scott Card as Mormon Mythmaker." Sunstone Magazine 162 (Mar 2011): 52–59.

; '''The Oversoul''': Artificial intelligence that records all events on Harmony, worshipped as a goddess by the women and a god by the men. It is able to influence the actions of the people, who were genetically altered to be able to receive its directions. When the Oversoul realized that it was in danger of decaying completely without having completed its purpose, it began influencing certain humans to breed so that their descendants would have greater and greater ability to hear the Oversoul. In ''[[The Memory of Earth]]'' it begins directly instructing these people to engineer a return to Earth, in the hope of receiving instructions from the Keeper of Earth, on which the Oversoul was modeled. The Oversoul is a parallel to God in the Book of Mormon."Sacred Sci-Fi: Orson Scott Card as Mormon Mythmaker." Sunstone Magazine 162 (Mar 2011): 52–59.

; '''Nafai''': Fourteen at the start of the series, he is chosen by the Oversoul to lead the expedition to Earth, in part because of his extraordinary connection to it. He is clever and well-intentioned, but is young, and has difficulty knowing when to stop talking. As the series progresses, Nafai matures and grows into his role. He is the second son of both Volemak and Rasa. He marries Luet, and their first child is Chveya. He inherits the cloak of the starmaster, which enhances his connection to the Oversoul and performs such useful functions as healing injuries. His name is a reference to [[Nephi, son of Lehi|Nephi]], the author and namesake of the first books of the Book of Mormon."Sacred Sci-Fi: Orson Scott Card as Mormon Mythmaker." Sunstone Magazine 162 (Mar 2011): 52–59.

; '''Nafai''': Fourteen at the start of the series, he is chosen by the Oversoul to lead the expedition to Earth, in part because of his extraordinary connection to it. He is clever and well-intentioned, but is young, and has difficulty knowing when to stop talking. As the series progresses, Nafai matures and grows into his role. He is the second son of both Volemak and Rasa. He marries Luet, and their first child is Chveya. He inherits the cloak of the starmaster, which enhances his connection to the Oversoul and performs such useful functions as healing injuries. His name is a reference to [[Nephi, son of Lehi|Nephi]], the author and namesake of the first books of the Book of Mormon."Sacred Sci-Fi: Orson Scott Card as Mormon Mythmaker." Sunstone Magazine 162 (Mar 2011): 52–59.

==Items==

==Items==

; '''Pulse''': A rifle-like light based weapon. The range is about 1/4 the range of a good Gorayni bow. A pulse has multiple settings for beam strength and area. The different settings vary from one used for cooking meat to one able to blast a man to pieces at point blank range. Despite its lethality, the pulse is designed nearly exclusively for hunting animals. At several points, characters express their shock at the prospect of using it as a deadly weapon. It is battery powered and the battery can be recharged by exposure to sunlight. Since its battery decays with use, unused pulses should be hidden away in a dark place. Once a battery is dead the weapon becomes useless and is discarded. Pulses can be manufactured but the knowledge to repair them is beyond humans.

; '''Pulse''': A rifle-like light based weapon. The range is about 1/4 the range of a good Gorayni bow. A pulse has multiple settings for beam strength and area. The different settings vary from one used for cooking meat to one able to blast a man to pieces at point blank range. Despite its lethality, the pulse is designed nearly exclusively for hunting animals. At several points, characters express their shock at the prospect of using it as a deadly weapon. It is battery powered and the battery can be recharged by exposure to sunlight. Since its battery decays with use, unused pulses should be hidden away in a dark place. Once a battery is dead, the weapon becomes useless and is discarded. Pulses can be manufactured, but the knowledge to repair them is beyond humans.

==See also==

==See also==