Beggars in Spain (Beggars Trilogy) [Mass Market Paperback]

Nancy Kress (Author)

Book Description

Release date: March 1, 1994 | Series: Beggars Trilogy (Book 1)

Born in 2008, 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 she and "her kind" were considered interesting anomalies. Now they are outcasts -- victims of blind hatred, political repression and shocking mob violence meant to drive the "Sleepless" from human society . . . and, ultimately, from the 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.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

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.

From Publishers Weekly

This thought-provoking though derivative book by the author of Brain Rose revists familiar territory. In 21st-century America, genetic engineering makes it possible for those who can afford it to become parents of improved, custom-made babies. The controversial procedure has produced a new breed that can function without sleep. Leisha Camden, daughter of a wealthy industrialist, is one of "the sleepless," who are endowed with remarkable intelligence and other genetic enhancements. A generation of prodigies, Leisha and her peers are resented by the rest of the population, who begin to persecute them. To escape violence, the Sleepless retreat to an armed camp, the Sanctuary, where for decades they fight to legitimize their existence in an increasingly hostile society. Leisha, a brilliant, idealistic lawyer, finds herself ostracized by both Sleepers and Sleepless as she struggles to bridge the widening gulf between the two groups. Meanwhile, the Sleepless must learn to deal with the prodigies among them. Kress competently handles a well-worn science fiction concept and raises some intriguing scientific and sociological issues. Her dialogue sometimes lapses into stilted philosophical arguments, however, and many of her characters are thinly drawn.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: Avon (March 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0380718774
• ISBN-13: 978-0380718771
• Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 1.3 x 6.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.7 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (104 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #736,691 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

48 of 51 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Well-Written Characters in a Powerful Story February 11, 2002

By A. Wolverton VINE™ VOICE

Format:Mass Market Paperback

Before I read 'Beggars in Spain,' I read the short story that the novel is expanded from. To be honest, I thought turning such a powerful story into a novel would lessen its impact. I was wrong.

The novel version of 'Beggars in Spain' begins with a simple premise: What if science could genetically alter humans so that they needed no sleep? Think of the advances and discoveries mankind could make, think of all the achievements that would be possible if we never had to sleep for 6, 7, or 8 hours a day.
The theory becomes a reality for Leisha Camden and many other "sleepless." It doesn't take long before the sleepless are shunned by the rest of society and forced to develop their own community. But the persection doesn't stop there...

'Beggars in Spain' has so many things going for it that so many science fiction novels lack. First (and most important in my mind), Kress gives us believable characters that are interesting. You actually believe that these people could be real and would be fascinated to meet them. Leisha is a character I will remember for a long, long time. Next, Kress does something that I wish more science fiction writers would (or could) do: She explains how the science in her story works in a way that a non-scientist can understand it! (Imagine that!) Let me say for the record that I have an extremely weak science background, but thanks to the author's talent, I felt that I understood the basis for all the science that was included in the story. In short, I wasn't intimidated at all.

The characters and the understandable science are important, but I was really knocked out by the multitude of questions that are raised by 'Beggars in Spain.' The book admirably addresses such questions as genetic engineering (How far should science go?...), aging, class distinction, euthanasia, community rights,... Kress poses some very difficult questions without backing down from them one bit. I appreciate the honesty and courage that I'm sure it took to write this book. It is tremendous. This is not a novel just for science fiction fans. For anyone who appreciates good writing and an intelligent story that will stick with you long after you turn the last page, 'Beggars in Spain' will not disappoint. Read more ›

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Intriguing March 27, 2000

By Daniel H. Bigelow VINE™ VOICE

Format:Mass Market Paperback

I like the way this book faces squarely a very real possibility -- that thanks to genetic technology, the next time we get paranoid over a kind of person, it could be a kind of person that really is better than we are. Kress avoids easy answers, yet writes a satisfying novel that's only occasionally preachy (and, which is very rare, becomes LESS preachy rather than more as it approaches the end!).

I think the way I read Beggars in Spain is best -- I read to the end of what was clearly the part of the book that was the novella that won the Hugo and Nebula, then put the book down for a week and read another one, then picked Beggars back up. The novella is the best part, and if the book had ended there, it would have been a better story. However, picking up after a while and reading the rest as though it were an inferior sequel, I was able to appreciate the novella and still enjoy the rest of the book for what it offered without judging it too harshly.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Readable and Engaging January 26, 2003

By frumiousb VINE™ VOICE

Format:Mass Market Paperback

Reading the reviews it seems as though this is a book full of references and echos. The Ayn Rand echos are noted, as are the Ender Wiggins. I will add one more. I was struck that this was a more mature version of Anne McCaffrey's To Ride Pegasus.

I thought it was clever how the hatred for the super-talented sleepless is first seen in the fact that their competition is seen as unfair. I like very much the way that Kress developed the question of whether people who can contribute to such a high degree are obliged to help the "beggars", the sleepers who can never be as productive to the society. I even like the way that she turns the question of being a beggar on its head later with the super-sleepless (although I can imagine that people who were following along with the political thread were a little disappointed at the easy way in which art becomes the redemptive factor.)

Smart, very readable, and makes me want to read the next book in the series.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Visionary work July 11, 2005

By Ashley Megan VINE™ VOICE

Format:Mass Market Paperback

In my opinion, Nancy Kress ranks among the best visionaries of the future, as original and philosophical as John Varley, without the outrageousness. She obviously has an excellent grasp of socio-political history and trends, which she uses to build a convincing and complete future society.

The book starts in the near future, 2008. Genetically modifying children is commonplace, and for rich entrepreneur Roger Camden, his daughter will get the best of what's available - including a new, experimental genemod for Sleeplessness. Leisha Camden, like the 19 others before her and the thousands after, is extraordinarily intelligent, cheerful, talented, and for all intents and purposes, immortal. Her unmodified twin sister, Alice, is a Sleeper, and the rift between them mirrors society's distrust, envy, and eventual hatred of the Sleepless.

To escape this hatred, another Sleepless, Jennifer Sharifi, creates Sanctuary, an orbital community of Sleepless. Separate from Earth, but still tied to it, Jennifer's obsession with Sleepless superiority and their liberation from the Sleeper "beggars" goads her into progressively more radical actions. Only Leisha resists her, remaining on Earth with her mixed Sleeper and Sleepless family.

Sprinkled with the perfect mix of science, history, economics, and politics, with an original and thought-provoking storyline.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Smart science fiction, sometimes dense but ultimately worth the work August 23, 2007

By A. Reid VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

In total, "Beggars in Spain" is that kind of intellectual science fiction that you must consume slowly, if you don't want to choke. This is not a "rip-roaring good yarn;" it's a thoughtful, complex exploration of some essential questions of human nature and society--specifically, the de facto entitlement of the favorably born; the envy of those who aren't. Who would imagine that such a deep examination would arise from a little girl's resentment of her own exorbitant need for sleep?

The central premise of the novel involves the genetic manipulation of our offspring by a humanity obsessed with (and innately frightened by) perfection. Humans engineered without the need for sleep have twice the time to study and learn, to work and achieve. (It helps that their genetic alterations seems to preclude the "obsession with Tetris" gene that has dogged my own productivity. I'm not sure an additional 8 hours a day would stand me in such good stead.) As these Sleepless age, their differences isolate them physically and philosophically from their society--and sometimes from each other.

This book was given to me by a friend after a discussion about the moral of the children's story "Rainbow Fish". He thought that tale supplemented this--almost a primer of how the have-nots pressure the haves into watering their gifts down. I think he has a point. But that doesn't make this book some philosophical moral tale. There are some conclusions offered here, but for the most part this is a book of questions. Pride and prejudice? Thoroughly explored. The impact of giftedness on economic exchange? Examined. The psychological impacts of segregation and intermingling? Check. Now draw your own conclusions.

The novella that opens the book is a complete story, and it is probably the easier read.... I found it a page-turner; the pace and the character development kept me engrossed. The continuation felt more distant, more intellectually engaging than emotional, but it still contributes significantly to the development of the ideas in the book. In some ways, it reminds me of Orson Scott Card's "Ender Saga." In the first book of that series, when Ender is young, the story is close and immediate. As Ender and the story progress, the awareness of character and reader expands to take in more. I'm not sure "Beggars in Spain" would have been successful if it had not also started with that narrower view. While the ideas throughout are sound, that first, immediate impression can be useful in propelling readers through some of the denser parts.

In brief, it's sometimes effortless reading, sometimes not--but the cumulative impact makes it worth the effort of chewing thoroughly, even when it sticks to the teeth. Read more ›