Pathfinder (novel)
| Industry | Publishing |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2010 |
| Founder | Orson Scott Card |
| Products | Science fiction novel |
Pathfinder (2010) is a science fiction novel authored by American writer Orson Scott Card. The narrative follows Rigg, a young boy gifted with the rare talent to observe the "paths" of living creatures across time. This book serves as the inaugural installment in the finalized Pathfinder series, followed by Ruins and Visitors.
Summary
A group of Earth settlers establish a colony on a planet named "Garden," assisted by humanoid machines called expendables. Some settlers develop remarkable powers, including the ability to manipulate time. The plot focuses on Rigg, who can trace the historical paths of any living or deceased organism. After the loss of his father and mentor, Rigg sets out on a quest to locate his unknown sister and mother.
Ram
Each chapter opens with segments centered on Ram, a pilot tasked with ferrying humans to Garden through space jumps. Owing to Ram's distinctive nature, their vessel travels 11,191 years into the past—the beginning of Garden's timeline—and splits into nineteen duplicates, one of which moves backward through time. Initial chapters depict Ram aboard this backward-traveling ship investigating this phenomenon, ultimately discovering it was deliberate. Later chapters feature a Ram on a forward-moving ship narrating subsequent developments.
Ram commands all other copies to be destroyed but fails to eliminate one survivor. This remaining Ram must define humanity for expendables to function properly. He names the planet and decides to construct protective Walls before entering stasis. His final directive grants expendables governance over the colony until an intelligent individual breaches the Walls, at which point expendables are required to yield.
Rigg
Rigg grows up under his father's tutelage, trained extensively for undisclosed reasons. Upon his father's death from an apparent accident, Rigg is instructed to find his sister Param and mother in the ancient city of Aressa Sessamo and to secure valuable jewels from the innkeeper Nox for his journey. After escaping wrongful murder charges, Rigg retrieves the jewels and money from Nox. His childhood companion Umbo insists on accompanying him. During their travels, they discover that Rigg’s pathfinding ability combined with Umbo’s power to slow time allows them to interact with past events. Umbo retains memories of changes made, whereas Rigg does not.
At Leaky's Landing, they encounter Loaf, an ex-soldier who agrees to guide them to the city of O to sell a jewel. Upon arrival, General Citizen of the People's Republic arrests them, accusing Rigg of impersonating the lost prince Rigg Sessamakesh. Rigg realizes he truly is the prince, abducted at birth by his adoptive father. Transported by boat to Aressa Sessamo, Umbo and Loaf escape back to Leaky's Landing to develop Umbo’s time manipulation skills before returning to O.
In Aressa Sessamo, Rigg finally meets his mother and sister Param. It is revealed that his mentor was not his biological father, who is also deceased. Param possesses an extreme ability to slow time, rendering her invisible but vulnerable during its use. The current government that overthrew the monarchy despises royals; only Rigg and his mother know Param remains alive as she stays mostly unseen.
While imprisoned, Rigg studies extensively in libraries and befriends Olivenko, a city guard. His mother, the deposed Queen, conspires with General Citizen to regain control by eliminating both Rigg and Param as threats. Meanwhile, Umbo and Loaf travel overland to Aressa Sessamo and reunite with Rigg, Param, and Olivenko. Together they escape just before an assault.
To evade Citizen and the Queen’s reach, they plan to cross an invisible barrier encircling their known world that drives those who enter insane. Utilizing their temporal abilities, they journey back in time before the wall's existence. Umbo remains in the present while Param assists him in evading pursuing soldiers.
Beyond this barrier, they meet a man identical to Rigg’s adoptive father who reveals that he and Rigg’s father were robots (expendables), explaining that humans descend from Earth colonists. He informs them another Earth ship will arrive soon, setting the stage for their next adventure.
Writing process
In the acknowledgments, Card mentions that, unlike his previous novels, he composed the chapters with significant intervals between them, which necessitated increased assistance from continuity editors.
Reception
According to Kirkus Reviews, some readers might be put off by the casual "sexist remarks and unusual interest in bodily functions," yet "Card’s devoted audience will be delighted by this return to his original storytelling style."
External links
- Booklist, Pathfinder
- Publishers Weekly, Pathfinder
- Goodreads, Pathfinder Review