Children of Time
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ☆
Children of Time (Children of Time, Book 1) by Adrian Tchaikovsky
The smartest sci-fi book I’ve ever read, too smart for me. 😵🤯
Children of Time is great in the same way Schindler’s List or 2001: A Space Odyssey are great films. They’re undeniable classics, brilliantly conceived, visionary in scope, and often most appreciated in hindsight. But while you’re in the middle of them, they can feel slow, dense, and at times difficult to follow. That’s exactly how I felt here: an incredible book… if you can power through it. And to really get the most out of it, you have to pay close attention (which, admittedly, I didn’t always do). Still, I respect and appreciate everything it accomplishes.
For me, the hardest parts to push through were the deep dives into the anatomy and culture of the ants and spiders. I understood why it was necessary, it’s core to the story, but it could feel like a slog. That said, one of the book’s greatest strengths is its use of contrast. On one hand, we follow the accelerated evolution of an uplifted species, descendants of a human experiment from hundreds of years ago, watching their society develop across generations. These non-human characters are written so vividly, you almost forget they’re not human at all.
On the other hand, we follow humanity’s remnants, just a few scattered survivors, slipping into desperation and even barbarism as they search for a new home. The juxtaposition is powerful: one species rising, the other falling.
I loved the multiple storylines and the way they ultimately converge. The book explores big ideas: human meddling, mortality, survival, and the feeling of being left behind in the grand arc of history. With its complexity, massive timescale, and ambition, Children of Time is epic in every sense.
If you’re in the mood for deep, challenging sci-fi that rewards close reading, this is absolutely worth your time.
