Risingshadow
Speculative Fiction Books
  • About
    • Home
    • Articles
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Service
    • Staff Members
    • Newsletter
    • Finnish (FI)
  • Books
    • New Releases
    • Coming Soon
    • Books of the Year
    • Bookshelves Activity
    • Recently Added
    • Advanced Search
    • Reviews / Comments
    • Genres and Tags
    • * Submit Book
  • Community
    • Discussions
    • - Recent Messages
    • - Recent Topics
    • - Hot Topics
    • - Popular Topics
    • - Search
    • CHALLENGES
    • - Reading Challenge
    • - Book Trivia Quiz
  • Home
  • Books
  • Orson Scott Card
  • Homecoming Saga
  • The Call of Earth

The Call of Earth

Homecoming Saga #2 / 5
by Orson Scott Card
The Call of Earth (Homecoming Saga #2) by Orson Scott Card
★ 6.34 / 3
1234526178910
The Call of Earth continues the story of Nafai, his family, and the few other people selected by the Oversoul to leave the city of Basilica, and their former lives.

When the human refugees from a ruined Earth founded a colony on the planet Harmony, they determined that this world would not be devastated by the endless cycle of vicious warfare that had characterized human life from the beginning.

They didn't try to change human nature. Instead they installed a powerful computer, called the Oversoul, and gave it the task of governing human affairs by subtly influencing human minds. That was millions of years ago. Now the Oversoul is growing weak, breaking down. It must be returned to Earth, to the master computer called the Keeper of Earth, to be repaired. The Oversoul must have human help to make that journey.

But as the Oversoul grows weaker, a great warrior has arisen, stronger, smarter perhaps, than Nafai and his allies. His name is Moozh, and he is deliberately flouting the will of the Oversoul. He has won control of an army using forbidden technology. Now he is aiming his soldiers straight at Basilica, that strong fortress above the Plains.

Who will stop him? Basilica remains in turmoil. Wetchik and his sons, Nafai and Issib, Elemak and Mebbekew, are not strong enough to resist alone. Can Rasa and her allies defeat him through intrigue, or will Moozh take the city and all who are in it?

And meanwhile, in their dreams, the most sensitive people of the planet Harmony hear the call of the Keeper of Earth.
Amazon: Check Best Offer

Science Fiction
Release date: January 1993

Book Order
Amazon
Kindle
Audible
Amazon CA
Amazon UK
Amazon Europe

Your Rating
☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆
Standard Shelves

Readers also enjoyed

Pandora's Star (The Commonwealth Saga #1)
★ 9.70 / 10
Barrayar (Vorkosigan)
★ 9.32 / 19
Memory (Vorkosigan)
★ 9.26 / 19
A Civil Campaign (Vorkosigan)
★ 9.12 / 16
Embassytown
★ 9.00 / 10
Brothers in Arms (Vorkosigan)
★ 8.94 / 17
Flowers for Algernon
★ 8.92 / 25

Join the Discussion
You can post as a guest or sign in for more features.
Have questions about this book or want to share your thoughts? Join the conversation!
Orson Scott Card

Orson Scott Card

Before Ender’s Game became required reading in classrooms and a touchstone for science fiction fans worldwide, it was just a short story—one that Orson Scott Card wrote while trying to understand how humanity might survive its own genius. That idea, born of curiosity and a deep interest in moral complexity, would eventually grow into a sprawling series exploring war, empathy, leadership, and the loneliness of brilliance.

Born in Richland, Washington in 1951 and raised mostly in Utah and California, Card grew up in a family where storytelling was a living thing—spoken, passed down, constantly evolving. Though he began his career writing plays and studying literature, he found his true voice in speculative fiction. And when he wrote Ender’s Game—and later Speaker for the Dead—he did something science fiction rarely dared at the time: he treated the genre as a tool for exploring the human soul.

Read more ...

Card’s stories often revolve around young protagonists placed in impossible moral situations—characters like Ender Wiggin, whose tactical genius hides a tortured conscience. Rather than romanticizing heroism, Card leans into the consequences of power, especially when it’s given to children. His work blends emotional depth with high-stakes storytelling, and he’s known for his skill in portraying complex interpersonal dynamics, particularly within families and communities.

He is one of the few authors to win both the Hugo and Nebula Awards two years in a row—first for Ender’s Game and then for Speaker for the Dead—an achievement that reflects both critical acclaim and cultural resonance. But even beyond the Enderverse, Card has ventured into historical fiction, fantasy (The Tales of Alvin Maker), and even religious commentary, always writing with a voice that challenges, provokes, and invites reflection.

Card’s influence in science fiction is undeniable, but his writing often resists the genre’s traditional boundaries. His characters are rarely just heroes or villains—they're people shaped by trauma, faith, and moral ambiguity. That willingness to dig beneath the surface has drawn both admiration and controversy, making his career one of the most talked-about in modern speculative fiction.

In one interview, Card remarked, “Every person is the center of their own story.” It's a philosophy that underpins much of his work—whether he's writing about a child commander in deep space or a young visionary reshaping early America. For readers willing to grapple with big questions, Card’s books don’t offer easy answers—just the kind that stay with you.

Homecoming Saga

In this science fiction epic from Orson Scott Card, it is 40 million years in the future, and humanity long ago abandoned Earth, rendered uninhabitable by their destructive wars. Now, mankind survives on the planet of Harmony, where the Oversoul - an artificial intelligence - protects them from their own worst impulses. There are no wars, no dangerous technologies or weapons of mass destruction.

Read more ...

But after so many millennia, the Oversoul is beginning to fail. Now, a group of humans must return to Earth and seek advice from the entity on which the Oversoul is modeled - the mysterious Keeper of the Earth.


Homecoming Saga consists of five books. The current recommended reading order for the series is provided below.

The Memory of Earth (Homecoming Saga #1)
★ 7.60 / 5
The Call of Earth (Homecoming Saga #2)
★ 6.34 / 3
The Ships of Earth (Homecoming Saga #3)
★ 6.00 / 2
Earthfall (Homecoming Saga #4)
★ 5.00 / 2
Earthborn (Homecoming Saga #5)
★ 6.00 / 1


^ Top
Follow Us: Newsletter | Facebook | X | Mastodon | RSS
Hosted by Planeetta Internet Oy
© 1996 - 2026 Risingshadow. All rights reserved.
This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website.
Privacy Policy