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The Seventh Son
A CHILD WILL BE BORN WHO WILL CHANGE EVERYTHING
When a young woman named Talissa answers an advert to carry a child, she cannot begin to imagine the consequences.
Behind the doors of the Parn Institute, a billionaire entrepreneur plans to stretch the boundaries of ethics as never before. Through a series of IVF treatments, one they hope no one ever discovers, they set in motion an experiment that is set to upend the human race as we know it.
Seth, a baby, is delivered to hopeful parents Mary and Alaric, but when his differences start to mark him out from his peers, he begins to attract unwanted attention.
The Seventh Son is a spectacular examination of what it is to be human. Sweeping between New York, London, and the Scottish Highlands, this is an extraordinary novel about unrequited love and unearned power. It asks the just because you can do something, does it mean you should?
When a young woman named Talissa answers an advert to carry a child, she cannot begin to imagine the consequences.
Behind the doors of the Parn Institute, a billionaire entrepreneur plans to stretch the boundaries of ethics as never before. Through a series of IVF treatments, one they hope no one ever discovers, they set in motion an experiment that is set to upend the human race as we know it.
Seth, a baby, is delivered to hopeful parents Mary and Alaric, but when his differences start to mark him out from his peers, he begins to attract unwanted attention.
The Seventh Son is a spectacular examination of what it is to be human. Sweeping between New York, London, and the Scottish Highlands, this is an extraordinary novel about unrequited love and unearned power. It asks the just because you can do something, does it mean you should?
353 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 7, 2023
About the author
Sebastian Faulks
45 books2,252 followersSebastian Faulks was born in 1953, and grew up in Newbury, the son of a judge and a repertory actress. He attended Wellington College and studied at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, although he didn’t enjoy attending either institution. Cambridge in the 70s was still quite male-dominated, and he says that you had to cycle about 5 miles to meet a girl. He was the first literary editor of “The Independent”, and then went on to become deputy editor of “The Sunday Independent”. Sebastian Faulks was awarded the CBE in 2002. He and his family live in London.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 404 reviews
May 23, 2024
Set in the near future, this novel explores some challenging ideas around what it means to be human. Talisa, an American academic, agrees to be a surrogate mother for an English couple in exchange for funding to continue her career development. But the super-rich owner of the institute that is to carry out the procedure plans to execute an outlandish plan. Experimental and corrupt, it is to have huge consequences for Talisa, the parents and Seth, the child.
It's definitely best not to give too much away here, so suffice to say it explores the genesis of some of the challenges each of us might have to deal with in our lifetime – challenges we’d all rather not have to address. There’s a good deal of very technical talk here, which sounds authentic (though I really have no idea if that’s the case), and in part, it states the case for the ‘experiment’. So it’s part of a story of how things play out, particularly for Talisa and Seth, but it’s also a discussion on the positive and negative aspects of how humans have to this point evolved.
As I’ve previously experienced with this author, the writing is really strong; Faulks certainly knows how to string words together. I was particularly drawn to Seth, a boy and then a young man who is just a bit different from others. The developing relationship between he and Talisa is, though, a bit odd – uncomfortable and somewhat spooky. But it’s certainly an eye-opening piece: a mix of science and history, woven into a story of people living in a world that has moved on from where we are at present. This new world made me smile, too, with its predictions as to what developments we might expect as the 21st century progresses. If the author set out to tease the minds of his readers, to make us ponder on the conundrum of what we are and how we got here, then I do believe he succeeded.
My thanks to Random House UK, Cornerstone for supplying an early reader copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
It's definitely best not to give too much away here, so suffice to say it explores the genesis of some of the challenges each of us might have to deal with in our lifetime – challenges we’d all rather not have to address. There’s a good deal of very technical talk here, which sounds authentic (though I really have no idea if that’s the case), and in part, it states the case for the ‘experiment’. So it’s part of a story of how things play out, particularly for Talisa and Seth, but it’s also a discussion on the positive and negative aspects of how humans have to this point evolved.
As I’ve previously experienced with this author, the writing is really strong; Faulks certainly knows how to string words together. I was particularly drawn to Seth, a boy and then a young man who is just a bit different from others. The developing relationship between he and Talisa is, though, a bit odd – uncomfortable and somewhat spooky. But it’s certainly an eye-opening piece: a mix of science and history, woven into a story of people living in a world that has moved on from where we are at present. This new world made me smile, too, with its predictions as to what developments we might expect as the 21st century progresses. If the author set out to tease the minds of his readers, to make us ponder on the conundrum of what we are and how we got here, then I do believe he succeeded.
My thanks to Random House UK, Cornerstone for supplying an early reader copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
December 10, 2023
Initially intriguing but ultimately disappointing. Underdeveloped, unrealistic characters, cringeworthy sex scenes, and that ending seriously gave me the ick 😐.
September 8, 2023
I feel sad.
I hate humans. Why can’t we just love and accept each other for what we are? Live and let live. Take joy in our world?
This book has a dystopian feel to it but at the same time, everything that happens in it feels like it’s within touching distance. Travel by unmanned car, restrictions on flights. Meat becoming a rarity. Experiments on genes. It’s started already. The story begins in 2030 and spans across the next 25 years. Talissa Adam volunteers to be a surrogate and carry a child for Mary and Alaric Pederson. She doesn’t realise that the son she bears for them is the result of an experiment. How he was created doesn’t matter, because he is loved and he’s just a man.
I’m not a science geek so some of the science stuff was a little over my head but it wasn’t too much to affect my enjoyment of the book.
The nods to the disasters in recent politics show that me and Sebastian Faulks share the same views on the debacle that is Brexit and the lying buffoons and xenophobic behaviour that caused it. Which brings me back to the point, we live on a tiny and beautiful planet. There’s room for us all and we are all equally entitled to live here.
Seth Pederson is just a man. I would be glad to be his friend. I wish more people on this earth were like Seth.
Thought provoking and very well written and observed. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about this book and telling people about it. It’s one of those books that is going to live for a very long time in my memory.
I hate humans. Why can’t we just love and accept each other for what we are? Live and let live. Take joy in our world?
This book has a dystopian feel to it but at the same time, everything that happens in it feels like it’s within touching distance. Travel by unmanned car, restrictions on flights. Meat becoming a rarity. Experiments on genes. It’s started already. The story begins in 2030 and spans across the next 25 years. Talissa Adam volunteers to be a surrogate and carry a child for Mary and Alaric Pederson. She doesn’t realise that the son she bears for them is the result of an experiment. How he was created doesn’t matter, because he is loved and he’s just a man.
I’m not a science geek so some of the science stuff was a little over my head but it wasn’t too much to affect my enjoyment of the book.
The nods to the disasters in recent politics show that me and Sebastian Faulks share the same views on the debacle that is Brexit and the lying buffoons and xenophobic behaviour that caused it. Which brings me back to the point, we live on a tiny and beautiful planet. There’s room for us all and we are all equally entitled to live here.
Seth Pederson is just a man. I would be glad to be his friend. I wish more people on this earth were like Seth.
Thought provoking and very well written and observed. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about this book and telling people about it. It’s one of those books that is going to live for a very long time in my memory.
September 12, 2023
The Seventh Son opens in the near future – 2030 to be precise – just far enough away to feel familiar but also scarily prescient. Technology has advanced beyond what we have today but not necessarily for the better. Climate change has wrought havoc and forced all sorts of changes to individual lifestyles and freedoms. Power and wealth still remains in the hands of a few.
The Seventh Son explores the various ways in which individuals and society respond to those who are different: acceptance, curiosity, exploitation, intrusion, prejudice, fear but also unconditional love. And it brilliantly evokes what it’s like to be the person who is different from everyone else. It poses the ethical question, just because you are able to do something does that mean you should? And if you do, are you prepared for the consequences? It’s also a book about obsession, isolation and sacrifice… and a love story.
I’m not going to say more for fear of giving too much away, other than I hope Elon Musk never reads this book. The Seventh Son was a ‘wow’ book for me and I finished it with tears running down my cheeks. I thought it was absolutely brilliant.
The Seventh Son explores the various ways in which individuals and society respond to those who are different: acceptance, curiosity, exploitation, intrusion, prejudice, fear but also unconditional love. And it brilliantly evokes what it’s like to be the person who is different from everyone else. It poses the ethical question, just because you are able to do something does that mean you should? And if you do, are you prepared for the consequences? It’s also a book about obsession, isolation and sacrifice… and a love story.
I’m not going to say more for fear of giving too much away, other than I hope Elon Musk never reads this book. The Seventh Son was a ‘wow’ book for me and I finished it with tears running down my cheeks. I thought it was absolutely brilliant.
August 25, 2023
I finished this book last night and was appalled at how bad it was compared to say Birdsong. The characterisation is poor and while some of the passages are well-written, e.g. Seth's sojourn in Maine, others are awful and in need of a good editor.
I don't have a problem with the science - no doubt the author did his research - but the explanations were utterly superficial and the explanation of e.g. spandrel was ludicrous.
There are at least 2 scenes that will be strong contenders for the bad sex writing awards, especially the one where the first Neanderthal Sapiens coupling was described as the fall. The latter with Talissa was absurd.
The completely imagined idea that Neanderthals were some perfect species living in natural harmony in a pre-lapsarian paradise with no climate change, cohabiting with cave bears, sabre-toothed tigers and other predators is simply laughable, as is the idea that it was all destroyed by the solipsistic Homo Sapiens expansion.
It just seems another chapter in the woke delusion that everything was once perfect and that we white, colonial technologists are the problem.
I don't have a problem with the science - no doubt the author did his research - but the explanations were utterly superficial and the explanation of e.g. spandrel was ludicrous.
There are at least 2 scenes that will be strong contenders for the bad sex writing awards, especially the one where the first Neanderthal Sapiens coupling was described as the fall. The latter with Talissa was absurd.
The completely imagined idea that Neanderthals were some perfect species living in natural harmony in a pre-lapsarian paradise with no climate change, cohabiting with cave bears, sabre-toothed tigers and other predators is simply laughable, as is the idea that it was all destroyed by the solipsistic Homo Sapiens expansion.
It just seems another chapter in the woke delusion that everything was once perfect and that we white, colonial technologists are the problem.
June 30, 2024
This novel is set in the near future. Talissa is a young academic, struggling for cash, who agrees to become a surrogate for a childless English couple. What none of them know is that the baby is the subject of an experiment that will change the way we understand the human species. Seth is brought up as a normal child but he knows he is different from everybody else. He has unusual appetites and seems to possess another sense. When the truth about Seth is threatened to be exposed, the most important people in his life are prepared to do whatever it takes to protect him.
I'm afraid I didn't really get on with this one. There just wasn't a whole lot to it. Once the truth about Seth is revealed, the rest of the story proceeds without major surprises or insight. I didn't feel like the characters had great depth, in comparison with other Faulks novels, like Birdsong for example. And the sex scenes that happen towards the end of the book are a poor choice, if you ask me. The Seventh Son may have an intriguing concept at its core, but it doesn't really do anything interesting with it.
I'm afraid I didn't really get on with this one. There just wasn't a whole lot to it. Once the truth about Seth is revealed, the rest of the story proceeds without major surprises or insight. I didn't feel like the characters had great depth, in comparison with other Faulks novels, like Birdsong for example. And the sex scenes that happen towards the end of the book are a poor choice, if you ask me. The Seventh Son may have an intriguing concept at its core, but it doesn't really do anything interesting with it.
September 24, 2023
The book started so well with such an interesting and yet vaguely topical subject. There was so much potential that unfortunately was not realised. From such a promising start it had a very boring middle which went downhill to a disappointing and pointless end. The characters weren’t interesting or appealing and had no depth. The sex scenes were so excruciatingly badly written and totally pointless.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for this ARC
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for this ARC
November 2, 2023
Not sure what to make of this one. It was a bizarre read and I am not sure why Faulks wrote such a dud.
A surrogate mother has her sperm sample swapped for some doctored with Neolithic DNA. The boy grows up and is pretty normal. The truth is leaked and he is hounded by press and hated by general phobics for being “unnatural”
I am guessing there is some shady referencing to fearing what is different and intolerance but it’s lost in the plodding storyline and total lack of an emotional connection with the main character.
The ending where he and his surrogate mother have sex is just all sorts of wrong..
A surrogate mother has her sperm sample swapped for some doctored with Neolithic DNA. The boy grows up and is pretty normal. The truth is leaked and he is hounded by press and hated by general phobics for being “unnatural”
I am guessing there is some shady referencing to fearing what is different and intolerance but it’s lost in the plodding storyline and total lack of an emotional connection with the main character.
The ending where he and his surrogate mother have sex is just all sorts of wrong..
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 18, 2023
This could have been an excellent story, but for me it wasn’t. I expected better of Faulks, but this was ….dull.
Superficial characterisation, a very flat narrative with mundane and irrelevant trivia. And conversations which went on…and on…
The weird interlude where a character imagines a prehistoric sex scene made me cringe.
Another reviewer wrote ‘nothing happened…and it happened very slowly’. Spot on.
I think the pace at least picked up towards the end, but by that point I was skimming very quickly just to get it finished. And the ending was a damp squib.
It’s not my intention to be mean, but there was really nothing I liked about this book at all.
Superficial characterisation, a very flat narrative with mundane and irrelevant trivia. And conversations which went on…and on…
The weird interlude where a character imagines a prehistoric sex scene made me cringe.
Another reviewer wrote ‘nothing happened…and it happened very slowly’. Spot on.
I think the pace at least picked up towards the end, but by that point I was skimming very quickly just to get it finished. And the ending was a damp squib.
It’s not my intention to be mean, but there was really nothing I liked about this book at all.
October 17, 2023
A really interesting initial concept. My favourite part of this book was the description of the future political and social environment. I also found the scientific description interesting. However, has Faulks ever met a real woman? The character of Talissa was so unrealistic in my option, like who sleeps with someone they've given birth to? Oedipus much! Gross! The ending, therefore, totally ruined it for me!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 16, 2023
SPOILER ALERT
This was disappointing and then laughable! The poor character development, unless they were all meant to be either sanctimonious and/or boring, made it impossible to care. Two characters provided SF a convenient soap-box from which to air his political views and grievances - I’m guessing he didn’t vote leave 🤔 Which would be fair enough if it added anything meaningful to the story?
The science reminded me of the L’Oreal ads, you could almost hear the “here comes the science” disclaimer and they were then followed by laughable Scooby-Doo explanations.
And laughable too is where it all ends? On a remote Scottish island, with incest and suicide! Those are the only coping skills SF managed to afford his two main characters!
This was disappointing and then laughable! The poor character development, unless they were all meant to be either sanctimonious and/or boring, made it impossible to care. Two characters provided SF a convenient soap-box from which to air his political views and grievances - I’m guessing he didn’t vote leave 🤔 Which would be fair enough if it added anything meaningful to the story?
The science reminded me of the L’Oreal ads, you could almost hear the “here comes the science” disclaimer and they were then followed by laughable Scooby-Doo explanations.
And laughable too is where it all ends? On a remote Scottish island, with incest and suicide! Those are the only coping skills SF managed to afford his two main characters!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 27, 2023
⭐ ⭐
The Seventh Son
by Sebastian Faulks
The premise of this near future speculative novel appealed to me, stretching the boundaries of ethics as never before, a baby born through IVF in a series of secret experiments funded by a billionaire entrepreneur and hints about the differences this child displays and his eventual othering.
I like the way the author drops in just enough details about the world in 2030 through to 2056 for the reader to recognise where technology, politics, ethics and trends have evolved.
I find the morality questions interesting, but ultimately the storytelling didn't work for me for several reasons. There is not much attempt to flesh these characters out. I wanted to feel engaged in their dilemmas. Isn't that where moral and ethical queries come from? It is all tell and not much show. I am particularly irritated by the basicness of the scientific talk. It has an oversimplified cartoon comic quality, as though either written for an eight year old, or by an eight year old.
The final section was where I hoped to encounter some hypotheses that would offer food for thought, but instead it ventures into territory I wish I could unread.
Publication date: 7th September 2023
Thanks to #NetGalley and #cornerstone for the eGalley
The Seventh Son
by Sebastian Faulks
The premise of this near future speculative novel appealed to me, stretching the boundaries of ethics as never before, a baby born through IVF in a series of secret experiments funded by a billionaire entrepreneur and hints about the differences this child displays and his eventual othering.
I like the way the author drops in just enough details about the world in 2030 through to 2056 for the reader to recognise where technology, politics, ethics and trends have evolved.
I find the morality questions interesting, but ultimately the storytelling didn't work for me for several reasons. There is not much attempt to flesh these characters out. I wanted to feel engaged in their dilemmas. Isn't that where moral and ethical queries come from? It is all tell and not much show. I am particularly irritated by the basicness of the scientific talk. It has an oversimplified cartoon comic quality, as though either written for an eight year old, or by an eight year old.
The final section was where I hoped to encounter some hypotheses that would offer food for thought, but instead it ventures into territory I wish I could unread.
Publication date: 7th September 2023
Thanks to #NetGalley and #cornerstone for the eGalley
October 5, 2023
I find it hard to believe that this is the same author of Birdsong or Charlotte Gray. It was so badly written and the plot disjointed. I only finished the book as I loved Birdsong, but on reflection I wish I had not wasted my time. I actually cannot find anything positive to write about this book. I wouldn’t recommend anyone to read this book.
September 13, 2023
3.5 stars. An interesting, albeit worrying premise. I just wish we could have been given more of Seth's character and how he was feeling. At times, he felt rather like a cardboard cut out.
March 15, 2024
This was very deep and meaningful. I loved it as boy can this bloke write. Quite disturbing as I can imagine this happening and high tech firms messing with DNA. This book and Seth stayed with me.
August 25, 2023
A horribly plausible ‘speculative’ near future. Fascinating, though writing occasionally clunky 3.5
Sebastian Faulks has written many novels looking at the last century, exploring European history, and our species propensity for widespread destruction. He is often, also, raising philosophical questions about identity and the nature of the human mind.
In The Seventh Son, he takes a fairly small step into the future. The novel begins in 2030, and ends in 2056. Though there are some technological changes, these are not outside what might be pretty predictable, so the new world isn’t really much of a future speculation.
Where Faulks is really placing his attention is the specific nature of our species, what that nature has created, individually, collectively, and therefore, what it is likely to do, going forward.
Think our basest crowd mentality, think our tendency to tribalism and to castigate the ‘other’ . How we have, over centuries, abused other races. Think how it is that suspicious and rapacious populism comes to be. Look at our addiction to tabloid journalism, debasing, degrading reality television. Look at the sense of entitlement, and being above the law that some of our richest and most powerful demonstrate.
And look also at the inventiveness of our species, our quest for knowledge, and how that drives science and scientists to explore areas that we are maybe not morally and ethically developed enough to be exploring. Particularly in the biological sciences, with gene editing, cloning, and the like. We are almost there, already, where this book will start.
A powerful man entrepreneurial, fascinated by the possibilities of science. An institute offering the enhanced possibilities we might expect to have happened by 2030 for a much more successful way of couples with fertility problems to have children. And, perhaps, audacious scientific experimentation, kept under wraps. And maybe, a way to move evolution in a slightly different direction
Though this was a fascinating and immersive I dropped a star as at times the writing was clunky : at the beginning of the novel, there seemed to be a focus on unnecessary detail , the first chapter did not have the seamless writing I would have expected of Faulks. I also had certain question marks around the inexplicable desire which every woman appeared to feel for the male central character, and could also see this leading to an obvious coupling which occurred towards the novel’s end, where the chasey chasey activities of various bad actors turned this into more of a kind of thriller. Not particularly successfully. It almost seemed as if different genres were being bolted on to a more interesting middle
The ’what is the book about’ the thought provoking ideas are mostly, but not completely, satisfied by the telling of it.
Sebastian Faulks has written many novels looking at the last century, exploring European history, and our species propensity for widespread destruction. He is often, also, raising philosophical questions about identity and the nature of the human mind.
In The Seventh Son, he takes a fairly small step into the future. The novel begins in 2030, and ends in 2056. Though there are some technological changes, these are not outside what might be pretty predictable, so the new world isn’t really much of a future speculation.
Where Faulks is really placing his attention is the specific nature of our species, what that nature has created, individually, collectively, and therefore, what it is likely to do, going forward.
Think our basest crowd mentality, think our tendency to tribalism and to castigate the ‘other’ . How we have, over centuries, abused other races. Think how it is that suspicious and rapacious populism comes to be. Look at our addiction to tabloid journalism, debasing, degrading reality television. Look at the sense of entitlement, and being above the law that some of our richest and most powerful demonstrate.
And look also at the inventiveness of our species, our quest for knowledge, and how that drives science and scientists to explore areas that we are maybe not morally and ethically developed enough to be exploring. Particularly in the biological sciences, with gene editing, cloning, and the like. We are almost there, already, where this book will start.
A powerful man entrepreneurial, fascinated by the possibilities of science. An institute offering the enhanced possibilities we might expect to have happened by 2030 for a much more successful way of couples with fertility problems to have children. And, perhaps, audacious scientific experimentation, kept under wraps. And maybe, a way to move evolution in a slightly different direction
Though this was a fascinating and immersive I dropped a star as at times the writing was clunky : at the beginning of the novel, there seemed to be a focus on unnecessary detail , the first chapter did not have the seamless writing I would have expected of Faulks. I also had certain question marks around the inexplicable desire which every woman appeared to feel for the male central character, and could also see this leading to an obvious coupling which occurred towards the novel’s end, where the chasey chasey activities of various bad actors turned this into more of a kind of thriller. Not particularly successfully. It almost seemed as if different genres were being bolted on to a more interesting middle
The ’what is the book about’ the thought provoking ideas are mostly, but not completely, satisfied by the telling of it.
August 30, 2023
The Seventh Son takes readers on a journey that starts with an ambitious IVF experiment, pushing the boundaries of scientific understanding and challenging the ethics of research funding. It is a thought-provoking tale.
Meet Talissa Adam, a young woman seeking funding for her post-doctoral research in the USA. She believes she's found the solution when the Parn Institute offers to pay her to act as a surrogate for a couple in England. However, she soon realises that the unscrupulous billionaire owner, Parn, has something far more life-changing in mind. Enter Seth, the baby resulting from this experiment. As he grows into adulthood, it becomes apparent that he is different from other children.
I personally found it a bit difficult to fully engage with the narrative. Set in a lightly built future world, it grazes upon darker themes that could have been made more unsettling. Nonetheless, it shines a light on love, kindness, and the importance of responsibility. Faulks occasionally throws in a dig at Brexit, and the legacy of the current British government. I enjoyed Ms Gopal’s character, even though she gets censored by the writer himself, I wish there was more of her. It all feels a little too serious, too intelligent. I just found it hard to connect to the main characters and their journeys.
The narrative captures the root of the challenges individual face throughout their lives—challenges that none of us would ideally want to encounter. The story includes a considerable amount of technical dialogue that supports the rationale behind the "experiment." And I admired all the research that went into it.
While I genuinely wanted to appreciate this book, I found it lacked the dynamism and unexpected twists I was hoping for. The anticipation and tension failed to build up, leading to a somewhat disappointing conclusion devoid of surprises. It was just underwhelming.
The Seventh Son certainly has its merits despite falling short of fully captivating me.
Thanks Netgalley, Random House UK, Cornerstone and Hutchinson Heinemann for the advance reader copy.
Meet Talissa Adam, a young woman seeking funding for her post-doctoral research in the USA. She believes she's found the solution when the Parn Institute offers to pay her to act as a surrogate for a couple in England. However, she soon realises that the unscrupulous billionaire owner, Parn, has something far more life-changing in mind. Enter Seth, the baby resulting from this experiment. As he grows into adulthood, it becomes apparent that he is different from other children.
I personally found it a bit difficult to fully engage with the narrative. Set in a lightly built future world, it grazes upon darker themes that could have been made more unsettling. Nonetheless, it shines a light on love, kindness, and the importance of responsibility. Faulks occasionally throws in a dig at Brexit, and the legacy of the current British government. I enjoyed Ms Gopal’s character, even though she gets censored by the writer himself, I wish there was more of her. It all feels a little too serious, too intelligent. I just found it hard to connect to the main characters and their journeys.
The narrative captures the root of the challenges individual face throughout their lives—challenges that none of us would ideally want to encounter. The story includes a considerable amount of technical dialogue that supports the rationale behind the "experiment." And I admired all the research that went into it.
While I genuinely wanted to appreciate this book, I found it lacked the dynamism and unexpected twists I was hoping for. The anticipation and tension failed to build up, leading to a somewhat disappointing conclusion devoid of surprises. It was just underwhelming.
The Seventh Son certainly has its merits despite falling short of fully captivating me.
Thanks Netgalley, Random House UK, Cornerstone and Hutchinson Heinemann for the advance reader copy.
July 23, 2023
This is a book that raises so many questions but is at the same time a super read. Set in the very near future - it starts 2030 - Talissa, an American academic, decides to travel to London to become a surrogate mother to fund her career in history and anthropology. Her decision has life-changing consequences because at the Parn Institute where the procedure is going to be carried out, a billionaire is not planning to play by the rules. The child, Seth, is born, handed over to his adoring parents and Talissa returns to the US, but she still has contact with the family and as years pass, bonds develop. It is difficult to say more without giving away huge spoilers, but when the truth is revealed what happens next is frightening. There are all sorts of issues here, nature versus nurture, a person's right to choose, what it means to be human. The characters of Talissa and Seth are really well drawn and I felt attached to them. As for the scientists, there is a part that can see the reasoning behind the actions, how they believed that their actions would be for the good of mankind in relation to cures for mental illness and I can't decide if Parn is Elon Musk-esque or Bill Gates-esque. Some of the science I found a little heavy going at times, but the story grips and I felt a sense of fear as it progressed. This piece of speculative fiction could have been melodramatic in other hands, but this author knows his craft. A super novel that feels not too far from reality.
October 19, 2023
Sebastian Faulks is a brilliant writer. His First World War novel Birdsong might even be a masterpiece. But his most recent book is, sadly, a dud. It’s a near-future science fiction story full of cliches (imagine a future world that uses high-speed ‘loops’ rather than air travel, or cars that — brace yourself — drive themselves, or even a world where hardly anyone eats meat). Enough of these are planted throughout the book to remind you that it’s set in the future.
The core story is about a couple going through IVF treatment at the hands of a secretive tech billionaire genius who decides to swap the father’s sperm sample for the DNA of a Neanderthal. The resulting child grows up to be an American president … no, that’s not in this story but it would have made a more interesting one. I read until the end hoping for some kind of surprise or twist or what used to be called “plot” and couldn’t find anything. Not recommended.
The core story is about a couple going through IVF treatment at the hands of a secretive tech billionaire genius who decides to swap the father’s sperm sample for the DNA of a Neanderthal. The resulting child grows up to be an American president … no, that’s not in this story but it would have made a more interesting one. I read until the end hoping for some kind of surprise or twist or what used to be called “plot” and couldn’t find anything. Not recommended.
September 13, 2023
Love passed, lives ended; and if you thought that only what was permanent had value, you were lost.
When American palaeoanthropologist Talissa Adams runs out of money to fund a post-doctoral fellowship, she offers to become a surrogate to a childless couple in England, for a price. It's the year 2030, and the Parn Institute is at the cutting edge of research into IVF. Its billionaire founder is interested in doing something that's never been done before: creating a hybrid human species combining Homo Sapiens and a newly discovered humanoid ancestor related to the Neanderthals.
And so, Talissa unknowingly becomes the vessel of something that will change the way people look at themselves and at humankind. Seth is given to the loving Mary and Alaric, who have no idea they will raise anyone other than a little boy who deserves to be loved and protected.
'The Seventh Son' asks the basic question we have been asking for decades if not centuries: what does it mean to be human? Is it consciousness, something animals don't have? And did our distant ancestors have this? At what point in our evolution did we develop the ability to self-examine and dream about the future?
This literary sci-fi takes a deep dive into an area of much interest right now, with the rise of artificial intelligence and the discovery of ancient animals in melting permafrost. Readers are confronted with a dilemma: is it ethical to resurrect such beings in a world that is hostile to their existence? How far should we go in trying to answer questions about humanity's past and future?
The themes raised in this book are fascinating and one cannot help but empathise with Seth. What brought my rating down on this book was the sex scenes. I'm not sure if the author was trying to make a point about our connection to other species by making them so awfully animalistic (at one point Talissa compares herself to an ape while having sex), but I found it strange and a bit off-putting.
An interesting read that will stay on my mind.
August 7, 2023
the seventh son
Talissa Adam is looking to fund her post doctoral research in USA and thinks she has the solution. The Parn Institute will pay her to act as surrogate for a couple in England. They tell her they are researching IVF but the unscrupulous billionaire owner, Parn, really has a life changing experiment in mind.
Seth, the baby, is the result but he is soon seen to be different from other children. As an adult this becomes a very real problem for him.
An interesting story but I found it difficult to engage. Some of the events seemed very unlikely to me, especially near the end of the novel. And there was an added layer of discomfort as the reader considers these.
I cannot say I enjoyed this novel. Well written as you would expect from Faulks but it just did not engage me. There were echoes of John the Savage from Brave New World by Aldous Huxley so if that is your kind of reading you might enjoy this.
I read a copy provided by NetGalley and the publishers but my views are my own.
Talissa Adam is looking to fund her post doctoral research in USA and thinks she has the solution. The Parn Institute will pay her to act as surrogate for a couple in England. They tell her they are researching IVF but the unscrupulous billionaire owner, Parn, really has a life changing experiment in mind.
Seth, the baby, is the result but he is soon seen to be different from other children. As an adult this becomes a very real problem for him.
An interesting story but I found it difficult to engage. Some of the events seemed very unlikely to me, especially near the end of the novel. And there was an added layer of discomfort as the reader considers these.
I cannot say I enjoyed this novel. Well written as you would expect from Faulks but it just did not engage me. There were echoes of John the Savage from Brave New World by Aldous Huxley so if that is your kind of reading you might enjoy this.
I read a copy provided by NetGalley and the publishers but my views are my own.
November 29, 2023
Interesting premise but badly written, with every cliche and stereotype thrown in. My first Sebastian Faulks novel and it’s put me off reading more by him despite everyone raving about his other books.
October 29, 2023
Sebastian Faulks in The Guardian review
“I want the reader to engage in a thought experiment,” says Faulks. “Had evolution taken a different path, then it’s possible there would have been four different human species walking around today. And it could also be true that if there were to be just one species, it might not have been Homo sapiens but Neanderthals. Or if there had been more interbreeding, then the resulting species would have been quite a different creature, and adjusted to the world in quite a different way. Perhaps it would have been much less aggressive and much more willing to get on with the rest of the world.”
In a previous book, Sebastian Faulks also thought about other possibilities. This one features a thought experiment that makes me more aware of what we are like as a species. There has been quite a bit about the topic and also about consciousness. This book explores it in an imaginative way, also looking at the personal implications. The events in the book start with part 1 in 2030 to part 4 set in 2056. There are many elements that are present today. - some are just the tweaks of what you might call the evolution of technology.
The story focuses mainly on a young American woman,Talissa, who wishes to do a post doctoral course at the Helen Lingard Institute in the US, which she will fund by acting as a surrogate mother for a couple in London. This seems an ideal situation and she is encouraged to make friends with the future parents, Mary and Alaric Pederson. The IVF procedure goes ahead at the Parn Institute. This us run by a megalomaniac billionaire Lukas Parn. We know where megalomania leads - we have our contemporary ones, who use their wealth to further their wild notions.
Yes L Parn persuades one of the team to conduct an experiment which is ethically dubious to say the least. The fertilised ovum is not Mary’s and Alaric’s.
The much adored child is called Seth, grows normally but is thick set, with a low brow, is a bit different and as a consequence bullied at school. He does not seem to have any idea of what he’d like to do, but goes to a prestigious university to study engineering. He’s regularly monitored by the Parn Institute.
As you would expect, it’s not long before somehow a doubt emerges about Seth’s origins. This is when those closest to him feel the urgent need to protect him because the social consequences will be dire, considering how people behave.
The hunters/hounds really, get more and more ingenious and cunning, which results in a chase that is unsettling and possibly dangerous. You wonder how it can possibly end.
The science is lightly handled. Enough is given to make the story plausible and to avoid tedious explanations. It is all within the realm of possibility. In fact, Faulks visited IVF clinics and says that something similar to what happened is possible even at this very time.
It is fiction which can highlight in an emotional way the deficiencies in the way Homo sapiens thinks and behaves. From this story, we realise the toxicity of human reaction to the “other”, to the perceived differences in individuals. I was also made acutely aware of what an unstable species we are - prone to depression and other mental issues, to delusions, to self harm and war. Faulks is interested in the human mind in all its aspects. There is even a downside to a certain form of imagination.
Although to my mind, and going by the few books I have read, Birdsong remains his greatest book, Faulks is certainly a good storyteller able to anchor a scene well. The pace keeps the reader engaged, the plot is interesting and compelling, the characters believable. Seth is very likeable, I was full of anguish for him all along, especially when he became the victim in these unfortunate events. The modern world is so unrelenting. The writing is not experimental, something I expect these days, but in some ways this is refreshing - a steady storyline, dates given as we go along, so we know where we are.
“I want the reader to engage in a thought experiment,” says Faulks. “Had evolution taken a different path, then it’s possible there would have been four different human species walking around today. And it could also be true that if there were to be just one species, it might not have been Homo sapiens but Neanderthals. Or if there had been more interbreeding, then the resulting species would have been quite a different creature, and adjusted to the world in quite a different way. Perhaps it would have been much less aggressive and much more willing to get on with the rest of the world.”
In a previous book, Sebastian Faulks also thought about other possibilities. This one features a thought experiment that makes me more aware of what we are like as a species. There has been quite a bit about the topic and also about consciousness. This book explores it in an imaginative way, also looking at the personal implications. The events in the book start with part 1 in 2030 to part 4 set in 2056. There are many elements that are present today. - some are just the tweaks of what you might call the evolution of technology.
The story focuses mainly on a young American woman,Talissa, who wishes to do a post doctoral course at the Helen Lingard Institute in the US, which she will fund by acting as a surrogate mother for a couple in London. This seems an ideal situation and she is encouraged to make friends with the future parents, Mary and Alaric Pederson. The IVF procedure goes ahead at the Parn Institute. This us run by a megalomaniac billionaire Lukas Parn. We know where megalomania leads - we have our contemporary ones, who use their wealth to further their wild notions.
Yes L Parn persuades one of the team to conduct an experiment which is ethically dubious to say the least. The fertilised ovum is not Mary’s and Alaric’s.
The much adored child is called Seth, grows normally but is thick set, with a low brow, is a bit different and as a consequence bullied at school. He does not seem to have any idea of what he’d like to do, but goes to a prestigious university to study engineering. He’s regularly monitored by the Parn Institute.
As you would expect, it’s not long before somehow a doubt emerges about Seth’s origins. This is when those closest to him feel the urgent need to protect him because the social consequences will be dire, considering how people behave.
The hunters/hounds really, get more and more ingenious and cunning, which results in a chase that is unsettling and possibly dangerous. You wonder how it can possibly end.
The science is lightly handled. Enough is given to make the story plausible and to avoid tedious explanations. It is all within the realm of possibility. In fact, Faulks visited IVF clinics and says that something similar to what happened is possible even at this very time.
It is fiction which can highlight in an emotional way the deficiencies in the way Homo sapiens thinks and behaves. From this story, we realise the toxicity of human reaction to the “other”, to the perceived differences in individuals. I was also made acutely aware of what an unstable species we are - prone to depression and other mental issues, to delusions, to self harm and war. Faulks is interested in the human mind in all its aspects. There is even a downside to a certain form of imagination.
Although to my mind, and going by the few books I have read, Birdsong remains his greatest book, Faulks is certainly a good storyteller able to anchor a scene well. The pace keeps the reader engaged, the plot is interesting and compelling, the characters believable. Seth is very likeable, I was full of anguish for him all along, especially when he became the victim in these unfortunate events. The modern world is so unrelenting. The writing is not experimental, something I expect these days, but in some ways this is refreshing - a steady storyline, dates given as we go along, so we know where we are.
October 13, 2023
Odd book. It gripped me but what a strange story. Felt as though it had hopped on the Klara and the Sun bandwagon a few years too late but with none of the emotional depth or deeper meaning. I glazed over most of the scientific stuff and wanted to know how it ended, but my brain wasn’t working very hard.
I felt it didn’t need to be set in the future - references to AI and self-driving cars and poorly explained ‘futuristic’ attitudes to race and genealogy were jarring when the rest of the book felt set in the present day. Particular when they seemed to have no purpose - eg not eating meat.
Strange ending. Not very well written female characters, especially when it came to their actions and motivations. Similarly I think Faulks needed to do a bit more legwork to feel as though I was actually rooting for anyone, as all the characters were either Good And Moving The Story Along or Very Bad Enemies To Run From with absolutely no grey areas.
Some nice Freudian themes, but VERY heavy handed Biblical stuff. You’re really going to have a Dr Adam create a new, misunderstood being, give it to Mary to raise and then have him hunted down by the state for being ‘different’? Are you trying to make a point about the weird incestuous Adam/Eve relation or just mash science and religion together towards some bigger meaning?
Wasn’t a huge fan but I did eat it up in a nice quick read.
I felt it didn’t need to be set in the future - references to AI and self-driving cars and poorly explained ‘futuristic’ attitudes to race and genealogy were jarring when the rest of the book felt set in the present day. Particular when they seemed to have no purpose - eg not eating meat.
Strange ending. Not very well written female characters, especially when it came to their actions and motivations. Similarly I think Faulks needed to do a bit more legwork to feel as though I was actually rooting for anyone, as all the characters were either Good And Moving The Story Along or Very Bad Enemies To Run From with absolutely no grey areas.
Some nice Freudian themes, but VERY heavy handed Biblical stuff. You’re really going to have a Dr Adam create a new, misunderstood being, give it to Mary to raise and then have him hunted down by the state for being ‘different’? Are you trying to make a point about the weird incestuous Adam/Eve relation or just mash science and religion together towards some bigger meaning?
Wasn’t a huge fan but I did eat it up in a nice quick read.
August 10, 2024
A very compelling read that kept me awake and thinking about the plot. I really liked Seth and his parents and felt great empathy for them. I also enjoyed the digs at the government of the time, Brexit, Boris and Trump. However I have read quite a few of Faulks’s novels and am never convinced by his female characters, I also find his sex scenes can be cringeworthy. For that reason I’m giving it four rather than 4.5. The science was interesting but I’m not sure how accurate it was. The treatment of severe mental illness hasn’t improved much in this future setting and I was reminded of ‘snow country’ at times. There is a scene in a derelict French building early on which is never explained. Another issue which slightly irritated me was that Seth wasn’t that different from other people.
December 18, 2023
Disappointing. Very interesting premise but somehow missed the mark
September 17, 2023
From the beginning, all the way through up until the end - I was engrossed.
The Seventh Son carries a clear warning: Are we taking Science too far?
There is quite a bit of scientific explanation but I thought it was very well done and if anything, I am now curious to read more about tge species that came before homosapiens. All very interesting.
The Seventh Son carries a clear warning: Are we taking Science too far?
There is quite a bit of scientific explanation but I thought it was very well done and if anything, I am now curious to read more about tge species that came before homosapiens. All very interesting.
October 1, 2023
I do like a thought-provoking read. The book is set in the near future and it was very interesting to see how the world was responding to climate change (realistically to my mind). I didn’t feel particularly moved by individual characters in the book though. Many thanks to Netgalley for an arc of this book.
August 11, 2024
I found this hard to put down, much more readable than some of Faulks other works. This speculative work, set in the near future, deals with equality, diversity, fear of difference, hounding by the press and the blinkered attitude of some scientists / super rich seeking to extend knowledge without considering the consequences for those involved. All of which makes it sound rather dry but is embedded in a cracking story about the creation and life of a boy who is half homo sapiens and half neanderthal.
September 13, 2023
This is a very thought-provoking novel set in the near future and examining many different aspects of human life, societal structure, prejudice and relationships. I found it raised lots of very interesting discussion, although must admit some of it went over my head. I found the rich entrepreneur Musk-like character well drawn out and interesting in what it was saying about the power that the whimsical investment and experimentation of such figures can have. The discussion about what makes us human, diversity and whether we can really ever overcome our desire for homogeny within our societies very intereting. I found the pacing of this novel fluctuated a lot and this affected the way it kept my interest. But an intelligent, thought-provoking read.
This honest review is given with thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this book.
This honest review is given with thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this book.
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